Seeds of a Second Renaissance Issue 13 (Mar 2026) - Sri Aurobindo on the evolution of human consciousness
On Sri Aurobindo's pioneering vision and practice for global spiritual evolution. Plus, events & opportunities for inner-led change.
Welcome to Seeds of a Second Renaissance – a monthly newsletter for explorers of inner-led change towards radically wiser societies. For both seasoned travellers and those new to these shores, each edition offers a bite-sized exploration of keystone ideas, and thinkers whose work you may wish to know more deeply.
This month, an encounter with Sri Aurobindo: the radical Indian nationalist become mystic and spiritual teacher, who pioneered a vision and practice for global spiritual evolution. Writing in the early 20th century, Aurobindo set the stage for contemporary frameworks of inner growth and cultural evolution such as Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory, and lays a blueprint for engaged spirituality - participatory transformation of worldly life through deep inner realisation.
Below, you’ll also find curated events, jobs, and opportunities for inner-led change.
Sri Aurobindo on the evolution of human consciousness
From Indian nationalist leader to spiritual teacher
Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950) was an Indian yogi, spiritual teacher, poet, and activist known for his philosophy and practice of Integral Yoga. With his spiritual collaborator, Mira Alfassa, he co-founded Auroville, a township devoted to realising human unity and the transformation of consciousness.
His education - spanning Classical and modern European languages and literature at King’s College, Cambridge, and the study of Indian languages, Sanskrit literature and yoga - grounded his later philosophy in both post-Enlightenment European ideals of progress and freedom, and ancient Indian spiritual traditions.
In his thirties, he became a leader in India’s Nationalist movement, advocating a radical approach including direct and armed action against the British. In 1908, he was imprisoned on suspicion of overseeing an assassination attempt.1 He was acquitted - but not before a profound spiritual transformation, catalysed by a year in solitary confinement spent in meditation and reflection. His later philosophy and writings were founded in his own direct realisations, which also reimagined India’s independence struggle as a part of a global work of spiritual regeneration.
Spiritual evolution towards the “supramental”
Aurobindo’s philosophy interprets the deepest meaning of earthly life as participation in the evolution of consciousness, towards ever greater (re)union between humanity and the divine. Central to this vision is the paired movement of involution (Spirit plunges into the “Inconscience” of Matter, cloaking itself in the ignorance of material existence) and subsequent evolution (spirit progressively manifests itself through worldly life).
Aurobindo held that humans are manifestations of divine spirit, or brahman; manifested in the lower, human realm of mind and matter in order to participate in “the adventure of consciousness and joy”.2 The self-expression of the divine in forms that include suffering and evil was “not a blunder and a fall, but a purposeful descent, not a curse but a divine opportunity. . . . To achieve a possibility of the divine Existence which could not be achieved in other conditions . . . would seem to be the task imposed on the spirit born into the material universe.”3
Thus the purpose of human life on earth is to participate in divine evolution towards a new form of consciousness - supermind - bridging the spiritual and the mundane. This plane of consciousness would see simultaneously both the true divinity and unity (spirit) in all things, and the true plurality and uniqueness (soul) of all things.
Social transformation
Aurobindo’s philosophy prefigures Francisco Varela’s vision of a “second renaissance,” through a renewed synthesis of contemplative traditions and worldly inquiry. Aurobindo held that the incipient evolution of human consciousness and culture meets limits that won’t be overcome by refinement of ordinary mental capacities.
The emergence of Supramental consciousness is required for humans to become “gnostic beings” – allowing new forms of social life, which express deeper harmony, joy, unity, freedom, and creativity, to arise. Just as the Enlightenment rise of rationalism had initiated a radical restructuring of society, so would the emergence of supramental consciousness spark an evolutionary shift: towards a society which “would be and act not as a mechanical but a spiritual integer”.4
“It is only the full emergence of the soul, the full descent of the native light and power of the Spirit and the consequent replacement or transformation and uplifting of our insufficient mental and vital nature by a spiritual and supramental Supernature that can effect this evolutionary miracle.”5
Integral Yoga and the call for individual practice
Such a social transformation would require deep collective inner change: many individuals opening themselves to higher levels of consciousness and awakening to spiritual nature. As Aurobindo wrote to a disciple: “the best way to make Humanity progress is to move on oneself; that may sound either individualistic or egoistic, but it isn’t: it is only common sense.”6
The pathway of practice he developed to support this radical individual and collective transformation is Integral Yoga:
“Yoga is a generic name for the processes and the result of processes by which we transcend or shred off our present modes of being and rise to a new, a higher, a wider mode of consciousness which is not that of the ordinary animal and intellectual man. Yoga is the exchange of an egoistic for a universal or cosmic consciousness lifted towards or informed by the supra-cosmic, transcendent Unnameable who is the source and support of all things. Yoga is the passage of the human thinking animal towards the God-consciousness from which he has descended.”7
Integral Yoga brings together Hatha Yoga (movement, breath, and meditation to support physical and mental balance), meditation and self-inquiry (for clarity and self-realisation), Karma Yoga (selfless service), and Bhakti Yoga (devotion and chanting) within a unified path of spiritual development.
Aurobindo warned that this was a long and challenging path. Integral Yoga seeks integration of the inner spiritual life with outer vitality: turning towards the divine without turning away from action in the world - a departure from ascetic and monastic spirituality. It calls for wholehearted embrace of divine unity while requiring deep individuation and realisation of one’s own unique nature. As Aurobindo put it, neatly expressing the interconnectedness of the individual and collective quest for self-realisation: “India was strongest and most alive when she had many variations of form but one spirit.”8
Auroville
To manifest Aurobindo’s philosophical vision and pedagogy, he and his spiritual collaborator Mira Alfassa first organised the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, and later founded Auroville - a township in Tamil Nadu where people of all nationalities can live in harmony and peace.
Since 1966 Auroville has had UNESCO status and is recognised as a project ‘of international importance for the future of humanity’. A slowly growing population of over 3,000 people devote their lives to alternative ways of being and working together; foregrounding unity, spiritual growth and environmental sustainability. With an economic model founded on collective ownership, universal basic services, work as self-expression and an emphasis on leisure for inward growth, Auroville is a living experiment in regenerative social organisation after modernity:
“a system to universally provide the minimum needs of the people so that everyone can focus on offering their best for the welfare of the whole community without having to struggle for their survival needs.”9
Explore the field of inner-led change…
A selection of events and opportunities recommended by readers, friends, and allies in the arena of inner-led regeneration.
👋 Help us to showcase the best opportunities and resources: please suggest items to include in the Events, Offers & Links or Jobs Board WhatsApp channels.
Upcoming Events
In Tech We Trust - webinar roundtable
📍Online 📅 18 March 2026, 16:30-18:00 GMT 💸 Free
“In Tech We Trust argues that technology has become more than a tool — it has become a cultural authority. In late modernity, tech is not simply something we use; it is something we trust, revere, and unconsciously organise our world around. …
Rather than focusing only on governance, the discussion will examine the cultural paradigm shaping our technological era — and the inner capacities needed to navigate it well. … Join us as we ask not only what AI can do — but who we must become to live well with it.”
World as Lover, World as Self - workshop
📍Hawkwood College, Stroud, UK 📅 27 March 2026, 9:30-16:00 GMT 💸 £130 (includes lunch and refreshments)
“Join Phoebe Tickell and Rupert Read for an immersive day exploring our profound interconnection with the living world through Joanna Macy’s transformative practices. Moving through the spiral of Coming From Gratitude, Honouring Our Pain, Seeing with New Eyes and Going Forth, we’ll journey through Buddhist philosophy, deep ecology, and experiential exercises to transform eco-anxiety into empowered belonging. Through the Truth Mandala, nature connection practices, and group work, discover your place in the web of life.”
Mystics and Scientists Online Conference: The Coming Age of Enheartenment
📍Online 📅 17-19 April 2026 💸 £95 (early-bird)
“An annual conference exploring the frontiers of consciousness, spirituality, and scientific inquiry. … We have a remarkable line-up of international speakers to empower and inspire you on your path towards fulfilment, understanding and embodiment of the alchemical principle of love as the agent of personal and collective transformation. If we have co-created and manifested our current conditions, we also have the capacity to reorient ourselves and align with the evolutionary impulse of cooperation, mutual thriving, trust and integrity.
This conference will ask how can we best co-creatively reconfigure ourselves, our relationships and the many systems in which we are all embedded while upholding the spiritual essence of what it means to be human?”
ICON 2026: Closer to Coherence - Integral’s Role in Building a Post-Tragic Future
📍Denver, Colorado, USA 📅 28-31 May 2026 💸 $225 (early-bird online) or $699 (early-bird in-person). Reduced price for under 31s.
“ICON is a collective of future-focused people and organizations working to bring forth a positive vision for humanity. Our work is grounded in the values of an emergent holistic worldview. We share in the desire to be part of something larger than ourselves, creating a lasting impact in the present that reaches far into the future. … ICON 2026 INVITES YOU INTO A LIVING LABORATORY OF
CO-EMERGENCE. Here at the edge, where theory meets embodiment,
we don’t wait for the future—we show up as the alchemists weaving it into being.”
Attention and Flourishing Conference
📍University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain 📅 11-13 June 2026 💸 $75-200
“Bringing together artists, scholars, psychotherapists, and practitioners from around the world, the 2026 Attention and Flourishing Conference at the University of Navarra seeks to examine the undertheorized relationship between the virtue of attention, mental health, and the flourishing of individuals and communities. Hosted in the University’s beautiful Museum, the Conference is intent on exploring the modes of attention at play in artistic practices and the spaces dedicated to them, and how such approaches can foster richer notions of mental health, wellbeing, and the life well-lived.”
Jobs & Opportunities
Regenerative Futures Fund: Hiring Senior Partnerships Adviser
📍Edinburgh (possibility of remote working) 📅 Application deadline: 23 March 2026
“The Regenerative Futures Fund is a co-designed, community-rooted initiative to tackle poverty, racism and climate change in Edinburgh. A pooled fund providing unrestricted long-term funding, and decisions made by residents with lived experience, it is reshaping how funding can empower and transform. … As we enter this new phase, we are seeking a skilled fundraiser to help secure significant philanthropic support for the £15.8m Regenerative Futures Fund.”
Climate Youth Resilience Ambassador Programme
📍Online 📅 Application deadline: 25 March 2026
“As we face increasing challenges, we know that when young people gather together, we are even stronger. These times of polarisation, disinformation and systems breakdown are calling us all to come together. Our programme modules will guide young people aged 18-35 to step fully into the power they already have and to cultivate even deeper capacities. We will build a global impact network of inner-led change-makers, to lead us through the challenges of our times with courage, compassion and grace.”
Young Person’s Guide to Systems Change Fellowship
📍Online 📅 Application deadline: 28 March 2026
“The Young person’s guide to systems change fellowship is a 6-week learning fellowship bringing together young changemakers from different backgrounds to explore how systems shape everyday challenges and how they can be transformed through systems thinking, storytelling and collective learning. Participants will gain practical skills, confidence and connections to support systems change in their own communities.”
The Great Simplification: Hiring Chief of Staff/Director
📍USA 📅 Application deadline not specified
“ISEOF’s public platform, The Great Simplification (TGS), has become a central node in global conversations around what is often called the polycrisis or metacrisis, which we more precisely frame as the “more-than-human predicament.” ... Over time, TGS has evolved from a content platform into a convening space for individuals and institutions grappling with biophysical limits, energy transitions, and civilizational complexity. … The Chief of Staff functions as the senior strategic and operational leader at ISEOF/TGS, effectively serving as the organization’s #2 to the Executive Director.”
Second Renaissance
“Second Renaissance” is one way of framing current times as a period of civilisational crisis and potential renewal – and of pointing to an ecosystem of people and organisations working to catalyse the emergence of a new, regenerative, cultural paradigm. If you recognise terms like metacrisis, Metamodern, Regenerative, Liminal Web, Game B, Integral, conscious evolution and so on, then you’re on familiar ground. Explore the core thesis and theory of change in more detail here.
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Finally, we leave you with some —
Art to nourish the soul…
London-based artist Luc Waring created a series entitled Grim Reaper for the Second Renaissance Art of Impermanence exhibition which took place in Thénac, France in April 2024.
Reflecting on the series, Waring shares:
“When I had the Grim Reaper motif, I wanted to make them light and happy. Through my teaching with Thich Nhat Hanh and the ten years in practice with that lens, death isn’t such a morbid thing anymore, and actually, contemplating death makes life a lot richer, when you realise that it is finite and life won’t last forever. … It’s a gentle reminder that today is something special, tomorrow isn’t promised.”
See more images of Grim Reaper and listen to the artist’s reflections in the video below:
Thank you for reading the thirteenth issue of Seeds of a Second Renaissance.
A bomb thrown by revolutionaries missed its target, Lord Curzon, but killed two women in a neighbouring carriage.
Sri Aurobindo, Savitri.
Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine.
ibid.
ibid.
Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Yoga.
Sri Aurobindo, Essays in Philosophy and Yoga.
Sri Aurobindo, Supplement.
Auroville, ‘Universal Basic Services & Income for All’, https://auroville.org/page/universal-basic-income-and-services.
Are you featuring any events directly related to Sri Aurobindo and the Mother?
by the way, Tibetan Buddhist professor Robert Thurman used to speak of a 2nd renaissance due to the entry of Eastern/Asian wisdom into the West, a global as opposed to merely a Western Renaissance.
Sri Aurobindo, on the other hand, spoke of humans as a "transitional" species, leading (as some in the integral yoga community have estimated) in several thousand years to a new "supra mental" species altogether.
Meanwhile, we remain in the age of the dissolution of what Jean Gebser calls the "mental structure of consciousness."