Nov. 13, 2025
"Are We There Yet?"
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 2, Faith — Aspiration — Surrender, pp. 35-36
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/11/11/are-we-there-yet/
Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are allavailable 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
#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #evolution of consciousness #supramental #supermind
1
00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:04,840
Just about anyone who has
experienced a long trip with
2
00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:09,280
young children will relate to
the question Are we there yet?
3
00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:14,080
10 minutes into the journey and
every 5 or 10 minutes
4
00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:18,240
thereafter, the children ask if
we are at the destination yet.
5
00:00:19,080 --> 00:00:23,760
They have no realistic sense of
time, distance or process.
6
00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:28,560
They become bored and want to
move on to whatever is next.
7
00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:33,800
In a certain sense, we are all
like the children in the journey
8
00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,240
when we reflect on the process
of the manifestation of a next
9
00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,240
stage of consciousness in
evolutionary time.
10
00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:45,440
Our short human lifetime simply
cannot comprehend or encompass
11
00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:49,160
the vast time needed for each
stage of consciousness to
12
00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:54,280
evolve, integrate itself into
the manifestation, and prepare
13
00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:57,120
for the next stage that must
inevitably follow.
14
00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:02,320
After the evolution of the vital
nature took billions of years,
15
00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,080
the evolution of the mental
nature took at least hundreds of
16
00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:08,720
millions of years to reach the
current stage.
17
00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,720
So when we reflect on the
changes needed to bring forth
18
00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:18,200
the supermental nature, we need
a certain amount of perspective
19
00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:22,480
and ability to separate our
individual lifetime and ego
20
00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,880
individuality from that larger
process.
21
00:01:27,320 --> 00:01:31,200
Rather than an overnight short
term transformation, the
22
00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:35,160
evolutionary process is more
like a very long relay race
23
00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,280
where the runners are tasked
with carrying the baton to the
24
00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:42,120
next runner, who then runs and
hands off to the subsequent
25
00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:46,920
runner until eventually a final
runner reaches the finish line.
26
00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:52,400
This does not rule out some type
of evolutionary saltis, as
27
00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:56,040
Srioro Bindo has termed it, the
sudden manifestation of
28
00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:59,600
something that has been
preparing unseen until it is
29
00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:04,040
ready to burst forth.
Yet this also does not obviate
30
00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,480
the need for the detailed
working out of that force of
31
00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:11,400
consciousness through the
entirety of the earth nature.
32
00:02:12,640 --> 00:02:15,000
Sri Aurobindo and the Mother
have pointed out that the
33
00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:19,400
conscious participation of
spiritual aspirants with a basis
34
00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:24,080
of the evolved mentality and a
developed psychic being or soul
35
00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:27,760
presence should be able to
dramatically speed up the
36
00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:31,760
process so that it should not
take hundreds of millions or
37
00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,600
even hundreds or 10s of
thousands of years.
38
00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:39,240
Each phase of the Yoga of Nature
occurs dramatically faster than
39
00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:43,040
the earlier stages.
Each stage needs to both
40
00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:47,400
manifest and then integrate
itself into the Earth nature.
41
00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:52,840
Thus, for the Super mental force
to fully evolve, the entire
42
00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:57,680
earth consciousness needs to be
prepared, textured for an
43
00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:02,200
ability to receive, hold and
utilize that force effectively
44
00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,040
within the framework of earthly
existence.
45
00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:09,800
Until that is done, any
individual remains subject to
46
00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,920
the complex and difficult
process along the way.
47
00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:18,680
That is why in various places,
the mother and trio Robindo have
48
00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:22,280
implied a time frame of hundreds
of years at a minimum.
49
00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:28,080
Putting that into context, those
who take up this yoga to day in
50
00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:32,360
the early days of the process
are likely the early relay
51
00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:37,120
runners who have to carry out
the work without impatience with
52
00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:41,400
perseverance and be satisfied
that they are helping the larger
53
00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:45,040
process along through their own
inner growth and development.
54
00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:51,160
In other words, we are not there
yet, and to claim otherwise is
55
00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:54,920
essentially shutting down the
internal process in favor of
56
00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:59,520
egoistic self aggrandizement,
which is more or less a dead end
57
00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:03,400
in this journey.
The mother who declared the
58
00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,600
initial advent of the
supermental force into the earth
59
00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:10,920
atmosphere spent many years
after that working on making the
60
00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:14,600
body's cells receptive and
preparing them for the
61
00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:17,079
supermental force to work at
that level.
62
00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:21,640
She did not claim the complete
transformation of human nature,
63
00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:26,160
rather she demonstrated the
selfless efforts that aid the
64
00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:30,200
process for the long term.
She described the type of
65
00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,720
changes that would be needed in
the physical body to carry out
66
00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:38,480
the complete transition to a
super mental being, a new race
67
00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:41,680
with dramatically different
bodily functionality.
68
00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:48,800
Srioro Bindu observes quote.
It is very unwise for anyone to
69
00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:52,720
claim prematurely to have
possession of the Super mind, or
70
00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:57,240
even to have a taste of it.
The claim is usually accompanied
71
00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:01,400
by an outburst of super egoism,
some radical blunder of
72
00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:06,320
perception or a gross fall,
wrong condition and wrong
73
00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:12,120
movement, a certain spiritual
humility, a serious unarrogant
74
00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:16,200
look at oneself and quiet
perception of the imperfections
75
00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:21,440
of 1's present nature.
And instead of self esteem and
76
00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:25,960
self assertion, a sense of the
necessity of exceeding one's
77
00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:31,120
present self, not from egoistic
ambition but from an urge
78
00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:36,040
towards the Divine, would be, it
seems to me, for this frail
79
00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:40,240
terrestrial and human
composition, far better
80
00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:44,080
conditions for proceeding
towards the Super mental change.
81
00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:49,000
End Quote Reference.
Srioro Bindo.
82
00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:54,560
Basis of Yoga chapter 2.
Faith, Aspiration Surrender,
83
00:05:55,280 --> 00:05:57,520
pages 35 to 36.
00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:04,840
Just about anyone who has
experienced a long trip with
2
00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:09,280
young children will relate to
the question Are we there yet?
3
00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:14,080
10 minutes into the journey and
every 5 or 10 minutes
4
00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:18,240
thereafter, the children ask if
we are at the destination yet.
5
00:00:19,080 --> 00:00:23,760
They have no realistic sense of
time, distance or process.
6
00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:28,560
They become bored and want to
move on to whatever is next.
7
00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:33,800
In a certain sense, we are all
like the children in the journey
8
00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,240
when we reflect on the process
of the manifestation of a next
9
00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,240
stage of consciousness in
evolutionary time.
10
00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:45,440
Our short human lifetime simply
cannot comprehend or encompass
11
00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:49,160
the vast time needed for each
stage of consciousness to
12
00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:54,280
evolve, integrate itself into
the manifestation, and prepare
13
00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:57,120
for the next stage that must
inevitably follow.
14
00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:02,320
After the evolution of the vital
nature took billions of years,
15
00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,080
the evolution of the mental
nature took at least hundreds of
16
00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:08,720
millions of years to reach the
current stage.
17
00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,720
So when we reflect on the
changes needed to bring forth
18
00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:18,200
the supermental nature, we need
a certain amount of perspective
19
00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:22,480
and ability to separate our
individual lifetime and ego
20
00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,880
individuality from that larger
process.
21
00:01:27,320 --> 00:01:31,200
Rather than an overnight short
term transformation, the
22
00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:35,160
evolutionary process is more
like a very long relay race
23
00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,280
where the runners are tasked
with carrying the baton to the
24
00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:42,120
next runner, who then runs and
hands off to the subsequent
25
00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:46,920
runner until eventually a final
runner reaches the finish line.
26
00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:52,400
This does not rule out some type
of evolutionary saltis, as
27
00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:56,040
Srioro Bindo has termed it, the
sudden manifestation of
28
00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:59,600
something that has been
preparing unseen until it is
29
00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:04,040
ready to burst forth.
Yet this also does not obviate
30
00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,480
the need for the detailed
working out of that force of
31
00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:11,400
consciousness through the
entirety of the earth nature.
32
00:02:12,640 --> 00:02:15,000
Sri Aurobindo and the Mother
have pointed out that the
33
00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:19,400
conscious participation of
spiritual aspirants with a basis
34
00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:24,080
of the evolved mentality and a
developed psychic being or soul
35
00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:27,760
presence should be able to
dramatically speed up the
36
00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:31,760
process so that it should not
take hundreds of millions or
37
00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,600
even hundreds or 10s of
thousands of years.
38
00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:39,240
Each phase of the Yoga of Nature
occurs dramatically faster than
39
00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:43,040
the earlier stages.
Each stage needs to both
40
00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:47,400
manifest and then integrate
itself into the Earth nature.
41
00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:52,840
Thus, for the Super mental force
to fully evolve, the entire
42
00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:57,680
earth consciousness needs to be
prepared, textured for an
43
00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:02,200
ability to receive, hold and
utilize that force effectively
44
00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,040
within the framework of earthly
existence.
45
00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:09,800
Until that is done, any
individual remains subject to
46
00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,920
the complex and difficult
process along the way.
47
00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:18,680
That is why in various places,
the mother and trio Robindo have
48
00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:22,280
implied a time frame of hundreds
of years at a minimum.
49
00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:28,080
Putting that into context, those
who take up this yoga to day in
50
00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:32,360
the early days of the process
are likely the early relay
51
00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:37,120
runners who have to carry out
the work without impatience with
52
00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:41,400
perseverance and be satisfied
that they are helping the larger
53
00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:45,040
process along through their own
inner growth and development.
54
00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:51,160
In other words, we are not there
yet, and to claim otherwise is
55
00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:54,920
essentially shutting down the
internal process in favor of
56
00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:59,520
egoistic self aggrandizement,
which is more or less a dead end
57
00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:03,400
in this journey.
The mother who declared the
58
00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,600
initial advent of the
supermental force into the earth
59
00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:10,920
atmosphere spent many years
after that working on making the
60
00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:14,600
body's cells receptive and
preparing them for the
61
00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:17,079
supermental force to work at
that level.
62
00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:21,640
She did not claim the complete
transformation of human nature,
63
00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:26,160
rather she demonstrated the
selfless efforts that aid the
64
00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:30,200
process for the long term.
She described the type of
65
00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,720
changes that would be needed in
the physical body to carry out
66
00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:38,480
the complete transition to a
super mental being, a new race
67
00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:41,680
with dramatically different
bodily functionality.
68
00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:48,800
Srioro Bindu observes quote.
It is very unwise for anyone to
69
00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:52,720
claim prematurely to have
possession of the Super mind, or
70
00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:57,240
even to have a taste of it.
The claim is usually accompanied
71
00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:01,400
by an outburst of super egoism,
some radical blunder of
72
00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:06,320
perception or a gross fall,
wrong condition and wrong
73
00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:12,120
movement, a certain spiritual
humility, a serious unarrogant
74
00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:16,200
look at oneself and quiet
perception of the imperfections
75
00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:21,440
of 1's present nature.
And instead of self esteem and
76
00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:25,960
self assertion, a sense of the
necessity of exceeding one's
77
00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:31,120
present self, not from egoistic
ambition but from an urge
78
00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:36,040
towards the Divine, would be, it
seems to me, for this frail
79
00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:40,240
terrestrial and human
composition, far better
80
00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:44,080
conditions for proceeding
towards the Super mental change.
81
00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:49,000
End Quote Reference.
Srioro Bindo.
82
00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:54,560
Basis of Yoga chapter 2.
Faith, Aspiration Surrender,
83
00:05:55,280 --> 00:05:57,520
pages 35 to 36.
