Feb. 19, 2025
Characteristic Relations of the Physical, Vital and Mental Beings to Life, Oneself and Others, Work and Facing Difficulties
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Introduction by Dr. Dalal, pp. viii-ix
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/02/17/characteristic-relations-of-the-physical-vital-and-mental-beings-to-life-oneself-and-others-work-and-facing-difficulties/
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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
00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:05,280
Understanding the operation of
the three gunas or qualities of
2
00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:09,640
nature, is an important part of
understanding yogic psychology.
3
00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:13,840
The Bhagwad Gita devotes
considerable effort to
4
00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:16,560
describing the gunas and their
functionality.
5
00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,560
For most people, however,
translating things like
6
00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:25,760
reactions, responses, attitudes,
etcetera into the language of
7
00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:30,440
the gunas is a difficult task.
This is particularly the case
8
00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:33,920
for Westerners who have no
background or grounding in the
9
00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:36,840
yogic psychology and its
terminology.
10
00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:41,680
Dr. Dalal has found a way to
describe the action of the gunas
11
00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:44,720
as a type of attitude of
response.
12
00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:49,080
He is essentially assigning the
predominant quality of each guna
13
00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,360
to a specific aspect of the
being.
14
00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:56,440
Thus the physical being is
characterized primarily by
15
00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:01,160
Thomas, the vital being by
rajas, and the mental being by
16
00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:04,480
Sattva in their purest and ideal
forms.
17
00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:09,040
Of course, there is an
intermixture at each level, so
18
00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:14,200
no one represents any guna
solely, nor is any element of
19
00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:18,120
the complete Being free from the
action and qualifying attitude
20
00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:24,840
of the other gunas.
Dr. Dalal observes quote the
21
00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:28,760
differences among the parts of
the outer being are illustrated
22
00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:35,080
in relation to attitude towards
life, oneself and others, work
23
00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:40,160
and difficulties with respect to
attitudes of the outer being
24
00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:42,640
towards life.
The physical being exhibits
25
00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:46,840
aimlessness with life governed
by habit and routine.
26
00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:52,320
The vital being fixates on
pursuit of wealth, sex and
27
00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:54,840
power.
Life governed by desire.
28
00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,680
The mental beings attitude is
governed by pursuit of
29
00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,880
knowledge.
Life governed by moral and
30
00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:06,400
mental principles with respect
to oneself and others.
31
00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:10,400
The physical being focuses on
identification with the body.
32
00:02:11,039 --> 00:02:14,760
The vital being identifies with
impulses and emotions.
33
00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:19,520
The mental being focuses on
identification with the mind.
34
00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:24,080
With respect to work, the
physical being sees it as a
35
00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:28,040
chore, drudgery.
The vital being looks upon work
36
00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:32,680
as a means of earning,
exercising power and exhibiting
37
00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:37,040
one's skills and abilities.
The mental being is concerned
38
00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:41,120
with performance of duty,
rendering a service, means of
39
00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:43,320
self-expression and self
improvement.
40
00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:48,200
Regarding difficulties, the
physical being tends to respond
41
00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:52,960
with indifference, passive
resignation, avoidance, or
42
00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:56,200
escapism.
The vital being responds with
43
00:02:56,200 --> 00:03:01,520
struggle, anxiety and tension,
irritability, and aggression.
44
00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,880
The mental being acts by
focusing on dispassionate
45
00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:09,720
problem solving.
Since all human beings have
46
00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:13,960
physical, vital, and mental
components in the makeup of
47
00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:18,080
their personality, the attitudes
pertaining to these parts of the
48
00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:22,160
being exist in everybody.
The attitudes vary in different
49
00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:26,640
persons in the degree of their
predominance, depending on the
50
00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:30,360
extent to which each of the
three parts of the being is
51
00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:35,640
dominant in a person.
End Quote Reference Sri
52
00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,160
Aurobindo and the Mother,
looking from within.
53
00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:42,480
Introduction by Doctor Delal.
Pages Roman, 8:00 to 9:00.
00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:05,280
Understanding the operation of
the three gunas or qualities of
2
00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:09,640
nature, is an important part of
understanding yogic psychology.
3
00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:13,840
The Bhagwad Gita devotes
considerable effort to
4
00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:16,560
describing the gunas and their
functionality.
5
00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,560
For most people, however,
translating things like
6
00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:25,760
reactions, responses, attitudes,
etcetera into the language of
7
00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:30,440
the gunas is a difficult task.
This is particularly the case
8
00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:33,920
for Westerners who have no
background or grounding in the
9
00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:36,840
yogic psychology and its
terminology.
10
00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:41,680
Dr. Dalal has found a way to
describe the action of the gunas
11
00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:44,720
as a type of attitude of
response.
12
00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:49,080
He is essentially assigning the
predominant quality of each guna
13
00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,360
to a specific aspect of the
being.
14
00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:56,440
Thus the physical being is
characterized primarily by
15
00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:01,160
Thomas, the vital being by
rajas, and the mental being by
16
00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:04,480
Sattva in their purest and ideal
forms.
17
00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:09,040
Of course, there is an
intermixture at each level, so
18
00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:14,200
no one represents any guna
solely, nor is any element of
19
00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:18,120
the complete Being free from the
action and qualifying attitude
20
00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:24,840
of the other gunas.
Dr. Dalal observes quote the
21
00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:28,760
differences among the parts of
the outer being are illustrated
22
00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:35,080
in relation to attitude towards
life, oneself and others, work
23
00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:40,160
and difficulties with respect to
attitudes of the outer being
24
00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:42,640
towards life.
The physical being exhibits
25
00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:46,840
aimlessness with life governed
by habit and routine.
26
00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:52,320
The vital being fixates on
pursuit of wealth, sex and
27
00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:54,840
power.
Life governed by desire.
28
00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,680
The mental beings attitude is
governed by pursuit of
29
00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,880
knowledge.
Life governed by moral and
30
00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:06,400
mental principles with respect
to oneself and others.
31
00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:10,400
The physical being focuses on
identification with the body.
32
00:02:11,039 --> 00:02:14,760
The vital being identifies with
impulses and emotions.
33
00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:19,520
The mental being focuses on
identification with the mind.
34
00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:24,080
With respect to work, the
physical being sees it as a
35
00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:28,040
chore, drudgery.
The vital being looks upon work
36
00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:32,680
as a means of earning,
exercising power and exhibiting
37
00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:37,040
one's skills and abilities.
The mental being is concerned
38
00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:41,120
with performance of duty,
rendering a service, means of
39
00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:43,320
self-expression and self
improvement.
40
00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:48,200
Regarding difficulties, the
physical being tends to respond
41
00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:52,960
with indifference, passive
resignation, avoidance, or
42
00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:56,200
escapism.
The vital being responds with
43
00:02:56,200 --> 00:03:01,520
struggle, anxiety and tension,
irritability, and aggression.
44
00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,880
The mental being acts by
focusing on dispassionate
45
00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:09,720
problem solving.
Since all human beings have
46
00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:13,960
physical, vital, and mental
components in the makeup of
47
00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:18,080
their personality, the attitudes
pertaining to these parts of the
48
00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:22,160
being exist in everybody.
The attitudes vary in different
49
00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:26,640
persons in the degree of their
predominance, depending on the
50
00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:30,360
extent to which each of the
three parts of the being is
51
00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:35,640
dominant in a person.
End Quote Reference Sri
52
00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,160
Aurobindo and the Mother,
looking from within.
53
00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:42,480
Introduction by Doctor Delal.
Pages Roman, 8:00 to 9:00.