Sept. 19, 2025
Comparing a Vacant Mind and a Calm Mind
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1, Calm -- Peace -- Equality, pp. 2-3
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/09/17/comparing-a-vacant-mind-and-a-calm-mind/
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1
00:00:01,040 --> 00:00:05,280
When one steps back and begins
to observe the mind's action and
2
00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:10,280
what Swami Vivekananda calls the
mind's stuff Chitta, a number of
3
00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:15,240
different statuses can be seen.
The normal human mind is usually
4
00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:18,880
constantly active and it jumps
from one thing to another in
5
00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:23,800
response to impulses,
impressions, sensations, vital
6
00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:28,160
or physical drives, or emotional
or mental preoccupations or
7
00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:31,520
focus.
There are other states as well.
8
00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:36,080
Sri Ro Binda describes the
difference between a vacant
9
00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:41,560
mind, which by definition cannot
undertake or carry out any
10
00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:46,880
actions requiring mental
activity, and a calm mind which
11
00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:52,120
is able to respond even while
maintaining a basic poise.
12
00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:56,200
There is also a status of a dull
mind, which is cloudy,
13
00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:59,840
relatively inert and unable to
focus.
14
00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,160
A mind filled with ambitions and
desires that can take on the
15
00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:06,640
color of the vital force acting
upon it.
16
00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:13,040
And a silent mind where the mind
is alert, receptive, without the
17
00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:17,480
flow of linear thoughts, words
or images that populate the
18
00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:21,680
normal mind's activity.
The predominance of one or
19
00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:27,280
another of the gunas.
Thomas Rajas Satwa determines
20
00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:30,440
which status of mind occurs at
any point in time.
21
00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:34,400
The distinguishing
characteristics of these mind
22
00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,800
states are the activity, the
source of the activity, and the
23
00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:43,560
quality of the chitta.
In these situations, the mind
24
00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,440
stuff is sometimes referred to
as a lake with waves or ripples
25
00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:52,200
disturbing the surface until
such time as it becomes calm and
26
00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:55,840
receptive, at which point the
ripples are stilled.
27
00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:00,840
In some cases, the ripples are
described as taking place on the
28
00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:06,160
surface without disturbing the
deep water that maintains its
29
00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:10,400
stillness.
It is in the calm mind or the
30
00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:16,320
entirely silent but not vacant
mind that the seeker can receive
31
00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:20,240
and respond to the higher
spiritual knowledge and force
32
00:02:20,920 --> 00:02:25,720
and put that into action,
Sriorbinda writes quote.
33
00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:30,280
The difference between a vacant
mind and a calm mind is this,
34
00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:34,280
that when the mind is vacant
there is no thought, no
35
00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:39,880
conception, no mental action of
any kind except an essential
36
00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:42,520
perception of things without the
formed idea.
37
00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:47,640
But in the calm mind it is the
substance of the mental being
38
00:02:47,640 --> 00:02:51,760
that is still, so still that
nothing disturbs it.
39
00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:56,840
If thoughts or activities come,
they do not rise at all out of
40
00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:00,800
the mind, but they come from
outside and cross the mind.
41
00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:05,800
As the flight of birds crosses
the sky in a windless air, it
42
00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:10,120
passes, disturbs nothing,
leaving no trace.
43
00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:16,480
Even if 1000 images or the most
violent events pass across it,
44
00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:21,000
the calm stillness remains, as
if the very texture of the mind
45
00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,920
were a substance of eternal and
indestructible peace.
46
00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:29,840
A mind that has achieved this
calmness can begin to act even
47
00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:34,240
intensely and powerfully, but it
will keep its fundamental
48
00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:39,320
stillness, originating nothing
from itself but receiving from
49
00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:44,080
above and giving it a mental
form without adding anything of
50
00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:49,120
its own, calmly,
dispassionately, though with the
51
00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:53,840
joy of the truth and the happy
power and light of its passage.
52
00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:59,560
End Quote.
Reference Sri Aurobindo, Bases
53
00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:03,360
of Yoga, Chapter 1.
Calm, Peace and Equality.
54
00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:05,240
Pages 2:00 to 3:00.
00:00:01,040 --> 00:00:05,280
When one steps back and begins
to observe the mind's action and
2
00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:10,280
what Swami Vivekananda calls the
mind's stuff Chitta, a number of
3
00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:15,240
different statuses can be seen.
The normal human mind is usually
4
00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:18,880
constantly active and it jumps
from one thing to another in
5
00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:23,800
response to impulses,
impressions, sensations, vital
6
00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:28,160
or physical drives, or emotional
or mental preoccupations or
7
00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:31,520
focus.
There are other states as well.
8
00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:36,080
Sri Ro Binda describes the
difference between a vacant
9
00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:41,560
mind, which by definition cannot
undertake or carry out any
10
00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:46,880
actions requiring mental
activity, and a calm mind which
11
00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:52,120
is able to respond even while
maintaining a basic poise.
12
00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:56,200
There is also a status of a dull
mind, which is cloudy,
13
00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:59,840
relatively inert and unable to
focus.
14
00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,160
A mind filled with ambitions and
desires that can take on the
15
00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:06,640
color of the vital force acting
upon it.
16
00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:13,040
And a silent mind where the mind
is alert, receptive, without the
17
00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:17,480
flow of linear thoughts, words
or images that populate the
18
00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:21,680
normal mind's activity.
The predominance of one or
19
00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:27,280
another of the gunas.
Thomas Rajas Satwa determines
20
00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:30,440
which status of mind occurs at
any point in time.
21
00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:34,400
The distinguishing
characteristics of these mind
22
00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,800
states are the activity, the
source of the activity, and the
23
00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:43,560
quality of the chitta.
In these situations, the mind
24
00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,440
stuff is sometimes referred to
as a lake with waves or ripples
25
00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:52,200
disturbing the surface until
such time as it becomes calm and
26
00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:55,840
receptive, at which point the
ripples are stilled.
27
00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:00,840
In some cases, the ripples are
described as taking place on the
28
00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:06,160
surface without disturbing the
deep water that maintains its
29
00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:10,400
stillness.
It is in the calm mind or the
30
00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:16,320
entirely silent but not vacant
mind that the seeker can receive
31
00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:20,240
and respond to the higher
spiritual knowledge and force
32
00:02:20,920 --> 00:02:25,720
and put that into action,
Sriorbinda writes quote.
33
00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:30,280
The difference between a vacant
mind and a calm mind is this,
34
00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:34,280
that when the mind is vacant
there is no thought, no
35
00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:39,880
conception, no mental action of
any kind except an essential
36
00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:42,520
perception of things without the
formed idea.
37
00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:47,640
But in the calm mind it is the
substance of the mental being
38
00:02:47,640 --> 00:02:51,760
that is still, so still that
nothing disturbs it.
39
00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:56,840
If thoughts or activities come,
they do not rise at all out of
40
00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:00,800
the mind, but they come from
outside and cross the mind.
41
00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:05,800
As the flight of birds crosses
the sky in a windless air, it
42
00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:10,120
passes, disturbs nothing,
leaving no trace.
43
00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:16,480
Even if 1000 images or the most
violent events pass across it,
44
00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:21,000
the calm stillness remains, as
if the very texture of the mind
45
00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,920
were a substance of eternal and
indestructible peace.
46
00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:29,840
A mind that has achieved this
calmness can begin to act even
47
00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:34,240
intensely and powerfully, but it
will keep its fundamental
48
00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:39,320
stillness, originating nothing
from itself but receiving from
49
00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:44,080
above and giving it a mental
form without adding anything of
50
00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:49,120
its own, calmly,
dispassionately, though with the
51
00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:53,840
joy of the truth and the happy
power and light of its passage.
52
00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:59,560
End Quote.
Reference Sri Aurobindo, Bases
53
00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:03,360
of Yoga, Chapter 1.
Calm, Peace and Equality.
54
00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:05,240
Pages 2:00 to 3:00.
