Oct. 29, 2025
Actualizing the Surrender to the Divine in All the Parts of the Being
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 2, Faith — Aspiration — Surrender, pg. 27
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/10/27/actualizing-the-surrender-to-the-divine-in-all-the-parts-of-the-being/
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 #Yudhisthira #The Mother #mental knowledge #surrender #aspiration #consecration #mental will
1
00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:03,360
Particularly when we are
predominantly seated in our
2
00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:07,520
mental consciousness, we tend to
believe that knowing something
3
00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:11,440
with our minds represents
knowing it in its reality.
4
00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:15,000
We gain what may be called the
arrogance of the mental
5
00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:18,880
consciousness.
We soon learn, however, that
6
00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,160
mental knowledge is not
equivalent to actual practical
7
00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:25,480
experience.
Reading a book on swimming does
8
00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:28,760
not help much if one is flailing
and drowning in the lake or
9
00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:33,280
ocean without actual experience
in both understanding the
10
00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:37,720
principle of swimming and having
experience with its practical
11
00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:41,920
application through the training
of our body to respond and
12
00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:47,000
thereby succeed in the practice.
Similarly, yogic seekers
13
00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,040
frequently believe that knowing
and accepting a particular
14
00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:53,600
knowledge or teaching in our
minds, with the ability to
15
00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:58,120
recite it back and explain it,
means that they actually have
16
00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:01,920
mastered it.
There's an apocryphal story
17
00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:04,720
which has been passed down, but
which we have not been able to
18
00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:09,640
locate in the source material as
of yet, which describes an event
19
00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:11,360
from the time of the
Mahabharata.
20
00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:15,680
The preceptor of the royal
Princess was tasked with
21
00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:19,560
educating the 100 sons of
Drutherashtra known as the
22
00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:23,880
Korovas, along with the five
sons of Pandu known as the
23
00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:27,160
Pandavas.
One day he indicated that the
24
00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:32,240
lesson was not to become angry.
Mastery of anger was essential
25
00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:35,600
for the role that these Princess
would play in their later lives.
26
00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:40,400
So it was an important lesson.
After teaching the lesson, he
27
00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:43,560
asked each Prince individually
whether he had learned the
28
00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:49,520
lesson and was told by each one,
Yes, the lesson is not to become
29
00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:54,040
angry until he came to the
eldest, the future king of the
30
00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:59,640
clan, Yudhishtira, who responded
No, I have not learned it.
31
00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,400
The lesson was repeated the next
day and then the following day
32
00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:08,360
with the same result.
As Yudhishtira demurred from
33
00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:13,760
having learned the lesson, Drona
in a fit of anger struck
34
00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:18,200
Yudhishtira across the cheek.
Striking a Prince of the royal
35
00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:22,640
blood was a capital offence, and
Drona had thereby put his life
36
00:02:22,640 --> 00:02:26,120
on the line if Eudistira chose
to respond.
37
00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:32,200
However, Eudistira then
answered, I now understand and
38
00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:34,400
have learned the lesson not to
become angry.
39
00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:39,120
Eudistira understood that a
mental knowledge was not actual
40
00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:43,640
knowledge or mastery, and it was
only after he had an actual
41
00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:48,360
circumstance that he was able to
judge how deeply the lesson had
42
00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:52,800
been impressed upon him.
Yiddishtira's lesson is useful
43
00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:56,040
for the spiritual seeker who
wants to carry out the spiritual
44
00:02:56,040 --> 00:03:00,040
surrender to the divine.
The first step is generally a
45
00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:04,640
central commitment, a will, an
aspiration that the mind and
46
00:03:04,640 --> 00:03:07,680
psychic being adopt as their
understanding.
47
00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:13,080
Eventually they find that the
reactions of the mind, the vital
48
00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:17,120
and the physical body, the
responses that are embedded due
49
00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:22,680
to instinct or habit, the force
of the ego personality, all
50
00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:27,120
continue along their pre
established grooves and thus the
51
00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:31,840
completeness of the process has
been derailed, delayed or
52
00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:37,920
entirely denied.
Srioro Bindu observes quote A
53
00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:41,280
complete surrender is not
possible in so short a time.
54
00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,560
For a complete surrender means
to cut the knot of the ego in
55
00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:50,320
each part of the being and offer
it free and whole to the Divine.
56
00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:56,200
The mind, the vital, the
physical consciousness and even
57
00:03:56,240 --> 00:04:00,280
each part of these in all its
movements have one after the
58
00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:04,520
other to surrender separately,
to give up their own way and to
59
00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:09,480
accept the way of the Divine.
But what 1 can do is to make
60
00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:13,600
from the beginning a central
resolve and self dedication, and
61
00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:17,920
to implement it in whatever way
one finds open at each step,
62
00:04:18,399 --> 00:04:22,440
taking advantage of every
occasion that offers itself to
63
00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:26,840
make the self giving complete.
The surrender in One Direction
64
00:04:26,840 --> 00:04:31,400
makes others easier, more
inevitable, but it does not of
65
00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:35,960
itself cut or loosen the other
knots, and especially those
66
00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:39,680
which are very intimately bound
up with the present personality
67
00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:43,880
and its most cherished
formations may often present
68
00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:48,760
great difficulties even after
the central will has been fixed
69
00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:52,280
and the first seals put on its
resolve in practice.
70
00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:55,440
End Quote.
Reference.
71
00:04:55,840 --> 00:04:59,360
Srioro Bindo, Bases of Yoga,
Chapter 2.
72
00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:04,360
Faith, Aspiration, Surrender,
page 27.
00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:03,360
Particularly when we are
predominantly seated in our
2
00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:07,520
mental consciousness, we tend to
believe that knowing something
3
00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:11,440
with our minds represents
knowing it in its reality.
4
00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:15,000
We gain what may be called the
arrogance of the mental
5
00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:18,880
consciousness.
We soon learn, however, that
6
00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,160
mental knowledge is not
equivalent to actual practical
7
00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:25,480
experience.
Reading a book on swimming does
8
00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:28,760
not help much if one is flailing
and drowning in the lake or
9
00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:33,280
ocean without actual experience
in both understanding the
10
00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:37,720
principle of swimming and having
experience with its practical
11
00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:41,920
application through the training
of our body to respond and
12
00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:47,000
thereby succeed in the practice.
Similarly, yogic seekers
13
00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,040
frequently believe that knowing
and accepting a particular
14
00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:53,600
knowledge or teaching in our
minds, with the ability to
15
00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:58,120
recite it back and explain it,
means that they actually have
16
00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:01,920
mastered it.
There's an apocryphal story
17
00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:04,720
which has been passed down, but
which we have not been able to
18
00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:09,640
locate in the source material as
of yet, which describes an event
19
00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:11,360
from the time of the
Mahabharata.
20
00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:15,680
The preceptor of the royal
Princess was tasked with
21
00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:19,560
educating the 100 sons of
Drutherashtra known as the
22
00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:23,880
Korovas, along with the five
sons of Pandu known as the
23
00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:27,160
Pandavas.
One day he indicated that the
24
00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:32,240
lesson was not to become angry.
Mastery of anger was essential
25
00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:35,600
for the role that these Princess
would play in their later lives.
26
00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:40,400
So it was an important lesson.
After teaching the lesson, he
27
00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:43,560
asked each Prince individually
whether he had learned the
28
00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:49,520
lesson and was told by each one,
Yes, the lesson is not to become
29
00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:54,040
angry until he came to the
eldest, the future king of the
30
00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:59,640
clan, Yudhishtira, who responded
No, I have not learned it.
31
00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,400
The lesson was repeated the next
day and then the following day
32
00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:08,360
with the same result.
As Yudhishtira demurred from
33
00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:13,760
having learned the lesson, Drona
in a fit of anger struck
34
00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:18,200
Yudhishtira across the cheek.
Striking a Prince of the royal
35
00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:22,640
blood was a capital offence, and
Drona had thereby put his life
36
00:02:22,640 --> 00:02:26,120
on the line if Eudistira chose
to respond.
37
00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:32,200
However, Eudistira then
answered, I now understand and
38
00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:34,400
have learned the lesson not to
become angry.
39
00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:39,120
Eudistira understood that a
mental knowledge was not actual
40
00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:43,640
knowledge or mastery, and it was
only after he had an actual
41
00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:48,360
circumstance that he was able to
judge how deeply the lesson had
42
00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:52,800
been impressed upon him.
Yiddishtira's lesson is useful
43
00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:56,040
for the spiritual seeker who
wants to carry out the spiritual
44
00:02:56,040 --> 00:03:00,040
surrender to the divine.
The first step is generally a
45
00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:04,640
central commitment, a will, an
aspiration that the mind and
46
00:03:04,640 --> 00:03:07,680
psychic being adopt as their
understanding.
47
00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:13,080
Eventually they find that the
reactions of the mind, the vital
48
00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:17,120
and the physical body, the
responses that are embedded due
49
00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:22,680
to instinct or habit, the force
of the ego personality, all
50
00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:27,120
continue along their pre
established grooves and thus the
51
00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:31,840
completeness of the process has
been derailed, delayed or
52
00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:37,920
entirely denied.
Srioro Bindu observes quote A
53
00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:41,280
complete surrender is not
possible in so short a time.
54
00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,560
For a complete surrender means
to cut the knot of the ego in
55
00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:50,320
each part of the being and offer
it free and whole to the Divine.
56
00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:56,200
The mind, the vital, the
physical consciousness and even
57
00:03:56,240 --> 00:04:00,280
each part of these in all its
movements have one after the
58
00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:04,520
other to surrender separately,
to give up their own way and to
59
00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:09,480
accept the way of the Divine.
But what 1 can do is to make
60
00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:13,600
from the beginning a central
resolve and self dedication, and
61
00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:17,920
to implement it in whatever way
one finds open at each step,
62
00:04:18,399 --> 00:04:22,440
taking advantage of every
occasion that offers itself to
63
00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:26,840
make the self giving complete.
The surrender in One Direction
64
00:04:26,840 --> 00:04:31,400
makes others easier, more
inevitable, but it does not of
65
00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:35,960
itself cut or loosen the other
knots, and especially those
66
00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:39,680
which are very intimately bound
up with the present personality
67
00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:43,880
and its most cherished
formations may often present
68
00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:48,760
great difficulties even after
the central will has been fixed
69
00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:52,280
and the first seals put on its
resolve in practice.
70
00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:55,440
End Quote.
Reference.
71
00:04:55,840 --> 00:04:59,360
Srioro Bindo, Bases of Yoga,
Chapter 2.
72
00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:04,360
Faith, Aspiration, Surrender,
page 27.
