Identification with the Divine generally takes place by one part of our being that acts like a spearhead or the driving engine propelling us forward. The nature of the experience depends upon the part that pierces through the magic fence or circle of nature in which our consciousness is presently trapped or imprisoned. Intensity of aspiration and concentration pierce a hole through this magic circle and thence one comes in contact with the Divine. Though the Divine is one, yet He it many sided. Hence depending upon the part in us which aspires and comes in contact with the Divine we have a corresponding experience that later settles into a realisation. It is like the story of the five blind men and the elephant. Each touches something of the eleohant and thinks it as the whole. Each such experience and the subsequent realisation has the potential to form a sect or a religion. In the integral yoga, a partial contact is not enough. One must experience the Divine in totality, samgram maam as the Gita says. This is possible only if the entire being engages in the Yoga. This can be done only if the secret soul, the psychic being hidden within the heart comes forward and takes the lead and influences the different elements of nature, – mind, heart, life and even the body to turn towards the Divine. This turning of the entire nature towards the Divine, towards the Right and the Light, the awakening of intuitive discernment, love for the Divine, widening of the mind, pure emotions, urge to serve the Divine, is what is known as the psychic transformation. It is best affected through the heart as it opens to the Divine through faith, bhakti, surrender. This is what makes the further course of sadhana safe.
Next or alongside this there comes an opening to the higher planes of consciousness. There is an ascent to higher planes and a descent of forces of the higher planes leading to a growth of inspiration, intuition, revelation along with the widening of consciousness towards the cosmic consciousness with its corresponding effects upon the heart and the life force and even the body. All this comes under the spiritual transformation.
The last is the supramental transformation which ideally begins only when the consciousness is prepared by the other two, especially with the diminution of egocentricity towards its complete absence and the annulment of the law of desire that gets replaced by the true will open only to the Divine Will and no more even to the cosmic forces. As this happens the supramental consciousness and force begins to work upon the human being leading to an outpouring of spontaneous knowledge by identity, the flow of Divine Love and Sweetness in and through the emotional being, the growing possession of the life force and the vital being by the Divine Force progressively replacing the lower nature with higher, diviner movements, and eventually a complete transformation of the very bodily instrument, the various organs and their functioning.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
