The Psychology of the Esoteric

CHAPTER 1

Inward revolution
24 July 1970 pm in

Question 1

ON MAN’S PATH OF EVOLUTION IS IT POSSIBLE THAT AT SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE
HUMANITY AS A WHOLE CAN ATTAIN ENLIGHTENMENT? AT WHAT POINT OF EVOLUTION
IS MAN TODAY?

With man, the natural, automatic process of evolution ends. Man is the last product of unconscious
evolution. With man, conscious evolution begins. Many things are to be taken into account.
First, unconscious evolution is mechanical and natural. It happens by itself. Through this type of
evolution, consciousness evolves. But the moment consciousness comes into being, unconscious
evolution stops because its purpose has been fulfilled. Unconscious evolution is needed only up
to the point where the conscious comes into being. Man has become conscious. In a way, he has
transcended nature. Now nature cannot do anything; the last product that was possible through
natural evolution has come into being. Now man becomes free to decide whether to evolve or not to
evolve.

Secondly, unconscious evolution is collective, but the moment evolution becomes conscious it
becomes individual. No collective, automatic evolution proceeds further than mankind. From
now on, evolution becomes an individual process. Consciousness creates individuality. Before
consciousness evolves, there is no individuality. Only species exist, not individuality.

When evolution is still unconscious, it is an automatic process; there is no uncertainty about it.
Things happen through the law of cause and effect. Existence is mechanical and certain. But withman, with consciousness, uncertainty comes into existence. Now, nothing is certain. Evolution may
take place or it may not. The potential is there, but the choice will rest entirely with each individual.
That is why anxiety is a human phenomenon. Below man there is no anxiety because there is
no choice. Everything happens as it must. There is no choice so there is no chooser, and in the
absence of the chooser, anxiety is impossible. Who is to be anxious? Who is to be tense?
With the possibility of choice, anxiety follows like a shadow. Everything has to be chosen now;
everything is a conscious effort. You alone are responsible. If you fail, you fail. It is your responsibility.

If you succeed, you succeed. It is again your responsibility. And every choice is ultimate in a sense.
You cannot undo it, you cannot forget it, you cannot go back on it. Your choice becomes your destiny.
It will remain with you and be a part of you; you cannot deny it. But your choice is always a gamble.
Every choice is made in darkness because nothing is certain.

That is why man suffers from anxiety. He is anxious to his very roots. What torments him, to begin
with, is: to be or not to be? to do or not to do? to do this or to do that? ”No choice” is not possible. If
you do not choose, then you are choosing not to choose; it is a choice. So you are forced to choose;
you are not free not to choose. Not choosing will have as much effect as any other choice.

The dignity, the beauty and the glory of man is this consciousness. But it is a burden also. The glory
and the burden come simultaneously the minute you become conscious. Every step is a movement
between the two. With man, choice and conscious individuality come into existence. You can evolve,
but your evolution will be an individual endeavor. You may evolve to become a buddha or you may
not. The choice is yours.

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