Aurobindo

I have read a dozen or so Integral Thinkers, but Sri Aurobindo seems to me to be the most expansive and deep. His words also give me an inspirational uplift which I don't always get with other persons. I have read Life Divine, Savitri, Letters on Yoga, a few compilation books including Aurobindo and the Mother, some free books available on the Internet, and am currently reading through Synthesis of Yoga for the third time. I now read Aurobindo every day as my main devotional/spiritual text. I admire Aurobindo, because he uses gentle persuasion. He seems stricter in some of his Letters, but in Synthesis of Yoga and Life Divine, he realizes how difficult it can be to transform and evolve a life. He realizes that each person has their own unique path, and has a choice to go with the flow of Prakriti into Inconscience or to reach the highest levels of the Supramental Mind in Ishwara/Shakti. I believe he said somewhere that even if you do nothing for your spiritual life, you will eventually transform, but it will take much longer and many lifetimes. So it is up to you. His approach seems to be to start with the Heart Chakra and move up, also then pulling the higher conscience down into the lower soul of desire and lower chakras. The psychic being is behind the heart, and this to me is somewhat our guide - and what goes with us from life to life. This is what transforms and evolves within us. I think of it as a kind of individual Akashic record - of our more significant experiences. I love Shakespeare, and art in general, and Aurobindo does not leave that out - and has passages of deep appreciation for art. I think he aspired to be a great poet himself. Like Shakespeare, he speaks on many levels according to what we are prepared to hear. On the issue of desire - I think he realizes that this is a great force with us – he wants us to transform rather than to cast off completely those things that make us lose focus. I think he does incorporate Tantra into his teachings - a broad all expansive acceptance. I am not saying I accept everything in Aurobindo, and I don't think that anyone should be worshipped as the only way - I think this can lead to a dogmatic and narrow view. It may actually help that I read his ideas from a distance in time and space, so that I don't have the temptation to lean on his ideas as static and complete. I still think we need to individualize our path and not swallow whole or imitate anyone. We can use his experience and spiritual force - that actually touches us when we read his words. It may involve adding something here, taking something away there - or merging some new ideas. I believe this is the way of evolution. Other Integral thinkers I personally admire are William Irwin Thompson and Gebser(Ever-Present Origin). I also like Jenny Wade's book. I think an Integral thinker should include Spirit, Art, Science, Psychology, and Cultural History. It seems rare to me, that someone has a deep appreciation for all of these - even though that is their claim. Some of the deepest truths are in art and literature and many Integral thinkers leave that out. Christopher Alexander’s four book series called The Nature of Order is great in explaining how the Spirit lives in centers of art and creation. We are also spiritual centers, and Aurobindo is a great guide to go up, outward, and deep.

Sages

I have found that the authors I admire the most and I think have the vastest knowledge and wisdom are all around 70 yrs old. These are Christopher Alexander, William Irwin Thompson, and Harold Bloom. These all have a deep sense of eternal values and an integral understanding of reality - Bloom in Literature, Alexander in Architecture and Painting, and Thompson in Cultural Studies. They are all integral in their understanding, and Gnostics. They all believe there is a light inside each of us - as I do. There is a genius, a guardian, an angel - a timeless psychic being (Aurobindo's term). The birthday cake is an offering to this genius, as we wish for what we want. This also fits with my supreme affinity to literature and painting - such as the works of Hesse, or the painting of Van Gogh. As Christopher Alexander used 200 yellows and reds to bring out the eternal coloration to bring out illumination - as Van Gogh did. I admire this complete consecration to an art, to a morality of truth - but yet keeping a free spirit.