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Finding the Meaning of Our Lives and Expressing It in Our Thoughts, Words and Deeds · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  Eventually, as we grow and mature, as our powers of
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  reflection and self examination increase, we begin to seriously
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  consider why it is we are alive, what it is we are here to do,
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  and how we accomplish whatever our lives are intended to be.
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  There are several aspects to this process of growth and
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  development. When we are born into our human
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  lives, we are immature physically, vitally, emotionally
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  and mentally. In Book 1, Canto won.
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  In his epic poem Savitri, a legend and a symbol, Sri
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  Aurobindo hints at our situation.
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  Quote. But the oblivion that succeeds
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  the fall had blotted the crowded tablets of the past, and all
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  that was destroyed must be rebuilt and old experience
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  labored out once more. End Quote.
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  We need to develop our physical, vital and mental framework and
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  capacities, increase their power and perfect their action.
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  This is an ongoing process in our lives.
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  Much of our early focus is dedicated to this aspect of
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  development, and we do not therefore usually focus our
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  attention on why we are doing all this.
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  If we become fully entangled in the external being and its
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  activities, we may even fully lose sight of any deeper
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  purpose. And we live our lives as virtual
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  automatons, eating, sleeping, studying, working, enjoying
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  ourselves. In many cases we stop the
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  development of our powers and simply try to exist and enjoy
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  ourselves. And in those cases we distract
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  ourselves with intoxications of various sorts, whether they be
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  drugs or alcohol, mindless entertainment, sex, etcetera.
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  Others continue developing the instruments of mind, life, and
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  body as a way of keeping some meaning in front of them.
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  Eventually, neither dissipation nor engagement without deeper
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  purpose suffices, and we then see people turning to the deeper
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  questions of existence, the existential purpose that
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  underlies everything we experience, everything we think,
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  everything we do, everything we care about in our lives.
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  Once we awaken to the existential questions, we begin
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  our conscious spiritual quest, and at some point we become
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  aware of our psychic being and get into touch with the
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  spiritual reality, the universal consciousness that develops the
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  universal manifestation for its own intention.
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  Once that occurs, we can begin to sort out with intentionality
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  the actions and focus that help us stay consciously connected to
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  the spiritual truth of our lives and which help us determine how
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  to express that in a manner that utilizes the capacities and ever
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  expanding levels of perfection in action that occur when we act
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  with understanding and intention.
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  The mother notes quote. If we truly want to progress and
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  acquire the capacity of knowing the truth of our being, that is
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  to say, what we are truly created for, what we can call
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  our mission upon earth, then we must, in a very regular and
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  constant manner, reject from us or eliminate in US whatever
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  contradicts the truth of our existence, whatever is opposed
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  to it. In this way, little by little,
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  all the parts, all the elements of our being can be organized
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  into a homogeneous whole around our psychic center.
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  This work of unification requires much time to be brought
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  to some degree of perfection. Therefore, in order to
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  accomplish it, we must arm ourselves with patience and
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  endurance, with a determination to prolong our life as long as
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  necessary for the success of our endeavour.
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  As you pursue this labor of purification and unification,
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  you must at the same time take great care to perfect the
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  external and instrumental part of your being.
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  When the higher truth manifests, it must find in you a mind that
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  is supple and rich enough to be able to give the idea that seeks
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  to express itself, a form of thought which preserves its
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  force and clarity. This thought, again, when it
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  seeks to clothe itself in words, must find in you a sufficient
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  power of expression so that the words reveal the thought and do
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  not deform it. And the formula in which you
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  embody the truth should be manifested in all your feelings,
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  all your acts of will, all your actions, in all the movements of
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  your being. Finally, these movements
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  themselves should, by constant effort, attain their highest
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  perfection. End Quote.
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  Reference. Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.
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  The psychic being soul, its nature, mission and evolution.
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  Section 2. Role, function and Action of the
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  Psychic. Pages 65 to 66.