“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.