Sri Aurobindo discusses the distinction between psychic education and spiritual education, as well as the ultimate goal of supramental education.
Psychic education focuses on the development of the psychic being, which is the immortal and evolving essence within each individual. It involves going beyond egoism, breaking down barriers between individuals, and living a life in harmony with the universal consciousness. Psychic education aims at the realisation of an endless and progressive life in the universe of forms.
Spiritual education, on the other hand, goes beyond the psychic being and aims at a transcendent and formless experience. It involves the dissolution of the ego and identification with the Absolute, God, or the Only Reality. It is a liberation from all forms and an aspiration for the infinite and eternal.
While psychic identification can be a lasting state, spiritual identification with the formless is often momentary, as it would result in the dissolution of the material form. However, the effects of this experience have profound and lasting repercussions on the consciousness.
Yet, Sri Aurobindo emphasizes that true liberation does not lie in individual escape or an abolishment of creation. Instead, it lies in a transformation and transfiguration of matter, a total transmutation of human nature. This transformation will bring about a new species beyond man, a divine race, that manifests a new force, consciousness, and power upon the Earth.
This supramental education, which progresses from above downwards, will work upon the various states of being and eventually reach the physical. It will result in the transfiguration of the entire being, leading to the emergence of a divine race and a new world. Sri Aurobindo highlights that the signs of supramental presence may not be immediately visible in physical appearances, as the physical transformation is the last to change. The supramental force can be at work in an individual long before its effects become perceptible in their bodily life.
In summary, Sri Aurobindo presents a vision of education that goes beyond mental development, encompassing psychic and spiritual growth. Ultimately, it leads to the emergence of a new species and a transformed world through supramental education.
