"Supramental Consciousness and Human Evolution"
Q. 4. What is your knowledge about education, especially in India?
A. It will change. The entire framework of education is still based on the old industrial mindset. As that mindset breaks down, the system itself will undergo a radical change. It will have an increasing affect as perceive the relationship between spirituality and religion. And the relationship is this: true spirituality means that each individual has its own religion - so it is with education.
Perfect education system is one in which each individual has his own system, because each one is unique. And this extreme diversity on the basis of a commonality is possible with the Supramental Consciousness. That's what it is pushing things towards. That's why we see splintering and fragmentation of all organised structures, even as there is a coming together on another level.
Q. 5. Why is there terrorism?
A. Terrorism is an important point, and we will close with that question. Sri Aurobindo observes that: when the light comes in and is about to overwhelm the darkness, the darkness consolidates itself into a concentration of darkness, exaggerating its darkness, exaggerating its strength by concentration, pretending to appear as if it is all powerful and will overcome everything.
That's a pretence created only by its specialised concentration. That's always the last resistance, that's the sign that it's come to its end and it's about to lose. When you see the consolidation of all the forces of resistance, regression and exaggerating their importance through this consolidation, that's the sign that they are about to be finished. They know it and now you can also know it.
Q. But why is terrorism? Maybe with the Islamic…
A. Terrorism or, let's say, the forces of resistance will catch any space where the mind is open to that resistance and regression. It is not tied to any religion, it could have happened through any religion which prevented new thinking and opening of minds.
We have to see it from that point of view. It can even happen among the scientists. In some way, the modern science is a religion in itself, because it has a certain fixed idea of life and purpose, and it's equally possible that, where that becomes closed, it will find fertile ground.
The nature of the ground is not so important, but the fact of consolidation across the world of all these regressive forces, that’s the sign for us and the hope for us. Because it means it's finished; they know it and they are giving their last attempt. Maybe it's painful, but we can minimise that pain in transition. We are about to make that breakthrough. We are very close to it.
Q. 6. Could you think that everywhere seen recurrence of the action of forces can be a fascistic ten-dencies? Do you think this is all a similar phenomena?
A. Many forces which were defeated earlier are part of the consolidation process. Fascism, for example, has been so well defeated as a result of the Second World War that it cannot come up today - on its own.
But it can come up in alliance with other forces. That's the consolidation of the regressive forces. By itself if it tried, it would just be beaten back instantly, but in consolidation it's able to project itself and appear like fascism could return on earth; but that's part of the consolidation and by itself it doesn't have the same force any more. And I believe, it's the same with most of the other forces.
Q. 7. Is it possible that nature is trying in that framework, as you said, in this principle of reinforcing of possibilities for progress…?
A. Yes, in a sense, the recurrence is allowed so that it can be permanently removed. The grains which remained of fascism or of various other things... it's difficult even to extract them because they are so small When they consolidate, it's also easier to deal with them as a group, as a mass.
In consciousness terms, when the problem is a little exaggerated, it's easier to clean it out, even to recognise it, than if it remains as a small seed, wandering inside, covered up. Even the recrudescence - the rising up of all this - is part of the process that indicates a final end. The problem is what we mean by ‛finality’ in terms of time. How soon, how quickly will it be? That's entirely upon us, it depends on us, and we cannot predict that it will happen in two years, twenty years or two hundred years - it's open.
The future of earth is left open and depends entirely on us - in the choices we make as a collectivity. That's why Auroville. The Mother even described, looking at things in a different way, she said, "To prevent another world war."
The existence of Auroville prevents that, because something is already established here by which the humanity can never enter that kind of fight again. So now, the thing is of the unfolding in terms of time.
I shall use this analogy which will make it clear: in 1920 India became free on those (higher) levels - it was achieved. But from there, Sri Aurobindo said it's a question of time and of unfolding through circumstances.
It could have happened in 1922, all the circumstances were physically ready, the British were about to negotiate, and that's when a few key leaders misdirected on is the whole freedom struggle into a different direction and it led to the split along the religious lines which twenty years later, became the division of India etc. So, that was the stupidity of human nature.
Of course, you can say, the forces use human beings, but still, it represented lack of readiness in the collective consciousness to overcome those forces - to refuse them. The whole thing was postponed and now the reunification of this division is also to take place; but it will take place.
Similarly, with humanity and its transition into the new consciousness and the new world; it's there, it's ready, it's filling everything even as we breathe. It's the question of degree of receptivity in the mass. And here, in this space, is the key so to say. If we, as a collectivity, can make that difference in our openness to the New Consciousness, then it will impact the whole world and determine the world’s future.
Yes, the result is determined, but the timing will be determined by what we do, the state in which we are.
….So, we can close with a brief chant as we started, with OM and a quiet concentration, reminding ourselves of our purpose here and the Divine Help which is there from above, and Nature’s support, and aspiration, which is all around, which makes it the most important moment in the whole of human history and in our lives.
The end
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