I feel like wiping out my brain into an absolute clean slate and remembering nothing but the words of the Mother. At the very opening of Canto Two of Savitri, Sri Aurobindo seems to be pointing to something about the interrelation between the Ghost of Memory and a Spiritual Rebirth. Give me some pointers on how to deal with this.
Aspiration is itself the sign of a spiritual new birth. What you are referring to is the pull of old nature, which is felt by all. One method is to keep moving ahead instead of looking back to the past one is leaving behind. It means to keep growing in aspiration without paying much heed to the Past. The passage from Savitri that you mention also indicates that. To ‘dislodge by the soul’s force’ the past and shape oneself anew. The other way is to keep offering all that returns and rises up from the past. This begins a little later when the pressure of transformation increases. The first method is a preliminary approach of moving on towards the future with trust and confidence and the enthusiasm for the goal. The second is the yoga of transformation proper, described in the Yoga of Aswapati in Book One, Canto Three, revealing the rationale behind it. Very simply, past tendencies emerge as memories until we have removed the very tendency itself from the roots. With the Mother’s Grace and a progressive opening and surrender to Her, it becomes easy and smooth.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
