Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine, The Triple Transformation - Track 201

Discovery of the Psychic Being and the Aim of Life

Then, there is a deeper question of the aim of life. This question basically arises at a certain deeper level of our soul. The question that Narada asked of the robber: "What are you doing all this for?" was a question put to him at a given time when he was deeply stirred. What is it that was stirred, which led him to enquire really? He went to his house and asked everybody and when he got the answer he got disappointed and then felt that "all that I was doing was wrong". So this question "what is all this for?" is really a question that strikes the real soul when it arises or when it is put and it is the inner soul, which is really stirred, the psychic that is stirred. It is the mark that the soul is now active.

And then the pursuit of the discovery of the aim of life is also a soul activity. It is a long activity but the whole inspiration comes not from the vital or the body or from the mind but from the soul. At a deeper level of this search comes the question, "what is the aim of my life?" Not only aim of life in general but the aim of my life and that stirs our entire inner being to the deepest level, what am I? koham kastvam? These questions which arise – and one is gripped by these questions – are really the experiences of the soul. It is not merely mental because mind is not merely capable of being stirred by them. Even if somebody puts this question, many people just skirt them; they do not grip the individuals. How many people in India particularly have heard this question: koham? kastvam? Shankaracharya said these are the basic two questions that should be put to everybody and our culture is basically that culture.

Question: I may be going out of track but I see people who while in this search are also so engrossed in selfish activities. What is the state of such beings?

You are not going off the track; actually it's a very important question. You cannot superficially evaluate this. There are people who ask this question very deeply and while the search is going on, in the meantime they may be engrossed in selfish activities.

There are people who do not ask that question but are already doing very nice activities. Both are of equal value if they just remain where they are; both are limited. The real goal should be that when you inquire, ultimately you should come back to practice. And those who are practicing, they should also expound their knowledge and you have to integrate it, so that you really become conscious of what you are doing.

Unconsciously many people in the world are extremely psychic. Children for example are extremely psychic. Most children's activities bubble out of the soul. It is not wrong to say "children are angels". In certain activities they are angels, there is no doubt about it, not in all their activities but in many of their activities they are angels but they are not conscious that they are angels. Even some animals are psychic some times, extremely sympathetic, selfless and sacrificing. Some dogs for example can sacrifice themselves quite selflessly; the psychic element in them is present, manifest and is an aspiration but they are not conscious of this. To be conscious and to be master of these movements is the goal of our purpose. Until you are conscious of it, all this may be good as a help but it is not the terminal point of our effort, so both should be amalgamated actually.

The discovery of the psychic being or of the soul is perhaps one of the deepest experiences of the soul itself; conscious experience of the soul. What are those experiences, spontaneous cheerfulness, a spontaneous experience that everything is alive. The same trees, the same sky, the same people whom we are meeting day after day and one fine morning you find them all alive. You feel as if the season has changed, it is spring. The stones quicken, the trees begin to whisper, and everything seems to have a message and you find yourself so harmonious with everything in the world, everything is so vibrant, palpitating, you feel a concrete experience everywhere. At a deeper level, you experience tremendous calm, a tremendous mastery in which your body, life and mind do not resist at all; they do not create any problem at all for you. You reach a stage where there is a mastery over your body, life and mind, at least for that moment, when you have that experience.

A quiet mastery of body, life and mind is a deeper experience of the soul. You begin to hear the voice of the soul, either physically – sometimes even physically you can hear – or you have an imprint of the message of the soul, so powerful that you know exactly what you have to do. You may be for days and days in question whether you should do or not do, and then suddenly if you are really developing your soul experience, then after that experience you are sure as to what you want to do and you cannot even doubt it and even if you want to doubt the doubt does not arise. Or it is felt to be an external movement and your feet are sure of being on the right path, they go straight towards their goal. You know what you really are, what is your specific function, what is your role, what is your true individuality.