Oct. 16, 2025
Shifting the Standpoint of Awareness Above the Crown of the Head
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1, Calm -- Peace -- Equality, pg. 20
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/10/14/shifting-the-standpoint-of-awareness-above-the-crown-of-the-head/
Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are allavailable on the YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@santoshkrinsky871
More information about Sri Aurobindo can be found at www.aurobindo.net
The US editions and links to e-book editions of SriAurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,920
Various paths of yoga featuring
various objectives in the
2
00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:08,840
practice suggest the
practitioner concentrate or
3
00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:13,400
place their central focus on one
area of the body or another to
4
00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:18,040
contact and utilize the energies
available in the subtle energy
5
00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:22,800
center located there.
Those who practice devotion are
6
00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,160
asked to concentrate in the area
behind the heart where the
7
00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:30,200
psychic being resides.
Those who follow the path of
8
00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:34,320
knowledge and will generally
concentrate in the area of the
9
00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:38,880
ajnat chakra known as the third
eye in the area between the
10
00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:42,400
eyebrows.
Each of these practices has a
11
00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:46,880
value and potential benefit not
just for the practitioner of
12
00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:51,480
that specific path, but as a
general methodology to open up
13
00:00:51,480 --> 00:00:54,320
the capacities locked up in
those areas.
14
00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:58,320
There are times and
circumstances for the seeker to
15
00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:02,760
explore opening each area, each
energy center, and each
16
00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:07,560
opportunity as part of human
development and as an element in
17
00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:10,080
their growth in the yogic
process.
18
00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,040
In a yoga focused on
transformation through the
19
00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:17,520
advent of the next power and the
evolution of consciousness in
20
00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:22,240
the manifestation, the area of
focus shifts to the opening of
21
00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:27,320
the higher realms beyond the
mental level and thus exceeding
22
00:01:27,320 --> 00:01:31,800
the limits set by the physical
body and it seemingly contained
23
00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:35,520
energy set.
The practice of shifting the
24
00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:40,040
awareness above the crown of the
head is in fact not entirely
25
00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:44,280
new, as certain practitioners of
Tibetan yoga were trained in a
26
00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:48,280
technique that consecrated the
effort to the guru and the
27
00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:53,960
lineage and then visualize the
guru above the head with the
28
00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:58,280
lineage sequentially seated one
above the other.
29
00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,720
While the explicit purpose of
this practice was not to create
30
00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,640
a permanent link to the next
evolutionary stage of
31
00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:11,320
consciousness and bring it into
action in the being, there is no
32
00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:16,160
doubt that the experience of the
disciples introduced them to
33
00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:20,880
ranges of awareness that were
seated above the mind and which
34
00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:24,240
provided the experience of
wideness of consciousness.
35
00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:28,760
They achieved certain states of
liberation, although their
36
00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:32,560
objective was not to transform
life on earth through the advent
37
00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:37,320
of that higher range of
consciousness, Sriorobindo
38
00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:41,800
writes quote.
It is the aim of the sadhna that
39
00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,720
the consciousness should rise
out of the body and take its
40
00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:49,320
station above, spreading in the
wideness everywhere, not limited
41
00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:53,520
to the body.
Thus liberated, 1 opens to all
42
00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:57,400
that is above this station.
Above the ordinary mind,
43
00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:02,280
receives there all that descends
from the heights, observes from
44
00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:07,080
there all that is below.
Thus it is possible to witness
45
00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:11,720
in all freedom and to control
all that is below, and to be a
46
00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:16,840
recipient or a channel for all
that comes down and presses into
47
00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:21,280
the body, which it will prepare
to be an instrument of a higher
48
00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:26,320
manifestation remoulded into a
higher consciousness and nature.
49
00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:30,800
What is happening in you is that
the consciousness is trying to
50
00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:35,680
fix itself in this liberation.
When one is there in that higher
51
00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:40,480
station, one finds the freedom
of the self and the vast silence
52
00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:44,680
and immutable calm.
But this calm has to be brought
53
00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:50,200
down also into the body, into
all the lower planes, and fix
54
00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:54,280
itself there as something
standing behind and containing
55
00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,160
all the movements.
End Quote.
56
00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:04,200
Reference Sri Aurobindo, Bases
of Yoga, Chapter 1, column Peace
57
00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:06,520
and Equality, page 20.
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,920
Various paths of yoga featuring
various objectives in the
2
00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:08,840
practice suggest the
practitioner concentrate or
3
00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:13,400
place their central focus on one
area of the body or another to
4
00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:18,040
contact and utilize the energies
available in the subtle energy
5
00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:22,800
center located there.
Those who practice devotion are
6
00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,160
asked to concentrate in the area
behind the heart where the
7
00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:30,200
psychic being resides.
Those who follow the path of
8
00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:34,320
knowledge and will generally
concentrate in the area of the
9
00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:38,880
ajnat chakra known as the third
eye in the area between the
10
00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:42,400
eyebrows.
Each of these practices has a
11
00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:46,880
value and potential benefit not
just for the practitioner of
12
00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:51,480
that specific path, but as a
general methodology to open up
13
00:00:51,480 --> 00:00:54,320
the capacities locked up in
those areas.
14
00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:58,320
There are times and
circumstances for the seeker to
15
00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:02,760
explore opening each area, each
energy center, and each
16
00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:07,560
opportunity as part of human
development and as an element in
17
00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:10,080
their growth in the yogic
process.
18
00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,040
In a yoga focused on
transformation through the
19
00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:17,520
advent of the next power and the
evolution of consciousness in
20
00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:22,240
the manifestation, the area of
focus shifts to the opening of
21
00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:27,320
the higher realms beyond the
mental level and thus exceeding
22
00:01:27,320 --> 00:01:31,800
the limits set by the physical
body and it seemingly contained
23
00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:35,520
energy set.
The practice of shifting the
24
00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:40,040
awareness above the crown of the
head is in fact not entirely
25
00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:44,280
new, as certain practitioners of
Tibetan yoga were trained in a
26
00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:48,280
technique that consecrated the
effort to the guru and the
27
00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:53,960
lineage and then visualize the
guru above the head with the
28
00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:58,280
lineage sequentially seated one
above the other.
29
00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,720
While the explicit purpose of
this practice was not to create
30
00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,640
a permanent link to the next
evolutionary stage of
31
00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:11,320
consciousness and bring it into
action in the being, there is no
32
00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:16,160
doubt that the experience of the
disciples introduced them to
33
00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:20,880
ranges of awareness that were
seated above the mind and which
34
00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:24,240
provided the experience of
wideness of consciousness.
35
00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:28,760
They achieved certain states of
liberation, although their
36
00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:32,560
objective was not to transform
life on earth through the advent
37
00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:37,320
of that higher range of
consciousness, Sriorobindo
38
00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:41,800
writes quote.
It is the aim of the sadhna that
39
00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,720
the consciousness should rise
out of the body and take its
40
00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:49,320
station above, spreading in the
wideness everywhere, not limited
41
00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:53,520
to the body.
Thus liberated, 1 opens to all
42
00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:57,400
that is above this station.
Above the ordinary mind,
43
00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:02,280
receives there all that descends
from the heights, observes from
44
00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:07,080
there all that is below.
Thus it is possible to witness
45
00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:11,720
in all freedom and to control
all that is below, and to be a
46
00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:16,840
recipient or a channel for all
that comes down and presses into
47
00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:21,280
the body, which it will prepare
to be an instrument of a higher
48
00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:26,320
manifestation remoulded into a
higher consciousness and nature.
49
00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:30,800
What is happening in you is that
the consciousness is trying to
50
00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:35,680
fix itself in this liberation.
When one is there in that higher
51
00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:40,480
station, one finds the freedom
of the self and the vast silence
52
00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:44,680
and immutable calm.
But this calm has to be brought
53
00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:50,200
down also into the body, into
all the lower planes, and fix
54
00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:54,280
itself there as something
standing behind and containing
55
00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,160
all the movements.
End Quote.
56
00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:04,200
Reference Sri Aurobindo, Bases
of Yoga, Chapter 1, column Peace
57
00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:06,520
and Equality, page 20.