Dec. 7, 2025
Awareness and True Discrimination of Forces Are Essential for the Spiritual Seeker to Avoid Distractions and Deviations from the Path
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 3, In Difficulty, pg.53This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/12/05/awareness-and-true-discrimination-of-forces-are-essential-for-the-spiritual-seeker-to-avoid-distractions-and-deviations-from-the-path/
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#Sri Aurobindo #spirituality #yoga #integral yoga
1
00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:04,400
When a spiritual seeker begins
to appreciate the forces at work
2
00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:07,560
in the world that try to
influence and manipulate his
3
00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:11,640
behaviour, one of the first
reactions tends to be to try to
4
00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:17,800
close oneself off, wall oneself
off, not take cognizance of
5
00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,920
these forces.
This is the power of the
6
00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:25,680
anchorite meditating in The
Cave, the forest or the desert,
7
00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:31,600
or the monk or devotee residing
in the monastery, ashram, Abbey
8
00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,160
or cloister.
The removal of potential
9
00:00:35,160 --> 00:00:39,360
distractions can indeed be a
powerful aid to protect the
10
00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:43,760
seeker at certain stages.
At the same time, there are
11
00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:47,480
innumerable examples of someone
who has lived an isolated or
12
00:00:47,480 --> 00:00:51,960
secluded life, who then is
confronted with the forces of
13
00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:56,960
the external world and life
force, and who does not have the
14
00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:01,720
experience or needed powers to
avoid being entrapped and
15
00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:05,960
overcome, at least temporarily,
by those forces.
16
00:01:07,320 --> 00:01:10,600
Even for those who are focused
on their spiritual development
17
00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:14,640
and not directly confronted with
the many forces at work in the
18
00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,920
world, there are pressures and
experiences that clothe
19
00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:24,160
themselves in mimicry.
Thus there is a need for careful
20
00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:28,800
observation and discrimination
of what forces 1 accepts and
21
00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:33,280
acts upon.
Before acting, one can refer the
22
00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:39,360
force, suggestion or pressure to
the psychic being and evaluate
23
00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:43,720
if it matches with the
aspiration or if it carries with
24
00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:48,320
it, for instance, an energy of
the external vital nature and
25
00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:53,080
fulfilment of its desires.
One can also look at the feeling
26
00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,800
one gets from any proximity to
that force.
27
00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:02,040
As the saying goes, all the
glitters is not gold, and that
28
00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:06,080
goes for spiritual experiences
as well as in the worldly life.
29
00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:11,440
Motivation, the energy being
provoked and excited, the
30
00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:15,280
direction of the force in
relation to the deeper spiritual
31
00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:20,880
aspiration are all necessary
factors in determining whether
32
00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:26,280
to allow a particular light,
force or movement to enter into
33
00:02:26,640 --> 00:02:32,480
and impact one's consciousness
and actions, Sriorobindo writes
34
00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:36,160
quote.
It is one thing to see things
35
00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,360
and quite another to let them
enter into you.
36
00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:43,920
One has to experience many
things to see and observe, to
37
00:02:43,920 --> 00:02:47,560
bring them into the field of the
consciousness and know what they
38
00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,920
are.
But there is no reason why you
39
00:02:50,920 --> 00:02:53,880
should allow them to enter into
you and possess you.
40
00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:59,480
It is only the Divine or what
comes from the divine that can
41
00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:04,240
be admitted to enter you.
To say that all light is good is
42
00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:08,320
as if you said that all water is
good, or even that all clear or
43
00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:12,120
transparent water is good.
It would not be true.
44
00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:17,240
One must see what is the nature
of the light or where it comes
45
00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:21,520
from or what is in it before 1
can say that it is the true
46
00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:25,360
light.
False lights exist and
47
00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:29,920
misleading lusters lower lights
too that belong to the being's
48
00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:33,640
inferior reaches.
One must therefore be on one's
49
00:03:33,640 --> 00:03:38,960
guard and distinguish the true.
Discrimination has to come by
50
00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:43,160
growth of the psychic feeling
and a purified mind and
51
00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:45,600
experience.
End Quote.
52
00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:50,120
Reference.
Sriorovindo, Bases of Yoga,
53
00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:54,360
Chapter 3 in difficulty, page
53.
00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:04,400
When a spiritual seeker begins
to appreciate the forces at work
2
00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:07,560
in the world that try to
influence and manipulate his
3
00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:11,640
behaviour, one of the first
reactions tends to be to try to
4
00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:17,800
close oneself off, wall oneself
off, not take cognizance of
5
00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,920
these forces.
This is the power of the
6
00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:25,680
anchorite meditating in The
Cave, the forest or the desert,
7
00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:31,600
or the monk or devotee residing
in the monastery, ashram, Abbey
8
00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,160
or cloister.
The removal of potential
9
00:00:35,160 --> 00:00:39,360
distractions can indeed be a
powerful aid to protect the
10
00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:43,760
seeker at certain stages.
At the same time, there are
11
00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:47,480
innumerable examples of someone
who has lived an isolated or
12
00:00:47,480 --> 00:00:51,960
secluded life, who then is
confronted with the forces of
13
00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:56,960
the external world and life
force, and who does not have the
14
00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:01,720
experience or needed powers to
avoid being entrapped and
15
00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:05,960
overcome, at least temporarily,
by those forces.
16
00:01:07,320 --> 00:01:10,600
Even for those who are focused
on their spiritual development
17
00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:14,640
and not directly confronted with
the many forces at work in the
18
00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,920
world, there are pressures and
experiences that clothe
19
00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:24,160
themselves in mimicry.
Thus there is a need for careful
20
00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:28,800
observation and discrimination
of what forces 1 accepts and
21
00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:33,280
acts upon.
Before acting, one can refer the
22
00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:39,360
force, suggestion or pressure to
the psychic being and evaluate
23
00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:43,720
if it matches with the
aspiration or if it carries with
24
00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:48,320
it, for instance, an energy of
the external vital nature and
25
00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:53,080
fulfilment of its desires.
One can also look at the feeling
26
00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,800
one gets from any proximity to
that force.
27
00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:02,040
As the saying goes, all the
glitters is not gold, and that
28
00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:06,080
goes for spiritual experiences
as well as in the worldly life.
29
00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:11,440
Motivation, the energy being
provoked and excited, the
30
00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:15,280
direction of the force in
relation to the deeper spiritual
31
00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:20,880
aspiration are all necessary
factors in determining whether
32
00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:26,280
to allow a particular light,
force or movement to enter into
33
00:02:26,640 --> 00:02:32,480
and impact one's consciousness
and actions, Sriorobindo writes
34
00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:36,160
quote.
It is one thing to see things
35
00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,360
and quite another to let them
enter into you.
36
00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:43,920
One has to experience many
things to see and observe, to
37
00:02:43,920 --> 00:02:47,560
bring them into the field of the
consciousness and know what they
38
00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,920
are.
But there is no reason why you
39
00:02:50,920 --> 00:02:53,880
should allow them to enter into
you and possess you.
40
00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:59,480
It is only the Divine or what
comes from the divine that can
41
00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:04,240
be admitted to enter you.
To say that all light is good is
42
00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:08,320
as if you said that all water is
good, or even that all clear or
43
00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:12,120
transparent water is good.
It would not be true.
44
00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:17,240
One must see what is the nature
of the light or where it comes
45
00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:21,520
from or what is in it before 1
can say that it is the true
46
00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:25,360
light.
False lights exist and
47
00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:29,920
misleading lusters lower lights
too that belong to the being's
48
00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:33,640
inferior reaches.
One must therefore be on one's
49
00:03:33,640 --> 00:03:38,960
guard and distinguish the true.
Discrimination has to come by
50
00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:43,160
growth of the psychic feeling
and a purified mind and
51
00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:45,600
experience.
End Quote.
52
00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:50,120
Reference.
Sriorovindo, Bases of Yoga,
53
00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:54,360
Chapter 3 in difficulty, page
53.
