June 2, 2026
Wielding Occam's Razor in a Review of Evolution of Forms and Consciousness and the Significance of the Universal Creation
reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Psychic Being — Soul: Its Nature, Mission and Evolution, Section 3 Growth and Development of the Psychic, pg. 77This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/05/31/wielding-occams-razor-in-a-review-of-evolution-of-forms-and-consciousness-and-the-significance-of-the-universal-creation/
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
#Sri Aurobindo #The Mother #yoga #integral yoga #spirituality #evolution #evolution of consciousness #supramental #soul #psychic being #rebirth
1
00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:05,480
When we observe the evolution of
forms and then investigate the
2
00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:08,840
evolution of consciousness, that
is the secret driving force
3
00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:13,560
behind the evolution of forms
and which provides meaning to
4
00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:15,840
the development of the outer
forms.
5
00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:19,960
We can try to limit this
development to the current phase
6
00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:24,160
and simply declare that the
human being is the supreme
7
00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:28,880
result of this process and thus
the evolutionary cycle ends
8
00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:32,680
here.
Certain religious beliefs hold
9
00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:35,840
that mankind is indeed the
result of the development,
10
00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:40,280
whether they explicitly accept
the concept of evolution or not,
11
00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:45,880
and is intended to master all of
nature for its benefits to human
12
00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:50,120
needs.
In these religious tenets, God
13
00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,760
created man in His own image and
found the creation good.
14
00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:59,120
The need now is to overcome the
original mistakes or sins of the
15
00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:03,960
first man and woman who somehow
disobeyed God's directive in the
16
00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,400
Garden of Eden.
Thus we have the further
17
00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:11,600
extension of this concept with
the advent of Jesus representing
18
00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:15,440
a man embodying a new higher
spiritual consciousness of
19
00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:20,480
oneness with God who comes to
redeem mankind and salvage the
20
00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:26,120
future destiny of mankind.
Some traditions simply hold that
21
00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:29,840
regardless of the external
evolutionary cycle, the
22
00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:33,880
objective is to find a way to
escape the illusory nature of
23
00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:37,520
the life we lead and focus our
entire attention on the
24
00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:42,480
spiritual reality and either
escape the illusion or at least
25
00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:45,520
recognize it and not be carried
away by it.
26
00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:49,280
For these traditions, the
development of a new
27
00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:53,040
evolutionary principle and the
forms that can manifest that
28
00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:58,400
principle is not either
essential or of any concern.
29
00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:03,520
The role of the individual is to
shift the standpoint out of this
30
00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:08,080
external body, life, mind
complex and achieve liberation
31
00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:13,160
in one form or another.
Yet others hold that there may
32
00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:17,160
be developments beyond the
human, but they occur on other
33
00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:21,480
planes or worlds, and once we
have completed our process here
34
00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:25,120
on earth, we simply move to
other realms where a different
35
00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:30,280
form of existence pertains.
What each of these directions
36
00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:34,360
shares is that they tend to
minimize the importance and
37
00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:38,920
significance of the evolutionary
developments of both form and
38
00:02:38,920 --> 00:02:42,040
consciousness.
The universal machinery is
39
00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:46,520
seemingly set up to carry out
evolution without any real
40
00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:51,320
purpose behind it.
Sri Robindo provides another
41
00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:54,920
view of the matter.
The problem solving principle
42
00:02:54,920 --> 00:02:59,200
known as Occam's Razor holds
that when there are competing
43
00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:03,640
explanations, the simplest 1
tends to be the correct one.
44
00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:08,320
In this case, the simplest
explanation for the vast
45
00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:13,040
machinery of evolution and the
development of consciousness is
46
00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:17,480
that it indeed has a purpose and
is an essential part of the
47
00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:23,120
existence within which we live.
All the other explanations noted
48
00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:28,120
above, as well as others, tend
to create a complexity that
49
00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:33,000
tries to find a way to overlook
or avoid what we experience in
50
00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,960
the world.
If we find a significance to
51
00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:40,840
this process and observe the
progressions that have taken
52
00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,760
place, as well as the
limitations that are obvious in
53
00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,640
the mental consciousness, we can
easily appreciate that the
54
00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:51,560
evolutionary process is not yet
completed.
55
00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:56,120
Rather, that they're actually
signs that the next phase or
56
00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:59,320
stage is in the process of
revealing itself.
57
00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:04,120
And that this next stage will
necessarily involve a greater
58
00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,800
power of consciousness.
One which can overcome major
59
00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:11,720
limitations in the mental
consciousness while helping to
60
00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:16,920
achieve a New Balance and
harmony in the physical, vital
61
00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:20,360
and mental framework of the
creation as we experience it
62
00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:24,160
today.
This natural continuance and
63
00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:28,600
progression of the evolutionary
process provides the simplest
64
00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:32,640
and most straightforward
explanation of the universal
65
00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:36,360
existence Sriorobendo notes
quote.
66
00:04:37,840 --> 00:04:41,560
All these are conclusions that
can be arrived at even from the
67
00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,400
observation of the outward
phenomena of nature's
68
00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:48,480
progression, her surface
evolution of being and of
69
00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:51,080
consciousness in the physical
birth and the body.
70
00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:55,120
But there is the other, the
invisible factor.
71
00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:59,720
There is rebirth, the progress
of the soul by ascent from grade
72
00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:03,920
to grade of the evolving
existence, and in the grades to
73
00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:06,480
higher and higher types of
bodily and mental
74
00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:11,040
instrumentation.
In this progression the psychic
75
00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:13,760
entity is still veiled even in
man.
76
00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:18,320
The conscious mental being, by
its instruments, by mind and
77
00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:24,360
life and body, it is unable to
manifest fully, held back from
78
00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:27,400
coming to the front, where it
can stand out as the master of
79
00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:31,720
its nature, obliged to submit to
a certain determination by the
80
00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:35,720
instruments, to a domination of
Purusha by Prakriti.
81
00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:40,520
But in man the psychic part of
the personality is able to
82
00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:44,560
develop with a much greater
rapidity than in the inferior
83
00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:50,240
creation, and a time can arrive
when the sole entity is close to
84
00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:53,560
the point at which it will
emerge from behind the veil into
85
00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:57,520
the open and become the master
of its instrumentation in
86
00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:01,000
nature.
But this will mean that the
87
00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:06,720
secret indwelling spirit, the
demon, the Godhead within, is on
88
00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:11,640
the point of emergence, and when
it emerges, it can hardly be
89
00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:15,560
doubted that its demand will be,
as indeed it already is in the
90
00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:19,800
mind itself when it undergoes
the inner psychic influence.
91
00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:26,320
For a diviner, a more spiritual
existence in the nature of the
92
00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:29,640
earth life, where the mind is an
instrument of the ignorance.
93
00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,960
This can only be affected by a
change of consciousness, a
94
00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:38,680
transition from a foundation in
ignorance to a foundation in
95
00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:44,120
knowledge, from the mental to a
supra mental consciousness, A
96
00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:47,160
supra mental instrumentation of
nature.
97
00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:53,280
End Quote reference Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother, the
98
00:06:53,280 --> 00:06:58,320
psychic being soul, its nature,
mission and evolution Section 3.
99
00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,800
Growth and Development of the
Psychic, page 77.
00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:05,480
When we observe the evolution of
forms and then investigate the
2
00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:08,840
evolution of consciousness, that
is the secret driving force
3
00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:13,560
behind the evolution of forms
and which provides meaning to
4
00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:15,840
the development of the outer
forms.
5
00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:19,960
We can try to limit this
development to the current phase
6
00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:24,160
and simply declare that the
human being is the supreme
7
00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:28,880
result of this process and thus
the evolutionary cycle ends
8
00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:32,680
here.
Certain religious beliefs hold
9
00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:35,840
that mankind is indeed the
result of the development,
10
00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:40,280
whether they explicitly accept
the concept of evolution or not,
11
00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:45,880
and is intended to master all of
nature for its benefits to human
12
00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:50,120
needs.
In these religious tenets, God
13
00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,760
created man in His own image and
found the creation good.
14
00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:59,120
The need now is to overcome the
original mistakes or sins of the
15
00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:03,960
first man and woman who somehow
disobeyed God's directive in the
16
00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,400
Garden of Eden.
Thus we have the further
17
00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:11,600
extension of this concept with
the advent of Jesus representing
18
00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:15,440
a man embodying a new higher
spiritual consciousness of
19
00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:20,480
oneness with God who comes to
redeem mankind and salvage the
20
00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:26,120
future destiny of mankind.
Some traditions simply hold that
21
00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:29,840
regardless of the external
evolutionary cycle, the
22
00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:33,880
objective is to find a way to
escape the illusory nature of
23
00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:37,520
the life we lead and focus our
entire attention on the
24
00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:42,480
spiritual reality and either
escape the illusion or at least
25
00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:45,520
recognize it and not be carried
away by it.
26
00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:49,280
For these traditions, the
development of a new
27
00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:53,040
evolutionary principle and the
forms that can manifest that
28
00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:58,400
principle is not either
essential or of any concern.
29
00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:03,520
The role of the individual is to
shift the standpoint out of this
30
00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:08,080
external body, life, mind
complex and achieve liberation
31
00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:13,160
in one form or another.
Yet others hold that there may
32
00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:17,160
be developments beyond the
human, but they occur on other
33
00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:21,480
planes or worlds, and once we
have completed our process here
34
00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:25,120
on earth, we simply move to
other realms where a different
35
00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:30,280
form of existence pertains.
What each of these directions
36
00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:34,360
shares is that they tend to
minimize the importance and
37
00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:38,920
significance of the evolutionary
developments of both form and
38
00:02:38,920 --> 00:02:42,040
consciousness.
The universal machinery is
39
00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:46,520
seemingly set up to carry out
evolution without any real
40
00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:51,320
purpose behind it.
Sri Robindo provides another
41
00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:54,920
view of the matter.
The problem solving principle
42
00:02:54,920 --> 00:02:59,200
known as Occam's Razor holds
that when there are competing
43
00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:03,640
explanations, the simplest 1
tends to be the correct one.
44
00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:08,320
In this case, the simplest
explanation for the vast
45
00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:13,040
machinery of evolution and the
development of consciousness is
46
00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:17,480
that it indeed has a purpose and
is an essential part of the
47
00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:23,120
existence within which we live.
All the other explanations noted
48
00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:28,120
above, as well as others, tend
to create a complexity that
49
00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:33,000
tries to find a way to overlook
or avoid what we experience in
50
00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,960
the world.
If we find a significance to
51
00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:40,840
this process and observe the
progressions that have taken
52
00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,760
place, as well as the
limitations that are obvious in
53
00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,640
the mental consciousness, we can
easily appreciate that the
54
00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:51,560
evolutionary process is not yet
completed.
55
00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:56,120
Rather, that they're actually
signs that the next phase or
56
00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:59,320
stage is in the process of
revealing itself.
57
00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:04,120
And that this next stage will
necessarily involve a greater
58
00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,800
power of consciousness.
One which can overcome major
59
00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:11,720
limitations in the mental
consciousness while helping to
60
00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:16,920
achieve a New Balance and
harmony in the physical, vital
61
00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:20,360
and mental framework of the
creation as we experience it
62
00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:24,160
today.
This natural continuance and
63
00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:28,600
progression of the evolutionary
process provides the simplest
64
00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:32,640
and most straightforward
explanation of the universal
65
00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:36,360
existence Sriorobendo notes
quote.
66
00:04:37,840 --> 00:04:41,560
All these are conclusions that
can be arrived at even from the
67
00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,400
observation of the outward
phenomena of nature's
68
00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:48,480
progression, her surface
evolution of being and of
69
00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:51,080
consciousness in the physical
birth and the body.
70
00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:55,120
But there is the other, the
invisible factor.
71
00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:59,720
There is rebirth, the progress
of the soul by ascent from grade
72
00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:03,920
to grade of the evolving
existence, and in the grades to
73
00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:06,480
higher and higher types of
bodily and mental
74
00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:11,040
instrumentation.
In this progression the psychic
75
00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:13,760
entity is still veiled even in
man.
76
00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:18,320
The conscious mental being, by
its instruments, by mind and
77
00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:24,360
life and body, it is unable to
manifest fully, held back from
78
00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:27,400
coming to the front, where it
can stand out as the master of
79
00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:31,720
its nature, obliged to submit to
a certain determination by the
80
00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:35,720
instruments, to a domination of
Purusha by Prakriti.
81
00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:40,520
But in man the psychic part of
the personality is able to
82
00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:44,560
develop with a much greater
rapidity than in the inferior
83
00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:50,240
creation, and a time can arrive
when the sole entity is close to
84
00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:53,560
the point at which it will
emerge from behind the veil into
85
00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:57,520
the open and become the master
of its instrumentation in
86
00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:01,000
nature.
But this will mean that the
87
00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:06,720
secret indwelling spirit, the
demon, the Godhead within, is on
88
00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:11,640
the point of emergence, and when
it emerges, it can hardly be
89
00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:15,560
doubted that its demand will be,
as indeed it already is in the
90
00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:19,800
mind itself when it undergoes
the inner psychic influence.
91
00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:26,320
For a diviner, a more spiritual
existence in the nature of the
92
00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:29,640
earth life, where the mind is an
instrument of the ignorance.
93
00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,960
This can only be affected by a
change of consciousness, a
94
00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:38,680
transition from a foundation in
ignorance to a foundation in
95
00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:44,120
knowledge, from the mental to a
supra mental consciousness, A
96
00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:47,160
supra mental instrumentation of
nature.
97
00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:53,280
End Quote reference Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother, the
98
00:06:53,280 --> 00:06:58,320
psychic being soul, its nature,
mission and evolution Section 3.
99
00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,800
Growth and Development of the
Psychic, page 77.
