Feb. 17, 2025
Basic Overview of the Vital Consciousness
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Introduction by Dr. Dalal, pg. viiThis episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/02/15/basic-overview-of-the-vital-consciousness/
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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
00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:04,360
The life force brings mobility
and increased responsiveness
2
00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:08,680
compared to the physical being.
It operates primarily under the
3
00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:11,520
impulsion of attraction and
repulsion.
4
00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:16,920
The predominant quality or guna
is rajas, which brings energy,
5
00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:22,280
action and progress, while at
the same time its deformations
6
00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:27,160
can bring all manner of vital
disturbances such as reactions
7
00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:32,960
of anger, greed, lust, vanity,
fear, et cetera.
8
00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:38,480
Rajas tends to push beyond
limits and if it does this to
9
00:00:38,480 --> 00:00:43,640
the physical body, eventually
suffering can result, including
10
00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:46,520
breakdown of the body if the
force was more than it could
11
00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,880
handle.
When Rajas is rebuffed or
12
00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:53,600
disappointed, it tends to
respond by falling into a
13
00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:57,440
temassic state.
The vital being has a strong
14
00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:02,240
hold over the entire human
being, and it is skilled in
15
00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:06,120
gaining the acquiescence and
support of the mental being to
16
00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:10,000
justify and aid it in
fulfillment of its desires.
17
00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,800
Without a strong vital nature,
nothing much can be accomplished
18
00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:19,840
in the outer world, yet care
must be exercised to eventually
19
00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,680
bring it under control of more
disciplined and suck Wick
20
00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:28,040
impulses and to direct it
towards the development of the
21
00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:32,680
higher consciousness.
Once that happens, the vital can
22
00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:37,640
become as strong an ally as it
can be an obstacle in its usual
23
00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,760
state of focus on the
satisfaction of the desires of
24
00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:48,720
the external nature.
Doctor de Lal notes quote the
25
00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:53,280
vital being intermediate between
the physical and the mental.
26
00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:58,120
Is the vital made-up of life
energies, sensations, pleasure,
27
00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:03,640
pain et cetera, instincts and
impulses, anger, fear, lust, et
28
00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:08,120
cetera, desires, feelings and
emotions?
29
00:02:09,039 --> 00:02:14,680
The vital from the Latin word
Vita life is aptly so-called
30
00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,960
because it is the source of life
force and seeks afterlife for
31
00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:23,200
its own sake, clinging to life
even if it brings more of
32
00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,880
suffering than of pleasure.
The vital consciousness is
33
00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:31,120
characterized by likes and
dislikes, the search for
34
00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:34,800
pleasure and enjoyment, and the
avoidance of pain and
35
00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:39,480
discomfort, desire to possess
and to accumulate.
36
00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:44,160
Common attitudes based on the
vital consciousness express a
37
00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:48,960
hedonistic orientation in life,
what Freud referred to as the
38
00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:53,040
pleasure principle.
Besides the quest for pleasure,
39
00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:55,600
these attitudes are
characterized by a need for
40
00:02:55,600 --> 00:03:00,600
perpetual variety and change,
ambitiousness, attachment and
41
00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:04,960
repulsion, aggression, fear, and
impulsiveness.
42
00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:10,200
End Quote reference Srioro Bindu
and the Mother.
43
00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:13,760
Looking from within.
Introduction by Doctor de la
44
00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:15,600
Page, Romans 7.
00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:04,360
The life force brings mobility
and increased responsiveness
2
00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:08,680
compared to the physical being.
It operates primarily under the
3
00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:11,520
impulsion of attraction and
repulsion.
4
00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:16,920
The predominant quality or guna
is rajas, which brings energy,
5
00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:22,280
action and progress, while at
the same time its deformations
6
00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:27,160
can bring all manner of vital
disturbances such as reactions
7
00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:32,960
of anger, greed, lust, vanity,
fear, et cetera.
8
00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:38,480
Rajas tends to push beyond
limits and if it does this to
9
00:00:38,480 --> 00:00:43,640
the physical body, eventually
suffering can result, including
10
00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:46,520
breakdown of the body if the
force was more than it could
11
00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,880
handle.
When Rajas is rebuffed or
12
00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:53,600
disappointed, it tends to
respond by falling into a
13
00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:57,440
temassic state.
The vital being has a strong
14
00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:02,240
hold over the entire human
being, and it is skilled in
15
00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:06,120
gaining the acquiescence and
support of the mental being to
16
00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:10,000
justify and aid it in
fulfillment of its desires.
17
00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,800
Without a strong vital nature,
nothing much can be accomplished
18
00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:19,840
in the outer world, yet care
must be exercised to eventually
19
00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,680
bring it under control of more
disciplined and suck Wick
20
00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:28,040
impulses and to direct it
towards the development of the
21
00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:32,680
higher consciousness.
Once that happens, the vital can
22
00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:37,640
become as strong an ally as it
can be an obstacle in its usual
23
00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,760
state of focus on the
satisfaction of the desires of
24
00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:48,720
the external nature.
Doctor de Lal notes quote the
25
00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:53,280
vital being intermediate between
the physical and the mental.
26
00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:58,120
Is the vital made-up of life
energies, sensations, pleasure,
27
00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:03,640
pain et cetera, instincts and
impulses, anger, fear, lust, et
28
00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:08,120
cetera, desires, feelings and
emotions?
29
00:02:09,039 --> 00:02:14,680
The vital from the Latin word
Vita life is aptly so-called
30
00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,960
because it is the source of life
force and seeks afterlife for
31
00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:23,200
its own sake, clinging to life
even if it brings more of
32
00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,880
suffering than of pleasure.
The vital consciousness is
33
00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:31,120
characterized by likes and
dislikes, the search for
34
00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:34,800
pleasure and enjoyment, and the
avoidance of pain and
35
00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:39,480
discomfort, desire to possess
and to accumulate.
36
00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:44,160
Common attitudes based on the
vital consciousness express a
37
00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:48,960
hedonistic orientation in life,
what Freud referred to as the
38
00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:53,040
pleasure principle.
Besides the quest for pleasure,
39
00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:55,600
these attitudes are
characterized by a need for
40
00:02:55,600 --> 00:03:00,600
perpetual variety and change,
ambitiousness, attachment and
41
00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:04,960
repulsion, aggression, fear, and
impulsiveness.
42
00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:10,200
End Quote reference Srioro Bindu
and the Mother.
43
00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:13,760
Looking from within.
Introduction by Doctor de la
44
00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:15,600
Page, Romans 7.