Yoga and the Physical

When the working is in the physical consciousness, it is the tamas which is the main physical force that comes in whenever it can.

You said that R cured A’s inertia. The question is whether it is cured by medicines or by some other means of which R himself may not be conscious.

R does not profess to cure by medicines alone — he knows that it is only when supported by Force that his medicines are infallibly effective. But A’s inertia resisted the Force for years, because he was shut up to the Force. When R took him up, he got confidence and the medicines were able to act both in their own power and as instruments of the Force.

Many sadhaks were not fit for any Yoga, much less for the Integral Yoga. It was sheerly by the Mother’s Grace that we were accepted. And yet the only return we have offered to her is to tire her out by our ego and vital demands.

It is so — if the sadhaks had been different in their reaction to the Mother’s grace, the work in the physical would have been much easier and less perilously subject to hostile attacks, perhaps it would have been done by now.

I distinguish the inertia in me as of two types. First there is the type which is always there in the outer being whether my consciousness goes above or below.

Only removable by being transformed into shama, i.e. divine peace, quietude, stillness.

The second type is a special surge which comes to obstruct me from diving within or ascending above. This type comes usually after a luminous period.

Correct. That is what usually happens.

This evening the inertia took a different turn. It put on the mind the impression that study was impossible. This impression was accepted for a long time.

The acceptance of such impressions must necessarily stand in the way of getting rid of the inertia. If the inertia finds its suggestions seriously accepted, it will go on merrily bringing them in.

When I speak of inertia, I mean usually mental inertia.

Mental inertia would not come to you to that extent if there were not the physical tamas.

The feeling “I can’t aspire etc. What can I do?” is suggested by the physical inertia, but it must not be accepted as a truth.

The rush of inertia would not have mattered so much had it not been for a complete inert passivity of my mind and vital.

If it did not bring ego, sex, tamas, despondency etc. it would not matter. Inert passivity can be turned into a state of spiritual quietude.

Inertia by itself is simply dull or else quiet, it is only if the vital stirs that despondency comes in.

Though my vital is not dissatisfied, it does not live in a satisfied condition either!

Well, if it is not dissatisfied that is something. If inertia there is to be, it is better to have a quiet rather than a restless inertia.

Today I tried to take a walk. It was so tiring that my right leg ached! I had to suspend my normal painting work! All this in spite of my having used will-power.

In the body there is a strong resistance of obscure inertia and this inertia is always accompanied by an openness to contrary forces. So as soon as you put your will on it the contrary reaction is suggested by the lower forces and through habit prevails. I don’t see anything to do but press on with the progress of the inner and higher consciousness till the body is obliged to open to it.

Will the dynamic descent stop the inertia from interfering with the sadhana?

By the descent the inertia changes its character. It ceases to be a resistance of the physical and becomes only a physical condition to be transformed into the true basic immobility and rest.

After each two days of the higher state, the inertia comes back again, turning the whole consciousness dark. Can we not prevent this regular rush of inertia?

The peace and silence have to come into the physical and replace the inertia.

This morning I tried for some time to bring down the higher Force. Its effect was immediately felt in the body. I could not continue the effort for long with the same intensity. What came in the way?

It is impossible to say anything precise about these things. It is always some aprakash and apravritti in the lower consciousness that comes in the way.

The higher things I felt this morning were not felt in the evening, even during the meditation. What happened to them?

To have the higher things all the time would mean that the whole physical consciousness had been changed — that has not yet happened.

At present the spiritual experiences etc. are felt either above or in the body. The mind and vital seem to have been put aside.

That is because it is in the physical that they have to be established.

The higher working remains until 4 a.m. The evening brings a straight descent into inertia!

Because the inertia is there in the physical consciousness and has made itself habitual — so the consciousness falls back to it. It is by the higher working getting hold of the physical that that can cease — unless of course you succeed in throwing off the inertia by your own will.

Cannot the enlightened parts of the body exert their pressure on the tamasic parts of the body to turn them towards the same light?

No. It is a local working which has to be extended to the whole by the Force, but the parts of the body can do nothing towards it.

I experience a greater and greater passivity. What is the need of this?

I suppose it is in order to liberate the consciousness more completely and prepare the turning of tamas into shama, inertia into absolute repose and peace.

Up to 1 a.m. my consciousness deepened more and more into higher consciousness. Afterwards, there came such a strong pressure for sleep that my eyes became blurred. I went to bed but got no sleep. I struggled in vain for two hours though the pressure for sleep continued all the time.

But why struggle? That usually increases the difficulty. The difficulty itself must come from some resistance in the physical.

The dynamic descent seems to have stopped at the throat centre (the physical mind centre).

If it has stopped there, it must be because there is not sufficient plasticity and surrender in the physical mental to let it through.

The descent will come when it is possible for it to come down. Meanwhile, more quietness and fortitude in the physical mind and consciousness would perhaps be helpful.

The latest higher descent is now penetrating into my physical and material consciousness — so inertia, dullness etc. are natural. Is this not true?

It may be — as a reaction of the lower nature resisting change.

Just after the general evening meditation there is a great uprush of inertia. Its power prevents me from doing any sadhana. What is the cause of this?

There can be many reasons. Either something still not quite right in the attitude of reception or else the force pressing and the inertia rushing up to resist or else a fatigue-resistance of the physical.

Release from the inertia comes only when a strong and powerful Force presses on the head. As soon as it withdraws, the inertia again surges up. How long will this go on?

These things last so long as they can last. When the consciousness as a whole is ready, they disappear.

The resistance of inertia is not a new phenomenon, but formerly it was only occasional. Now there is not a single day when it does not overpower the sadhana!

The hold of inertia always increases when the working comes down into the physical and subconscient. Before that the inertia is overpowered though not eradicated by the action in mind and vital — afterwards it comes up in its natural force and has to be met in its own field.

Why don’t the inertia, ego and desire decrease in spite of our sustained effort to change them?

It needs time, persistent will and effort and increasing equality and quietude to do it.

It is probably the refusal of the vital to give up its desires that gives the inertia so much strength to impede the sadhana.

I have said it is evidently the vital resistance to change that is holding up your sadhana, bringing the inertia and preventing the action of the higher consciousness.

I have discovered that there is always something in the vital and physical mind that tries to oppose what you desire me to do — especially when a physical thing is concerned.

Well, that is all right. You have to discover like that all these ignorant desire movements in you — for it is partly these or rather the mind’s acquiescence in them and support of them that keeps the physical consciousness unable to receive the full Peace and the Force.

How do the vital desires supported by the mind prevent the physical from receiving the Peace and the Force?

If the mind and the vital impose their obstacles how can the physical get the Peace or Force? You seem to think that mind, vital and physical are three quite independent things which have no connection with each other and no influence or effect upon each other. That is not so. They powerfully affect each other. Moreover in mind there is a vital mental, a physical mental — in vital there is a mental vital, a physical vital — in physical there is a mental physical, a vital physical. How do you imagine then that vital can have no effect on the physical?

Inertia is mental, vital, physical, subconscient. Physical inertia can produce mental inertia, mental inertia can produce physical inertia, vital inertia almost always makes the physical lifeless and lustreless and dull, and that is inertia. Vital inertia can also infect the mind, unless the mind is very strong and clear. I have always said that the physical consciousness is the main seat and source of inertia. Your ideas about these things seem to be very fanciful and elementary.