“Is there a center that corresponds to the subtle physical?…
Well, for the subtle physical it goes from the navel down to the last center,1 that whole region.
And what are the influences that come from the subtle physical?
Generally they are of a far higher quality than material influences. I have noticed (I don’t know whether it’s a personal or a general thing) that the subtle physical I see is always of a somewhat higher quality than the physical proper. I mean somewhat more harmonious: things are smoother. All that comes from the vital is more often than not aggressive, quarrelsome and so on—and difficult. But this realm is generally calm—calm, orderly, where things are more harmonious—GENERALLY (I can’t say whether it’s the case with everybody, but in my own case it’s like that).
As I told you, Sri Aurobindo lives there permanently, as though in a house of his own: you can see him, you can stay with him, he is busy. It is very much like the physical, but a physical that would be less grating, you understand, where things are more harmonious and satisfying, less excited. There is less of that feeling of haste and uncertainty. In that house where Sri Aurobindo lives, life unfolds very, very harmoniously: people come and go, there are meals even…. But all that obeys more general laws, and a sense of security and certainty not to be found in physical life. And the symbolism is more exact (I don’t know how to express it…), the symbolic transcription of things is less distorted, more exact……….
I think that as the Supramental descends, the subtle physical will have a greater and greater action on earth, because it is the world where the new creation will be formed before it “descends,” before it becomes absolutely visible and concrete.”
The muladhara, at the base of the spine.
Mother’s Agenda, Volume 4, January 18, 1963
Inner Practice
*Aspire with our inner flame that we would like to meet our Master be it The Mother, Sri Aurobindo or Vallalar or anyone else in current time in the subtle dimension of their subtle body.
*For this we can be anchored in our body and keep our awareness fully within The Divine Master. The less we are aware of our personal experience the better is the process. We are steady in our awareness which is touching their body, but we drop all sense of ourself including our desires. We see The Divine Master with our inner eye, feel them with our inner heart and remain THERE, OUT THERE wherever we feel Them until we feel Their subtle body or substance.
*You can focus on any one part of The Master or Mother’s divine body or Their whole body.
*Soon you will see or feel or have the fragrance or get the vibrational presence of Their subtle body.
*Soon you will feel Their Substance and Presence within our body here and there.
*The more we are present with Their Substance within us IT expands to unite with THEM.
I. 58. bâgo nâ jâ re nâ jâ “Do not go to the garden of flowers! O Friend! go not there; In your body is the garden of flowers. Take your seat on the thousand petals of the lotus, and there gaze on the Infinite Beauty.”
Written by Kabir and translated by Rabindranath Tagore
Page 317, ‘Songs of Kabir’ Chapter, The Complete Works of Rabindranath Tagore
Page 59 – 60, One Hundred Poems of Kabir, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore, Assisted by Evelyn Underhill
We deeply bow down to this quote and allow our practice to flow from here. Keep your attention on the top of your head till you feel sensations on top, the touch of air on your head, and a pressure felt from above acting on our head which could be soft or with force. Keep your awareness and breath stationed here and ‘sight see’ into the vastness and height of consciousness living above head. Wait till ranges of beautiful colours, images and Divine Presences open up. Wait for the sound of silence and peace to open up. Wait for all other infinite qualities present, whatever you find here on earth their sources live above and descends into us, into nature and into the world. May this practice be a companion for us each day. Slowly the thousand petals lotus will be in bloom for us in our own way by Grace.
We normally live inside our head, emotions, feelings or sensations. It would indeed be a yogic life in the practical world if we can learn to keep our awareness on top of our head turned to above and think, talk, write and act from there. We will be then open to a new consciousness and a new life.
Now stationed above connect to a thousand different tiny points / cells across our body. In the beginning this would appear difficult. Gently persist in your sadhana and keep your attention within all parts of your body simultaneously. This is a beautiful posture now. We are seated on top of our head open to above and we are also present within our body. Slowly relax all the points / cells and let them be receptive to soak in and receive and hold the Beautiful Qualities that keep opening up above our head and flowing into us.
We can also be stationed above and connect to all our chakras, one by one and then simultaneously, allowing them to flower in the Light and Beauty of the Consciousness above.
Foot Note:
Rabindranath Tagore, The Mother and Sri Aurobindo knew each other. Rabindranath Tagore met Sri Aurobindo in 1928. An interested reader can read about their meeting in:
“The vehicle and the forward movement are the sadhana, beyond the shadow of a doubt. I understood that the speed of sadhana was greater than the speed of the forces of destruction. And it ended in certain victory, there is not a shadow of doubt. This feeling of POWER once I was firmly grounded there [in the ‘square’], enough power to help others.” – Mother’s Agenda
For many of us who celebrate the peace, calmness and silence which is one aspect of sadhana or spirituality, here is a tiny quote to reflect deep into the speed and swiftness aspect. This quote comes from a larger experience of The Mother quoted in Mother’s Agenda. Those interested could read it fully in the July 12, 1960 section. Below we share a tiny portion of Her experience. Tune in to Her speed of sadhana and reflect in your own inner practices how you can bring this speed to counter the illness that is trying to come in, a ill thought that is trying to form, that frustration that is trying to build up or that giving up attitude that is going to come in the way of Divine’s Victory over you. Reflect deeply and practice speed of sadhana from your side. From the Divine’s side reflect how you can let go of all your bias that ‘this is how transformation will occur’. How can you be free from formations of mind, vital and even past experiences of your body? How can you allow the Divine to Grace you with love and swiftness when She has decided upon you?
Sharing a portion of The Mother’s experience below. Those interested can read the fuller description from Mother’s Agenda.
“What was pleasing, and really quite interesting, was this tremendous speed, like an arrow, and I always arrived in time, just in time, just in time. Once I had crossed over to the other side (I clearly felt that nothing would be left, for it was such a powerful deluge), the danger was finished, there was no longer ANY possibility at all of being touched – this was the main feeling. Everything was stopped. Nothing could touch.
I turned around and saw all this water rushing down, and I thought, ‘Now let’s see if we can do something here.’ There was someone behind who interested me, someone or something – it was still something; it was very likable and had something of the blue color that was here on the other side. Not really individuals, but more like beings representative of something that was following me quite closely. When I was there, it also was there, but it could not keep up, it kept losing ground – as my speed increased, its decreased. It could not keep up. But it interested me in a special way. ‘Oh, he’s so close (he or it); he might just make it,’ I thought. And at that moment, I saw that all this destructive will with its instrument of water, symbolically water, had rushed past and was spreading out everywhere. But there was still a chance of saving all those who were along this path. And that’s immediately what I thought of, it was my first wish: ‘Let’s see if they can still get across, if I can manage to get them across.’ I remembered some especially dangerous spots (while speeding past, I had remarked, ‘Oh, here we might still be able to do this, there that could still be done’ – my consciousness moved at the same speed, and I noted everything along the way), and once I was firmly there on the other side, I started sending back messages.” – Mother’s Agenda
Without Him I exist not. Without Me He is unmanifest.” ~ The Mother
This International *Women’s Day on 8th March 2025* the Divine Body team is happy to announce a full day online event focussed on – *Decoding Shakti*. From Integral Yoga and other Shakti Upasana traditions we have selected 7 facilitators both women and men who could zoom into the Divine Shakti and Mother aspect. The sessions will be a combination of insights, experiential sessions and sharing of the facilitator’s own journey .
There are 7 events spread through the day. You can join as many as you wish to.
The Registration link of zoom is shared below. Prior registration is needed. Zoom will send you the link to your email id and it will be there either in your inbox or notification folder.
“Power of double attention, to thought and to Ananda, is now well-established. What has now to be got rid of, is the interference of the mind-stuff in condensation; this is being already done initially by the interposition making no essential difference, since even then the Ananda reaches the side of conscious attention, subordinate as yet, which is deputed to receive it. But this siddhi is as yet imperfect and initial.”
Page 1076, Record of Yoga, Sri Aurobindo
“K.A is now in a way settled in the body, thus fulfilling the suggestion about the 7th; but the intensities vary and there is not perfect continuity when the mind is turned away entirely from the body. Nevertheless the opening of a double consciousness which has the full mental or gnostic activity and below it the sense of the body has definitely set in in spite of frequent intermittence.”
Page 1114, Record of Yoga, Sri Aurobindo
We humbly touch Record of Yoga, a treasure house of Yogic Sadhana of Sri Aurobindo. Concentrate and dive deep into these two quotes and experientially practice the double attention or concentration. Some suggestions are offered below. These are only hints based on our limited understanding of His intense work. By focussing on these may the true illumination and practice awaken within us.
The clue given is double attention to thought and Ananda. This leads to a beautiful condensation. How can we practice this? Some options are:
Keep awareness within your thoughts and also Above your Head Space or Consciousness and wait. Actually awareness should be within both. You will feel or see movement of thoughts – First awareness. You will experience some quality above Head like Vastness, Joy, Light or Presence – Second awareness. It is a joy to read that Sri Aurobindo was practicing to get this dual awareness perfect. We too can do in our own ways. Then the condensation ie. the mixing of the quality present Above our head with the substance of our thoughts can unfold.
Connect to your forehead region and open it to the Consciousness above, being present within the ajna chakra region and also being present Above head and wait
Place your awareness within the thought region and also within the living presence present as a flame within the cave of heart and simply wait being present together in both the spaces.
Also in any part of your body if you have accessed a Divine Self-Existent joy like within your lips or in the Sacred consciousness beneath your feet you can connect this to the thought region with dual awareness and wait.
The second quote on double consciousness is illumining. Practice being within your body and above your mind consciousness simultaneously and actually. If you are actually within your body, you will feel your body’s substance ( the mass, weight or density of your body), you will be aware of sensations both pleasant and unpleasant and by Grace each of us will also be shown the domain of subtle substance that is self-lit and has a natural delight. Now the second, if you are actually above your mind progressively the seven suns Above will open up in our extended consciousness. This is the journey of unfolding of our Divine Body.
May each of us explore this double concentration and share back our insights and experience to all of us.
