The Power of Mastery

We operate on multiple levels at the same time. There is the external level comprised of actual physical, vital and mental actions we undertake. We speak, we express ourselves through gestures and body language. We undertake physical activities. At the same time however, there is the unspoken energetic vibration that we create and send out, which impacts others without words, without physical gesture, simply by vibrating and interacting with the vibrational field of others.

The true power of mastery comes not from external influence, persuasion, education, use of physical, vital or mental power to dominate others, but from the ability to vibrate and radiate an intense field that is able to neutralize, change or overcome the vibrational pattern with which it interacts.

We can get a hint of what this means when we observe that in some individuals there is an intense mental atmosphere that surrounds them and which dampens any raucous energies. When people enter their environs, they tend to feel the mental force and it moves their own vibrational levels to interact with that force. We also see instances where an individual has such a deep sense of peace and silence surrounding him that it is noticeable to others. A number of people noted that as a palpable experience when they happened to visit with Sri Aurobindo, for instance. There are numerous reports of people experiencing a surge in devotional or spiritual force in the presence of various masters. People have also reported similar occurrences with the Mother at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, and they would report, for instance, being awakened out of sleep with an electric energy and a surge of devotion at times of key events in the life of the Ashram. In the face of such energetic forces, contrary energies are submerged, overwhelmed, reduced or even eliminated.

The Mother writes: “To control something, a movement, is simply to replace by one’s presence, without words or explanations, the bad vibration by the true one. This is what constitutes the power of mastery. It does not lie in speaking, in explaining; with words and explanations and even a certain emanation of force, you may have an influence on someone, but you do not control his movement. The control of the movement is the capacity to oppose the vibration of this movement by a stronger, truer vibration which can stop the other one… I could give you an example, you know, a very easy one. Two people are arguing in front of you; not only are they arguing, but they are on the point of coming to blows; so you explain to them that this is not the thing to do, you give them good reasons for stopping and they come to a stop. You will have had an influence on them. But if you simply stand before them and look at them and send out a vibration of peace, calm, quietude, without saying a word, without any explanation, the other vibration will no longer be able to last, it will fall away of itself. That is mastery.”

“The same thing applies to the cure of ignorance. If you need words to explain something, that is not true knowledge. If I have to say all that I do say for you to understand me, that is not mastery, it is simply that I am able to exercise an influence on your intelligence and help you to understand and awaken in you the desire to know and discipline yourselves, etc. But if by looking at you, without saying anything I am not able to make the light enter into you, the light which will make you understand, I won’t have mastered the movement or the state of ignorance.”

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter XI Power of Control, pp. 97-98

Understanding the Issues of Mastery Over Vibrations Inwardly and in the External World

We try to control or dominate other people generally through various methods. It is customary in many cultures to subject children to strict discipline and education so that they do things the way the parents or educators like, or they get subjected to some kind of punishment, whether it be corporal, emotional, or vital; or else, get rewarded for doing what is expected. This is a form of “operant conditioning” as described in the Western psychological literature. What this does NOT accomplish, however, is the true mastery over the impulses, feelings, etc. and can lead to either a suppressed mental and vital nature, or else, outright rejection or rebellion.

We try to indoctrinate the young people with certain principles of living, what we call moral maxims, such as ‘thou shalt not kill’ or ‘thou shalt not covet the possessions of thy neighbor” or ‘thou shalt not commit adultery” or ‘thou shalt not bear false witness’. When the young people observe, however, that the people trying to instill these concepts do not actually follow them in their lives, there is a sense of disconnectedness and unreality to them. Additionally, it is easy to say ‘thou shalt not” but we do not educate ourselves (or the young people) on actually how to achieve mastery over the impulses and vibrations that lead us into the situations that cause us to violate these principles.

Only those individuals who have conquered these impulses (or others) within themselves, can actually provide guidance to others, and that guidance is generally not in the form of a verbal or written instruction, but in the form of creation of a vibratory field that is palpable and which brings the wayward vibrations of others entering that field into harmony. This however can be a very temporary phase. We have heard the legends about sages who were able to bring peace and co-existence between the lion and the lamb, for instance, but that does not solve the issue outside the environs of the sage.

We also understand that when a disciple surrenders to a realized teacher, or Guru, that the Guru may, if he so chooses, and has himself the mastery, aid the disciple in overcoming the vibratory pattern that is desired to be changed. With the permission of the student, the Guru can actually adjust and tune the receptivity of the being so that it does not vibrate to the unwanted vibrations any longer. This of course requires that the Guru has himself obtained the necessary mastery.

There are of course instances where a seeker has found out how to gain that inner mastery of impulses and feelings. Generally this takes serious effort at self-understanding and time to shift the focus, the intention, the vibrational receptivity.

Some disciplines attempt to gain control through avoidance of the temptation. Oftentimes when the seeker returns to the societal setting, however, he finds that he has not actually solved the problem, just suppressed it temporarily. Some other disciplines attempt to gain control through confrontation with the temptation. In some cases, this leads to self-deception and the acceptance of the vibration that is to be changed, leading to ‘enjoyment’ rather than ‘transformation’ of that vibration. Another methodology has to be worked out that neither simply suppresses nor accepts the vibration; but rather, is able to withstand its force and either adjust the focus or transform the vibration.

Once an individual has found the method and conducted this inward transformation, the impact may naturally spread to others, or be communicated actively to others. This aligns with our understanding of the “hundredth monkey” phenomenon, as new skills learned by one can spread to others who vibrate within the same range of energetic activity.

The Mother notes: “One can’t control outer matter if one does not control inner matter, for they are the same thing.”

“… mastery means the knowledge of handling certain vibrations; if you know how to handle these vibrations you have the mastery. The best field of experimentation is yourself: first you have the control in yourself and once you have it in yourself you can transmit the vibration to others, to the extent you are capable of identifying yourself with them and of thus creating this vibration in them. And if you cannot handle a vibration in yourself, you don’t even know the procedure; you don’t even know what to do, so how can you manipulate it in others? You may encourage them by words, by an influence over them, to do what is needed to learn self-control, but you cannot control them directly.”

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter XI Power of Control, pp. 96-97