April 20, 2025
Aligning the External Nature With the Inner Spiritual Aspiration
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 3, Action and Work, pg. 57
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/04/18/aligning-the-external-nature-with-the-inner-spiritual-aspiration/
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
00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:04,360
People espousing their
philosophy of how to act in the
2
00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:08,320
world are often confronted by a
disconnect between their
3
00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:10,760
statements and their own
actions.
4
00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:16,200
They frequently tell children,
for instance, do as I say, not
5
00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:19,960
as I do.
If we assume that the person is
6
00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:23,480
not simply motivated by pure
self-interest and using his
7
00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:25,640
words to capture the support of
others.
8
00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:30,600
Essentially a form of hypocrisy.
We sometimes find that the
9
00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,200
person himself treats his mental
adoption of a certain idea,
10
00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:40,280
principle or attitude as the
reality without reflecting that
11
00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:44,480
his outer actions do not
correspond with this inner idea.
12
00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:48,040
This is then a form of self
deception.
13
00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,760
There is of course another
possibility.
14
00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:56,160
The individual may adopt certain
principles on the mental level
15
00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:00,960
and yet recognize that he has
not yet succeeded in perfecting
16
00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:05,560
his outer expression and action
to correspond fully with the
17
00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:10,480
inner adopted stance.
This individual then recognizes
18
00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:15,200
the divergent between inner and
outer reality and can work on
19
00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:19,200
resolving it.
Many people are simply not
20
00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:21,880
cognizant of the various
different parts of their being
21
00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:24,360
and their different ways of
responding and acting.
22
00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:29,520
This provides a key to the
resolution of the divergent.
23
00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,200
The vital being, for instance,
may have a desire or motive that
24
00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,480
does not completely coincide
with the spiritual seekers
25
00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,280
aspiration, consecration or
dedication.
26
00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:45,880
Similarly, the mind may
interpret the spiritual inward
27
00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:50,240
motivation in a way that leads
to contrary actions externally,
28
00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:55,280
which is one of the causes of
the kind of torture, harassment,
29
00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,760
warfare that has resulted from
strongly held religious
30
00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:04,320
convictions, for example.
As most people are conditioned
31
00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:08,000
and educated to believe in the
primacy of the external being
32
00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,360
and the life of the world, they
tend to judge matters from that
33
00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:17,000
standpoint.
In the Bhagwad Gita, Arjuna
34
00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,640
asked how to identify the
liberated man.
35
00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:24,080
He asks how does he walk, how
does he speak, et cetera.
36
00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:29,400
Sri Krishna makes it clear that
these outward signs are not the
37
00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:31,680
true indication of such an
individual.
38
00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:35,280
The real identifying
characteristic is the inner
39
00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:40,080
attitude that underlies the
activity, not the form of the
40
00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:44,040
activity itself.
For the spiritual seeker,
41
00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:47,600
however, Sri Aurobindo
recommends starting from the
42
00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,600
inner standpoint and
systematically working to bring
43
00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,880
the external being into
alignment with the inner view
44
00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:59,400
values and direction, Shriyur
Bindu observes.
45
00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:05,280
Quote not only in your inward
concentration, but in your
46
00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:09,000
outward acts and movements.
You must take the right
47
00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,560
attitude.
You must learn to act always
48
00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:14,720
from within, from your inner
being.
49
00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:18,800
The outer should be a mere
instrument and should not be
50
00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:24,280
allowed at all to compel or
dictate your speech, thought or
51
00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:28,440
action.
All should be done quietly from
52
00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:34,960
within, working, speaking,
reading, writing, as part of the
53
00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:39,840
real consciousness, not with the
dispersed and unquiet movement
54
00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:44,360
of the ordinary consciousness.
It is the spirit and the
55
00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:47,760
consciousness from which it is
done that makes an action yogic.
56
00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,680
It is not the action itself.
End Quote.
57
00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,920
Reference Srioro Bindu and the
Mother looking from within,
58
00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:02,080
Chapter 3.
Action and Work, page 57.
00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:04,360
People espousing their
philosophy of how to act in the
2
00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:08,320
world are often confronted by a
disconnect between their
3
00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:10,760
statements and their own
actions.
4
00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:16,200
They frequently tell children,
for instance, do as I say, not
5
00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:19,960
as I do.
If we assume that the person is
6
00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:23,480
not simply motivated by pure
self-interest and using his
7
00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:25,640
words to capture the support of
others.
8
00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:30,600
Essentially a form of hypocrisy.
We sometimes find that the
9
00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,200
person himself treats his mental
adoption of a certain idea,
10
00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:40,280
principle or attitude as the
reality without reflecting that
11
00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:44,480
his outer actions do not
correspond with this inner idea.
12
00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:48,040
This is then a form of self
deception.
13
00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,760
There is of course another
possibility.
14
00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:56,160
The individual may adopt certain
principles on the mental level
15
00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:00,960
and yet recognize that he has
not yet succeeded in perfecting
16
00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:05,560
his outer expression and action
to correspond fully with the
17
00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:10,480
inner adopted stance.
This individual then recognizes
18
00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:15,200
the divergent between inner and
outer reality and can work on
19
00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:19,200
resolving it.
Many people are simply not
20
00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:21,880
cognizant of the various
different parts of their being
21
00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:24,360
and their different ways of
responding and acting.
22
00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:29,520
This provides a key to the
resolution of the divergent.
23
00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,200
The vital being, for instance,
may have a desire or motive that
24
00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,480
does not completely coincide
with the spiritual seekers
25
00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,280
aspiration, consecration or
dedication.
26
00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:45,880
Similarly, the mind may
interpret the spiritual inward
27
00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:50,240
motivation in a way that leads
to contrary actions externally,
28
00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:55,280
which is one of the causes of
the kind of torture, harassment,
29
00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,760
warfare that has resulted from
strongly held religious
30
00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:04,320
convictions, for example.
As most people are conditioned
31
00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:08,000
and educated to believe in the
primacy of the external being
32
00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,360
and the life of the world, they
tend to judge matters from that
33
00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:17,000
standpoint.
In the Bhagwad Gita, Arjuna
34
00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,640
asked how to identify the
liberated man.
35
00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:24,080
He asks how does he walk, how
does he speak, et cetera.
36
00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:29,400
Sri Krishna makes it clear that
these outward signs are not the
37
00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:31,680
true indication of such an
individual.
38
00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:35,280
The real identifying
characteristic is the inner
39
00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:40,080
attitude that underlies the
activity, not the form of the
40
00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:44,040
activity itself.
For the spiritual seeker,
41
00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:47,600
however, Sri Aurobindo
recommends starting from the
42
00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,600
inner standpoint and
systematically working to bring
43
00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,880
the external being into
alignment with the inner view
44
00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:59,400
values and direction, Shriyur
Bindu observes.
45
00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:05,280
Quote not only in your inward
concentration, but in your
46
00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:09,000
outward acts and movements.
You must take the right
47
00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,560
attitude.
You must learn to act always
48
00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:14,720
from within, from your inner
being.
49
00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:18,800
The outer should be a mere
instrument and should not be
50
00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:24,280
allowed at all to compel or
dictate your speech, thought or
51
00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:28,440
action.
All should be done quietly from
52
00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:34,960
within, working, speaking,
reading, writing, as part of the
53
00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:39,840
real consciousness, not with the
dispersed and unquiet movement
54
00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:44,360
of the ordinary consciousness.
It is the spirit and the
55
00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:47,760
consciousness from which it is
done that makes an action yogic.
56
00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,680
It is not the action itself.
End Quote.
57
00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,920
Reference Srioro Bindu and the
Mother looking from within,
58
00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:02,080
Chapter 3.
Action and Work, page 57.