Will to Progress Summary

Read more about Will to Progress from the works of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo.

What is Will to Progress?

Will to progress is Agni, the flame of purification that burns up all obstacles and difficulties. The inner flame of aspiration which never dies out, which always burns, burns more and more; what in India is called Agni, is the will to progress. This power of aspiration; an aspect of the Divine.

It is a power of consciousness turned towards effectuation.

It is the power to reject adverse suggestions: the power which comes from the conscious union with the Divine.

Will is a force with a power of organization and it can be put at the service of any purpose whatever. When one has will-power, one has definite purpose.

Will to progress, is the driver of the worlds and, whether it be Knowledge-Force or Love-Force or Life-Force or Action-Force or Body-Force, is always spiritual in its origin and divine in its native character.

Will to Progress in Psychic

Psychic is the centre of the energies of progress. This is what is called the seat of Agni, it is the energies of progress, the will to progress, that are here.

Divine Will

The will expressing the highest Truth.

Will Power of Supramental Being

The supramental being sees things from above in large spaces, at the highest from the spaces of the infinite, can see in the continuities of time or from above time in the indivisibilities of the Spirit. He sees truth in its proper order first in the essence, secondly in the potentialities that derive from it and only last in the actualities. He is able to have a larger will-power founded on a larger knowledge. He sees things not from outside and judged by their surfaces, but from within and viewed from the truth of their centre; therefore he is nearer the divine omniscience. He wills and acts from a dominating height and with a longer movement in time and a larger range of potencies, therefore he is nearer to the divine omnipotence.

Universal Will

It is not that one is allowed to exercise his will over another, but that there is a universal will and those who are more or less capable of manifesting this force seem to have a stronger will-power. It is like vital force or light or electricity or any other power of nature; some are good channels or instruments for manifesting the power, others are poor channels. There is no question of morality here. It is a fact of nature, a law of the great play.

Individual will – Strong and Calm

It is not the right kind of will-power if it increases fatigue—probably they use some fighting or effortful will-power instead of the quiet but strong will that calls down the higher consciousness and force.

To learn how to will is a very important thing. One is a mass of influences, movements, forces, actions, reactions, but one is not a being. First of all one must become aware of what is highest, most true, most universal and eternal in one's consciousness. To will truly, you must unify your being.

Divine Will beneath Individual Will

It isn’t you, this energy which is in you, this will which is in you, this knowledge which is in you, all this is the Divine; it is not what you call yourself. This is admitting that it’s another force than their own small personal one which does things.

And when you have a will, you will be able to say, say to the Divine:”I want what You want.” But not before that.

Why Will to Progress is Important?

If one wants to learn to work really well, one must be modest, become aware of your imperfections and always maintain the will to progress.

In each one the will to progress is the needed thing—that is what opens us to the divine influence and makes us capable of receiving what it brings us.

Will to Progress in Physical

Wake up in yourself a will to conquer. Not a mere will in the mind but a will in the very cells of your body. Without that you can;t do anything; you may take a hundred medicines but they won’t cure you unless you have a will to overcome the physical illness.

Will to Progress for Perfection

Whatever occupation or task falls to your lot, you must do it with a will to progress; whatever one does, one must not only do it as best one can but strive to do it better and better in a constant effort for perfection. In this way everything without exception becomes interesting, from the most material chore to the most artistic and intellectual work. The scope for progress is infinite and can be applied to the smallest thing.

Importance of Will to Progress in Education

The possibility and the will to progress is the basic thing to be taught to children.

The attitude of the teacher must be one of a constant will to progress, not only in order to know always better what he wants to teach the students, but above all in order to be a living example to show them what they can become.

How to Cultivate Will to Progress?

All the psychological qualities can be cultivated as the muscles are—by regular, daily exercise. Above all, turn towards the Divine Force in a sincere aspiration and implore it to deliver you from your limitations. If you are sincere in your will to progress you are sure to advance. through regular, persevering, obstinate, unflagging exercise of concentration and will.

The only way to develop the true will-power is (1) to become aware of a conscious Force behind that uses the mind etc. (2) to learn by practice to direct that Force towards its object. I do not suppose you will find it easy to do either of these things at once—one must first learn to live more deeply in the inner consciousness than you have done hitherto.

In the forehead between the eyes but a little above is the Ajnachakra, the centre of the inner will, also of the inner vision, the dynamic mind etc. (This is not the ordinary outer mental will and sight, but something more powerful, belonging to the inner being.) When this centre opens and the Force there is active, then there is the opening of a greater will, power of decision, formation, effectiveness beyond what the ordinary mind can achieve.

If you concentrate by gathering the energies, it is better to gather them in heart because it is in this centre, in this region of the being that you find the will to progress, the force of purification, and the most intense and effective aspiration. The aspiration that comes from the heart is much more effective than that from the head.

What is Will to Progress?

Will to progress is Agni, the flame of purification that burns up all obstacles and difficulties. Will to progress is power of consciousness turned towards effectuation. Will to progress is the power to reject adverse suggestions: the power which comes from the conscious union with the Divine. Will to progress, is the driver of the worlds and, whether it be Knowledge-Force or Love-Force or Life-Force or Action-Force or Body-Force, is always spiritual in its origin and divine in its native character. The inner flame of aspiration which never dies out, which always burns, burns more and more; what in India is called Agni, is the will to progress. This power of aspiration; an aspect of the Divine. Will is a force with a power of organization and it can be put at the service of any purpose whatever. When one has will-power, one has definite purpose. This is will.

Will to Progress in Physical

In the body there are invaluable and unknown treasures. In all its cells, there is an intensity of life, of aspiration, of the will to progress .

Will to Progress in Psychic

Psychic is the centre of the energies of progress. This is what is called the seat of Agni, but it is the energies of progress, the will to progress, that are here.

Universal Will

It is not that one is allowed to exercise his will over another, but that there is a universal will and those who are more or less capable of manifesting this force seem to have a stronger will-power. It is like vital force or light or electricity or any other power of nature; some are good channels or instruments for manifesting the power, others are poor channels. There is no question of morality here. It is a fact of nature, a law of the great play.

Misconceptions of Will power

Not Effortful

It is not the right kind of will-power then if it increases fatigue—probably they use some fighting or effortful will-power instead of the quiet but strong will that calls down the higher consciousness and force.

Why Will to Progress is Important?

If you want to learn to work really well, you must be modest, become aware of your imperfections and always maintain the will to progress. In each one the will to progress is the needed thing—that is what opens us to the divine influence and makes us capable of receiving what it brings us.

Will to Progress for Perfection

It is said that one only does well what one is interested in doing. This is true, but it is truer still that one can learn to find interest in everything one does, even in what appear to be the most insignificant chores. The secret of this attainment lies in the urge towards self-perfection. Whatever occupation or task falls to your lot, you must do it with a will to progress; whatever one does, one must not only do it as best one can but strive to do it better and better in a constant effort for perfection. In this way everything without exception becomes interesting, from the most material chore to the most artistic and intellectual work. The scope for progress is infinite and can be applied to the smallest thing.

Will for a Unified Nature

At one time the true being occupies the field of the nature, at another the lower nature used by some contrary Force pushes it back and seizes the ground, If there is the firm will to progress, this division is overpassed and in the unified nature, unified around that will, his kind of discord and struggle will disappear.

Will to Progress Spiritually

There are defects in your vital nature which stand in the way of a settled spiritual progress: but they can be eliminated if, dropping all exaggerated ideas of "sin" and unfitness, you look quietly at them and recognise and reject them. Tranquillise in yourself all over-eager demands and desires, all excitement and exaggeration of opposite feelings and impulses; seek first intensity of devotion but also calm strength, purity and peace. Allow a quiet and steady will to progress to be settled in you; learn the habit of a silent, persistent and thorough assimilation of what the Mother puts into you. This is the sound way to advance.

Importance of Will to Progress in Education and Yoga

The attitude of the teacher must be one of a constant will to progress, not only in order to know always better what he wants to teach the students, but above all in order to be a living example to show them what they can become.

The goal of [Integral] Yoga is always hard to reach,it is only for those who have the call, the capacity, the willingness to face everything and every risk, even the risk of failure, and the will to progress towards an entire selflessness, desirelessness and surrender. The possibility and the will to progress is the basic thing to be taught to children.

How to Cultivate Will to Progress?

All the psychological qualities can be cultivated as the muscles are—by regular, daily exercise. Above all, turn towards the Divine Force in a sincere aspiration and implore it to deliver you from your limitations. If you are sincere in your will to progress you are sure to advance.. through regular, persevering, obstinate, unflagging exercise of concentration and will.

The only way to develop the true will-power is (1) to become aware of a conscious Force behind that uses the mind etc. (2) to learn by practice to direct that Force towards its object. I do not suppose you will find it easy to do either of these things at once—one must first learn to live more deeply in the inner consciousness than you have done hitherto.

In the forehead between the eyes but a little above is the Ajnachakra, the centre of the inner will, also of the inner vision, the dynamic mind etc. (This is not the ordinary outer mental will and sight, but something more powerful, belonging to the inner being.) When this centre opens and the Force there is active, then there is the opening of a greater will, power of decision, formation, effectiveness beyond what the ordinary mind can achieve.

By Concentration in the Heart

If you concentrate by gathering the energies, it is better to gather them in heart because it is in this centre, in this region of the being that you find the will to progress, the force of purification, and the most intense and effective aspiration. The aspiration that comes from the heart is much more effective than that from the head.

Read more about Will to Progress from the works of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo.