Jan. 2, 2026
Addressing Food-Desire Effectively Without Over-Emphasizing the Focus on It
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 4, Desire — Food — Sex, pg. 67
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/12/31/addressing-food-desire-effectively-without-over-emphasizing-the-focus-on-it/
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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 #vital desire #food-desire #fasting #detachment #equality of mind
1
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,200
When an individual takes up the
spiritual path, he seeks
2
00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:09,840
guidance, perhaps from books or
through online blogs, podcasts,
3
00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:13,840
videos, webinars, perhaps from
people who are treading the
4
00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:19,000
path, perhaps from a teacher or
guru who has come into his life.
5
00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:22,960
Generally, he comes away with
some guidelines to follow.
6
00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:26,840
In many instances, the
guidelines set forth ultimate
7
00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:31,000
desired results but do not
provide detailed instruction
8
00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:34,720
taking into account the
individual's starting point,
9
00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:39,960
situation and circumstances.
This can lead to substantial
10
00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:44,240
anxiety in this seeker as he
tries to measure his thoughts,
11
00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:49,360
feelings, actions, and reactions
against a standard that he is
12
00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:54,400
not able to meet at that moment.
Substantial time, energy and
13
00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:58,800
focus is then dedicated to what
may be, in the big picture,
14
00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:03,520
relatively small things.
It is part of the process of
15
00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:07,520
maturing along the path for the
seeker to begin to refine the
16
00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,840
time and attention so that these
matters can be seen in a more
17
00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:17,080
balanced light and thus not
allowed to occupy the mind that
18
00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:20,680
should be ideally focussed on
the spiritual pursuits.
19
00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,520
While most people are more
easily able to spot faults
20
00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:29,520
outside in others, the spiritual
seeker tends to take a more
21
00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:34,560
close up view of his own
reactions and thus magnifies the
22
00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:39,280
faults he sees when he tries to
compare them to the ideal as set
23
00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:43,200
forth in the teachings he may be
attempting to implement.
24
00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:48,160
Triorobindo's approach is to
cultivate detachment and
25
00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:52,680
equality, thereby reducing or
eliminating vital desires that
26
00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:57,440
arise over the course of time.
This standpoint helps the seeker
27
00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:01,080
to find that right balance where
the focus remains on the
28
00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:06,160
spiritual effort, the
aspiration, the consecration and
29
00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:10,039
the receptivity to the higher
force, and the rejection of
30
00:02:10,039 --> 00:02:14,160
unwanted vital reactions plays
out through the action of the
31
00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:19,200
higher force responding to the
call and the openness that the
32
00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:25,400
seeker eventually develops.
Sri Robindo notes quote neither
33
00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:30,160
neglect this turn of the nature
food desire nor make too much of
34
00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:32,360
it.
It has to be dealt with,
35
00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:36,240
purified and mastered.
But without giving it too much
36
00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:40,800
importance, there are two ways
of conquering it, one of
37
00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,680
detachment, learning to regard
food as only a physical
38
00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,360
necessity, and the vital
satisfaction of the stomach and
39
00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:50,760
the palate as a thing of no
importance.
40
00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:55,240
The other is to be able to take
without insistence or seeking,
41
00:02:55,240 --> 00:03:00,520
any food given, and to find in
it, whether pronounced good or
42
00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:05,400
bad by others, the equal rasa,
not of the food for its own
43
00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,440
sake, but of the universal
Ananda.
44
00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:13,880
End Quote.
Reference Srioro Bindo Bases of
45
00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:19,240
Yoga chapter 4 Desire food sex
page 67.
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,200
When an individual takes up the
spiritual path, he seeks
2
00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:09,840
guidance, perhaps from books or
through online blogs, podcasts,
3
00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:13,840
videos, webinars, perhaps from
people who are treading the
4
00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:19,000
path, perhaps from a teacher or
guru who has come into his life.
5
00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:22,960
Generally, he comes away with
some guidelines to follow.
6
00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:26,840
In many instances, the
guidelines set forth ultimate
7
00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:31,000
desired results but do not
provide detailed instruction
8
00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:34,720
taking into account the
individual's starting point,
9
00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:39,960
situation and circumstances.
This can lead to substantial
10
00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:44,240
anxiety in this seeker as he
tries to measure his thoughts,
11
00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:49,360
feelings, actions, and reactions
against a standard that he is
12
00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:54,400
not able to meet at that moment.
Substantial time, energy and
13
00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:58,800
focus is then dedicated to what
may be, in the big picture,
14
00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:03,520
relatively small things.
It is part of the process of
15
00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:07,520
maturing along the path for the
seeker to begin to refine the
16
00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,840
time and attention so that these
matters can be seen in a more
17
00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:17,080
balanced light and thus not
allowed to occupy the mind that
18
00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:20,680
should be ideally focussed on
the spiritual pursuits.
19
00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,520
While most people are more
easily able to spot faults
20
00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:29,520
outside in others, the spiritual
seeker tends to take a more
21
00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:34,560
close up view of his own
reactions and thus magnifies the
22
00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:39,280
faults he sees when he tries to
compare them to the ideal as set
23
00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:43,200
forth in the teachings he may be
attempting to implement.
24
00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:48,160
Triorobindo's approach is to
cultivate detachment and
25
00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:52,680
equality, thereby reducing or
eliminating vital desires that
26
00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:57,440
arise over the course of time.
This standpoint helps the seeker
27
00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:01,080
to find that right balance where
the focus remains on the
28
00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:06,160
spiritual effort, the
aspiration, the consecration and
29
00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:10,039
the receptivity to the higher
force, and the rejection of
30
00:02:10,039 --> 00:02:14,160
unwanted vital reactions plays
out through the action of the
31
00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:19,200
higher force responding to the
call and the openness that the
32
00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:25,400
seeker eventually develops.
Sri Robindo notes quote neither
33
00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:30,160
neglect this turn of the nature
food desire nor make too much of
34
00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:32,360
it.
It has to be dealt with,
35
00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:36,240
purified and mastered.
But without giving it too much
36
00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:40,800
importance, there are two ways
of conquering it, one of
37
00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,680
detachment, learning to regard
food as only a physical
38
00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,360
necessity, and the vital
satisfaction of the stomach and
39
00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:50,760
the palate as a thing of no
importance.
40
00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:55,240
The other is to be able to take
without insistence or seeking,
41
00:02:55,240 --> 00:03:00,520
any food given, and to find in
it, whether pronounced good or
42
00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:05,400
bad by others, the equal rasa,
not of the food for its own
43
00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,440
sake, but of the universal
Ananda.
44
00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:13,880
End Quote.
Reference Srioro Bindo Bases of
45
00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:19,240
Yoga chapter 4 Desire food sex
page 67.
