Futurology is now emerging as a new and fledgling field of knowledge. Modern
futurology tries to plot the future trends in the external life of man — in
economics, society, politics, business, technology. We will be presenting
here an alternative scenario with an emphasis on the future of the Human Potential,
especially the potentialities of the inner being of man, his psychological
and spiritual potentialities. For, we believe, that it is in this inner realm
that lies the future of human evolution.
In this series we will try to do what is called in modern futurology as “scenario
building”, sketching a line of future possibilities in the light of Sri Aurobindo
and Mother’s vision of the future, with an emphasis on the brighter and more
luminous possibilities. Many of the themes or terms discussed here have become
familiar clichés of the ever-growing New Age literature. But the deeper
spiritual significance of these themes of the future are not yet well-understood.
We will try to clarify the deeper and broader significance of some of these
New Age cliches like holism or globalism or global consciousness.
To an overly pragmatic mind most of these future verities may appear dreamy
or utopian. But, what else is human progress than a progressive realisation
of our utopias? And as Sri Aurobindo says in his epic Savitri, “Earth’s winged
chimera’s are Truth’s steeds in Heaven1”. The Truth’s steeds may
sometimes use our winged chimeras to descend into earth carrying their heavenly
possibilities.
Science
of Consciousness
The
eminent historian Arnold Toybee was reported to have said in one of his talks
that in the future, when Religion replaces Technology as the driving force
of evolution, India will be the leader of the world. But we believe that the
central idea of the future will not be religion but Yoga or to be more scientifically
precise, Science of Consciousness.
The
word "Yoga" has become well-known all over the word. But the real
meaning and significance of this great science of India is not fully understood.
The popular conceptions associate the word with the physical and breathing
exercises, Asanas and Pranayama, or Hatha Yoga, because this is the most popular
form of Yoga. But even with Hatha Yoga, most of its modern practitioners are
not aware of the true aim of the path. For in its original conception, Hatha
Yoga is not merely a system of physical and breathing exercises for maintaining
excellent heath; it is one of the paths towards spiritual liberation. The
original treatise on Hatha Yoga contains, apart from instructions on asanas
and Pranayama, moral, psychological and spiritual disciplines for altering
consciousness. Which goes to show that Hatha-Yoga is not merely a physical
discipline but a psychophysical science.
Thus,
Yoga is in its essence a Science of Consciousness for accelerating the psychological
and spiritual development of the individual. It is the science, process and
the discipline by which we can raise the centre of our consciousness from
the ego-centric mentality to the egoless and universal consciousness of our
higher self and spirit. And this, precisely, will be the main thrust of the
future evolution of humanity. In ancient India, Yoga is taught and practiced
mainly as a path for the spiritual development and liberation of the individual.
The deeper truths and the methods of the Science of Yoga were taught by the
Masters of Yoga to a few fit disciples. In this way, the science was preserved
and transmitted through a system of secret spiritual initiations, culture,
tradition and schools of Yoga. These spiritual traditions preserved the higher
and inner truths, principles and practices of the science in their purity
and taught them to a few chosen seekers. A fragment of this spiritual wisdom
and practices contained in Yoga, and taught to the few and fit initiates,
reached the masses in a diluted form through religion, mythology and symbols.
But in ancient India, the spiritual traditions and cultures were so strong,
vibrant and innate to the civilization, that even the diluted fragment which
reached the masses had sufficient power to create a wide-spread spiritual
temper among the masses.
In
the future we may witness the Science of Yoga, breaking away and coming out
from the dungeons of popular religion and the caves of esoteric spirituality,
becoming a secular Science of Consciousness applying itself to every activity
of human life. In the past, Yoga was applied to the psychological and spiritual
development of the individual. And this inner development realized through
Yoga expressed itself mainly through the cultural activities of the higher
mind of humanity, like religion, art, literature and philosophy creating a
spiritual, intellectual and artistic elite. But in the future, Yoga as a Science
of Consciousness will be applied more comprehensively and extensively to every
activity of the individual and collective life, not only to the spiritual,
artistic and intellectual activities of culture, but also to the economic,
social and political activities involving creation and distribution of power
and wealth, work, enjoyment and relationships. The inner development or growth
of consciousness achieved through Yoga will express itself through all these
activities, raising the individual and corporate life of humanity as a whole
to a higher level of consciousness.
The
science of the modern age explored the secrets of matter and the laws of the
outer life and applied its discoveries to enhance the productivity, efficiency,
prosperity and enjoyment of the material, economic, social and political life.
The science of the future will explore the secrets of Consciousness and the
laws of the inner being of man, and this will be done will all the capacities
and qualities added to the human consciousness by the modern scientific mind.
These discoveries in the realm of consciousness will be applied for the moral,
psychological and spiritual development and well-being of the inner as well
as the outer life of Man. This will be done with all the capacities added
on to human consciousness by the modern technological and managerial mind
or, in other words, the capacities added to the pragmatic mind of humanity
during the modern age.
(M.S. Srinivasan is a research associate in
Sri Aurobindo Society.)
