Nov. 24, 2024
A Method for the Seeker to Obtain Guidance Through Accessing a Random Passage in a Book
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter X Obtaining Answers and Solutions pp. 93-94 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/11/22/a-method-for-the-seeker-to-obtain-guidance-through-accessing-a-random-passage-in-a-book/
Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are all available 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 Sri Aurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:04,680
The idea that one can receive
guidance in response to a
2
00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:09,200
question or aspiration 1 is
holding within oneself from a
3
00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:13,400
randomly chosen page of a book
is not based on some idea of
4
00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:17,240
magic, but is grounded in an
understanding of the unity of
5
00:00:17,240 --> 00:00:20,120
consciousness and the
interactive nature of
6
00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:24,360
consciousness in action.
Shirley MacLaine, in her book
7
00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:28,680
and film of the same name, Out
on a Limb, described an
8
00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,000
experience she felt was
extraordinary.
9
00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,880
She entered a bookshop with
questions about the meaning of
10
00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:39,080
her life, the significance of
relationships she was forming,
11
00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:43,080
and the possibility of past
lives impacting the present.
12
00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,520
These questions were very active
in her being.
13
00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:50,680
As she started browsing the
shelves, a particular book
14
00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:55,160
literally fell off of a higher
shelf and landed in her hands.
15
00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:58,960
It was a book that responded to
the question she had.
16
00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:04,319
Mysterious, no doubt, but it
illustrates this interactive
17
00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:08,520
nature of the entire
manifestation with a deeply felt
18
00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:10,800
aspiration.
The answers are provided.
19
00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:15,840
Sometimes it comes through a
book, sometimes through a
20
00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:20,280
serendipitous meeting with a
person, or a particular event or
21
00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:24,840
experience that occurs, whether
you call it a response to a
22
00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:29,920
prayer or a matter of
synchronicity, or a tuning of
23
00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,440
the individual consciousness to
the universal consciousness.
24
00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:38,240
There is no doubt, based on the
experience of vast numbers of
25
00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:42,080
people throughout the world and
spanning virtually every
26
00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:46,200
spiritual tradition, that such
guidance is available to the
27
00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,800
sincere seeker who concentrates
his aspiration.
28
00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:55,400
For this process to work, not
only the seeker's consciousness
29
00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,800
must be focused and
concentrated, but he must be
30
00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:03,080
applying to a book that carries
the force that can provide such
31
00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,200
answers.
Great spiritual texts are thus
32
00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:09,840
more readily able to guide as
they are created with the force
33
00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:14,160
of the wider, higher
consciousness, and thus are more
34
00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:19,520
easily accessed and themselves
focused on the issues raised by
35
00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:23,360
sincere seekers.
The Mother provides a clue that
36
00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:27,960
using texts with aphorisms tends
to work better simply because
37
00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:32,520
the answer is much more clear
and easily assimilated than if
38
00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:36,640
one tries to ferret out the
sense from a long passage in a
39
00:02:36,640 --> 00:02:40,960
much more dense text.
Many have found that using Sri
40
00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:45,880
Aurobindo's epic poem Savitri, a
legend and a symbol, in this way
41
00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,640
seems to be particularly
beneficial, as it is a
42
00:02:49,640 --> 00:02:54,000
storehouse of spiritual energy
in a very concentrated form.
43
00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:59,680
The Mother notes quote.
There is always a way of reading
44
00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:03,320
and understanding what one reads
which gives an answer to what
45
00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:06,640
you want.
It is not just a chance or an
46
00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:09,880
amusement, nor is it a kind of
diversion.
47
00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:15,280
You may do it just like that and
then nothing at all happens to
48
00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,440
you.
You have no reply and it is not
49
00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:22,800
interesting.
But if you do it seriously, if
50
00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:26,600
seriously, your aspiration tries
to concentrate on this
51
00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,880
instrument.
It is like a battery, isn't it,
52
00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:34,360
which contains energies.
If it tries to come into contact
53
00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:39,120
with the energy which is there
and insists on having the answer
54
00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:43,800
to what it wants to know, well,
naturally the energy is there.
55
00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:49,760
The union of the two forces, the
force given out by you and that
56
00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,800
accumulated in the book will
guide your hand and your paper
57
00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,640
knife, or whatever you have.
It will guide you exactly to the
58
00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:00,120
thing that expresses what you
ought to know.
59
00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:04,800
Obviously, if one does it
without sincerity or conviction,
60
00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:10,600
nothing at all happens.
If it is done sincerely, 1 gets
61
00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:14,000
an answer.
Certain books are like this,
62
00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:16,279
more powerfully charged than
others.
63
00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:20,480
There are others where the
result is less clear, but
64
00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:24,600
generally books containing
aphorisms and short sentences,
65
00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:29,480
not very long philosophical
explanations, but rather things
66
00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:33,760
in a condensed and precise form.
It is with these that one
67
00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:38,040
succeeds best.
Naturally, the value of the
68
00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,520
answer depends on the value of
the spiritual force contained in
69
00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:44,840
the book.
If you take a novel, it will
70
00:04:44,840 --> 00:04:47,120
tell you nothing at all but
stupidities.
71
00:04:47,840 --> 00:04:51,120
But if you take a book
containing a condensation of
72
00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:57,440
forces of knowledge or spiritual
force or teaching power, you
73
00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:03,280
will receive your answer.
End Quote Reference Sri
74
00:05:03,280 --> 00:05:08,120
Aurobindo and the Mother Powers
within, Chapter 10 Obtaining
75
00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:12,200
Answers and Solutions, pages 93
to 94.
00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:04,680
The idea that one can receive
guidance in response to a
2
00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:09,200
question or aspiration 1 is
holding within oneself from a
3
00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:13,400
randomly chosen page of a book
is not based on some idea of
4
00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:17,240
magic, but is grounded in an
understanding of the unity of
5
00:00:17,240 --> 00:00:20,120
consciousness and the
interactive nature of
6
00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:24,360
consciousness in action.
Shirley MacLaine, in her book
7
00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:28,680
and film of the same name, Out
on a Limb, described an
8
00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,000
experience she felt was
extraordinary.
9
00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,880
She entered a bookshop with
questions about the meaning of
10
00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:39,080
her life, the significance of
relationships she was forming,
11
00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:43,080
and the possibility of past
lives impacting the present.
12
00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,520
These questions were very active
in her being.
13
00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:50,680
As she started browsing the
shelves, a particular book
14
00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:55,160
literally fell off of a higher
shelf and landed in her hands.
15
00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:58,960
It was a book that responded to
the question she had.
16
00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:04,319
Mysterious, no doubt, but it
illustrates this interactive
17
00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:08,520
nature of the entire
manifestation with a deeply felt
18
00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:10,800
aspiration.
The answers are provided.
19
00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:15,840
Sometimes it comes through a
book, sometimes through a
20
00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:20,280
serendipitous meeting with a
person, or a particular event or
21
00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:24,840
experience that occurs, whether
you call it a response to a
22
00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:29,920
prayer or a matter of
synchronicity, or a tuning of
23
00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,440
the individual consciousness to
the universal consciousness.
24
00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:38,240
There is no doubt, based on the
experience of vast numbers of
25
00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:42,080
people throughout the world and
spanning virtually every
26
00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:46,200
spiritual tradition, that such
guidance is available to the
27
00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,800
sincere seeker who concentrates
his aspiration.
28
00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:55,400
For this process to work, not
only the seeker's consciousness
29
00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,800
must be focused and
concentrated, but he must be
30
00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:03,080
applying to a book that carries
the force that can provide such
31
00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,200
answers.
Great spiritual texts are thus
32
00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:09,840
more readily able to guide as
they are created with the force
33
00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:14,160
of the wider, higher
consciousness, and thus are more
34
00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:19,520
easily accessed and themselves
focused on the issues raised by
35
00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:23,360
sincere seekers.
The Mother provides a clue that
36
00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:27,960
using texts with aphorisms tends
to work better simply because
37
00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:32,520
the answer is much more clear
and easily assimilated than if
38
00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:36,640
one tries to ferret out the
sense from a long passage in a
39
00:02:36,640 --> 00:02:40,960
much more dense text.
Many have found that using Sri
40
00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:45,880
Aurobindo's epic poem Savitri, a
legend and a symbol, in this way
41
00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,640
seems to be particularly
beneficial, as it is a
42
00:02:49,640 --> 00:02:54,000
storehouse of spiritual energy
in a very concentrated form.
43
00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:59,680
The Mother notes quote.
There is always a way of reading
44
00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:03,320
and understanding what one reads
which gives an answer to what
45
00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:06,640
you want.
It is not just a chance or an
46
00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:09,880
amusement, nor is it a kind of
diversion.
47
00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:15,280
You may do it just like that and
then nothing at all happens to
48
00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,440
you.
You have no reply and it is not
49
00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:22,800
interesting.
But if you do it seriously, if
50
00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:26,600
seriously, your aspiration tries
to concentrate on this
51
00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,880
instrument.
It is like a battery, isn't it,
52
00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:34,360
which contains energies.
If it tries to come into contact
53
00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:39,120
with the energy which is there
and insists on having the answer
54
00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:43,800
to what it wants to know, well,
naturally the energy is there.
55
00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:49,760
The union of the two forces, the
force given out by you and that
56
00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,800
accumulated in the book will
guide your hand and your paper
57
00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,640
knife, or whatever you have.
It will guide you exactly to the
58
00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:00,120
thing that expresses what you
ought to know.
59
00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:04,800
Obviously, if one does it
without sincerity or conviction,
60
00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:10,600
nothing at all happens.
If it is done sincerely, 1 gets
61
00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:14,000
an answer.
Certain books are like this,
62
00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:16,279
more powerfully charged than
others.
63
00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:20,480
There are others where the
result is less clear, but
64
00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:24,600
generally books containing
aphorisms and short sentences,
65
00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:29,480
not very long philosophical
explanations, but rather things
66
00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:33,760
in a condensed and precise form.
It is with these that one
67
00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:38,040
succeeds best.
Naturally, the value of the
68
00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,520
answer depends on the value of
the spiritual force contained in
69
00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:44,840
the book.
If you take a novel, it will
70
00:04:44,840 --> 00:04:47,120
tell you nothing at all but
stupidities.
71
00:04:47,840 --> 00:04:51,120
But if you take a book
containing a condensation of
72
00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:57,440
forces of knowledge or spiritual
force or teaching power, you
73
00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:03,280
will receive your answer.
End Quote Reference Sri
74
00:05:03,280 --> 00:05:08,120
Aurobindo and the Mother Powers
within, Chapter 10 Obtaining
75
00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:12,200
Answers and Solutions, pages 93
to 94.