Shri Aurobindo
The next step of the evolution must be towards the development of Supermind and Spirit as the dominant power in the conscious being. For only then will the involved Divinity in things release itself entirely and it become possible for life to manifest perfection.
Sri Aurobindo’s Teaching and Spiritual Method.
Sri Aurobindo’s advanced world vision, the backbone of Auroville, takes one into wider areas relating to the self, and to life. The spiritual path – or sadhana – as developed by him, works with a combination of a voluntarily adopted psychological discipline and various yogic practices. Already a century ago he declared “All life is Yoga”. The text below was written by Sri Aurobindo himself, in 1934.
Sri Aurobindo’s teaching and method of Sadhana
The teaching of Sri Aurobindo starts from that of the ancient sages of India that behind the appearances of the universe there is the Reality of a Being and Consciousness, a Self of all things, one and eternal. All beings are united in that One Self and Spirit but divided by a certain separativity of consciousness, an ignorance of their true Self and Reality in the mind, life and body. It is possible by a certain psychological discipline to remove this veil of separative consciousness and become aware of the true Self, the Divinity within us and all.
But while the former steps in evolution were taken by Nature without a conscious will in the plant and animal life, in humans Nature becomes able to evolve by a conscious will in the instrument. It is not, however, by the mental will that this can be wholly done, for the mind goes only to a certain point and after that can only move in a circle. A conversion has to be made, a turning of the consciousness by which the mind has to change into the higher principle. This method is to be found through the ancient psychological discipline and practice of Yoga.
The psychological discipline of Yoga can be used to that end by opening all the parts of the being to a conversion or transformation through the descent and working of the higher still concealed supramental principle.
During this time he had a number of fundamental spiritual experiences which convinced him of the truth of the “Sanatana Dharma” – the ancient spiritual knowledge and practice of India.
A Conscious Death
In the later stages of spiritual development, Sri Aurobindo suggested that even death can become conscious. The yogi, aware of their eternal nature, may pass from the body not with fear or attachment, but with clarity, surrender, and grace.
Beyond Death: The Promise of Transformation
Ultimately, Sri Aurobindo envisioned a future where death itself may no longer be necessary. As human consciousness evolves, and as the soul fully inhabits the body, even the need for physical death could dissolve.
This is not a fantasy, but a spiritual aspiration: the divinisation of life itself, where matter becomes a perfect vehicle for the soul, and the boundaries between life and death dissolve into a seamless unity of being.
‘All parts of creation are linked together and interchange their influences. The balanced rhythm of the universe is rooted in reciprocity. In his human aspect, man has to combat two sets of forces — first, the tumults within his being, caused by the admixture of earth, water, fire, air, and ethereal elements; second, the external disintegrating powers of nature. So long as man struggles with his mortality, he is affected by the myriad mutations of heaven and earth.
Final Thoughts
Sri Aurobindo’s vision of life after death invites us to live not in fear, but in faith—to see each moment, each challenge, and each ending as part of a much greater divine design.
Death is not the opposite of life. It is the gateway to new beginnings, a sacred moment in the soul’s eternal journey.
Let us walk it with awareness, courage, and the deep inner knowing that we are never lost—only becoming.
“The Divine Truth is greater than any religion or creed or scripture or idea or philosophy.”
― Sri Aurobindo
“Death is but a passage; not an end, but a new beginning.” — Sri Aurobindo
