May 9, 2024
An Accident Avoided
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Hidden Forces of Life, Ch. 3 Hidden Forces Around, pg. 78 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/05/06/an-accidennt-avoided/
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 Sri Aurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:01,360 --> 00:00:04,760
The mother advises us that we
are generally not aware of the
2
00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:09,520
action of all the subtle forces
and how they interact to cause
3
00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,600
circumstances that occur in the
external world.
4
00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:17,640
She further notes that with
awareness, many accidents could
5
00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:20,960
be avoided.
This reminds us of an incident
6
00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:25,640
reported sometime back.
It occurred in 1981.
7
00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:30,480
Two devotees were in the process
of travelling across the USA,
8
00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:35,480
visiting various national parks.
It was mid to late summer when
9
00:00:35,480 --> 00:00:37,680
they reached Yellowstone
National Park.
10
00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:42,160
Yellowstone is noted not only
for its geysers and other
11
00:00:42,160 --> 00:00:47,600
geological features, but also
for the abundance of wildlife.
12
00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,960
The devotees were driving on one
of the main roads in the park in
13
00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:56,360
a Dodge van.
The driver had an intimation
14
00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:00,640
that something was going to
happen and he was driving
15
00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:04,400
exceedingly slowly on the road
in the near twilight conditions.
16
00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:09,320
A park Ranger came up behind the
van and was clearly frustrated
17
00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:11,800
with how slowly the van was
moving.
18
00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:16,720
After a few minutes, the park
Ranger passed the van and speed
19
00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,680
by the driver remained extremely
cautious.
20
00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,960
Not sure why, but feeling that
there was something up ahead
21
00:01:24,960 --> 00:01:27,240
that would require immediate
reaction.
22
00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:33,120
Suddenly, a massive bison ran
into the roadway immediately in
23
00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:36,800
front of the van.
The driver hit the brakes hard,
24
00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,280
and all kinds of things in the
van went flying through the
25
00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:44,120
cabin.
When the van stopped, there was
26
00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:48,200
an enormous bison right in front
of the vehicle, within inches.
27
00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:53,480
Had the driver been moving at
any faster speed, a tragic
28
00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:55,520
accident would clearly have
occurred.
29
00:01:56,320 --> 00:02:00,200
The uncanny sense of an
impending event saved everyone
30
00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:04,280
from the harm that would clearly
have occurred in a collision
31
00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:06,960
with a fully mature adult Bull,
Bison.
32
00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:12,480
Standing almost 6 feet tall and
weighing likely close to 2000
33
00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:17,320
lbs, the devotees were shaken by
the near miss.
34
00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:22,680
But we're grateful for what was
so clearly a warning and an
35
00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,720
intimation that protected them
from this accident that was
36
00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:31,480
waiting to happen.
The exact mechanism that brought
37
00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,080
this subtle awareness could not
be described by the
38
00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,400
participants.
They attributed it to divine
39
00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:41,280
grace.
The grace clearly acted and
40
00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:44,120
there was a subtle, vital
awareness that had awakened in
41
00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:48,120
the driver.
We can speculate that perhaps
42
00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:52,040
while driving in a park known
for its wildlife, particularly
43
00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:57,280
bison herds, and the time of
year and the time of day, the
44
00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:01,000
driver was somehow subtly
alerted to the possibilities.
45
00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:06,520
But it goes beyond that simple
explanation by the fact that the
46
00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:10,360
speed of the vehicle was far
below the normal driving speeds
47
00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:15,920
and yet was exactly the speed
that could be driven to avoid
48
00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,880
the collision.
The mother speaks of other
49
00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:23,920
senses, and possibly some subtle
sense had opened up to be
50
00:03:23,920 --> 00:03:27,760
receptive to what was moving in
the world in that natural
51
00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,040
setting.
At that time, there was clearly
52
00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:33,200
some type of premonition
alerting them.
53
00:03:33,920 --> 00:03:37,000
The participants did not know
why or how.
54
00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:41,400
We will likely never know the
exact cause or action that
55
00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:45,280
created the situation.
The awareness of the situation
56
00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:50,160
and the response to the
situation we can only know that
57
00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:54,840
we are confronted with a clear
example of an accident avoided.
58
00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:00,960
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother, The Hidden Forces of
59
00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:05,800
Life Chapter 3, Hidden Forces
around page 78.
00:00:01,360 --> 00:00:04,760
The mother advises us that we
are generally not aware of the
2
00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:09,520
action of all the subtle forces
and how they interact to cause
3
00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,600
circumstances that occur in the
external world.
4
00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:17,640
She further notes that with
awareness, many accidents could
5
00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:20,960
be avoided.
This reminds us of an incident
6
00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:25,640
reported sometime back.
It occurred in 1981.
7
00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:30,480
Two devotees were in the process
of travelling across the USA,
8
00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:35,480
visiting various national parks.
It was mid to late summer when
9
00:00:35,480 --> 00:00:37,680
they reached Yellowstone
National Park.
10
00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:42,160
Yellowstone is noted not only
for its geysers and other
11
00:00:42,160 --> 00:00:47,600
geological features, but also
for the abundance of wildlife.
12
00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,960
The devotees were driving on one
of the main roads in the park in
13
00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:56,360
a Dodge van.
The driver had an intimation
14
00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:00,640
that something was going to
happen and he was driving
15
00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:04,400
exceedingly slowly on the road
in the near twilight conditions.
16
00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:09,320
A park Ranger came up behind the
van and was clearly frustrated
17
00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:11,800
with how slowly the van was
moving.
18
00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:16,720
After a few minutes, the park
Ranger passed the van and speed
19
00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,680
by the driver remained extremely
cautious.
20
00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,960
Not sure why, but feeling that
there was something up ahead
21
00:01:24,960 --> 00:01:27,240
that would require immediate
reaction.
22
00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:33,120
Suddenly, a massive bison ran
into the roadway immediately in
23
00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:36,800
front of the van.
The driver hit the brakes hard,
24
00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,280
and all kinds of things in the
van went flying through the
25
00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:44,120
cabin.
When the van stopped, there was
26
00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:48,200
an enormous bison right in front
of the vehicle, within inches.
27
00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:53,480
Had the driver been moving at
any faster speed, a tragic
28
00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:55,520
accident would clearly have
occurred.
29
00:01:56,320 --> 00:02:00,200
The uncanny sense of an
impending event saved everyone
30
00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:04,280
from the harm that would clearly
have occurred in a collision
31
00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:06,960
with a fully mature adult Bull,
Bison.
32
00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:12,480
Standing almost 6 feet tall and
weighing likely close to 2000
33
00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:17,320
lbs, the devotees were shaken by
the near miss.
34
00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:22,680
But we're grateful for what was
so clearly a warning and an
35
00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,720
intimation that protected them
from this accident that was
36
00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:31,480
waiting to happen.
The exact mechanism that brought
37
00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,080
this subtle awareness could not
be described by the
38
00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,400
participants.
They attributed it to divine
39
00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:41,280
grace.
The grace clearly acted and
40
00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:44,120
there was a subtle, vital
awareness that had awakened in
41
00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:48,120
the driver.
We can speculate that perhaps
42
00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:52,040
while driving in a park known
for its wildlife, particularly
43
00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:57,280
bison herds, and the time of
year and the time of day, the
44
00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:01,000
driver was somehow subtly
alerted to the possibilities.
45
00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:06,520
But it goes beyond that simple
explanation by the fact that the
46
00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:10,360
speed of the vehicle was far
below the normal driving speeds
47
00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:15,920
and yet was exactly the speed
that could be driven to avoid
48
00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,880
the collision.
The mother speaks of other
49
00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:23,920
senses, and possibly some subtle
sense had opened up to be
50
00:03:23,920 --> 00:03:27,760
receptive to what was moving in
the world in that natural
51
00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,040
setting.
At that time, there was clearly
52
00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:33,200
some type of premonition
alerting them.
53
00:03:33,920 --> 00:03:37,000
The participants did not know
why or how.
54
00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:41,400
We will likely never know the
exact cause or action that
55
00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:45,280
created the situation.
The awareness of the situation
56
00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:50,160
and the response to the
situation we can only know that
57
00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:54,840
we are confronted with a clear
example of an accident avoided.
58
00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:00,960
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother, The Hidden Forces of
59
00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:05,800
Life Chapter 3, Hidden Forces
around page 78.