For example, to me, when I read even a single page of Sri Aurobindo’s Ilion, every single line has a Certain Sound & Rhythm, Certain Form-Colour, Certain structure of Narrative and Emotion and all of this has to flow together in an processual structured fashion which was only inside Sri Aurobindo’s brain before being put onto paper and in an essay on maya(available in the volume of Kena Upanishads). Sri Aurobindo talks about how Shakespeare had an entire world of characters within him, out of which only a few, like Othello, were put to form and sound….
And many other good Novelists also have this capacity for minute attention to detail that they hold together in their brains. My personal question is how I work and what are the practical steps I should take to develop such an organised cognition like the Mother wants me to, I mean, if not only in an artistic way, but even for someone to be a good Leader. For example, his mind should have the capacity of holding together the tapestry of various walks of life from agriculture to taxation to law & order, etc.
I really want to Develop such An Architectural cognition and want to make this my Aim for the rest of my Life and I don’t know what should be my fundamental first principles that I shouldn’t forget in the Journey in the Light of the Mother’s advice because, the Mother in one of the early works talks so poetically on how much precision to detail is required in running something like Railway Services in all the countries and how much chaos it would there would if there are many mishaps and it did make me think about who are these people that Organize all the Aviation Routes, Timelines etc. all over the world, She also gives the example of a minister of Hyderabad who had this capacity for organisation and how well he organised the finances of the State. I hope I’ve conveyed what I’m thinking about, and as of now, my mental capacity seems to be so tiny, but the aim seems to be so vast.
The Mother has already explained this in her essay on Education (CWM 12) where she speaks of five main things to develop by persistent practice. These are mainly as follows.
‘(1) Development of the power of concentration, the capacity of attention.
(2) Development of the capacities of expansion, widening, complexity and richness.
(3) Organisation of one’s ideas around a central idea, a higher ideal or a supremely luminous idea that will serve as a guide in life.
(4) Thought-control, rejection of undesirable thoughts, to become able to think only what one wants and when one wants.
(5) Development of mental silence, perfect calm and a more and more total receptivity to inspirations coming from the higher regions of the being.’
- The Mother
(Ref. https://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/mental-education)
These are the main keys given here. The first is to develop the power of concentration by practice. It means not to leave a task at hand, or a chapter you have decided to read. One should be able to cut oneself off from the surroundings and be able to read and do what one has decided. Later, as the mind learns not to be dispersed by people and surroundings, then one can turn inwards and start concentration in the head or above the head with the help of a mantra towards which one has a natural affinity. Or else simply practice meditation upon the word and sound of OM.
Wideness, expansion and richness comes by reading good literature of different countries and cultures. It makes the mind supple and wide as we begin to see the different ways of perceiving the same thing. However, an indiscriminate reading might lead to confusion as we may mistake different ways of understanding with different points of view. It is best to dip into the best that one can access within one’s own culture first. Then once the grounding is there, then one goes to the best in other different cultures.
Having read these books, one should form one’s own unique view and vision by using the intellect to build a kind of synthesis that sees the common elements as well as the differences. This is the third aspect wherein one begins to organise these different ideas around one’s own highest Ideal.
The fourth aspect is to watch over one’s thoughts and allow only those thoughts that are helpful for progress.
Finally, the practice of inner quietude, control over speech, especially what one speaks and the people with whom we speak. Most importantly, avoiding all wasteful expenditure of energy over gossip and senseless and animated, and often meaningless discussions. With the growth of mental quietude, the conservation of energy often spent in pursuit of pleasure, the capacity of the mind begins to grow in different directions. It is best if this capacity, as it grows, is put in the service of Truth or the Divine, which leads to its highest possible development. Right and balanced use of any faculty increases it, whereas misuse leads to its decline.
Among the uses of the mental faculties, the best is to read Sri Aurobindo. His writings automatically develop the intelligence in every way and every possible direction.
Most importantly, pray and aspire for it. If the Divine Mother can breathe such intelligence in Kalidas and Ramanujam and several others, She can surely help all of us if we pray sincerely.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
