The Ascent towards Supermind, Part II, Chapter XXVI - The Ascent towards Supermind 108

They also found that bridges can be built between these three worlds and that fourth world. The basic core of the Veda is concerning this secret – the bridges between the three worlds in which we live and the entry into the fourth world. What are the processes by which this can be done? This is not sufficiently understood because the Veda is written in the language, the symbolism of which is difficult to penetrate. It’s only because Sri Aurobindo himself has explained this that we are able to understand the language of the Veda in a new light and we can understand where this process is described.

The Veda also speaks of the intermediate stages between the mind and the supermind and we can take advantage of this. It speaks of the five Goddesses in the symbolic form – Mahati or Bharati, Ila, Swaraswati, Sarama and Daksha. Actually it speaks of seven rivers, we don’t know the seven names but at least five names are known. They speak of seven rivers these are the rivers which are flowing from Supermind as it were, upon our mental consciousness. So they are nearer to our consciousness, we can touch them more easily. It is these capacities which are symbolized by these rivers to which reference would be made here in this chapter when we come across the description of higher mind, illumined mind, intuitive mind, overmind. We shall see how the Vedic descriptions of these five rivers, five Goddesses are exemplified here.

Mahati is the power of wideness, wideness of which we are not capable at present. All our wideness is limited by horizon. We can imagine further horizon but whatever is our vision, it is always bound by horizon. Our widest perception of wideness is still limited by the horizon, but horizon less wideness is the real Mahati, − the real vastness. When you cross the mind, it is this wideness which begins to arrive, the moment you come into higher mind; you already have this ever expanding wideness. This is one distinguishing feature between mind and higher mind.

Our mind can conceive boundlessness, but cannot experience it. The higher mind not only conceives but lives in it. This is the basic distinction, but still higher mind has only the capacity of conceiving as in the case of mind, mind also conceives, higher mind also conceives that is the link between our mind and higher mind. Since there is a link between the two, we can understand the higher mind better because we have already got something akin to higher mind. That’s why Sri Aurobindo says that before we come to Supermind; let us go to those planes which are nearer to us.

Higher mind has one great capacity that it can have that wideness which is beyond horizons. Therefore, it has a capacity of synthesizing, which our mind is incapable of. Our mind can synthesise, no doubt. But can synthesise at the most hundred ideas. Even that is a superhuman achievement; to be able to keep hundred ideas together and to synthesise them together would be tremendous capacity, but not impossible. Many human beings, not many but some human beings have been able to achieve it. Shatavadhanis, for example, who can keep hundred things in their mind at the same time and can repeat – without any notice. You first speak out hundred things together and then you ask him, what was the 98th or 60th or 61st. He can answer you. These capacities are available but they are quite remarkable developments. But if you can combine say million ideas together, million systems at the same time, since we can have many systems on our mind, we can conceive a million ideas together.

Although we cannot achieve it, but it is helpful to us to think at least that higher mind is something like this.

Then we have got, although quite radically different, when you have got the power of Ila. Ila is something like a power, which is as different from conception as our eyesight is from conception. I can think of a table and what is the difference between my thinking of a table and my seeing the table. What a difference is there between the two experiences. Similar is the difference between the power of the higher mind and the power of Ila. Ila does not merely conceive, does not merely think, it transcends the capacity of thinking – whatever it thinks it sees. It does not need to think, it sees simply – when you see of a table, you don’t need to think of a table, you see the table. The objects of the higher mind are seen in the mind, which is governed by Ila. All seeing is revelation when you open your eyes and see, you don’t create the things from outside they are only revealed before you. All seeing is uncovering, not manufacturing that which are covered with your closed eyes is now revealed when you open your eyes. Therefore, Ila is called the power of revelation. It’s a faculty like the eyes and the Vedic Rishis said that Ila is present in us, all of us but, latent, not developed. If you develop it you will have the capacity of seeing million things at the same time. This was the idea of Sahasraksha. Indra is called Sahasraksha and Vishnu also – thousand eyes.

So if you have thousand eyes, what will be the capacity of your being? We have only two eyes but imagine thousand eyes then you can understand what is Ila. The power of Ila is of that kind.