After knowing The Self, if there are aspirations for manifesting The Divine integrally in Earthly, then can we start moving towards the Yoga of Transformation by Sri Aurobindo? Because self-realisation is said to be the foremost requirement for even true Bhakthi, Dedication, Service, to the Divine.
The method one chooses will depend upon one’s innate temperament and, of course, most importantly, the soul’s aspiration. These things cannot be decided by mental calculation. Every teacher claims his path to be the best and the swiftest, but what matters is the inner sincerity, the true aspiration behind whatever method one follows. There are plenty, in fact, numberless followers in all religions, sects, cults, gurus, Avatars, but how many truly realise? It is ultimately a question of the sincerity of the aspiration. Those who are sincere in their seeking find the Self or the Divine regardless of method.
As to the method itself, the Self is One, but it has many aspects. The method of self-inquiry leads to the realisation of the Impersonal Self, the immutable Brahman. The path of bhakti to the Divine Personality of the Purushottama, who is beyond the mutable and the immutable. Each of these specialised methods leads to an attrition of the other natural members and hence by the time one realises the Self, there is nothing much left of nature through which the Divine could manifest. By that time, nature has lost its powers directing them in one direction, the Buddhi or intellect, for example and hence it is left with little capacity to manifest, let alone support the process of transformation.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
