An average person’s spiritual goal and spiritual efforts are not well integrated. His thinking, feeling, willing and acting do not support each other, but oppose each other. His spiritual goal is not the primary aim in life, but is subordinated to worldly, material goals. In his efforts, he does not follow moderation, but swings from asceticism to indulgence, pessimism to optimism. He is down in the depths and floating amidst the high clouds!
Integration of personality is the alignment of one’s thoughts, words, actions and aspirations. An integrated life is a grand symphony of many reflexes, impulses, desires, emotions, thoughts and purposes. There is harmony among these dimensions of the personality and discordant notes are not produced.
The sure sign of a person’s integration is his behaviour. Such a person is always sincere, honest and straightforward in word, thought and action. As he is honest with himself, he is honest with others. Truthful by nature, he does not exaggerate, misrepresent, manipulate or distort facts to suit his self-interest. He also knows that truth can be conveyed by silence. What he really is and what he appears to be is always the same, so he is never secretive. He neither broods over the past or dreams about the future. He acts in the living present.
Being of clean conscience, he does not procrastinate or vacillate. Positive in outlook, he is always ready to learn and grow. He accepts the trials and tribulations of life as they come and does not blame anyone or anything for them. Grounded in self-awareness he is neither aggressive nor defensive in his dealings with others. He is spontaneous, efficient and creative. Moderation is his motto, discrimination is his guideline and self-knowledge his goal. Meditation enables one to discover the rhythm of integrated living, which is marked by withdrawal from and response to the everyday world. Mere withdrawal or renunciation without response is meaningless, while mere response or reaction without withdrawal is disastrous. The more active one is, the more one is required to be meditative. In fact, therein lies one of the secrets of progress in spiritual life. Meditation is breathing in, activity is breathing out.
The next important sign of transformation of character and personality indicating progress in meditation is increased steadiness of mind and mastery over the senses. In meditation, steadiness of mind and steadfastness in practice go hand in hand, one complementing the other. An aspirant’s success in meditation can be inferred from the way he performs his actions. It manifests as increased concentration, efficiency, foresight and memory. He is able to do more actions in less time. His perceptions become keen and powers of observation become clear. Steadiness of mind results from self-control, and self-control is control over both mind and the senses.
In an ashram the seeker is asked to forget his notions of superiority and to consider himself a humble servant. But the idea is not sufficient; he must start to work by doing the most menial manual work without the least repugnance or unwillingness. To practise karma yoga one must give up selfishness, control the senses, trample over the sense of superiority, be humble, simple, selfless, sacrifice comforts, share what one has with others and give, give, give. One must love all, work ceaselessly for the happiness of others and the good of all, and offer up one’s body, mind, wealth and everything in the process.
In this way, the gross egoism that is immersed in tamas and filled with unnatural pride, arrogance, selfishness, greed, shame, fear and superiority is put into the furnace of karma yoga sadhana and it emerges a purified, refined principle full of humility, simple and loving, sweet with selflessness, compassion and the spirit of worshipful service, devoid of vanity and arrogance. This refinement of the ego and change from tamoguna to sattwa guna makes it fit for taking up other higher modes of yoga for total perfection.