- Sri Aurobindo on Human Development-A Transpersonal Perspective
Transpersonal psychology can be described as human nature and development that continue on the supposition that human beings possess abilities that exceed the limitations of the standard developed ego. It can be defined in forty definitions characterized by the five themes; namely: consciousness state, highest or ultimate potential, beyond ego or one’s self, transcendence, and spiritual. Transpersonal approach can be characterized by focusing on a person as a whole; that is, on intellect, emotions, and spirit. Evolution refers to the process, through which supreme consciousness frees itself from in-conscience, leading to higher consciousness level. Sri Aurobindo’s explained that everything one possesses and creates unites in one fact, but it seems to be separated and divided on consciousness of the mind. Sri Aurobindo tackles outward and visible machinery of means considered as spiritual evolution – evolution of consciousness. Sri Aurobindo differentiated between mind and pure consciousness, whereby according to him, the mind cannot be simple and uniform, but comprises of different subdivisions and levels ranging from a higher mind and intuition to over-mind and super-mind. Super-mind means the unitary truth consciousness beyond the planes of life and matter. Therefore, the process of evolution in an advanced self-manifestation of the inner self in the substantial universe can be characterized by the three processes, namely: physical evolution, spiritual evolutionб and combination of what evolved in each consciousness levelб such that it brings total change of nature and whole being.
- Studies in Buddhism
Buddha’s nature in Tibetan Buddhism assumes original heart-mind consist of single united field of feelings and thoughts, whereby emotions can be considered as heavy-handed thoughts. It brings about cognitive division leading to egocentric dualisms and karma that defines sufferings and neurosis. The egocentric process comprises ignoring, arrogant-possessive, aggressing, covetous, and negative desiring processes. Buddhists believe that everyone possesses a certain form neurosis; hence, owns his/her path to enlightenment. As people react, they create Karmic circles-vicious circles, knots, or bad practices, in their heart-mind. Consequently, people become prisoners of their decisions; therefore, their personality emerges. According to Buddhists, the problem with human beings can be rooted from frequent failures and errors, unfairness, and subtle attitudes towards the universe and ourselves. However, each human being must be responsible for untying those knots and, as a result, freeing the heart-mind bringing peace, compassion, and wisdom, terminating the cause of human suffering.
- The Tao Te Ching
Tao refers to true self, ultimate reality, or “the way”. On the other hand, Te means the presented power of the follower of the way. The way can be described as an internal manner of acting. Tao defines both the creation and the creator, whereby non-being makes being the remarkable world. According to the teachings of Tao, a sacred person (Sage) can be considered to attain the highest perception of the way, and behaves in the right manner, and the normal person sees the world through sensible experience. A rigid mind with no flexibility causes people to deviate from the way leading to human problems. However, the problem can be contained through illumination that can be acquired via knowing oneself. Therefore, consciousness can be termed as a fractional rendering of one’s overall experience, and any thinking system can only be partial and fractional version of truth and reality. Finally, Tao makes all things co-exist.
- The Heart Sutra: From the Prajnaparamita Literature of India
According to Buddhism, an enlightened and awakened being, personified by wisdom and empathy, which perceives that the aggregates of form – feelings, perceptions, impulses, and consciousness – can be transitory form of condensed emptiness, can be saved from suffering and distress. It should be noted that emptiness depends on the form and can be described as the silent rhythm at the center of everything in the creation. The underlying emptiness’ interplay results to the existence of fundamental units; hence, no ignorance or extinction. The enlightened mind trusts in the heart of transcendent wisdom; thus, it cannot cause hindrance, since it can be at peace with emptiness.
- I Ching Hexagram
Hexagram can be constructed from the bottom to top by tossing a coin six times to form six lines. Three heads equal to the greater Yin, while three tails equal to greater Yang, similarly two heads and one tail equal to lesser Yang, while two tails and one head equal to the lesser Yin. Look up the design of the hexagram and match its number with its commentary. Each line of the hexagram contains a meaning, as well as the whole hexagram. After creating the hexagram, a chart can be used to find the hexagram’s number that corresponds to that reading. The initial three lines casted represent the lower trigram and the following three represent the upper trigram.