Summary: Explains that the sadhana has to be done on an individual as well as collective level, not in isolation or within a convenient environment. Further, that in the sangha there is the inevitable provocation caused by the other, but they are opportunities for growth. Teaches that it is essential to seek for the whole Truth and not merely some ‘space’, and for that a complete self-offering is required. Explains that this self-offering is essential to receive the Divine grace.

F. reads the sentence of the day: ‘When you respect the other, when you dignify the other, you dignify yourself.’ – Giridharji

I have also another saying: be patient with yourself, be patient with the other. It is something which is an ongoing process: we have to continuously work on it, everybody, together and as individuals. Actually that is the whole reason for a community, a community like this which is not only working towards a spiritual upliftment of oneself as an individual but as a community too – seeking for a whole transformation, a new transformation. It cannot be done only individually for you cannot exist in isolation. Normally people in the world consider themselves individuals interested only in their immediate relations, requirements, conveniences and comforts, and increasingly at the expense of all else; vested only in their pettinesses and idiosyncrasies and obscenely self-centred as a consequence of self-pampering – the outcome of modern societies. But if the community, the human community of this planet, has to be a community, has to evolve to another level, then this has to be worked out as a community, it cannot be worked out in isolation. That is why, whether it is a big community or a small community, depending on whatever, however, whoever decides to participate, for however long, or however short, trunk or no trunk, (joking with C. who could not find her luggage) this will have to be done. It cannot be done otherwise. It cannot be done by individuals living in caves or in their ivory towers. It has to be done individually and together – and therefore the reason for such a community. This has to be understood and thus consciously taken to.

This is not the kind of community like the ones of monastic tradition where you lived in your cell to finally ascend to some heaven never to return, or even as modern day individual seekers of their own enlightenment or ideas of enlightenment. In any case one would still have to interact with the other however minimal, but in a community like ours because it involves greater fields and all regions of your consciousness to be reached and transformed, there will be great opportunity for you to dignify and, if you do not watch it, indignify yourself and each other. This needs to be worked out, otherwise in isolation or within the ambit of a convenient environment – that is how people usually place themselves in the world – you adjust, adapt, manipulate, or you escape. This is what normally happens so it never gets worked out with the same intensity or dealt with in the whole consciousness. It is always done superficially. Here the inconvenient moments may seem a little more – and could be so – than out there, because escape is not an option, but the opportunity for growth is ensured. Of course it is a progressive thing but you should start to understand, then you know you have to work towards it.

Even the Buddha said, “Take refuge in the sangha” – as well as the dhamma, philosophy and principles on which the sangha is based. Initially there will be a lot of confusion: all this will have to be worked out. You have to find the way to work it out. That is why it is like a maze: a maze of all the various things in your consciousness and the maze of other people’s consciousness when you interact with each other in varying situations. Search for a balance between being a member of the community and being an individual. There will be many moments in which you would like to be in a nice space with all the nice little people you would like to have around – but they never last. That is not our idea of a community: a community comfortable without challenges – rather a community comfortable with challenges.

This is the opportunity but it requires a lot of deep and difficult work–tapas. The index of difficulty is high, always. Sadhana is difficult, that is why it is called sadhana. It is continuous working towards perfection as an individual and as a community that is global, cosmic and godly. It does not mean you cannot straighten people when it is so required. Godly does not mean meek and weak and always ready to be crucified on the cross. No, no, no! That was Jesus’s individuality – we leave it to him. And anyway Jesus was not weak! Sometimes it might be fine to straighten somebody out a little… (Laughing)

Anyway, that is it: global citizens, global community, universal. You may have been born in certain regions, come from certain countries, but ultimately we are all members of the globe. That is the future community. The human species has to rise out of humanity and move towards divinity, but this needs to be worked out. To reach the next level of evolution there is so much that needs to be worked out on the different levels, not only up, but all the way down to the different levels of the consciousness where the sub-human, the animal and even worse exist. There are those moments when you lose control and all sorts of things can happen. That is why it is called sadhana and tapasyâ. It is an internal working, within the convenient spaces and also within the inconvenient spaces. It is a progressive thing; you must understand the principles of your life, the reasons of your life and work towards them. You are your own master; you are your own god; you are the master of your own life. This is the vision and the understanding that you must keep in mind and work towards. If you keep that in mind all of a sudden you start to feel that you are companions, compatriots and partners in this journey and not enemies. There may be moments when feelings of dislike, hate, envy, jealousy and other negative thoughts and feelings for someone will surface because they exist in the consciousness, but these moments are actually opportunities for you to recognise and see them for what they are and discard through a deeper understanding. If you were isolated as an individual you would never get these opportunities. How else would it be? It is only because you have the other that it is brought to the surface. Even if the means be of provocation it is an opportunity to know the entire field of your consciousness and work out your evolutionary personality making you more grounded in and for the earth, preparing you for what is to come. Watch and learn.

Of course this whole idea of people that provoke on purpose and make a religion and philosophy of it, while themselves disliking being provoked, I do not have much time for. To them I would say, first become a master. Anyway you will unconsciously inevitably provoke each other in any case, so where is the need to go about making a habit of it? Some people take that as an excuse to do whatever they feel like doing while not being able to look at themselves, introspect and take responsibility for their own actions and expressions and so they use this excuse: ‘You know, I only provoked the other for the sake of provoking!’ But when the other one provokes they do not like it. So it smacks of a double standard. Then this can continue on and on forever. You must mature, rise above these things. First become a master of yourself and then you will know whom, when, how and if to provoke.

When you are responsible for your actions and for yourself you will dignify the other. Otherwise you end up with this: ‘I was only provoking’ and at the end of the day you will end up with another round of provocations and find yourself in the same situation. It becomes a habit and can become a habit in the community also. It may be alright sometimes to do some therapy, but you never get out of it. I have seen this, and then it becomes your personality. Because you do not take responsibility for your actions, you do not respect the other, you do not dignify the other, and therefore you do not dignify yourself. There is only egoism in this provoking, you continue to perpetuate your ego because in provoking the other you enjoy yourself and that enjoyment is perverse. The Master can do it because he does it objectively in order to bring about self-observation and transformation, but you have not reached that mastery. You are not free in your expressions, so when you provoke there may be enjoyment in it, there may be a dislike in it, there may be a hate in it, there may be a racial bias in it and then you perpetuate that karma and you are never free of it. It will bring its consequences, it will return. Then the required transformation will not happen and the Divine will not manifest. And if ever there is a divine moment it will not last, for Light cannot exist where there is darkness; the Truth cannot exist where there is untruth; the Divine soul and spirit cannot manifest where there is the ego. This has to be understood and that is why you have to start dignifying yourself. If you dignify yourself you will dignify the other. Really this is a fact: if you respect yourself, you will respect the other because you appreciate what respect and dignity are. Then you offer that to the other also. Sometimes it can get to a point where you dignify the other even if it means indignifying yourself. This is reaching the Christ-life, the Messiah-life, where you sacrifice your own life for the sake of the world, for the will of God. He is indignified: they whip him, they crown him with thorns, they laugh at him, they spit at him – but he takes it all for the sake of God’s will. That is why He says, “My dignity comes from above.” That is why He is the Christ. And to rise to that level is a long journey. It is a beautiful and sacred journey.

If God awakens you, you are truly awakened to your divinity. This is what we are doing here. It is not easy even as an individual, leave alone together as a community. So much work needs to be done. It is not some space, it is not some technique, rather it is a self-offering through your sadhana before God will embrace you completely. Otherwise you can get to this space or that space but it is not necessarily that God will embrace you. Sadhanas are of various kinds and their reaches also are of various kinds. There are many different types of Yogas, with their respective reaches, limits and objectives as Aurobindo also emphasises. Even in the Gîtâ, Krishna says, “Out of the multitudes one here and there strives for perfection and even of those who strive and attain perfection it is a rare one who knows Me completely in all comprehensiveness.”¹ This truly is a very important saying. So keep this in mind: that you seek for the whole Truth, the complete Truth and the Reality to manifest in you in totality, whatever the Reality – because the mind is incapable to conceive of the Reality on its own. And in your own simple way keep to this faith: ‘I want to realise and manifest the whole Reality and Truth completely, whatever it may be, and I offer myself to You.’ Then work towards that self-offering because it is not that you say it and it is done. “You will be tested,” that is what Christ says. He is making very important statements. Actually they are not just statements and you will understand the depth of these statements in the progress of your sadhana, and therefore the importance of this self-offering from your side.

Much work has to be done before you can offer yourself and receive grace. That is why I say, you may have this space and that space but not necessarily the Divine grace. There is so much to the Reality and it is childish to think that if you have some space you have arrived at the total Truth and enlightenment. This is immaturity and naivete. God is still far away. God’s grace is far away. It is a lot of work but it is very easy if you journey joyfully. If you understand this, if it has sunk into your mind and your consciousness, if it has sunk into your heart, if it has sunk into your being, then that will always be the lighthouse, the guiding light even when you are passing through moments of difficulty.

So respect each other as individuals and respect each other as being part of the community. We may have differing views. We can discuss it, we can debate over it, we can inquire of it, we can question it, but that questioning does not mean you disrespect the other. Usually it ends up like that because it is all about the ego. That is why we sit together to discuss and debate so many things. I am not saying it is going to happen overnight, but if we keep this in our mind, if we keep reminding ourselves, then the community can keep progressing.

Arya Vihar

2 Aug 2010