Social health
Envisioning a New Earth
Uniting Wisdom, Love, and Harmony through Integral Yoga Communities: Promoting and contemplating a Sustainable Contemplative Civilisation based on the Integral Vision of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother*
Abstract
‘Creating a Sustainable Contemplative Civilisation’ delves into the profound teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, envisioning a world, where humanity embraces oneness and lives in alignment with higher principles. The article advocates Integral Yoga as a means to activate a critical mass for a higher social order. It proposes a society based on Integral Education, empowering individuals to transcend divisive tendencies and adopt unity, cooperation and compassion. The vision extends to nurturing a community of enlightened beings, fostering conscious evolution, peace, and love. It emphasises the urgent need to address global crises through collective responsibility, as with ‘Team New Earth’ and ‘Task Force Peace and Harmony’, creating a new era of understanding and enlightenment.
This vision of a new earth is inspired by the integral vision of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother that not only embraces unity and harmony, but also embodies the principles of a sustainable contemplative civilisation. I invite you to explore with me these timeless insights and their relevance to our lives and the future of our planet.
Sri Aurobindo profoundly stated, “Evolution of consciousness is the central motive of terrestrial existence.” These words remind us that the evolution of consciousness is the heartbeat of our journey on this planet. It is a call to recognise that the path to sustainable contemplative civilisation lies in nurturing not just our external world but also the inner realms of our consciousness.
Integral Yoga
In our pursuit of Integral Education, let us embrace the wisdom of Sri Aurobindo that, “Yoga means to join, combine, to integrate, to be all-inclusive.”
Sri Aurobindo was a genius who, with a few strokes of his mighty pen, effortlessly dismantled the fragmented methods and approaches to yoga, introducing a radical perspective — so radical that some dubbed him the ‘most radical of radicals.’ He boldly declared that, ‘all life is Yoga,’ offering a unifying framework that encompasses the entire spectrum of spirituality and life on earth and beyond. To describe it as the most comprehensive, holistic, and all-encompassing framework of Yoga ever presented by a human being in history is not an exaggeration but a profound truth.
The goal of Integral Yoga is the multi-dimensional growth of our spirit and being — a total transformation, an all-inclusive, all-embracing realisation of the integral divine reality. The most important thing we have to realise is that His Integral Yoga is not just an individual yoga or a goal to be chased here in this life or after life, but a practical tool to transform our life here and now. It’s not the end to realise our highest self but a means to express and experience our divinity in our daily life through our work, words and actions. It’s a radical yoga of complete earth transformation.
The true message of Integral Yoga, and the spiritual gift of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother to the world lies in the ability to first transform ourselves individually then collectively and unite and harmonise with the entire earth — with this interconnected web of life. Together, let us recognise that nature and evolution are inherently inclusive. Our planet has provided us with abundant resources, yet we’ve created suffering due to our inability to share and care. The missing piece is our collective will and unity.
Creating a Sustainable Contemplative Civilisation
Imagine a world where divisions fade, where there’s one Earth, one race, one community, one philosophy — humanity. This vision resonates deeply with the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, who have gifted us the legacy of Integral Yoga. Sri Aurobindo envisioned a future where humanity would evolve collectively, fostering a new social order that is aligned with higher principles.
Following the principles of Integral Yoga — embracing our true nature as divine beings and living in alignment with our highest truths — will activate the critical mass, that will in turn initiate the phase transition towards a new, higher social order, an enlightened and sustainable civilisation and a new earth.
This evolutionary leap would involve transcending our ego-driven and divisive tendencies that dominate our current world. Instead, a society based on Integral Education and Integral Yoga would empower individuals to transcend these divisive filters and embrace unity, cooperation, and compassion as the guiding principles of their lives. This inclusivity should guide our efforts and choices.
This is the vision of a new contemplative, sustainable civilisation, as envisioned by Sri Aurobindo — a community of enlightened beings, realising our oneness, uniting and pooling our expertise and resources as a team and fostering a new era of conscious evolution, peace, harmony, joy, and love. As individual cells in the vast cosmic body of creation, we each plays a unique role in the beautiful dance of evolution to create heaven on earth.
‘A New Consciousness’: Team New Earth & Task Force Peace and Harmony
The world we inhabit is at a crucial juncture. Communalism, divisive beliefs, global and environmental crises threaten the very fabric of our societies and can break the foundation of our world. But we, as conscious and awakened beings, have the responsibility to rise above these challenges. We have to move beyond discussions and talks and take some concrete steps now before it’s too late.
In a world teetering on the edge of discord and ecological imbalance, let us take collective responsibility and come together as a collective force, as ‘Team New Earth’ and ‘Task Force Peace and Harmony’, to spread the message of this integral vision — our highest truth, our oneness and universal love and to usher in a new era of conscious evolution, enlightenment and understanding.
This would be our first step towards fulfilling the dreams of individual and collective transformation, an enlightened society and a new world, as envisioned by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. The Mother has already laid the foundation, we just need to take her work further.
‘Temples of Humanity’
From Conscious Evolution to Wisdom Revolution
It is time for a wisdom revolution — a revolution that empowers us to unite, not based on our differences, but on the common threads that bind us as human beings, propelling conscious evolution, and creating ‘temples of humanity’ to weave together a tapestry of wisdom that honours both our shared humanity and the environment that sustains us.
It is high time that we rejected the religions of hate and division and nurture these ‘Temples of Humanity’, where truth is taught in its true glory and pure form without any distortion, misinterpretations and misperceptions.
Let us imagine these ‘temples of humanity’, where enlightened minds from all walks of life, from every religion, gather to collaborate and develop tools for peace and harmony. These temples, centres of profound wisdom, will be the birthplace of various initiatives, studies, teaching, and seminars that will spread the light of our ultimate truth in its full glory. We can’t change the past, but by following the principles of integral vision of Sri Aurobindo, uniting and living from our highest truth and oneness, as a community of conscious and enlightened beings, guiding our children, we can change the future of our planet.
‘Humanism & Earthism’
Peace, People, Planet
As an enlightened civilisation then, as Team New Earth, living from our highest truth, love, harmony and celebrating our oneness, we can counter negative beliefs and communalism, and all those ‘-isms’ or ideologies which are based on separation, and create a synthesis of religions termed ‘Humanism’. As we unite under the banner of Humanism, let us also embrace ‘Earthism’ — a philosophy that reveres our planet and treats it with the respect it deserves. Our mission goes beyond eradicating divisions; it extends to nurturing a holistic way of life that harmonises with nature.
‘Scripture of Love’
Choosing Love over Division
As we integrate, accept and celebrate our highest truth and oneness, let us also envision a ‘Scripture of Love’ — a compendium that gathers the pearls of wisdom from all faiths, religions, and belief-systems. Let it be a rainbow of love, compassion, and unity, a testament to the shared truths that transcend time and culture. A sacred guide where the eternal song of Krrssnna, the unconditional love of Christ, the brotherhood of Mohammad, and the kind wisdom of Buddha converge to guide us towards a brighter future. A future where this ‘Scripture of ‘Love” becomes the most sacred scripture of a new generation, where all great religions converge and convey and where the ultimate universal truth is accepted with all its beautiful, diverse hues and perspectives.
Through media, art, and various initiatives, we can teach everyone what the Mother said, that the essence of all religions is the same: love, truth and unity.
‘Empowering Future Generations’
Nurturing Young Minds
But the call doesn’t stop there. It resonates in the very core of our being — in our homes, our schools, and our communities. We must nurture the young minds of tomorrow, teach them to embrace truth without biases and celebrate diversity as our greatest strength, during their formative years as they grow up, to being better human beings with the light of truth igniting their minds and love and compassion illuminating their hearts. For in their hands lies the power to shape a world where compassion, understanding, and unity thrive.
As we tread this path, let us remember that our goal is not to erase our differences, but to embrace them. Let us create a world where division and discrimination are relics of the past, where every individual — regardless of class, creed, or background — has the opportunity to not just survive, but to thrive with dignity and purpose.
‘Conscious Evolution’
Evolution by Choice not by Chance
This is our call to conscious evolution — a call that harmonises the inner and outer worlds, the human and the ecological. Let us create a new earth, not just for ourselves but for all living beings, where unity, compassion, and sustainability coexist in perfect balance. Our planet has finally come of age as centuries of discoveries, inventions, experiments, explorations, technological, economical, intellectual advancements have opened doors to unlimited possibilities and potential and have presented a new insight and choice to us — to choose from our collective experiences and create a better tomorrow for all. This is a glorious opportunity to take a pause, take stock of the discoveries and developments till now, ponder over the infinite potential and possibilities, select the best course, best processes, structures, systems, and ideologies and come together to choose and create our highest potential as a global race and claim our place as the most advanced and resourceful creatures on this planet.
Let us take the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and weave them into the fabric of our society, so that we become the change we wish to see in this world.
Our Choices Shape the Future
‘Unconscious Destruction vs. Conscious Evolution’
We are at a pivotal point in the history of the world, where the future of our planet will not happen by chance; rather it would depend upon the choices and decisions we make collectively today. The further course of evolution of our world will be determined by our conscious decisions to utilise our powers and resources intelligently for a happy, positive and prosperous future for all and that calls for massive reforms and transformation of the existing systems, processes, ideologies and socio-economic structures.
The time is just right and we have all that is needed, i.e., the resources, manpower, means and tools to create a new world! We all know, in our heart of hearts, that the only thing that we don’t have enough of is the will, that collective will and unity to take the responsibility to create a new world that works for all! It would just require our collective will, unity, wisdom and actions to create an intellectual revolution to transform our world into a heaven on earth!
The New Earth has already arisen! Yes, at last, the waiting is over and we are standing at the threshold of the promised Golden Age. It is as if this universal, creative intelligence is patiently waiting for us human beings to accept our highest truth and participate in the evolutionary process, to unleash our full potential and possibilities and create our perfect future.
The road where we are today therefore, leads us to two destinations — unconscious destruction or conscious evolution! In short, we make a heaven or a hell out of it!! Well, frankly, do we really have a choice?
‘A New Earth’
Power to Create a New World
A new world is emerging, as millions of us are awakening to our spiritual and human potentials individually and collectively. Our collective wisdom body that has been built over the years by our collective human efforts and our intelligence calls us to share our gifts, pool our resources and expertise to bring out the glory of our individual and collective magnificent future. A glorious future that calls us to collaborate effectively and intelligently to create a social revolution that is not destructive but constructive, and would fulfil the promises of the past and our collective potential.
Together then, we can create the force, our collective mind and consciousness will create, express and experience the world that never has been expressed or experienced before. Individually, we may feel overwhelmed by the mammoth task of changing the world, but collectively, we can make a world of difference by simply accepting our truth and being what we are — accept our oneness and work as a collective force to create a new world. As individual cells in this vast creation body, we can play our role and create heaven on earth.
But how do we do it?
‘Living a divinised life’
A Community of Enlightened Beings
As Sri Aurobindo always emphasised —living a divinised life as human beings, or rather, living a humanised life as divine beings, our true essence and our highest truth. Too often, when we have these separation-based, egocentric filters through which we perceive and shape our consciousness and life, we treat this human life as a ‘cheat life’, akin to cheat days, using it as an excuse for errors or to justify misdeeds.
This may seem trivial to us, but come to think of it, all crises and problems in the world today — personal, professional, communal, global — can be attributed to these distorted separation and ego-based perceptions and filters. So, the question is, how to avoid and overcome ego-based filters and perceptions?
Sri Aurobindo and the Mother have provided us with tools and reminders through their symbols, such as the triple transformation — developing our psychic selves to attain the supramental state and allowing it to descend and transform the lower aspects, i.e. our mental, physical and vital selves. This surrender, this transformation, allows us to become perfect instruments of the Divine, expressing and experiencing it through our actions, work and words. The Mother’s symbol offers us what I call, ‘divine filters’, contrasting with the ego-driven filters that typically shape present human life and consciousness.
Spiritual Gift to the World
Our Spiritual Inheritance and Legacy
The first step will begin with us. First, individually, by transforming ourselves and becoming the perfect instrument of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Then collectively, as a community of enlightened beings, the torch-bearers, the flag-bearers of their vision of a new world, of teaching all that all life is yoga, this oneness, inclusivity is the ultimate Integral Yoga, which is Sri Aurobindo and the Mother’s spiritual gift to the world and that following and fulfilling their vision would be our gift to them. This is our spiritual inheritance and the legacy that we need to carry forward as their children and followers.
Fulfilling Their Dreams
Let us remember that a new world, a world of unity, love, and conscious evolution, awaits us. We stand at the threshold of a brighter future, where Sri Aurobindo’s and the Mother’s dreams of a united world, their spiritual gifts and individual and collective transformation become our reality. As we embark on this journey through their Teachings, let their wisdom be our guiding light.
So, let us ask ourselves these essential questions:
If not here, in this sacred moment, where will we begin this transformative journey?
If not now, as at this crucial and pivotal juncture, when will we take that first step?
If not we, united as one enlightened community and global family, who will fulfil their integral vision and dreams of a new world?Let us all become the harbingers of their light, the bearers of their wisdom, and the architects of a new world where love, compassion, and sustainability reign supreme. We owe this to Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and to our future generations, and history will always remember us for the courage to make the right choice at the right time.
I leave you with the words of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, echoing through the corridors of time, guiding us on our path of conscious evolution and unity:
“A new Light shall break upon the earth.
A new world shall be born,
And the things that were announced shall be fulfilled (1).”
Thank you, and may our collective journey towards integral education, sustainability, and a harmonious world be blessed with success and enlightenment.
Namaste — I salute the Divine within us all!
Reference
1. The Mother. The Collected Works of the Mother, Volume 1. 2nd Impresson. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust; 2003, p. 252.
*This article is based on a presentation given by the author at the conference, ‘Sustainability & Contemplative Civilization – the Integral Vision of Sri Aurobindo’, organised by the California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, USA from 23rd to 26th September, 2023.
Preeti Mahurkar, presently based in Pondicherry, is author of the Heaven on Earth book series, which covers conscious evolution and social issues. She worked as a life-skill trainer at the Symbiosis Institute, Pune.
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