The Dynamic Vital Mind, pp. 247-248

Opening remarks
The spell of physical mind tied down to convention and routine is broken by the emergence of the dynamic vital mind in man. This mind is hungry for innovation and change and hence tries to somehow break free from the rounds of routine to which it finds itself tied.

A fiery spirit
A fiery spirit came, next of the three.

In its sequence of emergence of the lower three layers of the mind, it is the second of the three layers of mind found in man. Sri Aurobindo calls it a fiery spirit since it is full of passion and ardour for new discoveries.

Hunchback rider
A hunchback rider of the red Wild-Ass,
A rash Intelligence leaped down lion-maned
From the great mystic Flame that rings the worlds
And with its dire edge eats at being’s heart.

This dynamic mind jumps in every direction eager to catch the unknown. It eats at our emotions burning them like fuel to keep itself energised. Its birth is from the mystic Fire that burns in the mid-worlds as the source of their energies.

Burning vision of Desire
Thence sprang the burning vision of Desire.

This mind gives thought-forms to Desire making its fire burn loftier.

A thousand shapes
A thousand shapes it wore, took numberless names:
A need of multitude and uncertainty
Pricks it for ever to pursue the One
On countless roads across the vasts of Time
Through circuits of unending difference.

This mind assumes, tired of sameness gives many forms and shapes. It has need of the multitude and sports with uncertainty. Yet it is always in pursuit of the One through countless roads across vast spaces of Time. .

Ambiguous fire
It burns all breasts with an ambiguous fire.

The fire of desire and passion is the ambiguous fire that pushes all things towards the New and the Unknown but also brings down the house that holds it. It grows by its fuel’s death.

Muddy ends
A radiance gleaming on a murky stream,
It flamed towards heaven, then sank, engulfed, towards hell;
It climbed to drag down Truth into the mire
And used for muddy ends its brilliant Force;
A huge chameleon gold and blue and red
Turning to black and grey and lurid brown,
Hungry it stared from a mottled bough of life
To snap up insect joys, its favourite food,
The dingy sustenance of a sumptuous frame
Nursing the splendid passion of its hues.

This mind climbs up only to drag things into the mire of earth nature. It flies but only to catch small joys and insect food. It shines upon a murky stream and changes colours as a chameleon to suit its need of the moment. Thus it grows feeding its ignorance with the small joys and sorrows of life. In lucid moments it climbs but cannot sustain it for long nor knows how to open the gates to the Beyond. Hence it collapses and returns back to its lowly poise.

Smoky tongue
A snake of flame with a dull cloud for tail,
Followed by a dream-brood of glittering thoughts,
A lifted head with many-tinged flickering crests,
It licked at knowledge with a smoky tongue.

The problem is that this mind is limited and biased by the strong surge of passions and desires. They cloud its understanding and the dreams that it chases through glittering thoughts do not carry us to the land of Light and Truth. Even when lifts its head and strains at knowledge its understanding is poor and covered with the darkness that surrounds it.

Whirlpool
A whirlpool sucking in an empty air,
It based on vacancy stupendous claims,
In Nothingness born to Nothingness returned,
Yet all the time unwittingly it drove
Towards the hidden Something that is All.

It moves round and round sucking its dreams and hopes from empty air. It fills vacant spaces within with colours of fantasy none of which are real. Yet through all this striving and straining it drives our being towards the Source of all things.

Closing Remarks
It is a mind of fantasy and imagination that is moved by new adventure towards unknown things. It is this that gives the push towards fashion that would last briefly through a small section of time until it is replaced by a new fashion. But it is also the mind that drives us towards new discoveries.