The Descent of the Overmind

Dr Bodh Sharma
The Sri Aurobindo Ashram was founded on the 24 November 1926 (Siddhi Day). At that time there were no more than 24 disciples in the Ashram. Further, on that day Sri Aurobindo experiences the descent of Krishna into his body. He explains, “The descent of Krishna would mean the descent of the Overmind Godhead preparing, though not itself actually bringing, the descent of Supermind and Ananda.”
From the beginning of 1926 the work of guiding the disciples already began to move towards the Mother (Spiritual collaborator of Sri Aurobindo). It was as if Sri Aurobindo was slowly withdrawing himself and the Mother was spontaneously coming out and taking up the great work, both of inner sadhana and of the outer organisation of the Ashram. The meditations became more and more concentrated and intense.
From the trend of the evening talks just before and after the 15th of August 1926 it was becoming clear that the importance of a link between the highest Supermind and mind was being emphasised. He called it the Overmind. During the six years (from 1920-1926) it was also evident that he had gone much further not only in the ascent towards and into the Higher Consciousness but also in bringing about its descent into the nature. Several times in the beginning of November the evening talks turned on the possibility of the descent of the Divine Consciousness and its process. From these evening conversations, therefore, the idea of the nearness of such a descent came to several disciples. There was the possibility of the descent of the Gods. In The Life Divine Sri Aurobindo has given a clear exposition of the Overmind plane and Consciousness and the Overmind Gods. I give here some basic conceptions from it so that they might be of help in the understanding of the descent that took place on the 24th November 1926.
“If we regard the Powers of Reality as so many Godheads, we can say that the Overmind releases a million Godheads into action, each empowered to create its own world, each world capable of relation, communication and interplay with the others. There are in the Veda different formulations of the nature of the Gods: it is said they are all one Existence to which the sages give different names.”
Further on he says:-
“Overmind thus gives to the One Existence-Consciousness-Bliss the character of a teeming of infinite possibilities which can be developed into a multitude of worlds or thrown together into one world in which the endlessly variable outcome of their play is the determinant of the creation, of its process, its course and its consequence”.
In the Overmind-“each God knows all the Gods and their place in existence;… The Overmind is a principle of cosmic Truth and a vast and endless catholicity is its very spirit; its energy is an al1- dynamism as well as a principle of separate dynamism….”
A feeling that the descent of the Higher Consciousness would, or was about to, take place grew in the minds of the disciples either as a result of some indicative personal experience or owing to the general atmosphere. Many felt that great changes in the outer structure of the Ashram were about to occur. It was evident that all his great energies were entirely taken up by the mighty task of bringing about the descent of the Higher Consciousness and that he did not want to lose or divert even a second of his time to anything else.
Those who do not know anything about his great mission can hardly understand how concentrated and sincere was his application for attaining perfection in his Divine task? He was seeing his way more and more clearly every day and feeling more and more the inevitability of the descent as a natural crown of the movement of evolution on earth. He did not want to begin outer action so long as the Higher Consciouness did not descend into the physical and even into the gross material consciousness. Only a New Life, a life that manifests integrally the Divine, could be embodied. In the fulfilment of the spiritual work that he had begun lies the ultimate solution of all human problems.
At last the great day arrived. From the beginning of November the pressure of the Higher Power began to be unbearable. The day for which the Mother had been waiting for so many long years came on the 24th November. The sun had almost set, and everyone was occupied with his own activity-some had gone out to the seaside for a walk-when the Mother sent round word to all the disciples to assemble as soon as possible in the verandah where the usual meditation was held. It did not take long for the message to go round to all. By six o’clock most of the disciples had gathered. There was a deep silence in the atmosphere after the disciples had gathered there. Many saw an oceanic flood or Light rushing down from above. Everyone present felt a kind of pressure above his head. The whole atmosphere was surcharged with some electrical energy. In that silence, in that atmosphere full of concentrated expectation and aspiration, in the electrically charged atmosphere, the usual, yet on this day quite unusual, sound was heard behind the door of the entrance. Silence absolute, living silence – not merely living but overflowing with divinity. The meditation lasted about forty five minutes.
In the interval of the silent meditation and blessings many had distinct experiences. When all was over they felt as if they had awakened from a divine dream. Then they felt the grandeur, the poetry and the absolute beauty of the occasion. It was not as if a handful of disciples were receiving blessings from their supreme Master and Mother in one little comer of the earth. The significance of the occasion was far greater than that. It was certain that higher Consciousness had descended on earth. In that deep silence had burgeoned forth, like the sprout of a Banyan tree, the beginning of a mighty spiritual work. This momentous occasion carried its significance to all in the divine dynamism of the silence, in its unearthly dignity and grandeur and in the utter beauty of its every little act. The deep impress of divinity which everyone got was for him a priceless treasure.
The 24th November should be given an importance equal to that of the birthdays of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother because on that day the descent of the Higher Power symbolic of the victory of their mission took place. The Delight consciousness in the Overmind which Sri Krishna incarnated -as Avatar- descended on this day into the physical, rendering possible the descent of the Supermind into Matter.
Sri Aurobindo whispers, “the created world is not a mistake or a vanity and illusion to be cast aside by the soul returning to heaven or Nirvana, but the scene of a spiritual evolution by which out of this material inconscience is to be manifested progressively the Divine Consciousness in things. Mind is the highest term yet reached in the evolution, but it is not the highest of which it is capable.
There is above it a Supermind or eternal Truth-Consciousness which is in its nature the self-aware and self-determining light and power of a Divine Knowledge. Mind is an ignorance seeking after Truth, but this is a self-existent Knowledge harmoniously manifesting the play of its forms and forces. It is only by the descent of this Supermind that the perfection dreamed of by all that is highest in humanity can come. It is possible by opening to a greater Divine Consciousness to rise to this power of light and bliss, discover one’s true self, remain in constant union with the Divine and bring down the supramental Force for the transformation of mind and life and body. To realise this possibility has been the aim of Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga.
(The author is Assistant Professor Department of Commerce University of Jammu)

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here