BY HARIDAS CHAUDHURI The Philosophy of Integralism Sri Aurobindo: The Prophet of Life Divine The Rhythm of Truth Meditation in Theory and Practice CO-EDITOR Indian Culture: A Symposium The Integral Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo: A SymposiumINTEGRAL YOGA The Concept of Harmonious and Creative Living BY HARIDAS CHAUDHURI Professor of Philosophy and Chairman of the Department of South Asia, American Academy of Asian Studies, San Francisco; and President, Cultural Integration Fellowship WITH A FOREWORD BY PITIRIM A. SOROKIN Professor of Sociology and Director of The Research Center in Creative Altrmsm Harvard Unversity London GEORGE ALLEN & UNWIN LTD RUSKIN HOUSE MUSEUM STREETFIRST PUBLISHED IN 1965 Tias book 1s copyright undey the Berns Convention. Apart from any fasr dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or veview, as permitted under the Copynght Act, 1956, no portion may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Ingusries should be made to the publishers. © Haridas Chaudhun, 1965 PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN in 10 point Old Style BY C. TINLING AND CO LTD LIVERPOOL, LONDON AND PRESCOTTO MARY CALKINS BROOKE Whose one dream of life was To see all discords dissolve in loveFOREWORD Inmy humble opinion the Integral Yoga by Haridas Chaudhuri is the best one-volume work on this topic. His analysis of the integral yoga, its principles and its relationship to other forms of yoga, to modern Western thought, to different systems of philosophy and religion including mysticism, is so admirably done that there is no need for a lengthy preface on my part. Instead I can whole-heartedly recommend the book to all who are interested in yoga and, more generally, in the basic philosophical, religious and moral problems of man. Integral yoga suggests its own solutions to many of these perennial quests. For the Western psychologists, psychiatrists, educators and moraf leaders particularly significant are: Chapters II-V in which the important differences of the integral yoga from the ancient religious and mystical traditions are clearly shown, and Chapters VII and VIII which outline the methods and techniques of the integral yoga used for the transformation of human personakty. PITIRIM A. SOROKIN Director, Research Center in Creative Altruism, Harvard UniversityCONTENTS FOREWORD INTRODUCTION L mL. mr. Iv. THE MEANING OF YOGA ‘Yoga as a pivotal concept 19; misconceptions about yoga 20; essence of yoga 21; yoga and rehgion 22; yoga and ethics 23; beyond good and evil 25; yoga and philosophy 26; yoga and psychology 20, yoga and mysticism 30 THE AIM OF INTEGRAL YOGA Integral yoga as harmonions and creative hving 37; hfe and yoga 38, inadequacy of the ascetic :deal 39; transformation of existence 41; dynamic umon with Being 42, collective liberation of manlaad 43; the reign of righteousness 47; modern political ideologies 49; a unified world-order 51. THE SYNTHESIS OF YOGAS: HATHA, RAJA, TANTRA AND JNANA The way of physical disciphne (hatha) 53; the way of mental discipline (raja) 54; the way of power (iantva) 57; the way of Inowledge (jfidna) 62. THE SYNTHESIS OF YOGAS: BHAKTI, KARMA AND PORNA ‘The way of love and devotion (bhakt) 67; the way of action (karma) 73; the way of integral self-development (pirna) 76; a critique of the ascetic tendency 78 BASIC PRINCIPLES OF INTEGRAL YOGA Psychic integration 83; cosmic integration 86; existential integration 87; the eternal and the historical 88; principles of creative existence 89; principles of meditation 93; the concept of creative love (lila) 97. THE PHILOSOPHY OF INTEGRAL YOGA ‘The quest of unity x00; different forms of cosmic unity tor; pluralism examined 104; the non-temporal dimension of Being (Siva) 105; conscious union with the eternal 107; the evolu- tionary world-spinit 108; the dynamic universal (Sakti) 109; individuality as an emergent value 112; man's relationship to nature, time, society, self and the supreme 113; history and eternity 116. page 9 13 19 37 53 00vil. vill. INDEX CONTENTS SOME METHODS OF MEDITATION ‘Meditation as psychological house-cleaning 117; concentration 118; communion with Nature 121; centres of consciousness 122, practice of Japam 123; mechanical and logical concentration 125; concentration on the flow of breath 126; concentration on the abstract 128; dynamic self-opening 129; self-surrender 130; cosmic love 132. MORE METHODS OF MEDITATION Free selianquiry 134; detached self-observation 136; free thinkang 138; spwitually ortented action 141; the mtegral approach 144, meditation in Zen Buddhism 147; the ‘dust- wiping’ type of meditation 147, the ‘self-seeing’ type of med tation 149, gradual and abrupt schools of Zen reconciled 151; whether meditation 1s continuous or discrete 152; harmony of meditation and action 155, 117 134 156INTRODUCTION Passion for diversity-in-unity is a central characteristic of India culture. It has resulted in an appreciation of divergent viewpoints in the light of some underlying principle of unity. An Hindu philosophy Truth is affirmed to be one and universal, d at the same time endowed with endless forms and modes of expression. Being is affirmed to be nondual, but at the same time multi-form and multi-dimensional. The destiny of life is affirmed to be the same, namely, union with the eternal, but it is believed that there are many ways leading to the same destination. It is this nondualistic outlook which has produced an amazing spirit of toleration and comprehensive understanding in Indian thought. The great religions of the world are accepted as different avenues of approach to the common goal of integration with ultimate reality. The great founders of world religions are accepted as equally divine manifestations in history of the same dynamic world-spirit. The different philosophies of the world are viewed as various modes of intellectual formulation of that concrete fullness of existence which is essentially non-verbal and non-intellectual. Different political ideologies are perceived as relatively valid means of sélf- development of different countries and nations. _— Over the centuries all manner of experiments have been made in India with the spiritual truth, that is to say, in the field of living in 4 harmony with the Supreme Being. The findings of such experi- ments are embodied in her traditional yoga systems. It is believed that different yoga systems are particularly suitable for different individuals who belong to different psychological types. But in ; essential design they are all attuned to the same goal, namely, / direct union with the ultimate ground of existence. \.... This concept of union with the ground of existence—the concept “of yoga—is pivotal to India culture. All religious movements are oriented to it, All philosophical tendencies spring from it. Even social and political ideologies have to reckon with it. The task of sotial reconstruction and political rebuilding must be in keeping with man’s ultimate spiritual destiny, to wit, union with the Supreme Being. Man’s direct union with the ultimate ground of existence may tiefly be described as existential union. The essence of yoga is (costetial union. During the Middle Ages, negative and static ele-INTRODUCTION ments in the concept of existential union were specially emphasized. It was believed by many that in order fully to realize the supreme ffuth one has sooner or later to renounce the world of social action (sarisara). After a person attains spiritual integration, all his springs of action dry up. He waits patiently for the most blessed moment of fariscendent peace in the bosom of the eternal—beyond space, time and action. In the meantime he may engage in some deeds of virtue, Fégardless of consequences. But a striking shift of emphasis in Indian thought was occasioned by the renaissance of Hinduism which started with Raja Ram ~ Mohan Roy, Sri Ramkrishna, and Swami Dayananda. Affirmative and dynamic elements in the Hindu tradition were reaffirmed and strongly emphasized. In the ancient Vedic period of India the idea of bringing down the glory of the gods into human life and society was a major spiritual influence. In the Upanisads the reality of the world was affirmed as a diversified outflow of the fullness of joy in the heart of the Supreme Being (Brahman). In the Puranas the notion of the reign of truth in history (Satyayuga) was a source of inspira- tion; the ideal of living true to the kindred points of time and eternity was especially stressed. In the Bhagavadgita the concept of the rule of law—the kingdom of truth and righteousness in human society (dharmarajya)—was the central theme of the whole teaching of Sri Krsna. The leading thinkers of modern India have reaffirmed such positive and dynamic conceptions of the spiritual ideal of life. In doing so they have laid the foundation for a harmonious blending of the ighest cultural values of the traditional East and the modern West. iey have indicated the lines along which India’s spiritual know- how regarding man’s union with the ground of existence may be fruitfully combined with the technical and political know-how of the ‘West in improving the conditions of living in the world. Sri Rambkrishna, the saint of Daksineswar, demonstrates the essential unity of all the great religions of the world, He declares that all religions, when followed with the sincerity of purpose and _singleness of devotion, ultimately lead to the same goal of God- }realization or integration with Being. But he also points out that the realization of the Supreme Being carries within it the imperative of selfless social service—the service of the Divine that dwells in the heart of man. ~The great poet Rabindranath Tagore stresses the concept of creative freedom. He proclaims that freedom which is of the essence of the spirit in man is not freedom from society but freedom in society. It is in a thousand and one bonds of loving relationship with fellow beings that true freedom is to be enjoyed.INTRODUCTION Mahatma Gandhi, the architect of India’s national freedom, seizes upon two central concepts of Hindu ethics: truth and non-violence (satya and ahimsd). He believes that these are the common denomin- ator of all historical religions. They represent the soul force which is vastly superior to the brute force of machine-guns and bombs and therefore capable of solving any political, racial or international problem. They are indispensable in transforming internecine power politics into the politics of human welfare and world peace. The philosopher-statesman Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan stresses the concept of social salvation. The fate of individuals as well as of groups 3s inextricably linked up with the fate of the entire human family. So no individual can be completely liberated until the human race is liberated. No nation or people can reach its ultimate goal until humanity as a whole is ready for self-fulfilment. Different nations must therefore have an opportunity of growing freely within the framework of international harmony. The silent sage Raman Maharshi emphasizes the need for critical seli-inquiry and blissful self-poise. When the self begins to realize its essence, it may at the beginning have a feeling of withdrawal from , the world of nature and society. It may at first experience the physical excluded from the trance-like awareness of the spiritual. But when self-awareness is sufficiently deepened, the gulf between the natural " and the spiritual is overcome and one can blissfully abide in the Self in the midst of all the ordinary activities and pursuits of social existence. Spiritual self-i integration becomes then a perfectly natural \condstion (sahaja). The dynamic seer- philosopher Sri Aurobindo stresses the need for ‘he integral experience of Being and a creative attitude tolife. Integral ‘experience of Being involves three factors: (1) union with the non- \remporal dimension of existence (Siva); (2) mobilizing the deepest powers and potentialities ‘of the human psyche (atman); and co- ration or creative fellowship with the evolutionary force of Being ¢ sakti). This concept of integral experience provides a broad basis upon which the insights of the aforesaid leaders of modern India may be unified in an all-embracing synthesis. Gandhi has demon- strated the value of truth and love as guiding principles in the work of the social and political reconstruction of life the world over. Auro- bindo believes that this work of reconstruction can be enormously enhanced by mobilizing the hitherto-untapped and unsuspected resources of human personality and pressing them into the service of truth, love ani creative evolution. Integral Yoga is the art of harmonious and creative living on the basis of the integral experience of Being. It aims at opening the springs of creative inspiration hidden in the human psyche. It aimsINTRODUCTION at that serenity of self-poise which preserves the light of the eternal amidst the storm and stress of social living. It aims at active partici- pation in the being of the world with a view to the outflowering of the Divine in the march of civilization. Integral experience 1s the basis of an integral world-view (Weltan- schauung). Central to the integral viewpoint is the concept of multi- form and multidimensional Being (Brahman). Being is the ultimate ground of all existence which different metaphysical systems and religious faiths try to express in different ways. The two inseparable aspects or dimensions of Being are: the transcendent eternal (Siva) and the dynamic universal (Sakti). The dynamic universal is the creative energy of Being. It is productive of ever new forms, quali- ties, values, patterns of existence, levels of consciousness, etc. The world-process consisting of nature and history, matter and spirit, is the creative energy of Being in manifestation, The human self is an active centre of self-expression of Being, like a spark of fire issuing forth from the cosmic flame. It is capable of partaking on the one hand of the life eternal of Being, and participating on the other in the creative adventure of Being. Every human individual is essentially a child of immortality, a focalized expression of the vital urge. His . purpose in life is to realize his authentic self as a unique centre of creative freedom, as an active source of new values, as a channel of expression of the hidden possibilities of Being. Integral Yoga is the art of such dynamic self-realization. The present volume purports to present the essentials of Integral ‘Yoga in a brief outline. It is not intended to be a summary of ideas embodied in any previous work or thought system. The author alone is responsible for the thoughts and interpretations set forth in the following pages. The essentials of integrated living have been de- veloped by him in his own independent way. Metaphysical tech- nicalities have been avoided as far as possible. English equivalents of Sanskrit terms have been mostly preferred with a view to making matters a little easy for the Western reader. Those aspects of Hindu philosophy and Sri Aurobindo’s metaphysics which are too abstruse and yet not so necessary from the practical standpoint, have been left out of account (e.g. supernatural planes of existence, subtle distinc- tions between higher mind, illumined mind, intuitive mind, overmind and supermind, ete.). In the first two chapters the true meaning of yoga has been eluci- dated and the significance of integral yoga has been brought out. Chapters III and IV make a brief critical survey of the traditional yoga systems of India, It is indicated how integral yoga represents a higher creative synthesis of the traditional ideals. In the original teaching of the Vedas and the Upanisads there was an optimisticINTRODUCTION affirmation of the world as an outflow of the fullness of joy in the heart of existence. In the monastic orders that grew out of the teach- ing of the Buddha and Sattkara there was a pessimistic emphasis upon world and life negation as a means to the highest spiritual fulfilment. Integral yoga harmonizes in a balanced synthesis the optimistic and pessimistic tendencies, the affirmative and negative attitudes to life. It renounces, not life and world, but man’s blind attachment to them. It affirms, not the forces of greed and violence operative in life, but the deeper potentialities of life as a vehicle of truth and beauty and love. On the basis of such affirmation the evolutionary perspective of the modern West can be integrated into the framework of India’s spiritual heritage. Chapter V sketches the main principles of integral yoga, which is dominated by the ideal of man’s integral union with the authentic self, the evolutionary world-spint and the Supreme Being. Chapter VI embodies a brief outline of the philosophical basis of integral yoga. It affirms reality to be multi-form and multi-dimensional. The eternal, the dynamic universal and the unique individual are shown to be equally real aspects of the universe. The last two chapters are intended to meet the long-felt need for a comprehensive but succinct account of the most important methods of meditation as practised in India. It has been indicated how different techniques of spiritual practice can contribute to self-integration and creative freedom. The author owes a debt of gratitude to the Mother, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, for all her gracious help in grasping the essentials of Integral Yoga. Her kind permission to use in this book some quotations from the basic writings of Sri Aurobindo is thank- fully acknowledged. Grateful thanks are also due to Dr Pitim A. Sorokin, Director, Harvard Research Center in Creative Altruism, for kindly writing a Foreword for this volume. The Author San Francisco, March 1964CHAPTER I THE MEANING OF YOGA Yooa is a pivotal concept in India culture. It has been at the sotitce of all significant religious and philosophical movements. Philosophic thinking in India has been concerned from the very beginning with the root crisis of the spirit in man. The basic issue of human suffering including moral, religious and psychological problems has been traced to one ultimate cause, to wit, self-es- trangement, alienation from existence, loss of contact with Being. Emotional conflicts, social discords, political wars—all these, in final analysis, flow from man’s loss of contact with the ground of existence (aman or Brahman). Alienation from existence makes him out- wardly oriented to the point of restlessness. He eagerly looks for his happiness in the outside world, He fiercely fights for the blessings of life with rival contestants. He desperately searches for truth as an object of contemplation, as a thing to think about. He seriously endeavours to settle his accounts with fellow beings by means of objectivized principles, pacts and agreements. He forgets that the crux of his crisis lies within himself, in the buried discrepancies of his own nature. Yoga calls attention to this crucial fact. It aims at that vital existential experience which reunites man with the inmost centre of his own being. No philosopher in India is accounted authentic unless he is also - a yogi. A yogi is one who does not merely talk philosophy but lives philosophy. He does not simply have faith in God but experiences God. For him true philosophy is no mere intellectual pastime. Nor is it just otiose contemplation of the real. It must grow out of his * existential experience and help him to intensify and broaden the base of such experience} For a yogi religion is not a mere system of faith or creed. It is a matter of personal realization or integration with reality. It is a matter of immediate contact with Being. Different religions are different pathways leading to this ultimate goal of existential contact. In our present age the problem of man’s alienation from existence has reached fearful proportions. Modern man is in great danger of being crushed by the machines he has himself created. He is in danger of being lost in the crowd. He is faced with the danger of being20 INTEGRAL YOGA swallowed by authoritative institutions, giant corporations, and monstrous dictatorships. Intensified struggle for existence leaves him little time for coming to terms with his own inner self. Ideological conflicts and international tensions have vastly accentuated his sense of insecurity. Enlightened modern man can hardly fall back upon the mercy of the old gods, ie. the traditional values of medieval thinking embedded in supernaturalistic dogmas and creeds. The old gods have died, even though the tragic news has not yet reached the orthodox and conservative segments of humanity. Not all those who have heard the news are quite aware of its full significance. The reassuring voice of the new gods is not yet clearly audible. ‘Yoga points to the truth beyond the gods of different races, nations and parochial religions. It affirms the reality of the Self (diman, purusa) as the one beacon light in the enveloping darkness of con- flicting creeds and ideologies. Yoga is existential appropriation of the truth. At its best it is also an act of manifold self-expression of the truth. We call that integral yoga, which we shall discuss at some length in the following chapters. On the basis of balanced union with, ¢ the ultimate ground of existence, integral yoga aims at the recon- 2 struction of life and society into a growing image of the truth. Tt ‘stresses the need for creative action in harmony with the cosmic (purpose of existence. Unfortunately a huge amount of misunderstanding has grown around the notion of yoga. A good deal of malpractice has lent support’ to such misunderstanding. In the minds of many people yoga is associated with fortune-telling, crystal-gazing, glass-swallowing, fire-walking, etc. Some people associate it With such supernormal powers as levitation, clairvoyance, clairaudience, telepathy, thought- reading, etc. Let me relate here a little incident from my own personal experience. It was at San Francisco in May, 1951. I was waiting for a public bus at a street comer. An elderly man watched me from a distance and approached with the friendly inquiry: ‘Are you from India?’ On my replying in the affirmative, he promptly asked again: “Are you a yogi?’ I paused to think for a while what might be his notion of a yogi and why he took me for one. I was wondering what I should say to satisfy his inquisitiveness. But he did not wait for my reply, Perhaps he thought that since I was from India I must be a yogi. So he produced his palm before me and said, ‘Would you care to read my palm arid tell me whether I have any good luck in the near future? Thé other day I bought a good lottery ticket, you know.’ That revealed to me at once what his idea of a yogi was. Many people in the West seem to share that idea. For this they are not altogether to blame. There have been many instances of impostorsTHE MEANING OF YOGA ar who have wandered around in the guise of yogis and have exploited the credulity and wishful thinking of common people. ‘Those who are a little better informed think of yoga as a system of bizarre physical postures and breathing exercises supposed to be helpful in attaining health, youth and longevity. Some think of it as the means of acquiring various occult powers of extrasensory perception. Some practise it as an aid to salvation or God- Tealization. What is frequently overlooked is that physical postures and breathing exercises do not belong to the essence of yoga. There are systems of yoga, e.g. those of contemplation (jana) and devotion (haiti), which do not include these at all. They occupy a place in hathayoga and to some extent in rajayoga, but even in these systems they are intended only for some bodily preparation entitling one to take up higher phases of yogic practice such as concentration, meditation, and the like. THE ESSENCE OF YOGA What then is the essence of yoga? The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root-verb yuj meaning bind, join, unite, control. It is * allied to the English word yoke, the German joch, and the Latin jungo (I join). Yoga thus literally means union and control, It signi- fies the union of man with God, of the individual with the universal reality, of each with the All of existence. It means union of the mortal with the eternal. It imphes union of the mind with the inmost centre of one’s own being, the self or dtman—union of the conscious mind with the deeper levels of the unconscious—resulting in the integration of personality. That is indeed the chief objective of yoga. But yoga also means control, that is to say, appropriate self- discipline. Ibis t with a view to attaining that self-integration which religion calls God-realization, and mysticism calls immediate union with the infinite. se yoga is the method or technique, the pro- gramme of psycho-physical, moral and spiritual training, by follow- ing which one can fulfil the ultimate destiny of life. The word yoga thus implies both the goal of life and the path leading to that goal. ‘A yogi is one who follows the spiritual path of self-discipline, or - who has attained the goal of self-realization. A basic idea in yoga 1s that of freedom in spiritual self-expression. ‘Yoga does not believe in any standardized path, for all to follow. It does not stand for any rigidly fixed rule, to which all should conform. It does not offer any patent remedy for human salvation, It affirms the oneness of truth, but rejects the uniformity of living. The fundamental conviction in yoga is that there are different Psycho-,22 INTEGRAL YOGA logical types to which people belong. There are introverts and extroverts; there are contemplatives and activists; there are the self- analytical and impulsive, emotional and intuitive types of people. It is therefore in the fitness of things that corresponding to these different psychological types there should be different lines of self- development, or different avenues of approach to creative self- expression. The important thing is that every individual should have the opportunity of growing from the roots of his own being, following the bent of his own nature, along the lines mdicated by his own psychical make-up, towards the full flowering of his individuality as a unique creative centre of the cosmic whole. YOGA AND RELIGION The question is often asked, Is yoga a form of religion? What is the precise relationship between them? It is a grievous mistake to think of yoga as a special form of religion as distinguished from other religions of the world. Every religion in its essence is regarded by a Hindu as a kind of yoga in so'Tar as it helps man in attaining union with God or integration with existence. Yoga calls upon man to rise above all pet theories and dogmas and to set aside sectarian creeds and ritualistic observances. They erect barriers between man and man and create division and dissension in the name of love and unity. Yoga calls attention to the spiritual oneness of all mankind. Persons belonging to different religious faiths may profitably practise yoga without abandoning their particular religious affiliations and without having to undergo any new kind of religious baptism or credal conversion. For the practice of yoga it is not even necessary that a person must have faith in God, let alone any determinate conception of God. Even a sceptic or atheist may with profit practise yoga, provided only that he has sincere desire to know the truth and a readiness to live up to his vision of the truth, The basic requirement of yoga practice is the sincerity of purpose and a resolute will to carry on open-minded investigation in the realm of the spirit. If a person starts with some kind of religious faith, yoga aims at turning that faith into personal realization of the truth. Yoga is not a matter of belief; it is that inner growth of consciousness which results in direct insight into the heart of reality. It is not conformity to scriptural injunctions or some fixed socio-cultural patter, but progressive realization of the full freedom of the inner spirit. It endeavours to tum doubt into critical self-inquiry and faith into living experience. Ina sense yoga is a kind of universal religion. That does not meanTHE MEANING OF YOGA 23, a universal system of dogmas and creeds, By the very nature of the cage there can be no universal creed. All creeds are relative to different individuals and different communities. They are relative to the special circumstances of different geographical areas and his- torical epochs. Yoga is emphatic in its affirmation of the relativity of all creeds. They are relatively valid in helping different individuals and communities in attaining self-fulfilment on a reality basis. Yoga is universal religion in so far as it stresses the oneness of this ultimate goal of all spiritual effort. It lies in satisfactory integration with reality. It may also be described as existential assimilation of the truth, One may also define yoga as a kind of universal spirituality beyond all religions. It is a non-religious spiritual orientation. It believes that when a Hindu achieves the ultimate objective of his spiritual effort, namely, integration with truth, he ceases to be a mere Hindu, Born as a Hindu he becomes a world citizen or cosmic man, When he reaches the goal of Hinduism he sees that this is also the ultimate goal of other great religions. Hinduism is thus fulfilled in his life beyond itself. Similarly, when a Christian reaches the ultimate goal of his sincere spiritual effort, he ceases to be a mere Christian. Human labels cannot restrict him any more. He becomes a cosmic man. The same is true of a sincere Buddhist, a sincere Muslim, etc. Different religions are like so many boats helping different peoples to cross the river of ignorance and self-alienation. When the other shore is Yeached, the boats are left behind. The content of wisdom for which the other shore stands is found to be identical. It is this concept of the identical spiritual destiny of man—this ideal of cosmic_ integration with the ground of existence—which is the basis of yoga. YOGA AND ETHICS How does yoga differ from ethics? Does yoga disregard the funda~ mental ethical distinctions of right and wrong, good and evil? Ethical discipline is believed to be the first indispensable phase of yoga practice. It lays the foundation for higher self-development atid deeper self-awareness. Patanjali, the celebrated ancient teacher of yoga, lays stress upon morality as an essential pre-requisite to the psycho-physical and spiritual training involved in yoga practice. Abstention from evil-doing (yama) and observance of noble prin- ciples (niyama) are the first two essential steps of his eightfold yogic path. According to his teaching, one should not take up exercises in breathing, concentration, and the like, without first developing and strengthening the ethical consciousness through the practice of 1 The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, I, 30 and 32.24 INTEGRAL YOGA truthfulness (satya), non-violence (ahinisd), non-stealing (asteya), non-self-indulgence (brahmacarya) and non-greed (aparigraha). But yoga is not the same thing as ethics, Just as it is universal spirituality beyond all credal religions, so it is self-luminous spiritu- ality beyond all external ethical standards. Yoga looks upon ethics as an essential means to the fulfilment of a higher end, to wit, self- realization or integration with the ground of existence. Such self- realization is regarded as a supra-moral mode of existence. From the standpoint of yoga morality may be said to fulfil itself beyond itself, just as religion fulfils itself beyond itself, Morality is like a boat which helps in crossing the river—the river of ignorance and egoism—and reaching the other shore. The other shore is integration with the ultimate ground of existence. It puts an end to the sufferings of self-estrangement. It is the existential appropriation of truth, love, peace and freedom. The boat is an essential means of transportation, but having reached the other shore nobody holds on to it in recognition of its usefulness. The right thing to do is to jump off to the shore and enjoy the freedom and fulfilment of landing there. In the scheme of self- development called yoga, morality is the foundation and an essential aid to growth. But the crowning achievement is spiritual freedom and spontaneous living which has been described as ‘beyond good and evil’ (dvandvdtita). Western scholars have frequently misunder- stood this idea of ‘beyond good and evil’ in Hindu philosphy. So it would not be out of place here to discuss briefly the implications of the concept of supra-ethical self-realization or of virtue beyond good and evil. First of all, a spiritually liberated person is supra-ethical not in the sense that he can indulge in immoral actions and injure the interests of society with impunity. By reason of his self-integration he becomes supra-ethical in the sense he is now by his nature in- capable of doing anything harmful to human welfare. He serves society or humanity without any self-righteous feeling or any trace of egocentricity. Even his left hand does not know what his right hand is doing by way of helping others. He performs virtuous actions not out of any inner compulsion, nor out of any sense of moral obligation, nor out of a longing for meritorious action. He performs virtue unconsciously out of the free spontaneity of his integrated nature. He does good to others, not because he has to, but because he takes pleasure in doing so. The practice of virtue is with him the free outpouring of the self, the unmotivated self-giving of the inner spirit, like the shining of the sun or the blossoming of the flower. Secondly, the supra-moral implies that man is not made for moral laws, but that moral laws are made for the constructive self-develop-THE MEANING OF YOGA 25 ment of man in his individual and social nature. The precise meaning and application of such laws always depend upon the divergent socio-cultural contexts. People cannot be judged without reference to their background and motivation and the specific combination of circumstances in which they are placed at a given time. A self-integrated person is supra-moral in the sense that his actions are not to be judged by ordinary standards of social morality. He has discovered a deeper principle of truth and love in his direct contact with Being. He may not often stand on ceremony in dealing with people. He may be unconventional in his mode of living. He may refuse to be impressed with the outward respectability of self-seeking people placed in high positions. He may act as a rebel. Society may condemn him or even crucify him on moral grounds. But still at the higher bar of truth and justice, he may be found vastly superior to those who crucify him. When an ordinary person breaks a social custom or political law of the land, he is morally condemmed on the ground that selfish motive obviously dictates his action. But when a man like Gandhi violates a social law (like dining with an outcaste) or a political law (like the imperialistic salt law), one has to suspend one’s judgement until one knows better. All great spiritual masters lke Socrates, Lao-tze, Buddha, Christ, Mohammed, Krishna, etc, have been in a greater or lesser measure supra-moral revolutionaries in their actions, much misunderstood by their contemporaries but hailed by pos- terity as architects of man’s greater progress and welfare. In the third place, a self-integrated person is beyond good and evil in the sense that he has transcended all conflicts and tensions within his own nature. So long as a man feels within himself a conflict between passion and reason, flesh and spirit, impulse and law, ego and super-ego, the ethical consciousness is acute and keen, But as soon as he succeeds in reducing his entire personality to a thoroughly organized and integrated whole, the conflict of good and evil is transcended in a unitary functioning of the total self. He lives and acts freely and spontaneously from the depth of his being. The idea of morality and virtue is in the foreground of consciousness only so ong as the allurement or subtle suggestion of sin is there, lurking in the unconscious mind. As soon as this hidden allurement is eliminated through a thorough cleansing of the unconscious, virtue becomes second nature and ceases to be self-conscious. The opposition of impulse and law is transcended in the spontaneity of the spirit. Like- wise, the opposition of ego and authority is transcended in the cosmic love of the true self (aman). Finally, the supra-ethical ideal of yoga implies that the ethical motive is subordinate to the dynamic spiritual perspective. In the26 INTEGRAL YOGA initial stages of spiritual unfoldment the selfless service of society appears like a stern duty, an unconditional imperative. Love of the neighbour, love of humamty, is a divine commandment. But on the attainment of self-integration, one freely serves society as a matter of joyful self-expression. One then actively and spontaneously loves humanity as the diversified expression of the one cosmic self (barama- dtman) with which one is identified. Ethical action is then revealed no longer as an abstract duty nor as an unpleasant self-sacrifice. It is revealed as productive self-fulfilment in society. It is experienced as joyful self-expression and self-relating to the universe. The ethical motive is thus transformed into unfettered creative expression of the illumined consciousness. Through such transformation the ethical motive gains a new depth and a higher creative dynamism. We are now in a position to observe that yoga is not ethics; it includes ethics and yet transcends it. Yoga does not believe in the absolute and unconditional validity of any ethical formulation, It does not believe in rigid conformity to any unalterably fixed ethical code. On the other hand yoga does not also deny the immense value and importance of ethical discipline for constructive self-development and social progress. For yoga, law is the body and freedom is the soul. Balanced self-discipline is the means, and self-integration is the goal. There is no freedom without law, but law may easily defeat its pur- pose by swallowing the spirit of freedom. There is no achievement without discipline, but discipline may easily become rigid and one- sided and thus defeat its purpose by mutilating personality. There is no growth without conformity to some regulating principle. But conformity to principle sometimes becomes a neurotic obsession, hindering further progress. In promoting spiritual growth, morality fulfils itself beyond itself. And it is the concept of free spiritual growth which is the main concern of yoga. YOGA AND PHILOSOPHY How is yoga related to philosophy? Is it based upon any particular philosophical system? Or, does it completely repudiate the value of all philosophizing? Just as ethics is an essential factor in the practice of yoga, so also philosophy plays an important part in the scheme of self-development called yoga. Philosophy is an organized set of ideas regarding the meaning of life and’the position of the individual in the total scheme of existence. There are different systems of philosophy, just as there ate different systems of yoga, corresponding to different psychological types of people. Some kind of philosophical world-view (Weltan- schauung) is essential for the release of the creative energies of theTHE MEANING OF YOGA 27 human soul. Yoga makes full use of this ideological apparatus for the constructive growth of personality, instead of pronouncing whole- sale condemnation upon systematic philosophizing, But yoga does not believe that every individual must adopt the same kind of philosophical world-view. It is quite in the fitness of things that people belonging to different psychological types would need dif- ferent kinds of philosophical formulation for their spiritual nourish- ment, intellectual growth and meaningful self-expression. ~ It is not a final and complete philosophy of life which is the goal of yogic practice, An unalterably fixed philosophical system is neither possible nor desirable nor necessary. It is not possible, because reality is essentially non-verbal and non-conceptual. The concrete fullness of reality can hardly be equated with any conceptual scheme of verbal symbols that philosophy is. In consideration of this fact attachment to an absolute philosophical system would be undesirable. It would produce dogmatism and detract attention from the need for existen- tial experience. An absolute system is not also necessary in any way. What is vitally needed for human growth is relative truth, not absolute truth. The function of philosophy lies in providing useful intellectual tools for the growth of human personality eventually resulting in the immediate experience of reality. So in order to be useful and valuable for different psychological types it is only natural that there should be different relatively valid philosophical systems emphasizing and crystallizing such aspects of reality as would be stimulating, nourishing and inspiring to different individuals and ‘oups. even then is not philosophy; it includes philosophy and yet transcends it. In the scheme of constructive self-development called yoga, a definife philosophical system appropriate to a particular individual plays a very significant and useful role. But as soon as the ultimate goal of yoga is attained, the individual goes beyond the firthest limits of that philosophical formulation which had been his sustaining creed for so long. Thus philosophy fulfils itself beyond itself. The seeker after truth now attains immediate contact with Being. The content of such immediate experience is, by its very nature, incapable of being adequately expressed within the four corners of a determinate philosophical system or rigid thought structure. Its expression mn intellectual terms is bound to be condi- tioned by the prevailing intellectual climate and by the purpose and plan of action of the yogi in a given historical situation. But the inadequacy and relativity of philosophical world-views is no argument against their usefulness and validity. s) Philosophical articulation of the immediacy of yogic experience is u of paramount importance in various ways. It is an effective means of28 INTEGRAL YOGA communication with fellow beings. It assists in sharing with them the treasures of spiritual insight. Secondly, philosophy is immensely helpful in comparing, correlating and arranging in a comprehensive picture the different levels of spiritual intuition and mystical experi- ence. Thirdly, it can play a very constructive role in correlating and co-ordinating the facts of spiritual intuition with such other areas of human experience as aesthetic creation, moral action, scientific investigation, social organization, etc. Thus whereas yoga transcends philosophy in its advance towards supra-intellectual experience of pure existence, philosophy transcends yoga by bringing that experi- ence into the sphere of rational communication and of the total - organization of life and society. In anticipation of our discussion in the following chapter a word may be added here about the concept of integral yoga. Traditional yoga looks upon ethics and philosophy as valuable aids to mystic realization and spiritual freedom. Therein lies its major emphasis. For integral yoga, ethics, philosophy and mysticism—action, knowl- edge and freedom—are inseparable moments in the total spiritual fulfilment of man. We have seen that on the attainment of mystic union with exist- ence ethics undergoes a radical change. The liberated person acts, no longer in conformity with any external standard, but freely out of the fullness of his love of man and God. He acts no longer out of any sense of obligation or inner compulsion, but on the basis of his luminous vision of the dynamic significance of society and civiliza~ tion. Likewise, on the attainment of genuine spiritual freedom, philosophy loses its absolutism. No particular thought system such as materialism, idealism, realism, humanism, transcendentalism, etc. is equated any more with the absolute truth. The liberated man con- siders different philosophical systems as different perspectives of the same multi-dimensional reality. Each is important in its own way, but none can be said to utter the last word of wisdom. But this should be no justification for a life of floating indecision and inaction either. For an integral yogi philosophic contemplation loses its power as the siren song of distraction from the main business of living. In a given historical situation he chooses or develops a determinate thought system as the basis for action towards the fulfilment of his life mission in society. He has no dogmatic or finalistic illusion about his philo- sophical position. He perceives its value and usefulness in his service of man and pursuit of higher values, Thus an integral yogi is at once a mystic and a philosopher. He is at once a contemplative and an activist. Integral yoga reconciles the antagonistic principles of com- prehensive thinking and existential choice—the principles of de- tached contemplation and loving participation in life.1H MEANING OF YOGA 29 YOGA AND PSYCHOLOGY How is yoga related to psychology? Psychology is a positive and empirical science of the mind in so far as the mind is knowable by methods of observation, experiment, and analysis. Yoga is the science of human personality in respect of its inner growth and creative self-fulfilment. It may be regarded both as a science and an art in so far as it includes in its approach both theoretical and practical motivations. As a science it is knowledge of the self in its totality. As an art it is the way of achieving the free growth and total fulfilment of the self. The self is understood in yoga as a multi-dimensional reality. It is not just the conscious rational mind, or the totality of conscious and unconscious mental phenomena, or the mind-body complex. It includes in its structure what Dr Pitirim A. Sorokin has called a ‘supra-conscious component’. This supra-conscious component of human personality is logically indefinable and certainly inaccessible to external observation and analysis. It is however capable of being mediately experienced and intimately known by methods of organized and harmonious living. Yoga stresses the need for such methods of living so that one can acquire thereby increasing insight into the nature and dynamics of the supra-conscious. The methodology of yoga includes not only the methods of introspection and detached self-observation, but also the techniques of dynamic self-transcendence, psycho-physical self- energizing, critical self-inquiry, altruistic love, selfless action, watch- ful relaxation, etc., which fall outside of the scope of psychology as an empirical study. These techniques will be briefly discussed in the last ‘\two chapters. Yoga appears to be more metaphysical than psychological on account of its use of such concepts as the supra-conscious, the pure self (purusa or dtman), timeless experience (samadhi, nirvana, etc.) and the like. Are not these concepts trans-empirical? Some funda- mental yogic concepts are no doubt trans-empirical in so far as they go beyond external perception, sensuous observation, and ordinary introspection. But they are not trans-experiential. They are descrip- tive of the facts of self-awareness on deeper levels of personality. They stand for profound psychological experiences which are believed to be accessible to all qualified and trained seekers. It is therefore a grievous mistake to construe yogic concepts as imaginative hypo- theses of metaphysical speculation or postulates of religious faith. They are empirical in the broader sense of the term. Because they are + Dr Pitirim A. Sorokin (ed.), Forms and Techniques of Altruistic and Sparituat Growth (Boston: The Beacon Press, 1954), pp. v, vi.30 INTEGRAL YOGA verifiable in the context of direct personal experience by anybody who cares to verify them by following appropriate methods of investigation. : ‘Yoga is the science of human personality in its integral unity. The human mind is not just a given fact or thing out there to be analysed into factual propositions. Nor is it on the other hand a mere idea or disembodied spirit fashioning utopean ideals and delivering un- conditional imperatives. Neither naturalism nor rationalistic ethics can furnish us with the key to the structure of human personality. The human mind is a dynamic growth with its hidden aspirations and unsuspected potentialities—with its creative freedom and unseen sources of inspiration. So according to yoga true knowledge of the ‘human spirit cannot be obtained by mere application of the so-called scientific methods. Such knowledge can be gained only in the course of integrated living and the inner growth of consciousness. It is in- separable from an existing individual’s total response to life. Knowing here is inseparable from being, and being 1s inseparable from becoming. Dr Indra Sen has rightly observed, ‘Indian psychology is... not anatural science concemed with the “is” of mental life. It is also not a normative science concerned with the “ought”, the ideal alone. It is, we might say, a science of the “becoming” of conscious life, that of growth from the actual “‘to the possible” ’ Whereas modern western psychology is an empirical study of the psyche in its conscious and unconscious aspects, yoga is active par- ticipation in the creative growth and self-fulfilment of the psyche. Wisdom which grows out of such participation throws a new light upon many psychological problems. The self-exploration of yoga goes far beyond empirical psychology by disclosing such depths and heights of the psyche as are inaccessible to the methods of intro- spection, external observation and objective psycho-analysis. Yoga is the art of self-knowing through concentrated living and that of abundant living through increasing self-awareness. YOGA AND MYSTICISM Mysticism is one of the most slippery words in the English language. At its worst it means mystery-mongering, occultism, obscurantism, and the like. At its best it means immediate union with the ultimate ground of existence. We may consider here mysticism in its higher form and compare it with yoga. 1 Vide Dr Indra Sen's article ‘The Indian Approach to Psychology’ in The Integral Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, Chaudhuri & Spiegelberg (eds.), (London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1960), p. 187.THE MEANING OF YOGA 3r Mystics in the best sense of the term are those who attain direct personal realization of the fundamental truth of existence, whether that truth be called God, Self, Void, Nothingness, the supreme Mystery. But mysticism does not in; methodically chalked-out path by following which may be achieved. Mystics often stumble into th, usual experiences. Mysticism does not provide any technique for systematic organization of such unusual experiences or for their proper co-ordination with the ordinary non-mystic areas of human consciousness, sensuous, intellectual, moral, aesthetic and emotional, Yoga implies faith in definite and systematic procedures by follow ing which mystic experience of pure existence can be achieved. Tt shows a scientific spirit of investigation in the domain of the spint or in the realm of the unconscious. It also believes in the need for a rational understanding of the interrelations that exist between mystic realization and other provinces of human experience, Oftener than not mysticism sets itself in opposition to logic and philosophy. Intellect is condemned as a hindrance to mystical in- tuition. But yoga stands for that total self-integration in which the intellectual aspect of personality has to be satisfied no less than the emotional and volitional aspects. So it looks upon logic and philo- sophy as valuable aids to self-fulfilment. They are conducive to the clarification of ideas and the broadening of outlook, Yogic realization is not the negation but consummation of the intellectual quest for the existential truth. Intellect is fulfilled beyond itself in the ontological insight of the yogi. ” Yoga in its integral form maintains that when mystical insight is carried sufficiently deep it becomes a great creative factor in human living. According to integral yoga the harmony of wisdom, love and action is the substance of complete mystic realization. It is ‘skill in works’? in the sense that it is the art of acting on the basis of a dynamic self-poise in Being (brahmi sthiti). Through union with Being, the integral yogi is united with the All of existence, with the world process. So he acts in the world in the spirit of cosmic love and com- prehensive vision of truth. He participates in life on the basis of a balanced ontological outlook. Traditional yoga has distinguished the mysticism of knowledge, love, meditation, action, etc. The ultimate goal of all of them is mystic union with Being. But such mystic union may be static or dynamic, partial or complete. When it fastens exclusively upon the timeless aspect of Being, it amounts tostatic realization, It encourages preoccupation with the eternal, somewhat to the neglect of the cosmic Sri Aurobindo, Essays on the Gita (New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 1953), P. 93. Being, Silence, or volve any definite mystic realization eir strange and un-