Latest / Sri Aurobindo Studies / Concentration and the Centres of Energy in the Subtle Body
Transcript
- 0:02People constantly ask whether they should concentrate focused
- 0:05in the heart, between the eyebrows or above the head.
- 0:10The short answer is yes. Each centre of concentration
- 0:15relies on a different power of action.
- 0:17In the end, what is more important is the action of
- 0:21concentration itself. An individual will find that one
- 0:26or another of these centres of concentration provides an
- 0:29opening or a more powerful action, and he will naturally
- 0:34set his focus in that area. It is also true, however, that
- 0:39at different times in the progress of the sadhana, the
- 0:43concentration will naturally shift from 1:00 to another
- 0:46centre, depending on the need of that particular passage in the
- 0:51course of the spiritual growth. There are other centers of
- 0:55concentration that may find their place in the development
- 0:58of concentration for different aims or purposes.
- 1:01For the sodic of the integral yoga, focusing on the psychic
- 1:05and spiritual transformation called for in that yoga, the
- 1:09three noted above are the most usual and the most useful.
- 1:15Other spiritual paths have focused on other centers.
- 1:18For instance, the practices of Kundalini yoga seek to awaken
- 1:23the serpent power sleeping at the base of the spine in the
- 1:26first chakra. Certain Chinese paths have
- 1:30focused in concentration centered in the solar plexus.
- 1:35Sriorobendo notes quote. One can concentrate in any of
- 1:40the three centers which is easiest to the sodic or gives
- 1:43most result. The power of the concentration
- 1:46in the heart center is to open that centre and by the power of
- 1:50aspiration, love, bhakti, surrender.
- 1:55Remove the veil which covers and conceals the soul and bring
- 2:00forward the soul or psychic being to govern the mind, life
- 2:03and body and turn and open them all fully to the Divine,
- 2:09removing all that is opposed to that turning and opening.
- 2:14This is what is called in this Yoga the psychic transformation.
- 2:18The power of concentration above the head is to bring peace,
- 2:23silence, liberation from the body, sense the identification
- 2:28with mind and life, and open the way for the lower mental vital
- 2:33physical consciousness to rise up to meet the higher
- 2:37consciousness above, and for the powers of the higher spiritual
- 2:41nature consciousness to descend into mind, life and body.
- 2:47This is what is called in this Yoga the spiritual
- 2:50transformation. If one begins with this
- 2:53movement, then the power from above has in its descent to open
- 2:59all the centres, including the lowest centre, and to bring out
- 3:03the psychic being. For until that is done, there is
- 3:06likely to be much difficulty and struggle of the lower
- 3:09consciousness obstructing, mixing with or even refusing the
- 3:14divine action from above. If the psychic being is once
- 3:18active, this struggle and these difficulties can be greatly
- 3:22minimized. The power of concentration in
- 3:26the eyebrows is to open the centre there, liberate the inner
- 3:30mind and vision and the inner or yogic consciousness and its
- 3:35experiences and powers. From here also one can open
- 3:39upwards and act also in the lower centres.
- 3:43But the danger of this process is that one may get shut up in
- 3:47one's mental spiritual formations and not come out of
- 3:50them into the free and integral spiritual experience and
- 3:54knowledge and the integral change of the being and nature.
- 3:59End Quote. Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
- 4:02Mother Powers within, Chapter 4 concentration, pages 45 to 46.