Feb. 26, 2025
Coincidence or Control?
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 1, Looking at Life and Circumstances, pg. 4
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/02/24/coincidence-or-control/
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
1
00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:05,160
The mind, with its need to
correlate facts, gather
2
00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,720
evidence, and develop proofs,
finds it difficult, if not
3
00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:14,640
impossible, to credit ideas that
seem to fall outside the logical
4
00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:16,560
reason.
Based on the mind's limited
5
00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:22,520
understanding of the oneness of
the Universal creation, the mind
6
00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:27,400
sets up certain rules and holds
doggedly to them until such time
7
00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:32,000
as more facts come in to
conveniently overturn the past
8
00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,440
rules.
Witness the idea that the sun
9
00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:39,520
revolves around the earth, which
only in recent centuries was
10
00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:42,960
overturned by a new
understanding of the operations
11
00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:47,560
of the solar system.
So the question of whether and
12
00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:51,640
to what extent an interaction
between an individual and the
13
00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:55,960
forces of nature, for instance
control of the weather, is one
14
00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:58,120
that has adherents on both
sides.
15
00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:02,760
Those wedded to science and
mental logic tend to disbelieve
16
00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:07,200
in this possibility, while those
who have a more mystical bent
17
00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:11,920
can understand the way these
forces interact in the unified
18
00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:17,240
field of consciousness.
At the same time, the mind is
19
00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,600
being confronted with evidence
in the field of quantum physics,
20
00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:24,360
which seems to defy the logical
rules.
21
00:01:25,320 --> 00:01:28,640
Ideas such as quantum
entanglement, where two
22
00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:33,400
particles distant from one
another are linked together such
23
00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:38,520
that action by 1 represents
action by the other, or the idea
24
00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:43,200
that the fact of observation of
an event changes the result, or
25
00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:47,160
even the results that seem to
show that certain current events
26
00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:52,200
change the past, all challenge
the traditional mental rules in
27
00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:56,440
ways that make it clear that
those rules are not only limited
28
00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:02,040
but arbitrary and incorrect when
a greater picture and more facts
29
00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:05,080
can be brought together into a
coherent picture.
30
00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,680
The question of the interaction
between consciousness in the
31
00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:14,200
human being and the natural
world is therefore open for
32
00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:19,600
review and consideration.
We read stories of various
33
00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,240
shaman who have some connection
to the natural world and who are
34
00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:27,200
thus able to exercise a certain
amount of control over the
35
00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:29,880
weather.
For instance, one of the most
36
00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:34,040
famous stories involves Tibet's
famous Yogi Milarepa.
37
00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:37,600
In the years before he took up
the practice of yoga.
38
00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:42,680
After his father died, his uncle
and aunt stole away the family's
39
00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:47,240
wealth and left his mother,
sister and himself in a
40
00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:49,960
dependent and destitute
position.
41
00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:55,320
He yearned for revenge and went
to study with a magician who
42
00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:57,720
taught him the secret of control
of the weather.
43
00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:02,800
He went back to his village,
called in a hailstorm and
44
00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:08,360
destroyed much of the village.
Many traditions tell of the
45
00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:12,680
ability to control storms.
Traditions also speak of the
46
00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:15,280
ability to bring needed rainfall
to a region.
47
00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:20,640
Tales in the Puranas of India
tell of how regions either had
48
00:03:20,640 --> 00:03:25,280
rainfall withheld or were
provided with rainfall based on
49
00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:30,920
various actions of kings or
curses made by Brahmanas who had
50
00:03:30,920 --> 00:03:35,560
been somehow insulted or harmed.
The question of interaction
51
00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:38,720
between human individuals and
the weather is one that has
52
00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:42,880
frequently come up all around
the world in the tradition of
53
00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:46,360
the Abrahamic religions.
There is the famous story of the
54
00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:51,000
catastrophic flood that, while
neither caused by nor prevented
55
00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:55,920
by human intervention, yet was
known in advance by Noah with
56
00:03:55,920 --> 00:04:00,440
sufficient time to build an ark
and populate it with two of each
57
00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:04,760
species.
Similarly, population centers
58
00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:08,560
were destroyed by climatic
events, which were revealed in
59
00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:13,400
advance to Lot, who was told by
God to depart to safety before
60
00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:18,600
the event took place.
Many people experienced an event
61
00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:22,840
during the Mother's last balcony
darshan in August 1973.
62
00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:26,960
It was uncertain that she would
actually give darshan that day.
63
00:04:27,840 --> 00:04:32,240
On the morning of August 15th,
1973, the announcement was made
64
00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:35,280
for a late afternoon, early
evening darshan time.
65
00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:39,600
People began collecting in the
street below the balcony hours
66
00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,720
in advance.
It was pouring rain.
67
00:04:43,840 --> 00:04:47,040
Shortly before the time of the
darshan.
68
00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:52,360
The clouds parted, the rain
stopped, and the mother came out
69
00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,480
to give her blessings to the
crowd of the people in the
70
00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:59,920
street below.
She went back inside and the
71
00:04:59,920 --> 00:05:05,160
rain promptly started up again.
We also hear of instances where
72
00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:10,160
the sense of peace was so solid
that nothing, even storms, could
73
00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:14,800
disturb it, as is related by the
mother in an anecdote about Trio
74
00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:19,400
Robindo during a great cyclone.
The mother notes quote.
75
00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:24,520
I have had innumerable examples
of the power of right attitude.
76
00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:29,320
I have seen crowds saved from
catastrophes by one single
77
00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:31,720
person keeping the right
attitude.
78
00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:36,200
But it must be an attitude that
does not remain somewhere very
79
00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,960
high, and leaves the body to its
usual reactions.
80
00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:45,360
If you remain high up like that,
saying, Let God's will be done,
81
00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:50,400
you may get killed all the same,
for your body may be quite
82
00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:55,800
undivine, shivering with fear.
The thing is to hold the true
83
00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:59,760
consciousness in the body
itself, and not have the least
84
00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:03,600
fear and be full of the divine
peace.
85
00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:10,000
Then indeed, there is no danger.
Not only can attacks of men be
86
00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:14,640
warded off, but beasts also, and
even the elements can be
87
00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:18,120
affected.
I can give you a little example.
88
00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:22,440
You remember the night of the
great cyclone, when there was a
89
00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:26,200
tremendous noise and splash of
rain all about the place.
90
00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:30,120
I thought I would go to Sri
Aurobindo's room and help him
91
00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:34,920
shut the windows.
I just opened the door and found
92
00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:37,440
him sitting quietly at his desk
writing.
93
00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:42,920
There was such a solid piece in
the room that nobody would have
94
00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:46,840
dreamed that a cyclone was
raging outside.
95
00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:53,680
All the windows were wide open.
Not a drop of rain was coming
96
00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:58,480
inside.
End Quote Reference Sri
97
00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:02,400
Aurobindo and the Mother Looking
from within, Chapter 1.
98
00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:06,160
Looking at Life and
Circumstances, page 4.
00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:05,160
The mind, with its need to
correlate facts, gather
2
00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,720
evidence, and develop proofs,
finds it difficult, if not
3
00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:14,640
impossible, to credit ideas that
seem to fall outside the logical
4
00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:16,560
reason.
Based on the mind's limited
5
00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:22,520
understanding of the oneness of
the Universal creation, the mind
6
00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:27,400
sets up certain rules and holds
doggedly to them until such time
7
00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:32,000
as more facts come in to
conveniently overturn the past
8
00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,440
rules.
Witness the idea that the sun
9
00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:39,520
revolves around the earth, which
only in recent centuries was
10
00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:42,960
overturned by a new
understanding of the operations
11
00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:47,560
of the solar system.
So the question of whether and
12
00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:51,640
to what extent an interaction
between an individual and the
13
00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:55,960
forces of nature, for instance
control of the weather, is one
14
00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:58,120
that has adherents on both
sides.
15
00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:02,760
Those wedded to science and
mental logic tend to disbelieve
16
00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:07,200
in this possibility, while those
who have a more mystical bent
17
00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:11,920
can understand the way these
forces interact in the unified
18
00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:17,240
field of consciousness.
At the same time, the mind is
19
00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,600
being confronted with evidence
in the field of quantum physics,
20
00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:24,360
which seems to defy the logical
rules.
21
00:01:25,320 --> 00:01:28,640
Ideas such as quantum
entanglement, where two
22
00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:33,400
particles distant from one
another are linked together such
23
00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:38,520
that action by 1 represents
action by the other, or the idea
24
00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:43,200
that the fact of observation of
an event changes the result, or
25
00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:47,160
even the results that seem to
show that certain current events
26
00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:52,200
change the past, all challenge
the traditional mental rules in
27
00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:56,440
ways that make it clear that
those rules are not only limited
28
00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:02,040
but arbitrary and incorrect when
a greater picture and more facts
29
00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:05,080
can be brought together into a
coherent picture.
30
00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,680
The question of the interaction
between consciousness in the
31
00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:14,200
human being and the natural
world is therefore open for
32
00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:19,600
review and consideration.
We read stories of various
33
00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,240
shaman who have some connection
to the natural world and who are
34
00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:27,200
thus able to exercise a certain
amount of control over the
35
00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:29,880
weather.
For instance, one of the most
36
00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:34,040
famous stories involves Tibet's
famous Yogi Milarepa.
37
00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:37,600
In the years before he took up
the practice of yoga.
38
00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:42,680
After his father died, his uncle
and aunt stole away the family's
39
00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:47,240
wealth and left his mother,
sister and himself in a
40
00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:49,960
dependent and destitute
position.
41
00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:55,320
He yearned for revenge and went
to study with a magician who
42
00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:57,720
taught him the secret of control
of the weather.
43
00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:02,800
He went back to his village,
called in a hailstorm and
44
00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:08,360
destroyed much of the village.
Many traditions tell of the
45
00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:12,680
ability to control storms.
Traditions also speak of the
46
00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:15,280
ability to bring needed rainfall
to a region.
47
00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:20,640
Tales in the Puranas of India
tell of how regions either had
48
00:03:20,640 --> 00:03:25,280
rainfall withheld or were
provided with rainfall based on
49
00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:30,920
various actions of kings or
curses made by Brahmanas who had
50
00:03:30,920 --> 00:03:35,560
been somehow insulted or harmed.
The question of interaction
51
00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:38,720
between human individuals and
the weather is one that has
52
00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:42,880
frequently come up all around
the world in the tradition of
53
00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:46,360
the Abrahamic religions.
There is the famous story of the
54
00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:51,000
catastrophic flood that, while
neither caused by nor prevented
55
00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:55,920
by human intervention, yet was
known in advance by Noah with
56
00:03:55,920 --> 00:04:00,440
sufficient time to build an ark
and populate it with two of each
57
00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:04,760
species.
Similarly, population centers
58
00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:08,560
were destroyed by climatic
events, which were revealed in
59
00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:13,400
advance to Lot, who was told by
God to depart to safety before
60
00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:18,600
the event took place.
Many people experienced an event
61
00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:22,840
during the Mother's last balcony
darshan in August 1973.
62
00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:26,960
It was uncertain that she would
actually give darshan that day.
63
00:04:27,840 --> 00:04:32,240
On the morning of August 15th,
1973, the announcement was made
64
00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:35,280
for a late afternoon, early
evening darshan time.
65
00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:39,600
People began collecting in the
street below the balcony hours
66
00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,720
in advance.
It was pouring rain.
67
00:04:43,840 --> 00:04:47,040
Shortly before the time of the
darshan.
68
00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:52,360
The clouds parted, the rain
stopped, and the mother came out
69
00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,480
to give her blessings to the
crowd of the people in the
70
00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:59,920
street below.
She went back inside and the
71
00:04:59,920 --> 00:05:05,160
rain promptly started up again.
We also hear of instances where
72
00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:10,160
the sense of peace was so solid
that nothing, even storms, could
73
00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:14,800
disturb it, as is related by the
mother in an anecdote about Trio
74
00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:19,400
Robindo during a great cyclone.
The mother notes quote.
75
00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:24,520
I have had innumerable examples
of the power of right attitude.
76
00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:29,320
I have seen crowds saved from
catastrophes by one single
77
00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:31,720
person keeping the right
attitude.
78
00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:36,200
But it must be an attitude that
does not remain somewhere very
79
00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,960
high, and leaves the body to its
usual reactions.
80
00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:45,360
If you remain high up like that,
saying, Let God's will be done,
81
00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:50,400
you may get killed all the same,
for your body may be quite
82
00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:55,800
undivine, shivering with fear.
The thing is to hold the true
83
00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:59,760
consciousness in the body
itself, and not have the least
84
00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:03,600
fear and be full of the divine
peace.
85
00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:10,000
Then indeed, there is no danger.
Not only can attacks of men be
86
00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:14,640
warded off, but beasts also, and
even the elements can be
87
00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:18,120
affected.
I can give you a little example.
88
00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:22,440
You remember the night of the
great cyclone, when there was a
89
00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:26,200
tremendous noise and splash of
rain all about the place.
90
00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:30,120
I thought I would go to Sri
Aurobindo's room and help him
91
00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:34,920
shut the windows.
I just opened the door and found
92
00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:37,440
him sitting quietly at his desk
writing.
93
00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:42,920
There was such a solid piece in
the room that nobody would have
94
00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:46,840
dreamed that a cyclone was
raging outside.
95
00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:53,680
All the windows were wide open.
Not a drop of rain was coming
96
00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:58,480
inside.
End Quote Reference Sri
97
00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:02,400
Aurobindo and the Mother Looking
from within, Chapter 1.
98
00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:06,160
Looking at Life and
Circumstances, page 4.