March 28, 2025
Addressing the Tendency to Overlook One's Defects
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 2, Looking at Oneself and Others, pp. 38-39
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/03/26/addressing-the-tendency-to-overlook-ones-defects/
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 SriAurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:04,400
The vital nature in particular
has a strong hold over the
2
00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:07,920
mentality.
It uses this hold to find ways
3
00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:11,720
for the mind to justify various
things that the vital desires.
4
00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:16,360
In many cases this occurs
through a process of deflection
5
00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:21,480
and in others through a process
of development of excuses and
6
00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:25,320
justifications.
This process takes place whether
7
00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:29,360
one is living and acting in the
world or attempting to develop a
8
00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,920
spiritual life through the
practice of any particular
9
00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,600
discipline.
Our focus here is obviously
10
00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:40,080
toward the implementation by a
spiritual seeker of
11
00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:44,720
methodologies to systematically
become awake to and then to find
12
00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:50,120
ways to overcome various actions
that distract from the yogic
13
00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,040
process.
This can even occur in the
14
00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:55,800
adoption of various yogic
practices.
15
00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:01,240
For instance, there are certain
yogic paths that try to overcome
16
00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:05,360
attachment through spiritualize
and uplifting normal drives of
17
00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,880
the vital nature.
Thus, we see advertised
18
00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:14,360
practices of tantric sex, which
while there may be cases where
19
00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:18,720
such a practice actually suits a
specific seeker and helps him
20
00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:23,200
achieve, the result, in many
cases we have seen actually
21
00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:27,440
becomes a justification for
indulging in sex, thereby
22
00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,920
effectively distracting the
seeker from the process of
23
00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:35,640
transcending the desire nature
and shifting the focus to the
24
00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:40,520
divine standpoint.
Justifications can be developed
25
00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:44,720
for almost anything.
Once a devotee was visiting a
26
00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:48,400
Vedanta centre in the USA and
was invited to join the monks
27
00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:52,120
there for dinner.
After dinner they serve popcorn.
28
00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:57,600
Innocuous indulgence, but they
went on a long explanation about
29
00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:01,280
the spiritual benefits of
popcorn and how it can help to
30
00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:04,240
lead to liberation in the
Vedantic tradition.
31
00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,840
Methinks they do protest too
much.
32
00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:13,200
To paraphrase the poet, if we
take the standpoint that the
33
00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,640
spiritual seeker needs to shift
his focus from the fulfillment
34
00:02:16,640 --> 00:02:21,880
of the desires and objectives of
the external world in favor of a
35
00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:26,840
focus on spiritual practice and
realization and a perfection and
36
00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:31,000
transformation of the nature to
become true instruments of that
37
00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:36,080
divine action in the world, we
can quickly appreciate that all
38
00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:41,080
habits of the physical, vital
and mental nature need to be
39
00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:47,080
reviewed and either abandoned or
modified to allow the refocusing
40
00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:49,760
and transformation effort to
progress.
41
00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:56,800
Triorbindo writes Quote, but
that not recognizing one's
42
00:02:56,800 --> 00:03:02,160
defects is a very common human
weakness, although it ought not
43
00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:06,600
to exist in a sodak whose
progress depends largely on his
44
00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:08,880
recognizing what has to be
changed in him.
45
00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:14,480
Not that the recognition by
itself is sufficient, but it is
46
00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:18,400
a necessary element.
It is, of course, a kind of
47
00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:22,120
pride or vanity which considers
this necessary for strength and
48
00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:25,680
standing.
Not only will they not recognize
49
00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:30,200
it before others, but they hide
their defects from themselves,
50
00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:35,840
or even, if obliged to look at
it with one eye, look away from
51
00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:39,640
it with the other.
Or they weave a veil of words
52
00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:43,000
and excuses and justifications,
trying to make it something
53
00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:48,440
other than it really is.
To recognize one's weaknesses
54
00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:52,760
and false movements and draw
back from them is the way
55
00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:55,560
towards liberation.
End Quote.
56
00:03:56,600 --> 00:04:00,600
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother Looking from within,
57
00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,920
Chapter 2.
Looking at Oneself and Others,
58
00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:06,440
pages 38 to 39.
00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:04,400
The vital nature in particular
has a strong hold over the
2
00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:07,920
mentality.
It uses this hold to find ways
3
00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:11,720
for the mind to justify various
things that the vital desires.
4
00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:16,360
In many cases this occurs
through a process of deflection
5
00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:21,480
and in others through a process
of development of excuses and
6
00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:25,320
justifications.
This process takes place whether
7
00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:29,360
one is living and acting in the
world or attempting to develop a
8
00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,920
spiritual life through the
practice of any particular
9
00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,600
discipline.
Our focus here is obviously
10
00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:40,080
toward the implementation by a
spiritual seeker of
11
00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:44,720
methodologies to systematically
become awake to and then to find
12
00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:50,120
ways to overcome various actions
that distract from the yogic
13
00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,040
process.
This can even occur in the
14
00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:55,800
adoption of various yogic
practices.
15
00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:01,240
For instance, there are certain
yogic paths that try to overcome
16
00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:05,360
attachment through spiritualize
and uplifting normal drives of
17
00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,880
the vital nature.
Thus, we see advertised
18
00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:14,360
practices of tantric sex, which
while there may be cases where
19
00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:18,720
such a practice actually suits a
specific seeker and helps him
20
00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:23,200
achieve, the result, in many
cases we have seen actually
21
00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:27,440
becomes a justification for
indulging in sex, thereby
22
00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,920
effectively distracting the
seeker from the process of
23
00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:35,640
transcending the desire nature
and shifting the focus to the
24
00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:40,520
divine standpoint.
Justifications can be developed
25
00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:44,720
for almost anything.
Once a devotee was visiting a
26
00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:48,400
Vedanta centre in the USA and
was invited to join the monks
27
00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:52,120
there for dinner.
After dinner they serve popcorn.
28
00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:57,600
Innocuous indulgence, but they
went on a long explanation about
29
00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:01,280
the spiritual benefits of
popcorn and how it can help to
30
00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:04,240
lead to liberation in the
Vedantic tradition.
31
00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,840
Methinks they do protest too
much.
32
00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:13,200
To paraphrase the poet, if we
take the standpoint that the
33
00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,640
spiritual seeker needs to shift
his focus from the fulfillment
34
00:02:16,640 --> 00:02:21,880
of the desires and objectives of
the external world in favor of a
35
00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:26,840
focus on spiritual practice and
realization and a perfection and
36
00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:31,000
transformation of the nature to
become true instruments of that
37
00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:36,080
divine action in the world, we
can quickly appreciate that all
38
00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:41,080
habits of the physical, vital
and mental nature need to be
39
00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:47,080
reviewed and either abandoned or
modified to allow the refocusing
40
00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:49,760
and transformation effort to
progress.
41
00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:56,800
Triorbindo writes Quote, but
that not recognizing one's
42
00:02:56,800 --> 00:03:02,160
defects is a very common human
weakness, although it ought not
43
00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:06,600
to exist in a sodak whose
progress depends largely on his
44
00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:08,880
recognizing what has to be
changed in him.
45
00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:14,480
Not that the recognition by
itself is sufficient, but it is
46
00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:18,400
a necessary element.
It is, of course, a kind of
47
00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:22,120
pride or vanity which considers
this necessary for strength and
48
00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:25,680
standing.
Not only will they not recognize
49
00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:30,200
it before others, but they hide
their defects from themselves,
50
00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:35,840
or even, if obliged to look at
it with one eye, look away from
51
00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:39,640
it with the other.
Or they weave a veil of words
52
00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:43,000
and excuses and justifications,
trying to make it something
53
00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:48,440
other than it really is.
To recognize one's weaknesses
54
00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:52,760
and false movements and draw
back from them is the way
55
00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:55,560
towards liberation.
End Quote.
56
00:03:56,600 --> 00:04:00,600
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother Looking from within,
57
00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,920
Chapter 2.
Looking at Oneself and Others,
58
00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:06,440
pages 38 to 39.