Book Two: The Book of the Traveller of the Worlds

The subtle physical world is nearest to us, just a step round the boundaries of the gross material universe. It is a fine and beautiful world, perfect within limits. It is still a world of Ignorance with fine boundaries that limit the soul’s further advance.

The subtle physical world is a world where there is stress on beauty of form. Sri Aurobindo contrasts this the limited perfection with our own world where everything must evolve and hence create the sense of labour and struggle. This is in fact a Blessing since thus alone can the total Perfection of the Divine manifest Itself.

Because all creation is interconnected and linked to the One, there is not only an interdependence but also a mutual drawing up of all things towards the Divine. But this process is graded as we are influenced by higher and higher levels of consciousness.

Sri Aurobindo reminds us that there are greater and diviner possibilities concealed in the high peaks of Nature; a higher Nature beyond our limited lower Nature that the earth dreams to embody here. That is the original plan that the Divine Will intends upon earth and in man.

There has always been the touch of higher consciousness, awakening earthly life and invigorating it with sublime impulses. It is during such God-moments that the light and glory of the Higher consciousness brings to us deep intimations from the Beyond.

The higher Worlds are concealed within matter as states of Consciousness. They are the secret cause of our striving towards perfection and the sudden efflorescence of marvels upon earthly life. To bring the Divine Perfection out in symbols of names and forms is the labour of love undertaken by earth.

Evolution has an antecedent which is described as involution. It is the plunge of the One Infinite Consciousness along with all Its Powers and degrees into the darkness of Inconscience. Then starts the reversal which we call as evolution.

Our gross material world, as also the subtle worlds, are clothes worn by the Spirit who remains hidden within it as in the oyster shell a pearl of great price. Sri Aurobindo now describes this subtle dress worn by the Spirit before it assumes this thick and heavy and obscure cloak we know as our physical body.