Oct. 14, 2025
Addressing Depression and Vital Struggle in the Yogic Practice By Building Calm and Equality in Mind, Life and Body
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1, Calm — Peace — Equality, pg. 19This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/10/12/addressing-depression-and-vital-struggle-in-the-yogic-practice-by-building-calm-and-equality-in-mind-life-and-body/
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The US editions and links to e-book editions of SriAurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:04,800
The play of the gunas in the
external nature explains the
2
00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:09,240
various reactions, moods and
psychological states we
3
00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,360
experience.
This is true not just in the
4
00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:18,400
ordinary life of the individual
and society, but also for those
5
00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:20,240
who take up the practice of
yoga.
6
00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:24,720
The patterns of reaction based
in the action of the gunas are
7
00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:28,280
well known.
When rajas is predominant, there
8
00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:33,040
is an uprising of ambition,
desire and pressure to achieve a
9
00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:37,360
specific result.
When rajas becomes frustrated,
10
00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:39,600
we're simply tires of the
effort.
11
00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:44,160
The individual generally falls
back into Thomas with the
12
00:00:44,160 --> 00:00:49,280
consequent fatigue, weakness,
darkness, and the psychological
13
00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:53,600
responses of depression.
We're at least a deep malaise
14
00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,600
and the confusion that results
from stymied ambition.
15
00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:03,720
When SAPWA arises, it leads to a
period of light and harmony,
16
00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:08,200
during which time both ambition
and the reaction to failed
17
00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:13,320
ambition are held at Bay.
The issue with SAPWA is that,
18
00:01:13,320 --> 00:01:16,720
like the other Gunas, it is not
a permanent station of the
19
00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,240
consciousness.
Rather, it goes through its own
20
00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:24,920
periods of predominance and
recession as either rajas or
21
00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:28,000
tamas rises again to continue
this cycle.
22
00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:33,360
Sapwa can also become somewhat
arrogant in its knowledge and
23
00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:37,480
thus may limit its ability to
grow and develop flexibly.
24
00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:42,680
The solution then seems to be
the ability to separate oneself
25
00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:46,840
from the nature, mind, life and
body, to shift to the
26
00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,920
consciousness of the witness of
the nature, and to interact from
27
00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:54,160
that standpoint.
Based on a direct connection to
28
00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,320
the Divine consciousness.
Many people confuse the
29
00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,840
development of a calm status of
the being with mental calm.
30
00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:07,240
Srioro Bindo takes this further
by clarifying that there is not
31
00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:11,920
just a need for mental calm but
also for a vital nature and
32
00:02:11,920 --> 00:02:16,240
physical body that can support
the action of the Divine Force
33
00:02:16,640 --> 00:02:22,000
through their own experience of
peace, wideness and stability.
34
00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:28,400
Srioro Bindo observes quote the
depression and vital struggle
35
00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:32,080
must have been due to some
defective over eagerness and
36
00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:36,520
straining for a result in your
former effort, so that when a
37
00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:40,200
fall in the consciousness came,
it was a distressed,
38
00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:45,280
disappointed and confused vital
that came to the surface giving
39
00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:50,880
full entry to the suggestions of
doubt, despair and inertia from
40
00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:55,480
the adverse side of the nature.
You have to move towards a firm
41
00:02:55,480 --> 00:03:00,000
basis of calm and equality in
the vital and physical no less
42
00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:01,720
than in the mental
consciousness.
43
00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:08,200
Let there be the full downflow
of power and ananda but into a
44
00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,320
firm attar capable of containing
it.
45
00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:16,120
It is complete equality that
gives that capacity and
46
00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:20,880
firmness.
End Quote reference Trioral
47
00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:27,400
window Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1
Calm, Peace and Equality, page
48
00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:28,120
19.
00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:04,800
The play of the gunas in the
external nature explains the
2
00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:09,240
various reactions, moods and
psychological states we
3
00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,360
experience.
This is true not just in the
4
00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:18,400
ordinary life of the individual
and society, but also for those
5
00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:20,240
who take up the practice of
yoga.
6
00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:24,720
The patterns of reaction based
in the action of the gunas are
7
00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:28,280
well known.
When rajas is predominant, there
8
00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:33,040
is an uprising of ambition,
desire and pressure to achieve a
9
00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:37,360
specific result.
When rajas becomes frustrated,
10
00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:39,600
we're simply tires of the
effort.
11
00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:44,160
The individual generally falls
back into Thomas with the
12
00:00:44,160 --> 00:00:49,280
consequent fatigue, weakness,
darkness, and the psychological
13
00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:53,600
responses of depression.
We're at least a deep malaise
14
00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,600
and the confusion that results
from stymied ambition.
15
00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:03,720
When SAPWA arises, it leads to a
period of light and harmony,
16
00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:08,200
during which time both ambition
and the reaction to failed
17
00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:13,320
ambition are held at Bay.
The issue with SAPWA is that,
18
00:01:13,320 --> 00:01:16,720
like the other Gunas, it is not
a permanent station of the
19
00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,240
consciousness.
Rather, it goes through its own
20
00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:24,920
periods of predominance and
recession as either rajas or
21
00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:28,000
tamas rises again to continue
this cycle.
22
00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:33,360
Sapwa can also become somewhat
arrogant in its knowledge and
23
00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:37,480
thus may limit its ability to
grow and develop flexibly.
24
00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:42,680
The solution then seems to be
the ability to separate oneself
25
00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:46,840
from the nature, mind, life and
body, to shift to the
26
00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,920
consciousness of the witness of
the nature, and to interact from
27
00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:54,160
that standpoint.
Based on a direct connection to
28
00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,320
the Divine consciousness.
Many people confuse the
29
00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,840
development of a calm status of
the being with mental calm.
30
00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:07,240
Srioro Bindo takes this further
by clarifying that there is not
31
00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:11,920
just a need for mental calm but
also for a vital nature and
32
00:02:11,920 --> 00:02:16,240
physical body that can support
the action of the Divine Force
33
00:02:16,640 --> 00:02:22,000
through their own experience of
peace, wideness and stability.
34
00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:28,400
Srioro Bindo observes quote the
depression and vital struggle
35
00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:32,080
must have been due to some
defective over eagerness and
36
00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:36,520
straining for a result in your
former effort, so that when a
37
00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:40,200
fall in the consciousness came,
it was a distressed,
38
00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:45,280
disappointed and confused vital
that came to the surface giving
39
00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:50,880
full entry to the suggestions of
doubt, despair and inertia from
40
00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:55,480
the adverse side of the nature.
You have to move towards a firm
41
00:02:55,480 --> 00:03:00,000
basis of calm and equality in
the vital and physical no less
42
00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:01,720
than in the mental
consciousness.
43
00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:08,200
Let there be the full downflow
of power and ananda but into a
44
00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,320
firm attar capable of containing
it.
45
00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:16,120
It is complete equality that
gives that capacity and
46
00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:20,880
firmness.
End Quote reference Trioral
47
00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:27,400
window Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1
Calm, Peace and Equality, page
48
00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:28,120
19.
