May 22, 2026
A Higher Light of Consciousness Removes the Limitations of the Mental and Vital Process of Decision and Action
reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Psychic Being — Soul: Its Nature, Mission and Evolution, Section 2 Role, Function and Action of the Psychic, pg. 64This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/05/20/a-higher-light-of-consciousness-removes-the-limitations-of-the-mental-and-vital-process-of-decision-and-action/
Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are allavailable on the YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@santoshkrinsky871
More information about Sri Aurobindo can be found at www.aurobindo.net
The US editions and links to e-book editions of SriAurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #spirituality #The Mother #soul #psychic being #supramental
1
00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:05,240
The confusion, indecision and
inaccurate results that attend
2
00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:07,840
us in our ignorance of the truth
of our existence.
3
00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:12,400
Our consistent attempt to judge
things based on the individual
4
00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:17,600
desires, wants, considerations,
needs and ideas, treating
5
00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,880
ourselves as the center of the
universe with the world, the
6
00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,440
sun, the Galaxy, all rotating
around.
7
00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:30,200
Our personal satisfactions
cannot be overcome by the use of
8
00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:34,560
logic, reason, mental
conceptions, emotional
9
00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:39,000
responses, vital demands or
physical requirements.
10
00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:44,600
We only see and respond to a
very partial picture and we do
11
00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,080
so with a bias framed around our
ego.
12
00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,800
Even when we begin to take into
account family, friends,
13
00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:57,600
neighbors, community, country,
religion, environment, we are
14
00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:03,400
simply expanding 1 ego reaction
for another, albeit a larger
15
00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:06,680
one.
Eventually we come to the
16
00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:10,960
insistent need to know what the
truth of our existence is and
17
00:01:10,960 --> 00:01:13,240
how we may act according to that
truth.
18
00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:17,280
Triorrobindo and the Mother
explored this question in great
19
00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:21,640
depth and determined that we
need to 1st appreciate what
20
00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:27,040
Triorrobindo identifies in the
Life Divine as the Sevenfold
21
00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:32,360
Ignorance and to begin to
replace it with the Sevenfold
22
00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:35,680
Knowledge.
The Mother points out that the
23
00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:39,120
most straightforward approach is
to shift our identification to
24
00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:43,800
the psychic being, the soul in
man, which is identified with
25
00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,120
the spiritual reality of
existence.
26
00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:52,600
This leads to what Triorobindo
calls knowledge by identity and
27
00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:57,440
in the stilling of the desire
soul and the mental chatter in
28
00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:00,720
the silence of the being focused
on and dedicated to the
29
00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:05,600
spiritual truth of our life, we
can enter a state of awareness
30
00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:10,120
that knows and that is perfectly
aligned with the universal
31
00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,200
nature and its intention in the
manifestation.
32
00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:18,000
It is not always easy to shift
the standpoint to that of the
33
00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:22,160
spirit, primarily because our
external nature is limited,
34
00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:26,320
impatient, and desirous of
claiming it has achieved
35
00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:30,360
something.
Thus, in a number of cases, the
36
00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:34,840
individual assigns to himself
the truth while opposing or at
37
00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:40,080
least minimizing that of others.
There is a famous story related
38
00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:44,600
by Ram Krishna Paramans about a
disciple who went out from his
39
00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:49,360
guru into the street in a state
of consciousness that realized
40
00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:53,040
that he was God.
As he was going along, an
41
00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:57,080
excited elephant with an
individual tasked with
42
00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:01,600
controlling it approached from
the opposite direction.
43
00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:05,280
The driver could not control the
mad animal.
44
00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:08,360
He yelled for the disciple to
step aside.
45
00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:11,840
Everyone else nearby scattered
out of the way.
46
00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:17,160
The disciple, thinking he was
God, did not respond.
47
00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:20,880
He was mauled mercilessly as he
got trampled.
48
00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:26,800
Later when he returned to the
guru, he told his tale and the
49
00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:31,000
guru asked him why he did not
listen to God in the form of the
50
00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:35,800
elephant driver and get out of
the way of God in the form of
51
00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:40,600
the elephant.
The voice of the soul, the
52
00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,200
guidance is not loud or
overpowering.
53
00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:49,000
It guides but does not overpower
the individual nature. 1 can be
54
00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:53,800
quite sure that if there is any
sense of vanity, self dealing,
55
00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:59,960
desire, ambition, self
satisfaction, that it is not the
56
00:03:59,960 --> 00:04:03,880
voice of the soul to which one
is adhering, but the voice of
57
00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:06,120
the elements of the external
nature.
58
00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:10,800
There is another process that
takes place as the yogic
59
00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:15,800
practice intensifies.
As the mind falls silent, it can
60
00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:20,240
begin to open to higher ranges
of awareness, which Rior Obindo
61
00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:25,320
calls intuition, illumined mind
over mind, et cetera.
62
00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:29,160
These ranges have a greater
degree of pure light of
63
00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:33,440
consciousness associated with
them and give therefore a truer
64
00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:37,320
guidance.
The pure intense light is that
65
00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:40,560
of the supra mental
consciousness, the vignana.
66
00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:45,400
There is an experiential status
that provides insights and
67
00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:49,400
understanding without effort,
without even thought process,
68
00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:53,880
through direct knowing.
The Isha Upanishad states that
69
00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:57,240
the face of truth is covered by
a brilliant golden lid.
70
00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:01,800
This is symbolic of the higher
light of consciousness that when
71
00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:07,000
it manifests in the being,
provides assurances, certainties
72
00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:11,800
that do away with the confusion
and indecision that come with
73
00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:15,480
the mental and vital processes
we normally follow in our
74
00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:20,480
external nature.
The mother writes quote.
75
00:05:21,840 --> 00:05:24,440
There is only one thing which
knows in you, that's your
76
00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,440
psychic.
It makes no mistake.
77
00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:32,400
It will immediately,
instantaneously tell you if you
78
00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:35,120
obey it without a word and
without your ideas and
79
00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:38,560
arguments, it will make you do
the right thing.
80
00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:44,840
But all the rest, you are lost.
And for everything, what are you
81
00:05:44,840 --> 00:05:48,080
going to study?
What are you not going to study?
82
00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:52,560
What work are you going to do?
What path are you going to take?
83
00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:57,480
But then there are all the
possibilities which come in, all
84
00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:01,320
that you have either studied or
met in life, all the suggestions
85
00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:04,880
you have received from all sides
which are there like that
86
00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:09,120
dancing around you.
And with what will you decide?
87
00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:13,880
I am Speaking of people who are
absolutely sincere and have no
88
00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:19,200
preconceived ideas, prejudices,
establish rules which they
89
00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:23,400
follow in a mechanical routine
without endeavouring to know the
90
00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:27,680
truth at all, and for whom their
mental construction is the
91
00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:30,400
truth.
Then it is so simple.
92
00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:34,000
One goes straight on his path,
bumps his nose against the wall,
93
00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:37,360
but doesn't notice it until the
nose is smashed.
94
00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:41,200
But otherwise it is terribly
difficult.
95
00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:46,680
This was what Trio Robindo meant
when he said that one lived
96
00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:50,360
constantly in ignorance, and
that unless the mind of
97
00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:56,160
ignorance is replaced by a mind
of light, one could not follow
98
00:06:56,320 --> 00:07:01,560
the true path, and that this was
the indispensable preparation
99
00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:05,680
before any integral
transformation could take place.
100
00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:10,280
End Quote.
Reference Trio Robindo and the
101
00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:14,680
Mother the psychic being soul,
its nature, mission and
102
00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:19,360
evolution Section 2 Role,
function and action of the
103
00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:21,200
psychic page 64.
00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:05,240
The confusion, indecision and
inaccurate results that attend
2
00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:07,840
us in our ignorance of the truth
of our existence.
3
00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:12,400
Our consistent attempt to judge
things based on the individual
4
00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:17,600
desires, wants, considerations,
needs and ideas, treating
5
00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,880
ourselves as the center of the
universe with the world, the
6
00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,440
sun, the Galaxy, all rotating
around.
7
00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:30,200
Our personal satisfactions
cannot be overcome by the use of
8
00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:34,560
logic, reason, mental
conceptions, emotional
9
00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:39,000
responses, vital demands or
physical requirements.
10
00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:44,600
We only see and respond to a
very partial picture and we do
11
00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,080
so with a bias framed around our
ego.
12
00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,800
Even when we begin to take into
account family, friends,
13
00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:57,600
neighbors, community, country,
religion, environment, we are
14
00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:03,400
simply expanding 1 ego reaction
for another, albeit a larger
15
00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:06,680
one.
Eventually we come to the
16
00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:10,960
insistent need to know what the
truth of our existence is and
17
00:01:10,960 --> 00:01:13,240
how we may act according to that
truth.
18
00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:17,280
Triorrobindo and the Mother
explored this question in great
19
00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:21,640
depth and determined that we
need to 1st appreciate what
20
00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:27,040
Triorrobindo identifies in the
Life Divine as the Sevenfold
21
00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:32,360
Ignorance and to begin to
replace it with the Sevenfold
22
00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:35,680
Knowledge.
The Mother points out that the
23
00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:39,120
most straightforward approach is
to shift our identification to
24
00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:43,800
the psychic being, the soul in
man, which is identified with
25
00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,120
the spiritual reality of
existence.
26
00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:52,600
This leads to what Triorobindo
calls knowledge by identity and
27
00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:57,440
in the stilling of the desire
soul and the mental chatter in
28
00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:00,720
the silence of the being focused
on and dedicated to the
29
00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:05,600
spiritual truth of our life, we
can enter a state of awareness
30
00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:10,120
that knows and that is perfectly
aligned with the universal
31
00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,200
nature and its intention in the
manifestation.
32
00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:18,000
It is not always easy to shift
the standpoint to that of the
33
00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:22,160
spirit, primarily because our
external nature is limited,
34
00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:26,320
impatient, and desirous of
claiming it has achieved
35
00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:30,360
something.
Thus, in a number of cases, the
36
00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:34,840
individual assigns to himself
the truth while opposing or at
37
00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:40,080
least minimizing that of others.
There is a famous story related
38
00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:44,600
by Ram Krishna Paramans about a
disciple who went out from his
39
00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:49,360
guru into the street in a state
of consciousness that realized
40
00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:53,040
that he was God.
As he was going along, an
41
00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:57,080
excited elephant with an
individual tasked with
42
00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:01,600
controlling it approached from
the opposite direction.
43
00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:05,280
The driver could not control the
mad animal.
44
00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:08,360
He yelled for the disciple to
step aside.
45
00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:11,840
Everyone else nearby scattered
out of the way.
46
00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:17,160
The disciple, thinking he was
God, did not respond.
47
00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:20,880
He was mauled mercilessly as he
got trampled.
48
00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:26,800
Later when he returned to the
guru, he told his tale and the
49
00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:31,000
guru asked him why he did not
listen to God in the form of the
50
00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:35,800
elephant driver and get out of
the way of God in the form of
51
00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:40,600
the elephant.
The voice of the soul, the
52
00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,200
guidance is not loud or
overpowering.
53
00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:49,000
It guides but does not overpower
the individual nature. 1 can be
54
00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:53,800
quite sure that if there is any
sense of vanity, self dealing,
55
00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:59,960
desire, ambition, self
satisfaction, that it is not the
56
00:03:59,960 --> 00:04:03,880
voice of the soul to which one
is adhering, but the voice of
57
00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:06,120
the elements of the external
nature.
58
00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:10,800
There is another process that
takes place as the yogic
59
00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:15,800
practice intensifies.
As the mind falls silent, it can
60
00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:20,240
begin to open to higher ranges
of awareness, which Rior Obindo
61
00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:25,320
calls intuition, illumined mind
over mind, et cetera.
62
00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:29,160
These ranges have a greater
degree of pure light of
63
00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:33,440
consciousness associated with
them and give therefore a truer
64
00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:37,320
guidance.
The pure intense light is that
65
00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:40,560
of the supra mental
consciousness, the vignana.
66
00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:45,400
There is an experiential status
that provides insights and
67
00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:49,400
understanding without effort,
without even thought process,
68
00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:53,880
through direct knowing.
The Isha Upanishad states that
69
00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:57,240
the face of truth is covered by
a brilliant golden lid.
70
00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:01,800
This is symbolic of the higher
light of consciousness that when
71
00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:07,000
it manifests in the being,
provides assurances, certainties
72
00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:11,800
that do away with the confusion
and indecision that come with
73
00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:15,480
the mental and vital processes
we normally follow in our
74
00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:20,480
external nature.
The mother writes quote.
75
00:05:21,840 --> 00:05:24,440
There is only one thing which
knows in you, that's your
76
00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,440
psychic.
It makes no mistake.
77
00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:32,400
It will immediately,
instantaneously tell you if you
78
00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:35,120
obey it without a word and
without your ideas and
79
00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:38,560
arguments, it will make you do
the right thing.
80
00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:44,840
But all the rest, you are lost.
And for everything, what are you
81
00:05:44,840 --> 00:05:48,080
going to study?
What are you not going to study?
82
00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:52,560
What work are you going to do?
What path are you going to take?
83
00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:57,480
But then there are all the
possibilities which come in, all
84
00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:01,320
that you have either studied or
met in life, all the suggestions
85
00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:04,880
you have received from all sides
which are there like that
86
00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:09,120
dancing around you.
And with what will you decide?
87
00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:13,880
I am Speaking of people who are
absolutely sincere and have no
88
00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:19,200
preconceived ideas, prejudices,
establish rules which they
89
00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:23,400
follow in a mechanical routine
without endeavouring to know the
90
00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:27,680
truth at all, and for whom their
mental construction is the
91
00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:30,400
truth.
Then it is so simple.
92
00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:34,000
One goes straight on his path,
bumps his nose against the wall,
93
00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:37,360
but doesn't notice it until the
nose is smashed.
94
00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:41,200
But otherwise it is terribly
difficult.
95
00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:46,680
This was what Trio Robindo meant
when he said that one lived
96
00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:50,360
constantly in ignorance, and
that unless the mind of
97
00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:56,160
ignorance is replaced by a mind
of light, one could not follow
98
00:06:56,320 --> 00:07:01,560
the true path, and that this was
the indispensable preparation
99
00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:05,680
before any integral
transformation could take place.
100
00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:10,280
End Quote.
Reference Trio Robindo and the
101
00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:14,680
Mother the psychic being soul,
its nature, mission and
102
00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:19,360
evolution Section 2 Role,
function and action of the
103
00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:21,200
psychic page 64.
