What Is the Role of the Spirit?

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People are always asking about
the difference between

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spirituality and religion, as
well as the difference between

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the mind and the spirit.
The term spirit has been used in

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so many different ways and
contexts that it is hard to

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comprehend exactly what is meant
by it.

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When spiritual awakening is
discussed, many people have no

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idea what that actually is.
Sri Robindo has pointed out that

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spirituality is not a form of
mental activity or power, that

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it is also not an emotional
power or a vital or physical

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power.
It is something other than all

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of the normal activities of
body, life and mind.

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The Mother addressed this
question with a very simple yet

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elegant response about the
nature and role of spirit.

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A disciple asks what is the role
of the Spirit?

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The Mother responds quote.
One might say that it is both

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the conscious intermediary
between the Supreme and the

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manifestation and the meeting
place of the manifestation with

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the Supreme.
Spirit is capable of

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understanding and communicating
with the highest Godhead, and at

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the same time it is the Purest,
one might say the least

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distorted intermediary of the
Highest Godhead.

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In the outermost manifestation.
It is Spirit which, with the

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help of the soul, turns the
consciousness towards the

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Highest, the Divine, and it is
in the Spirit that the

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consciousness can begin to
understand the Divine.

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It might be said that what is
called Spirit is the atmosphere

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brought into the material world
by the grace, so that it may

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awaken to the consciousness of
its origin and aspire to return

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to it.
It is indeed a kind of

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atmosphere which liberates,
opens the doors, sets the

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consciousness free.
This is what enables the

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realization of the truth and
gives aspiration its full power

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of accomplishment.
From a higher standpoint, this

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could be put in another way.
It is this action, this luminous

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and liberating influence that is
known as spirit.

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All that opens to us the road to
the supreme realities, pulls us

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out from the mud of the
ignorance in which we are stuck,

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opens the doors to us, shows us
the path, leads us to where we

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have to go.
This is what man has called

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Spirit.
It is the atmosphere created by

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the divine grace in the universe
to save it from the darkness

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into which it has fallen.
End Quote.

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Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother powers within.

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Chapter 22.
Spirit, pages 163 to 164.