The article describes how the will can be activated in the meditation process and how meditation can provide continued deeper insights into the aspects and purposes of the will.
By Roberto Assagioli, Translation Ebba Larsen
Discovering the will
The concept of will has been discussed in the article: Tendencies and character traits in the new era. (Also read the articles: Training the will, The Stages of the Will by Roberto Assagioli and Psychosynthesis and The Good Will) We will now delve deeper into some of the many aspects of this topic, as it has become increasingly important to understand what will is and how it should be used in the most correct and effective way. The problems associated with will are currently assuming new proportions. Will will become a fundamental principle in the new era, and therefore it is an important role in a collaboration to contribute to its development in the most correct way to the requirements of the new era.
Will is often perceived as impulse, intense drive and external activity and as certain stubborn or “willed” traits of character. But true will is something entirely different, and to know what will really is, one must discover it within oneself, for it is an inner reality that cannot be explained in words, but must be experienced and recognized.
Many types of will
Basically, the will manifests itself differently in each of us, because it is motivated from within and carries with it the individual’s special characteristics. For example, for some people it is dynamic with a strong driving force, while for others it is less clear, but with a calm strength and persistence. There are many types of will and many directions and areas where it can be particularly expressed, but it is only by discovering one’s own will that one can gain insight into the true nature and characteristics of this inner force, and how one should develop and use it.
We can clearly feel the will sprouting when danger threatens, or when we are going through an acute trial. This can be a completely realistic and significant experience, where we come out of the situation with a feeling that there is a source of strength from which we can draw strength. Another example is that during a long period of nervousness and uncertainty, one can feel an inner support, and that something is holding one up, or one can experience that will is a factor that enables one to make and carry out a difficult decision. Meditation is a very basic technique for arriving at an understanding of what will actually is, and for gaining the insight required to be able to elevate the method so that it can be expressed in the most correct way. It is this process that we are mainly concerned with in this study.
Meditation and will are connected in two ways:
Will is necessary in meditation .
Meditation is necessary to recognize the will and to develop and use it properly .
Constructive and destructive will
It should always be remembered that the energy of will, like all other energies, can be used both rightly and wrongly. It can be used constructively and destructively, and as a motivating force for good or for selfish purposes. It is an interesting but sad fact that humanity tends to misuse the energies first – the lower manifestations or emergencies are first expressed. That is, it is generally the lower qualities of the will that are used – its aggressive, destructive and selfish aspects.
But self-will can and should be transmuted into good-will and into the will-to-good. In this way, the individual will gradually identify with the higher will or intention, the universal will of which we are a part – “the cosmic order” Einstein called it. (1)
Here we again see the connection of the will to meditation, and since it is necessary that we use the will to meditate on the will, we will first look at its role in this area.
The will in meditation
The initial step in all meditation is the will to meditate . It is a self-chosen initiative when the individual decides to practice meditation after recognizing that meditation is valuable and necessary. But in order to carry out this decision, it is necessary that one can maintain the participation of the will in a continuous manner.
The first thing the will must be used for is to eliminate that which may disturb the meditation process: it must be used, for example, to “make room” for meditation in terms of time and consciousness . “Making room in time” means that a fixed period of time must be set aside for regular meditation. “Making room in consciousness” means that it must be protected from all that which disturbs and which always encourages other activities, especially in modern life. This means, therefore, that the will must be used to drive out of the area of consciousness all that which is normally present or which constantly tries to enter, such as sensations, emotions, urges, ideas, thoughts, memories, expectations, and so on.
The governing will
Next, it is necessary to use the will to carry out the different phases of meditation most effectively. A great deal of will is required to concentrate on a subject, eg in reflective meditation . The guiding will have to keep the mind steady on the task to prevent it from wandering or jumping to other areas. Also in visualization, when we create a mental image or visualize with the imagination, it is the will that keeps the image calm and stable and maintains attention on it.
In receptive meditation, the function of the will is to maintain consciousness in a positive state of equanimity and calm alertness, and to keep the mind calm and at the same time avoid a negative dreamy state.
The same applies to contemplation. Here the highest function of the will become active. In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (13. 1st book) it is said:
” The right use of the will is a constant striving to stand in spiritual being .”
In the book on Buddha “ Essays in Zen Buddhism ”, p.115, (Luzak & Co, London, 1927) Dr. Suzuki gives insight into the role that the will plays in the higher spheres:
“… Buddha made the most strenuous attempt to solve the problem of ignorance, and he exerted the most intense willpower to achieve a successful result of his perseverance… Therefore, inner enlightenment must be connected with the will as well as with the intellect. It is an intuitive influence born of the will… He (Buddha) possessed an indomitable will. With the utmost effort he wanted to reach the very truth of the subject. He knocked and knocked until the doors of ignorance opened. He burst open the doors to new panoramas that had never before appeared to his intellectual vision.”
Will by invocation and emanation
The will is also essential in invocation. For an invocation to be effective, it must be directed upwards by a strong, intense will.
Radiance and blessing also require willpower – in these cases combined with love. And finally, an outward expression of the results of the meditations – whether one wishes to convey them in writing or in some other creative way – will require real and sustained use of the will, so that a logical and adequate form can be created and maintained on the physical plane.
This was a brief summary of the role of the will in meditation, but it is of course a long and gradual process, the will being used more and more effectively in the many different stages. Whether the process will be successful depends on the quality of the meditations from the beginning, as concentration is one of the first problems, and everyone needs to invoke the will to reach a solution to it.
A quote from Alice A. Bailey’s book “ From Intellect to Intuition ” (Lucis Publishing, New York, 1969), describes the initial work of meditation:
“… it should be noted that the key to success lies in constant and untiring effort… Sporadic attempts will not lead the aspirant anywhere… A few minutes of concentration or meditation done regularly will take the aspirant much further than a few hours of effort three or four times a month. It has been so rightly said that “for meditation to be effective in terms of results, it must not be merely an occasional effort when we feel prompted to it, but the unceasing and untiring pressure of the will.”
Meditation on the will
The nature of the will is difficult to understand, and it is only through meditation that we can gradually come to a fair understanding of its nature and properties. The will has varying phases, different goals and purposes, and many ways of manifesting itself. The real essence of the will is enigmatic, being situated on the higher levels beyond the reach of normal human consciousness. This may explain why modern psychology – which deals with the very “normal” or ordinary levels – practically ignores the will.
Through reflective meditation on the will we can come to a fair knowledge of its varying aspects. Through invocation and receptive meditation we can attract and shed light on the true nature and substance of the will. Through prayer and meditation we can align the personal will with the will of the soul and later coordinate both with the will of God.
When we have developed a part of the will and want to use it correctly, it requires careful thought and judgment to manifest it wisely, constructively, and without harm, and for this process reflective meditation is necessary. It also involves considering questions such as “the right choices and decisions,” which are aspects of the will. Normally, a right use of the mind will suffice, but when we are faced with deeper principles or in the event of a serious situation or an unexpected event, it may be necessary to invoke the will of the soul.
The exercise on the next page is valuable as a preparation for getting to know one’s own will and for developing it.
Exercise for developing the will
Sit in a comfortable position. Release all tension – physical, emotional and mental.
Recall the various instances and/or situations you are facing, or are likely to face, where you will need to use your will. Then:
form as vivid a picture as possible of the harm to yourself and others that your weakness will cause or may have already caused. State these ideas clearly. It may also be helpful to make a list of them. Then use your feelings of dissatisfaction to support a sincere and vital desire to strengthen your will. Form as vivid a picture as possible of all the advantages that will come from developing your will. Examine them and state them clearly, and show your enthusiasm and joy at the prospect of achieving them. Finally, form a picture of yourself as having a strong will. Visualize yourself acting with self-control and determination in all situations, and “as if” you could master both inner and outer self-control. This exercise should be supported by specific acts of will and exercise programs that can call upon and activate the will. Just as we must exercise physical muscles to strengthen them, so the will grows by “being used,” and psychologists such as William James have advocated performing seemingly “useless exercises” for this specific purpose, and learning to use the will without the aid of other motivating impulses, such as desires or intentions. (2)
Aspects of the will
However, we should strive higher than strengthening the individual or personal will, and therefore we must now study the proper relationships between:
1. The personal will and the will of the Self.
2. The individual will and the will of others.
3. The individual will and the universal will.
These are aspects rather than stages in the development of the will, for a parallel development is taking place. The personal will must come to obey the will of the soul, and then a gradual fusion of these two wills takes place, but since we are united with others at the soul level, this process acts at the same time as an aid to the attainment of a right relationship between the individual will and the will of others and the will of the group to which we are attached. This is a gradual process leading to the fulfillment of the desire to cooperate and identify with the universal will.
Good will is a clear prerequisite in this process. But it is the will-to-good that connects us to the universal will. The will-to-good means coordinating the individual will with the good of the whole, and it presupposes a positive and dynamic attitude and conviction that good will prevail.
It must be clear that this is something quite different from the blind and unthought-out acceptance of humans to passively “obey the will of God.” It is necessary that we have an individual will in order to be able to identify it with a higher will – it must be a developed useful aspect within before it is able to “willingly” participate in conscious cooperation with something greater than itself.
This is in keeping with the present-day refusal to accept and obey all “authority” and the intelligent doubt directed at all the traditional “commandments.” The growing consciousness of humanity recognizes that more than this is required of a thinking man, yet such a view tends to create a negative passivity or an outward rebellion. In either case it implies a period without belief in a power higher than humanity and the physical forces that can be observed in concrete terms. It is therefore necessary that the more scientific views of progressive evolution and of the laws of psychological and spiritual development replace the “blind faith” in God. Humanity is slowly breaking through to this more intelligent view of a “cosmic order” and a universal law, but it is something we need to meditate on in order to gain a clear understanding of what they actually contain and where our proper place lies within them. As an aid to clarity, the following short meditation may be used.
Meditation
1. Relax – gain both emotional and mental “calm”.
2. Let a sense of the infinite grandeur of the universe flow through your entire being.
3. See yourself as a very small particle in this very large and magnificent universe.
4. Then perceive the expansion of the personal self that occurs in this process. It is in reality an inner “Copernican revolution,” for we are no longer the center of the universe. A truer sense of relationship to the whole of which we are a part begins to develop. We begin to see the proper proportions of our own small will in relation first to the will of others, then to the will of larger and larger groups, and finally to the universal or divine will.
5. Affirm what you have experienced with a clear mental formulation. Formulate your own point of view and use it as the basis for your actions throughout the day.
Although this meditation can be done in a relatively short time, it creates a new and more expanded perception of our true being, and it provides a valuable reorientation that can be applied when facing the activities and problems of the day.
Free will and the use of the will
Free will is a further aspect of this subject that should be mentioned, although it is too extensive a theme to be fully described here.
Free will is a good thing for humanity, but it also carries risks and dangers. If we did not have free will, we would be automatons, but it is a great responsibility to use it properly. Freedom is like an “intoxicating” wine. It tends to stimulate us to exceed the divine rights of freedom, to cloud our otherwise good judgment, and to lead us into arrogance of various kinds. In fact, one could say that the proper use of free will is a central problem for humanity, and it is a problem that has come to the surface in our days.
To solve this problem, it is necessary that we understand the previously mentioned relationship between the “free” will of the individual and the “free” will of others, and that we become aware of where our place is in the universal whole. The previous meditation will be a help in achieving a result.
The destructive power of the will
The will is necessary today as a propulsive, clarifying and purifying tool, but using some of its destructive aspects is not the same as using it incorrectly. The destruction of obsolete forms must necessarily precede the construction of the new era. The ground must be cleared of the debris of the past before we can build a new world. We must also remember that many of the previously constructed forms may still be excellent in themselves, but they are no longer adequate for the new mentality and the new living conditions of our time and of the future.
The destructive aspect of the will is thus a necessity in order to eliminate obsolete forms, but we must use this aspect of the will with wisdom. One of the greatest challenges is to fuse will and love – the energy that can harmonize these two qualities is wisdom. Wise love and wise use of the will are the key. In both the individual and in a group there can be too much love in relation to will, or too much will in relation to love, but there can never be too much wisdom. All the wisdom that is possible is needed.
So let us strive to identify the individual and “free” will with the will that exists in the soul, for it possesses wisdom and identifies itself with the universal will and the greatest good.
Reflection
The will has more functions than those above, but we have not been able to go into them here, because that would be too extensive a study. But in the following meditation outline there are suggestions for themes where one can trace these functions and develop a right use of the will. For example, careful reflection on the stages of the will will bring revelation of the potentials of this inner force in many directions. Most of us have not yet registered or tapped the source of energy that the will constitutes. All forms of energy must be used correctly, including the energy of the will, and therefore responsibility is extremely important in this regard. We should take care to be as informed as possible about the potentials of the will, and we should above all develop the ability to direct it wisely.
Outline for meditation on the will
I. Preparation
Concentration : Recognize the point of pure self-awareness.
Elevation . Direct the aspiration of the heart and the attention of the mind towards the Self.
Identification . Identify yourself imaginatively and affirmatively with the Self.
II. Reflective meditation
Suggested themes:
1. One of the stages of will: Motivation – assessment – goal Consideration Decision – choice Confirmation Planning Direction for implementing a plan
2. One of the qualities of the will: Energy Concentration Power of control Readiness Persistence
III. Use of symbols
Visualization : Visualize a living and stable symbol of the will, eg a glowing torch.
IV. Receptive meditation
Invocation : “May the will of the soul rule over me and govern my life.” Reception: Calm recognition of the flow of will energy down into the personality on all levels (mental, emotional and physical).
V. Confirmation
“May the will-for-good of the self be expressed through my thoughts, words and actions.”
VI. Declaration
Choose and formulate a specific good use of the will that you can manifest in your life today.
NOTES
(1) Roberto Assagioli, in his book The Psychology of Will (Kentaur Forlag, 2005), describes various methods, techniques and exercises for the practical training of the will and for using it optimally at all levels of life – from the personal to the transpersonal and up to the area where the individual will merges with the universal will.
(2) Examples can be found in The Psychology of the Will by Roberto Assagioli.
How to move forward with Meditation
Here you can receive seven free meditations where you develop different aspects of yourself.
Also read the article about Integral Meditation
Read the introductory article about integral meditation
