Liberation From and Mastery of the External Nature of Man

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Many religious and spiritual
traditions focus on the idea of

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liberation, from bondage to the
illusion of the external world

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and its enticements and
attractions.

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In some cases this takes the
form of a vow of austerity and a

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focus on achieving redemption
and access to heaven after one

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dies.
In other cases it involves the

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one pointed focus on liberation
with the abandonment of the

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active life in the world, a
reduction of 1's needs down to a

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bare minimum, and in some cases
using a begging bowl to obtain

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food and accepting whatever, if
anything, comes to 1.

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Some practice austere
meditations or practices of

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concentration while residing in
the desert, in mountain caves,

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etcetera.
There is a tradition that

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indicates that a liberated soul
can be fully engaged in the

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external life, but without
attachment to the fruits of that

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life.
The legend of King Janaka, for

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instance, incorporates such a
sense.

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The goal remains liberation, but
the active life is not set up in

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opposition to it.
Rather, the seeker needs to act

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in the world without attachment,
act based on principles of

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righteousness, fairness and
balance, and carry out one's

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Dharma in an upright and proper
manner.

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To a great degree, there has
been a divergent view between

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those who seek liberation from
the world and those who want to

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bring about progress and
development in the world.

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In The Life Divine, Sri Robindo
sets forth the opposing views in

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chapters 2 and 3.
The materialist Denial and the

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refusal of the ascetic.
He reconciles these two

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standpoints in Chapter 4.
Reality, omnipresent liberation,

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and progressive development of
the external nature are not

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opposites but complementary
aspects of one reality, and thus

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both have their underlying
validity.

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In the Bhagwad Gita, Sri Krishna
explains to Arjuna that the

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liberated individual is not to
be identified by any particular

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outer activity or manner of
action, but according to his

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inner state of spiritual
realization.

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In chapter 13, verse 23,
however, the Gita goes even

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further as translated by Sri
Aurobindo.

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Quote Witness source of the
consent, upholder of the work of

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nature, Her enjoyer, Almighty
Lord and Supreme Self is the

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Supreme Soul seated in this
body.

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End Quote.
The significant point here is

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that the Gita goes beyond the
description of the Mundaka

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Upanishad that treats the
Supreme Soul as the witness.

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While the soul of man is
actively participating in the

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actions of nature, the Supreme
Soul is seated in the body and

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is not simply a witness of
nature for the Gita, but also

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source of the consent, upholder
of the work of nature, her

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enjoyer, Almighty Lord and
Supreme Self.

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This implies the possibility
that Triorobindu expands upon

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when he describes the difference
between assuming the role of the

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witness of nature and the
potential for transformation and

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mastery of nature, or in the
interim, refusing or withholding

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of consent for certain responses
of nature.

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Srioro Bindo writes Quote.
You can certainly go on

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developing the consciousness of
the witness Purusha above, but

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if it is only a witness and the
lower Procriti is allowed to

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have its own way, there would be
no reason why those conditions

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should ever stop.
Many take that attitude that the

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Perusha has to liberate itself
by standing apart and the

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procrity can be allowed to go on
till the end of the life doing

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its own business.
It is prarabdha karma.

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When the body falls away, the
procrity will drop also, and the

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Perusha go off into the
featureless Brahman.

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This is a comfortable theory,
but of more than doubtful truth.

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I don't think liberation is so
simple and facile a matter as

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that.
In any case, the transformation

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which is the object of our Yoga
would not take place.

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The Pirusha above is not only a
witness.

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He is the giver or withholder of
the sanction.

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If he persistently refuses the
sanction to a movement of

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procriti, keeping himself
detached, then even if it goes

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on for a time by its own
momentum, it usually loses its

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hold after a time, becomes more
feeble, less persistent, less

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concrete, and in the end fades
away.

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If you take the Purusha
consciousness, it should be not

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only as the witness, but as the
Anumanta, refusing sanction to

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the disturbing movements,
sanctioning only peace, calm,

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purity and whatever else is part
of the divine nature.

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This refusal of sanction need
not mean a struggle with the

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lower property.
It should be a quiet,

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persistent, detached refusal,
leaving unsupported, unassented

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to, without meaning or
justification, the contrary

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action of the nature.
End Quote Reference Srioro Bindu

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and the Mother Looking from
Within, Chapter 5.

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Attitudes on the Path, pages
1:50 to 1:51.