April 27, 2024
Becoming Aware of and Distinguishing the Source of Vibrations Impacting our Lives
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Hidden Forces of Life, Ch. 3 Hidden Forces Around, pp. 66-67 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/04/25/becoming-aware-of-and-distinguishing-the-source-of-vibrations-impacting-our-lives/
Santosh has been studying Sri Aurobindo's writings since 1971 and has a daily blog at http://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com and podcast located at https://anchor.fm/santosh-krinsky
He is author of 20 books and is editor-in-chief at Lotus Press. He is president of Institute for Wholistic Education, a non-profit focused on integrating spirituality into daily life.
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
00:00:01,220 --> 00:00:05,240
Our consciousness tends to
be so fluid and so mixed
2
00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:08,700
that it is difficult, if
not practically impossible,
3
00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,360
to distinguish what
represents our own internal
4
00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:16,600
process and what is coming
to us from outside, from
5
00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,440
our interaction with others,
from environmental
6
00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:22,880
influences. None
of these things remains
7
00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:25,520
pure and unadulterated.
There
8
00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:29,120
is a constant mixing
process that goes on. We
9
00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:32,020
can observe the thoughts,
we can observe the
10
00:00:32,020 --> 00:00:36,620
emotions, we can observe
the vital reactions, we can
11
00:00:36,620 --> 00:00:40,480
observe the physical
responses, but we generally
12
00:00:40,480 --> 00:00:43,960
are not able to separate
the various elements or
13
00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,620
threads that constitute each
of these things and see
14
00:00:47,620 --> 00:00:51,540
clearly what we are taking
on and how it is impacting
15
00:00:51,540 --> 00:00:55,740
us from our external life.
If
16
00:00:55,740 --> 00:00:58,620
we can identify one clear
benefit from a period of
17
00:00:58,620 --> 00:01:01,540
separation from the life of
the world, through
18
00:01:01,540 --> 00:01:05,099
withdrawing to the cave,
the ashram, the monastery,
19
00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:09,180
the mountain or the desert
or the forest, it is that
20
00:01:09,180 --> 00:01:12,880
we can theoretically use
that time, examining our
21
00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,700
own process and thus
establish what may be
22
00:01:16,700 --> 00:01:19,820
considered a baseline
representing our current
23
00:01:19,820 --> 00:01:23,600
organized being and
personality. Obviously,
24
00:01:24,300 --> 00:01:28,380
this is itself constructed
from our earlier life, the
25
00:01:28,380 --> 00:01:32,260
impact of our forebears and
any family or social
26
00:01:32,260 --> 00:01:36,200
influences that help create
the identity we consider to
27
00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:39,580
be ourselves. As
an observational stage,
28
00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,120
however, the value comes
when we eventually return
29
00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:47,180
to the larger act of life
in the world, as we can
30
00:01:47,180 --> 00:01:50,500
begin to distinguish what
we knew to be our own
31
00:01:50,500 --> 00:01:54,600
baseline from new energetic
responses and effects that
32
00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,360
we begin to experience.
This
33
00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:01,940
helps us to create a
differential diagnosis and
34
00:02:01,940 --> 00:02:04,840
gain clarity about the mix
of vibrations that is
35
00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:09,240
always occurring and how it
impacts us and how it
36
00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:13,460
changes us. At
the same time, we may be
37
00:02:13,460 --> 00:02:16,400
able to observe how our
own characteristic vibrations
38
00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:20,140
go out and impact others
in the world and change
39
00:02:20,140 --> 00:02:25,420
their responses. The
mother observes, quote, are
40
00:02:25,420 --> 00:02:29,440
you able to know when you
are with others what comes
41
00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,920
from you and what from the
others, to what extent
42
00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:36,780
their way of being, their
particular vibrations act
43
00:02:36,780 --> 00:02:39,800
upon you? You
are not aware of this at
44
00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:42,100
all. You
live in a kind of
45
00:02:42,100 --> 00:02:47,220
approximate consciousness,
half awake, half asleep, in
46
00:02:47,220 --> 00:02:50,440
something very vague, where
you have to grope like
47
00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,700
this in order to catch
things. But
48
00:02:53,700 --> 00:02:57,620
do you have a precise,
clear, exact notion of what
49
00:02:57,620 --> 00:03:01,500
goes on in you, why it
goes on in you, and then
50
00:03:01,500 --> 00:03:05,000
this, the vibrations which
come to you from outside
51
00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:09,340
and those which come from
within you? And
52
00:03:09,340 --> 00:03:13,080
then again, what can come
from others, changing all
53
00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,980
this, giving another
orientation? You
54
00:03:16,980 --> 00:03:20,740
live in a kind of hazy
fluidity, certain small
55
00:03:20,740 --> 00:03:24,440
things suddenly crystallize
in your consciousness. You
56
00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:27,420
have just caught them for
a moment and it is just
57
00:03:27,420 --> 00:03:29,760
clear enough like that as
though there was a
58
00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:34,080
projector, just something
passing on the screen and
59
00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:36,640
becoming clear for a
second. The
60
00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:42,020
next minute, everything has
become vague, imprecise, but
61
00:03:42,020 --> 00:03:45,140
you are not aware of this
because you have not even
62
00:03:45,140 --> 00:03:48,500
asked yourself the question,
because you live in this
63
00:03:48,500 --> 00:03:53,880
way, end quote. Reference,
Shri Aurobindo and the
64
00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:58,440
mother, the hidden forces
of life, chapter 3, hidden
65
00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:02,280
forces around, pages 66 to
67.
00:00:01,220 --> 00:00:05,240
Our consciousness tends to
be so fluid and so mixed
2
00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:08,700
that it is difficult, if
not practically impossible,
3
00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,360
to distinguish what
represents our own internal
4
00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:16,600
process and what is coming
to us from outside, from
5
00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,440
our interaction with others,
from environmental
6
00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:22,880
influences. None
of these things remains
7
00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:25,520
pure and unadulterated.
There
8
00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:29,120
is a constant mixing
process that goes on. We
9
00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:32,020
can observe the thoughts,
we can observe the
10
00:00:32,020 --> 00:00:36,620
emotions, we can observe
the vital reactions, we can
11
00:00:36,620 --> 00:00:40,480
observe the physical
responses, but we generally
12
00:00:40,480 --> 00:00:43,960
are not able to separate
the various elements or
13
00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,620
threads that constitute each
of these things and see
14
00:00:47,620 --> 00:00:51,540
clearly what we are taking
on and how it is impacting
15
00:00:51,540 --> 00:00:55,740
us from our external life.
If
16
00:00:55,740 --> 00:00:58,620
we can identify one clear
benefit from a period of
17
00:00:58,620 --> 00:01:01,540
separation from the life of
the world, through
18
00:01:01,540 --> 00:01:05,099
withdrawing to the cave,
the ashram, the monastery,
19
00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:09,180
the mountain or the desert
or the forest, it is that
20
00:01:09,180 --> 00:01:12,880
we can theoretically use
that time, examining our
21
00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,700
own process and thus
establish what may be
22
00:01:16,700 --> 00:01:19,820
considered a baseline
representing our current
23
00:01:19,820 --> 00:01:23,600
organized being and
personality. Obviously,
24
00:01:24,300 --> 00:01:28,380
this is itself constructed
from our earlier life, the
25
00:01:28,380 --> 00:01:32,260
impact of our forebears and
any family or social
26
00:01:32,260 --> 00:01:36,200
influences that help create
the identity we consider to
27
00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:39,580
be ourselves. As
an observational stage,
28
00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,120
however, the value comes
when we eventually return
29
00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:47,180
to the larger act of life
in the world, as we can
30
00:01:47,180 --> 00:01:50,500
begin to distinguish what
we knew to be our own
31
00:01:50,500 --> 00:01:54,600
baseline from new energetic
responses and effects that
32
00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,360
we begin to experience.
This
33
00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:01,940
helps us to create a
differential diagnosis and
34
00:02:01,940 --> 00:02:04,840
gain clarity about the mix
of vibrations that is
35
00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:09,240
always occurring and how it
impacts us and how it
36
00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:13,460
changes us. At
the same time, we may be
37
00:02:13,460 --> 00:02:16,400
able to observe how our
own characteristic vibrations
38
00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:20,140
go out and impact others
in the world and change
39
00:02:20,140 --> 00:02:25,420
their responses. The
mother observes, quote, are
40
00:02:25,420 --> 00:02:29,440
you able to know when you
are with others what comes
41
00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,920
from you and what from the
others, to what extent
42
00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:36,780
their way of being, their
particular vibrations act
43
00:02:36,780 --> 00:02:39,800
upon you? You
are not aware of this at
44
00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:42,100
all. You
live in a kind of
45
00:02:42,100 --> 00:02:47,220
approximate consciousness,
half awake, half asleep, in
46
00:02:47,220 --> 00:02:50,440
something very vague, where
you have to grope like
47
00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,700
this in order to catch
things. But
48
00:02:53,700 --> 00:02:57,620
do you have a precise,
clear, exact notion of what
49
00:02:57,620 --> 00:03:01,500
goes on in you, why it
goes on in you, and then
50
00:03:01,500 --> 00:03:05,000
this, the vibrations which
come to you from outside
51
00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:09,340
and those which come from
within you? And
52
00:03:09,340 --> 00:03:13,080
then again, what can come
from others, changing all
53
00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,980
this, giving another
orientation? You
54
00:03:16,980 --> 00:03:20,740
live in a kind of hazy
fluidity, certain small
55
00:03:20,740 --> 00:03:24,440
things suddenly crystallize
in your consciousness. You
56
00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:27,420
have just caught them for
a moment and it is just
57
00:03:27,420 --> 00:03:29,760
clear enough like that as
though there was a
58
00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:34,080
projector, just something
passing on the screen and
59
00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:36,640
becoming clear for a
second. The
60
00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:42,020
next minute, everything has
become vague, imprecise, but
61
00:03:42,020 --> 00:03:45,140
you are not aware of this
because you have not even
62
00:03:45,140 --> 00:03:48,500
asked yourself the question,
because you live in this
63
00:03:48,500 --> 00:03:53,880
way, end quote. Reference,
Shri Aurobindo and the
64
00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:58,440
mother, the hidden forces
of life, chapter 3, hidden
65
00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:02,280
forces around, pages 66 to
67.