{"id":3766,"date":"2013-07-13T01:51:05","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:51:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=3766"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:51:05","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:51:05","slug":"09-power-and-personalities-divine-and-hostile-vol-02-second-series-1949","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/01-works-of-sri-aurobindo\/02-other-editions\/letters-of-sri-aurobindo\/02-second-series-1949\/09-power-and-personalities-divine-and-hostile-vol-02-second-series-1949","title":{"rendered":"-09_Power and Personalities Divine and Hostile.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n
\n

\nSECTION<\/b> SEVEN <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPOWERS AND PERSONALITIES-
\nDIVINE AND HOSTILE <\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n

\n

\n

\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n
\nFalsehood and Ignorance\u2014Powers and
\nPersonalities\u2014Emanations and Presence*<\/i> <\/font><\/p>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n1. Falsehood and Ignorance<\/i> <\/b> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nIGNORANCE means Avidya, the separative consciousness and the egoistic mind and life that flow from it
\nand all that is natural to the separative consciousness and the egoistic mind and life. This Ignorance
\nis the result of a movement by which the cosmic
\nIntelligence separated itself from the light of the
\nSupermind (the divine Gnosis) and lost the Truth,\u2014
\ntruth of being, truth of divine consciousness, truth
\nof force and action, truth of Ananda. As a result,
\ninstead of a world of integral truth and divine harmony created in the light of the divine Gnosis, we
\nhave a world founded on the part truths of an inferior cosmic Intelligence in which all is half-truth,
\nhalf-error. It is this that some of the ancient thinkers
\nlike Shankara, not perceiving the greater Truth-
\nForce behind, stigmatised as Maya and thought to <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n* This letter is intended to explain certain terms occurring in
\nthe book "The Mother" by Sri Aurbbindo. . <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage – 177<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nbe the highest creative power of the Divine. All
\nin the consciousness of this creation is either limited
\nor else perverted by separation from the integral
\nLight; even the Truth it perceives is only a half-knowledge. Therefore it is called the Ignorance. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nFalsehood, on the other hand, is not this Avidya,
\nbut an extreme result of it. It is created by an Asuric
\npower which intervenes in this creation and is not
\nonly separated from the Truth and therefore limited
\nin knowledge and open to error, but in revolt against
\nthe Truth or in the habit of seizing the Truth only
\nto pervert it. This Power, the dark Asuric Shakti or
\nRakshasic Maya, puts forward its own perverted
\nconsciousness as true knowledge and its wilful distortions or reversals of the Truth as the verity of
\nthings. It is the powers and personalities of this
\nperverted and perverting consciousness that we call
\nhostile beings, hostile forces. Whenever these perversions created by them out of the stuff of the Ignorance
\nare put forward as the Truth of things, that is the
\nFalsehood, in the Yogic sense, mithya, moha.<\/i> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n2.  Powers and Appearances<\/b><\/i> <\/b> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nThese are the forces and beings that are interested
\nin maintaining the falsehoods they have created in the
\nworld of the Ignorance and in putting them forward <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage – 178<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nas the Truth which men must follow. In India they
\nare termed Asuras, Rakshasas, Pishachas (beings
\nrespectively of the mentalised vital, middle vital
\nand lower vital planes) who are in opposition to the
\nGods, the Powers of Light. These too are Powers,
\nfor they too have their cosmic field in which they
\nexercise their function and authority and some of
\nthem were once divine Powers (the former gods, purve
\ndevah,<\/i> as they are called somewhere in the Mahabharata) who have fallen towards the darkness by
\nrevolt against the divine Will behind the cosmos.
\nThe word "appearances" refers to the forms they
\ntake in order to rule the world, forms often false and always incarnating falsehood, sometimes pseudo-divine. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n3.  Powers and Personalities<\/i> <\/b> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nThe use of the word Power has already been
\nexplained\u2014it can be applied to whatever or whoever exercises a conscious power in the cosmic field
\nand has authority over the world-movement or some
\nmovement in it. But the Four* of whom you
\nspeak are also Shaktis, manifestations of different
\npowers of the Supreme Consciousness and Force. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n* Maheshwari, Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n.Page – 179 <\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nthe Divine Mother, by which she rules or acts in
\nthe universe. And they are at the same time divine personalities; for each is a
\nbeing who manifests different qualities and personal consciousness-forms of the
\nGodhead. All the greater Gods are in this way personalities of the Divine\u2014 one
\nConsciousness playing in many personalities, ekam sat bahudhā.<\/i> Even in the human being there
\nare many personalities and not only one, as used
\nformerly to be imagined; for all consciousness cant
\nbe at once one and multiple. "Powers and Personalities" simply describe different aspects of the same
\nbeing; a Power is not necessarily impersonal and
\ncertainly it is not avyaktam,<\/i> as you suggest,\u2014on the
\ncontrary, it is a’ manifestation acting in the worlds.
\nof the divine Manifestation. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n4.  Emanations<\/i><\/b> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nEmanations correspond to your description of the
\nMatrikas of whom you speak in your letter. Art
\nemanation of the Mother is something of her consciousness and power put forth from her which,.
\nso long as it is in play, is held in close connection
\nwith her and, when its play is no longer required,.
\nis withdrawn back into its source, but can always.
\nbe put out and brought into play once more. But <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage – 180<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nalso the detaining thread of connection can be
\nsevered or loosened and that which came forth as
\nan emanation can proceed on its way as an independent divine being with its own play in the world.
\nAll the Gods can put forth such emanations from
\ntheir being, identical with them in essence of consciousness and power though not commensurate. In
\na certain sense the universe itself can be said to be
\nan emanation from the Supreme. In the consciousness of the sadhak an emanation of the Mother
\nwill ordinarily wear the appearance, form and characteristics with which he is familiar. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nIn a sense the four Powers of the Mother may be
\ncalled, because of their origin, her Emanations,
\njust as the Gods may be called Emanations of the
\nDivine, but they have a more permanent and fixed
\ncharacter; they are at once independent beings
\nallowed their play by the Adya Shakti and yet portions of the Mother, the Mahashakti, and she can
\nalways either manifest through them as separate
\nbeings or draw them together as her own various
\nPersonalities and hold them in herself, sometimes
\nkept back, sometimes at play, according to her will.
\nIn the Supramental plane they are always in her
\nand do not act independently but as intimate portions of the Supramental Mahashakti and in close
\nunion and harmony with each other. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n. Page – 181<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n5.  <\/font><\/i>
\nGods<\/i><\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nThese four Powers are the Mother’s cosmic godheads, permanent in the world-play; they stand
\namong the greater cosmic Godheads to whom allusion is made when it is said that the Mother as the
\nMahashakti of this triple world "stands there (in the Overmind plane) above
\nthe Gods." The Gods, as has already been said, are in origin and essence
\npermanent Emanations of the Divine put forth from
\nthe Supreme by the Transcendent Mother, the Adya Shakti; in their cosmic action
\nthey are Powers
\nand Personalities of the Divine, each with his independent cosmic standing, function and work in the
\nuniverse. They are not impersonal entities but cosmic Personalities, although they can and do ordinarily veil themselves behind the movement of
\n<\/i>impersonal forces. But while in the Overmind and the triple world they
\nappear as independent beings,
\nthey return in the Supermind into the One and.
\nstand there united in a single harmonious action
\nas multiple personalities of the one Person, the: Divine Purushottama. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n6.  Presence<\/i><\/b> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nIt is intended by the word Presence to indicate-
\nthe sense and perception of the Divine as a Being,<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage – 182<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nfelt as present in one’s existence and consciousness
\nor in relation with it, without the necessity of any
\nfurther qualification or description. Thus, of the
\n"ineffable Presence" it can only be said that it is
\nthere, and nothing-more can or need be said about
\nit, although at the same time one knows that all
\nis there, personality and impersonality. Power and
\nLight and Ananda and everything else, and that
\nall these flow from that indescribable Presence.
\nThe word may be Used sometimes in a less absolute
\nsense, but that is always the fundamental significance,\u2014the essential perception of the essential Presence supporting everything else. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n7.  The Transcendent Mother<\/i> <\/b> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nThis is what is termed the Adya Shakti; she is the Supreme Consciousness and Power above the
\nuniverse and it is by her that all the Gods are
\nmanifested, and even the Supramental Ishwara comes into manifestation through
\nher\u2014the Supramental Purushottama of whom the Gods are Powers
\nand Personalities. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage – 183<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n
\nConversion of Gods<\/i> <\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nWHILE the Gods cannot be transformed, for they
\nare typal and not evolutionary beings, they can
\nCome for conversion, that is to say, to give up their
\nown ideas and outlook on things and conform
\nthemselves to the higher Will and Supramental
\nTruth of the Divine. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n1-11-1934 <\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\nTypal and Evolutionary Beings<\/i> <\/font><\/p>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

\n(1)<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nAGAIN, what do you mean by a soul ? My proposition
\nsimply meant that there is no existence which has
\nnot the support of something of the Divine behind
\nit. But the word soul has various meanings
\naccording to the context; it may mean the Purusha
\nsupporting the formation of Prakriti, which we call
\na being, though the proper word would be rather
\nbecoming; it may mean, on the other hand, specifically the psychic being in an evolutionary creature
\nlike man; it may mean the spark of the Divine which <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage – <\/font>184<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nhas been put into Matter by the descent of the
\nDivine into the material world and which upholds
\nall evolving formations here. There is and can be
\nno psychic being in a non-evolutionary creature
\nlike the Asura; there can be none in a god who
\ndoes not need one for his existence. But what the
\ngod has is a Purusha and a Prakriti or Energy of
\nnature of that Purusha. If any being of the typal
\nworlds wants to evolve, he has to come down to earth
\nand take a human body and accept to share in the
\nevolution. It is because they do not want to do this
\nthat the vital beings try to possess men so that
\nthey may enjoy the materialities of physical life
\nwithout having the burden of the evolution or the
\nprocess of conversion in which it culminates. I
\nhope this is clear and solves the difficulty. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n(2) <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nThe three stages you speak of are stages not of evolution but of the involution of the Divine in Matter.
\nThe Devas and Asuras are not evolved in Matter; for the typal being only a Purusha with its Prakriti
\nis necessary\u2014this Purusha may put out a mental
\nand vital Purusha to represent it and according as
\nit is centred in one or another it belongs to the mental or vital world. That is all. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n. Page – 185<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nThere is no essential difference anywhere, for all
\nis fundamentally the essential Divine, the difference
\nis in the manifestation. Practically we may say that
\nthe Jivatman is one of the Divine Many and
\ndependent on the One; the Atman is the One
\nsupporting the Many. The psychic being does not
\nmerge in the Jivatman, it becomes united with it
\nso that there is no difference between the eternal
\nbeing supporting the manifestation from above and
\nthe same being supporting the manifestation from
\nwithin it, because the psychic being has become fully
\naware of the play of the Divine through it. What is called merging takes place
\nin the Divine Consciousness when the Jivatman feels itself so one with
\nthe Divine that there is nothing else. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n17-11-1934<\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\nThe Life Heavens and the Earth Spirit<\/i> <\/font>
\n<\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nWHERE do you find in "The Life Heavens"1<\/sup> that I
\nsay or anybody says the conditions on the earth are
\nglorious and suited to the Divine Life? There is not <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n1 A poem by Sri Aurobindo, vide Collected Poems and Flays.<\/i> <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage – 186<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\na word to that effect there! The Life Heavens are
\nthe heavens of the vital gods and there is there a
\nperfect harmony but a harmony of the sublimated
\nsatisfied senses and vital desires only. If there is to
\nfee a Harmony, it must be of all the powers raised
\nto their highest and harmonised together. All the
\nnon-evolutionary worlds are worlds limited to their
\nown harmony like the Life Heavens. The Earth, on
\nthe other hand, is an evolutionary world, not at all
\nglorious or harmonious even as a material world
\n(except in certain appearances) but rather most
\nsorrowful, disharmonious, imperfect. Yet in that
\nimperfection is the urge towards a higher and more
\nmany-sided perfection. It contains the last finite
\nwhich yet yearns to the supreme Infinite, (it is not satisfied by sense-joys precisely because in the conditions of the earth it is able to see their limitations). God is pent in the mire (mire is not glorious,
\nso there is no claim to glory or beauty here), but
\nthat very fact imposes a necessity to break through
\nthat prison to a consciousness which is ever rising
\ntowards the heights. And so on. That is "deeper power", though not a
\ngreater actual glory or perfection. All that may be true or not to the mind,.
\nbut it is the traditional attitude of Indian spiritual
\nexperience. Ask any Yogin, he will tell you that the Life Heavens are childish things; even gods, <\/font><\/p>\n

\n. Page – 187<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nsays the Purana, must come down to earth and be
\nembodied there if they want mukti,<\/i> giving up the
\npride of their limited perfection; they must enter
\ninto the last finite if they want to reach the last
\ninfinite. A poem is not a philosophical treatise or
\na profession of religious faith\u2014it is the expression
\nof a vision or an experience of some kind, mundane
\nor spiritual. Here it is the vision of the Life Heavens,
\nits perfection, its limitation and the counter-claim
\nof the Earth or rather the Spirit or Power behind
\nthe earth-consciousness. It has to be taken at that,
\nas an expression of a certain aspect of things, an
\nexpression of a certain kind of experience, not of a
\nmental dogma. There is a deep truth behind it,
\nthough it may not be the whole truth of the matter.
\nIn the poem, also, there is no question of a divine
\nlife here, though that is hinted at as the inexpressed
\npossible result of the ascent\u2014because the Earth is not put aside ("Earth’s heart
\nwas felt beating below me still"); nevertheless the poem expresses only
\nthe ascent towards the Highest, far beyond the
\nLife Heavens, and the Earth-Spirit claims that
\npower and does not speak of any descent of a divine
\nlife. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n19-7-1934 <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage – 188<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n
\nGods in the Universal Self<\/i> <\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nTHE Gods are in the universal Self\u2014if identified
\nwith the universal Self one can feel their presence
\nthere. Also there is the experience of microcosm
\n(the universe in oneself) in which all that is in the
\nmacrocosm (the larger universe) is present. All
\nthese things are for experience, for knowledge and must be taken as such. No merely personal turn.
\nshould be given to them. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nNovember, 1933 <\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\nPurusha  and Cosmic Godheads<\/i> <\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nVAYU and Indra are cosmic godheads presiding over
\nthe action of cosmic principles\u2014they are not the
\nmanomaya purusha<\/i> or pranamaya purusha<\/i> in each.
\nman. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe Purusha is an essential being supporting the
\nplay of Prakriti; the godhead (Indra, Vayu, etc.)
\nis a dynamic being manifested in Prakriti for the works of the plane to which he belongs. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n27-5-1933 <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage – 189<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n
\nForms of Gods<\/i><\/font>
\n<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nTHERE are no planes of manifestation without forms
\n\u2014for without form creation or manifestation cannot
\nbe complete. But the supraphysical planes are not
\nbound to the forms like the physical. The forms
\nthere are expressive, not determinative. What is
\nimportant in the vital plane is the force or feeling
\nand the form expresses it. A vital being has a
\ncharacteristic form but he can vary it or mask
\nhis true form under others. What is primary on
\nthe mental plane is the perception, the idea,
\nthe mental significance and the form expresses
\nthat and these mental forms too can vary\u2014there
\ncan be many forms expressing an idea in different
\nways or on different sides of the idea. Form exists but it is more plastic and variable than in physical
\nnature. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nAs to the gods, man can build forms which they will
\naccept but these forms too are inspired into man’s
\nmind from the planes to which the god belongs.
\nAll creation has the two sides, the formed and the
\nformless,\u2014the gods too are formless and yet have
\nforms, but a godhead can take many forms, here
\nMaheshwari, there Pallas Athene. Maheshwari herself has many forms in her lesser manifestation,
\nDurga, Uma, Parvati, Chandi, etc. The gods are <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage – 190<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nnot limited to human forms\u2014man also has
\n<\/b>not <\/b>always seen them in human forms only. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n
\nAttraction to Several Divine Personalities<\/i> <\/font>
\n<\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nAT S’s conscientious hesitations between Krishna
\nand Shiva and Shakti I could not help indulging in a smile. If a man is attracted by one form or two forms of the Divine, it is all right, but if he is drawn to
\nseveral at a time he need not torment himself over it.
\nA man of some development has necessarily several sides in his nature and it is
\nquite natural that different aspects should draw or govern different personalities in him: he can accept them all and harmonise
\nthem in the One Divine and the <\/b> One Adya Shakti
\nwhom all are the manifestations. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n
\nThe Hostile Forces<\/i><\/font>
\n<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nTHE hostile forces exist and have been known <\/b> to Yogic experience ever since the days of the Veda <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage – 191<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nand Zoroaster in Asia (and the mysteries of Egypt
\nand the Cabbala) and in Europe also from old times.
\nThese things, of course, cannot be felt or known so
\nlong as one lives in the ordinary mind and its ideas
\nand perceptions; for there, there are only two categories of influences recognisable,
\nthe ideas and feelings and actions of oneself and others and the play of
\nenvironment and physical forces. But once one
\nbegins to get the inner view of things, it is different. One begins to
\nexperience that all is an action of forces, forces of Prakriti psychological as well as physical, which play upon our nature\u2014and these are
\nconscious forces or are supported by a consciousness
\nor consciousnesses behind. One is in the midst of a
\nbig universal working and it is impossible any longer
\nto explain everything as the result of one’s own sole
\nand independent personality. You yourself have at
\none time written that your crises of despair etc. came
\nupon you as if thrown on you and worked themselves
\nout without your being able to determine or put an
\nend to them. That means an action of universal
\nforces and not merely an independent action of your
\nown personality, though it is something in your nature
\nof which they make use. But you are not conscious,
\nand others also, of this intervention and pressure at
\nits source for the reason I state. Those who have
\ndeveloped the inner view of things on the vital plane <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage – 192<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nhave plenty of experience of the hostile forces.
\nHowever, you need not personally concern yourself with them so long as they remain incognito.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nOne may have the experiences on the mental
\nplane without this knowledge coming; for there
\nmind and idea predominate and one does not feel
\nthe play of Forces\u2014it is only in the vital that that
\nbecomes clear. In the mind plane they manifest at
\nmost as mental suggestions and not as concrete
\nPowers. Also, if one looks at things with the mind
\nonly (even though it. be the inner mind), one may
\nsee the subtle play of Nature-forces but without
\nrecognising the conscious intention which we call
\nhostile. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n1935 <\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\nPerversion and Disharmony in the
\nEvolution from the Inconscient<\/i> <\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nAN evolution from the Inconscient need not be a
\npainful one if there is no resistance; it can be a
\ndeliberately slow and beautiful efflorescence of the
\nDivine. One ought to be able to see how beautiful <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage – 193 <\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\noutward Nature can be and usually is, although
\nit is itself apparently "inconscient" Why should
\nthe growth of consciousness in inward Nature be
\nattended by so much ugliness and evil spoiling the beauty of the outward
\ncreation? Because of a perversity born from the Ignorance, which came in with
\nLife and increased in Mind\u2014that is the Falsehood, the Evil that was born because of the starkness
\nof the Inconscient’s sleep separating its action from
\nthe luminosity of the secret Conscient that is all the
\ntime within it. But it need not have been so except
\nfor the overriding Will of the Supreme which meant
\nthat the possibilities of perversion by inconscience
\nand ignorance should be manifested in order to be
\neliminated through being given their chance, since
\nall possibility has to manifest somewhere’: once it
\nis eliminated, the Divine Manifestation in Matter
\nwill be greater than it otherwise could be, because
\nit will combine all the possibilities involved in this
\ndifficult creation and not some of them as in an
\neasier and less strenuous creation might naturally
\nhappen. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n"From beauty to greater beauty, from joy to
\nintenser joy, by an especial adjustment of the senses"
\n\u2014yes, that would be the normal course of a divine
\nmanifestation, however gradual, in Matter. "Discordant sound and offensive odour" are creations of <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage – 194<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\ndisharmony between consciousness and Nature
\nand do not exist in themselves; they would not be
\npresent to a liberated and harmonised consciousness,
\nfor they would be foreign to its being, nor would they
\nafflict a rightly developing harmonised soul and
\nNature. Even the "belching volcano, crashing thunderstorm and whirling typhoon" are in themselves
\ngrandiose and beautiful things and only harmful
\nor terrible to a consciousness unable to meet or deal with them or make a pact with the spirits of Wind and Fire. You are assuming that the manifestation from the Inconscient must be what it is now and here and that no other kind of world of Matter was possible, but the harmony of material Nature in itself
\nI shows that it need not necessarily be a discordant, evil, furiously perturbed and painful creation\u2014the psychic being, if allowed to manifest from the first in Life and Mind and lead the evolution instead
\nof being relegated behind the veil, would have been
\nthe principle of a harmony ever outflowing: everyone who has felt the psychic at work within him, free of the
\nvital intervention, can at once see that this would be
\nits effect because of its unerring perception, true
\nchoice, harmonic action. If it has not been so, it is
\nbecause the Dark Powers have made Life a claimant
\ninstead of an instrument. The reality of the Hostiles and the nature of their role and trend of their <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage – 195<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nendeavour cannot be doubted by any one who has
\nhad his inner vision unsealed and made their
\nunpleasant acquaintance. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n18-1-1937 <\/font><\/p>\n

\nAsuras<\/i> <\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nTHE Asuras are really the dark side of the mental,
\nor more strictly, of the vital mind plane. This mind is the very field of the
\nAsuras. Their main characteristic is egoistic strength and struggle, which
\nrefuse the higher law. The Asura has self-control, tapas
\n<\/i>and intelligence, but all that for the sake of his ego. On the lower vital
\nplane the corresponding forces we
\ncall the Rakshasas<\/i> which represent violent passions
\nand influences. There are also other kinds of beings
\non the vital plane which are called the Pishachas
\n<\/i>and Pramathas.<\/i> They manifest more or less in the: physico-vital. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nOn the physical plane the corresponding forces; are
\nobscure beings, more forces than beings, what
\nthe Theosophists call the elementals. They are not
\nstrongly individualised beings like the Rakshasas
\nand Asuras, but ignorant and obscure forces working: <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage – 196<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nthe subtle physical plane. What we in Sanskrit
\ncall the Bhutas<\/i> mostly come under this class. But
\nthere are two kinds of elementals, the one mischievous and the other not. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThere are no Asuras on the higher planes where
\nthe Truth prevails, except in the Vedic sense\u2014"the
\nDivine in its strength". The mental and vital Asuras
\nare only a deviation of that power. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n
\nConversion of Asuras<\/i> <\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nAs to Asuras, not many of them have shown signs of
\nrepentance or possibility of conversion up to now.
\nIt is not surprising that they should be powerful in a world of ignorance for they have only to persuade
\npeople to follow the established bent of their lower
\nnature, while the Divine calls always for a change
\nof nature. It is not to be wondered at that the Asura
\nhas an easier task and more momentary success in his
\ncombinations. But that temporary success does not
\nbind the future. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage – 197<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n
\nAdverse: Forces and Fidelity to the Divine<\/i><\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nYou ask whether the adverse Force is stronger than
\nthe Divine Force. The implication is that a man has
\nno responsibility for his action and whatever he does
\nor however he errs and falls in consequence, the
\nDivine Force is to blame. It may be so, but in that
\ncase there is no need or utility in doing sadhana.
\nOne has only to sit still and let the Adverse Force or
\nthe Divine Force do what they like! According to.
\nthat theory the Devil was quite right in telling Christ
\n"Cast thyself down from this mountain and let His
\nangels come and upbear thee," and Christ was quite
\nwrong in rejecting the suggestion and saying, "It is
\nwritten ‘Thou shall not tempt (put to a test) the
\nLord thy God!" He ought to have jumped and if
\nhe got smashed, it would only have proved that
\nthe adverse forces were greater than the Divine
\nForce!<\/font><\/p>\n

\nIf an adverse Force comes, one has not to accept
\nand welcome its suggestions, but to turn to the Mother and refuse to turn away from her. Whether
\none can open or not, one has to be loyal and faithful.
\nLoyalty and fidelity are not qualities for which one
\nhas to do Yoga. They are very simple things which
\nany man or woman who aspires to the Truth ought
\nto be able to accomplish. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n:Page – I98<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nIt is what everybody should realise. It is the
\npsychic fidelity that brings the power to stand against
\nthe Asuras and enables the Protection to work.<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n
\nIndirect Hostile Attacks<\/i> <\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nINDIRECT attacks are not of this kind, a violent rush
\nand covering by hostile forces\u2014they are done
\nthrough covert suggestions, half-truth, half-falsehood,
\nattempts to represent the falsehood in the garb of
\nthe Divine Truth or to mix the lower consciousness cleverly with the higher. Their attempt is to mislead
\nby guile rather than to conquer by force. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage – <\/font>199<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SECTION SEVEN POWERS AND PERSONALITIES- DIVINE AND HOSTILE Falsehood and Ignorance\u2014Powers and Personalities\u2014Emanations and Presence*   1. Falsehood and Ignorance   IGNORANCE means Avidya, the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-02-second-series-1949","wpcat-99-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3766","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3766"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3766\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3766"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3766"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}