Educating and Uplifting the Vital Nature: Part 3 Methods and Techniques

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One of the prevalent ideas about
managing the vital nature has

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been the idea that punishment in
some form or other is

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beneficial.
Spanking of children, for

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example, has been a common
method of educating them.

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It is a form of conditioning
that administers a negative

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consequence to a specific
behavior that the parent or

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other authorized authority
figure wants to eliminate.

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Modern psychological research
indicates that in fact this

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method is not the best approach
to what is actually vital

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education.
Children subjected to spanking

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may either lose their
independent initiative or may

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react with rebellion,
withdrawal, or undertake

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bullying in what is known as the
pecking order.

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Response conditioning is a
frequently utilized methodology

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which relies on what is known in
Western psychology as either

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classical, Pavlovian or operant
conditioning.

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In these methods, the concept is
to either deliver a reward or a

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shock when the individual being
conditioned either does what the

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operator wishes or not.
Variations of these methods

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include development of optimal
cycles of reward versus non

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reward to gain the highest
compliance.

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While these methods may seem to
work in the short term, they

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have less value over the longer
term as they rely on a fixed

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response to a fixed stimulus and
thus minimize the flexibility

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and independence of the vital
nature and thereby limit the

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potential to respond to new
circumstances or situations.

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The key to vital education and
motivation is to inform,

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educate, inspire and uplift the
vital nature, not try to shape

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it through either suppression
techniques or short term reward

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motivations.
If the vital accepts the ideal,

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the rationale, the progress and
the motive, it will

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wholeheartedly engage all its
powers and energies to see them

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accomplished.
Of course, this process must

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take into account the nature of
the individual and the stage in

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the life cycle of that
individual so that the education

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being provided is appropriate
for that individual situation.

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This happens somewhat naturally
as the being develops and

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matures and the higher chakras
begin to open and exert their

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influence.
The lower chakras are very much

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focused on individual, physical
and vital existence and they

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tend to emphasize short term
needs rather than larger

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motives.
As one moves into the heart

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chakra, the throat chakra and
the higher chakras centered in

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the region of the brain and
above, new motivations begin to

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replace those that are more
self-centered by nature.

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This leads many to believe that
they should actively work to

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open the chakras from below
through activation of what is

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known as the Kundalini energy.
This approach, however, as has

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been pointed out by Shrioro
Bindo, has its drawbacks as it

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can lead to the expression of
powers that are not fully

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understood nor guided.
The Integral Yoga of Sri

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Aurogindo focuses instead on
opening from above, having a

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higher consciousness than exert
its influence and open the lower

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chakras successively, while at
the same time guiding, directing

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and managing their energies.
This developed a process of

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leadership rather than
domination, which encourages the

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vital to grow and express
itself, but guides it to ever

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higher forms of expression and
understanding.

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Focusing the vital on uplifting
energies and activities can

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shift its fulfillment away from
the expressions found in the

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lower chakras and help to
understand and mitigate moods,

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short term impulsions or
imbalances.

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Encouraging sentiments like
compassion, goodwill, gratitude,

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forgiveness, non injury to
others, et cetera, helps to

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refine and uplift the action of
the vital nature.

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As it experiences the positive
energetic flow that results from

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this type of development, the
vital will naturally begin to

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seek its fulfilment in these
areas.

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Supportive activities such as
devotional practices, chanting

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or singing, as well as
frequenting of locales that

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encourage the higher movements
of the vital nature are also

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frequently found to be
beneficial.

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The different energy, for
instance, between a nightclub or

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bar and a spiritual center can
certainly be experienced.

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Guiding the vital nature toward
positive development and

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relationships thus aids in the
long term growth and maturation

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of the vital.
Force feeding, however, is

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generally not helpful and leads
the vital to turn away or reject

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the environment in which it is
being placed, so it must be

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something natural and
appropriate for the individual

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involved.
The vital responds best to

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leadership and example.
The guidance therefore should

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conform to what is being
expected and follow this

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approach in the way the guidance
is provided.

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It is not about what is said to
the vital but how the

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communication takes place and
how it fits with the concept.

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There are stories both in the
West and the East, which

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illustrate how example can bring
about radical change to the

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vital being of an individual.
In his novel Les Miserables,

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Victor Hugo describes a man who
stole a loaf of bread to feed

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his sister's family.
He was caught and sent to the

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galleys where he was brutalized
over a number of years.

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Eventually he was freed from the
galleys and one night he stayed

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at the abode of a Bishop in a
village church who took him in,

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fed him, and gave him a place to
stay for the night.

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However, when he left in the
morning, he stole some silver

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plate that the pastor had used
to feed him.

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He was caught and returned by
the local Constabulary, and when

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asked, the Bishop indicated that
he had gifted those items to the

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man as well as some silver
candlesticks.

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He was then let go.
The compassion and humanity of

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the Bishop struck this
individual to the core and he

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became a changed man, went to
another town, became a

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businessman who helped provide
real gainful employment to the

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townspeople, and generally
worked for the betterment of his

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community.
Eventually another man was

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caught and accused of being him,
the former galley slave who had

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committed a petty theft.
After his release, although he

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repented of his action, but
rather than let the innocent man

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suffer, he gave witness at the
risk of his own liberty.

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Thereafter, he was hounded
incessantly until eventually he

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had the police inspector under
his control and took compassion

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on him, let him go at the risk
that he would be arrested again.

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In India, there are several
tales about individuals who may

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have been thieves who either
went to an ashram to hide from

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the authorities or who went
there to steal.

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But in either case, by
pretending to be disciples and

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students, they actually began to
experience the deeper truth of

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existence and gave up the life
of thievery and became sages in

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their own right.
Thus, the action of the psychic

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being and the developed mind can
take a longer view, can

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appreciate the struggles of the
vital nature and exercise

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patient, consistent, supportive
goodwill towards the development

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process.
It is particularly helpful if a

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living example can provide
positive influence to the

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individual along the way.
If one practices this approach

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over time, 1 can look back and
see how much progress has been

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made in making the vital nature
the essential, respected partner

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in the spiritual development and
transformation process that it

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should be and is the mother
writes quote.

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So then take great care of it,
treat it with great

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consideration, but never submit
to it, for it will drag you into

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all kinds of troublesome and
untoward experiments, and if you

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succeed in convincing it in some
way or other, then you will

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advance with giant strides on
the path.

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End Quote.
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the

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Mother Powers within Chapter 17,
The Vital, page 135.