The thrust of a spiritual life is to gradually raise the center of consciousness from the area of the personality to that of the individuality. As long as we are caught up in the mundane interests and illusions of life it is impossible to manifest the spiritual will which is located in the Atman plane. A channel has to be made between the lower self and the higher Self before we have a continuous flow of the divine, which in turn gives us true love, wisdom and power.

What we need is to make the spiritual will a more dominant factor in our lives. This is made possible only when we step onto the path of liberation and have progressed some distance along the path. The first thing we must become aware of is our true purpose for being in this world. When this occurs, we begin to rise above the illusions and weaknesses of the personality. Our attitude towards life changes and life then takes on a realistic meaning and purpose. And a higher state of consciousness unfolds as we continue our meditation practice.

Down through the ages, due to the stimulus of the environment and the samskaras (impressions brought back from our past lives), our physical, astral and mental vehicles have acquired a distinct personality or individuality of their own, and they offer resistance to any direction from within which is contrary to their habit of activity. They have acquired age old habit patterns that now need to be eliminated so that the will responds immediately and fully to any direction coming from within. It is not possible to get rid of all of these tendencies completely until we reach a very advanced stage of evolution, but we are showing good progress when they no longer cause any definite obstruction to our spiritual progress and our daily efforts.

This change is not affected overnight, but it is accomplished by devotion to our meditation practice, maybe for a long time. Our lower vehicles have been used to functioning in an uncontrolled and chaotic manner, life after life; each vehicle reacting according to its previous samskaras. The job of bringing our vehicles into alignment is not an easy task. This requires ever greater and greater control and vigilance, as the lower self has no plans to surrender to the higher Self. The pull of the lower self is so strong that we will fall back time after time. That is why we must use our will power to pick ourselves up and keep on going.

We are not used to having our consciousness centered in the higher part of our nature and keeping our lower bodies in check. So it is difficult for us. However, if we make a persistent effort to rise above our old personality, the center of our consciousness will slowly shift inwards. This then gives us a greater perspective and ability to deal with our obligations and to solve our problems, and we do so from a position of strength and not from fright.

Up to this point we have had our chariot of life hitched to a team of wild, unbridled horses. Now we are bringing down into the personality the power of the Atman, so that we will be able to harness all of our faculties and powers into the service of the higher purpose of life. We are now acting in an increased measure from the center of the individuality. We are now able to bring all of our worldly aims and desires under the dynamic and magnetic influence of our higher destiny in life.

Bringing our vehicles under control is one of the principle and essential functions of the will on the lower physical plane. Each vehicle must become a willing and effective instrument of the higher Self; each vehicle must act from, or responds to, the impulses coming from within.

Will has both the function of controlling the activities of the lower vehicles as well as providing the energy for their activities. This control has two aspects, both equally important. The first is the inhibition and the second is the regulation of the activity. In relation to inhibition of harmful practices or activities of the vehicles (body, emotions and mind), such can only be gained after a prolonged practice. In the body, we should use our will power to get rid of bad habits which undermine the health of the body. Few of us do this, and eating is the hardest thing for us to control. Alcohol and drugs affect all three vehicles at the same time and this is why they are a real disaster to the human. In relation to the mind, suppression of evil thoughts is a very good practice. In emotions, we should use our will power to eliminate hatred in its many forms.

When we have mastered the above, then we can place our attention on the useless activities which seem to be harmless, but just the same sap our energy and vitality which we very much need for our higher development. When you have all this accomplished, then the three lower vehicles will be obedient and under full control of the will.

Some meditators have this control while meditating; yet do not have this control when they are out of meditation. Unless the will has conquered the three lower vehicles, the consciousness cannot be freed to work on the higher planes of consciousness to gain knowledge of, and control of, these planes. The Atman, in driving the three horse team, must have full control and cooperation of the horses at all times; otherwise the effort will become thwarted and erratic. Even in meditation many meditators do not have harmonious working of the three lower bodies; they have physical problems, disturbed emotions and mental pressures. When we are doing something we enjoy, no will power is required. However, when we engage in activities which are not associated with any kind of pleasure, then the battle commences because we have to exert our will power and oftentimes we find we don't have any. Then, by the time we are able to gather up a little will power the situation has probably passed us by.

Will power is a very important part of human life, and whether or not we have it and use it makes all the difference in the world. One can never have the capabilities one has not as yet developed. Yet, we can initiate or enlarge on any capacity we wish to as long as we exert a steady pressure of the will. We should also realize that all capacities are already present within us in a potential form and that we have the unlimited power of the divine will at our disposal if we will only make use of it.

The only way we can expand and deepen our capacities is by the regular practice of Transcendental Meditation, and without affixing any anticipated result to the practice. Then when we have developed our capacity to a high degree of efficiency, we will be able to rein in the highest level of spiritual life. We make this possible by the intensification of our effort in one direction, and by this intensification we bring about the application of an ever increasing pressure of will, and this in turn releases will power as nothing else could do. We then are able to draw upon the unlimited source of divine power until we become a center through which the divine will carries out unhindered the divine purpose of our life and this is what life is about.