Aug. 6, 2025
Consciousness and Self-Mastery
reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 5, Attitudes on the Path, pp. 144-145This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/08/04/consciousness-and-self-mastery/
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1
00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:05,200
As noted, to be conscious is a
broadly applicable term, not
2
00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:09,400
just to 1's own body, life,
mind, complex, but to all
3
00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:14,200
factors in the universal
creation, the flow of time, the
4
00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:18,120
development of circumstances,
the relations between the
5
00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:23,240
individual and the society,
world environment and universal
6
00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:27,240
forces.
The seeker, however, generally
7
00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:31,200
wants to start with the basics,
becoming conscious of his own
8
00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:35,520
Nexus of awareness and learning
how to achieve control and
9
00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,720
mastery within that limited
scope.
10
00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:44,040
The question of awareness and
the separate question of control
11
00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:48,200
or mastery is taken up in the
following exchange between a
12
00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:52,120
disciple and the mother.
The example given relates to
13
00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:56,280
states of depression, but it
could just as easily be about
14
00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:01,200
any other concern, whether it is
control of anger reactions or
15
00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:06,360
dieting or reactions of fear, or
simply jumping to conclusions
16
00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:08,920
without all the necessary facts
in hand.
17
00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:13,800
In whatever part of the being of
response or reaction occurs,
18
00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:18,400
there is a need to observe and
eventually manage those
19
00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:22,120
reactions.
It comes down to awareness
20
00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:26,920
through observation, control,
loosening the hold of the
21
00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:31,960
habitual response and eventually
changing the nature through lack
22
00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:38,240
of that response.
A disciple asks, is it the same
23
00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,720
thing to be conscious and to
master the different parts of
24
00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:46,960
the being?
The mother replies quote one
25
00:01:46,960 --> 00:01:50,600
precedes the other.
First of all, one must be
26
00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:55,400
conscious, then control, and by
continuing the mastery, one
27
00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:59,440
changes one's character.
Changing the character is what
28
00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:03,160
comes last.
One must control bad habits, the
29
00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:07,720
old habits, for a very long time
for them to drop off and the
30
00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:11,720
character to change.
We may take the example of
31
00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:13,800
someone who has frequent
depressions.
32
00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:18,560
When things are not exactly as
he would like them to be, he
33
00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:23,400
becomes depressed.
So to begin with, he must become
34
00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:27,120
aware of his depression, not
only of the depression, but of
35
00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:31,240
the causes of depression, why he
gets depressed so easily.
36
00:02:31,920 --> 00:02:36,120
Then once he has become
conscious, he must master the
37
00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,000
depressions, must stop being
depressed.
38
00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:42,520
Even when the cause of
depression is there, he must
39
00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,360
master his depression, stop it
from coming.
40
00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:50,400
And finally, after this work has
been done for a sufficiently
41
00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:55,480
long time, the nature loses the
habit of having depressions and
42
00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:57,800
no longer reacts in the same
way.
43
00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:01,280
The nature has changed.
End Quote.
44
00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:05,120
Reference.
Srioro, Bindo and the Mother
45
00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:10,400
Looking from Within, Chapter 5.
Attitudes on the Path, pages
46
00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:12,520
1:44 to 1:45.
00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:05,200
As noted, to be conscious is a
broadly applicable term, not
2
00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:09,400
just to 1's own body, life,
mind, complex, but to all
3
00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:14,200
factors in the universal
creation, the flow of time, the
4
00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:18,120
development of circumstances,
the relations between the
5
00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:23,240
individual and the society,
world environment and universal
6
00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:27,240
forces.
The seeker, however, generally
7
00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:31,200
wants to start with the basics,
becoming conscious of his own
8
00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:35,520
Nexus of awareness and learning
how to achieve control and
9
00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,720
mastery within that limited
scope.
10
00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:44,040
The question of awareness and
the separate question of control
11
00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:48,200
or mastery is taken up in the
following exchange between a
12
00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:52,120
disciple and the mother.
The example given relates to
13
00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:56,280
states of depression, but it
could just as easily be about
14
00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:01,200
any other concern, whether it is
control of anger reactions or
15
00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:06,360
dieting or reactions of fear, or
simply jumping to conclusions
16
00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:08,920
without all the necessary facts
in hand.
17
00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:13,800
In whatever part of the being of
response or reaction occurs,
18
00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:18,400
there is a need to observe and
eventually manage those
19
00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:22,120
reactions.
It comes down to awareness
20
00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:26,920
through observation, control,
loosening the hold of the
21
00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:31,960
habitual response and eventually
changing the nature through lack
22
00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:38,240
of that response.
A disciple asks, is it the same
23
00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,720
thing to be conscious and to
master the different parts of
24
00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:46,960
the being?
The mother replies quote one
25
00:01:46,960 --> 00:01:50,600
precedes the other.
First of all, one must be
26
00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:55,400
conscious, then control, and by
continuing the mastery, one
27
00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:59,440
changes one's character.
Changing the character is what
28
00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:03,160
comes last.
One must control bad habits, the
29
00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:07,720
old habits, for a very long time
for them to drop off and the
30
00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:11,720
character to change.
We may take the example of
31
00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:13,800
someone who has frequent
depressions.
32
00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:18,560
When things are not exactly as
he would like them to be, he
33
00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:23,400
becomes depressed.
So to begin with, he must become
34
00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:27,120
aware of his depression, not
only of the depression, but of
35
00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:31,240
the causes of depression, why he
gets depressed so easily.
36
00:02:31,920 --> 00:02:36,120
Then once he has become
conscious, he must master the
37
00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,000
depressions, must stop being
depressed.
38
00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:42,520
Even when the cause of
depression is there, he must
39
00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,360
master his depression, stop it
from coming.
40
00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:50,400
And finally, after this work has
been done for a sufficiently
41
00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:55,480
long time, the nature loses the
habit of having depressions and
42
00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:57,800
no longer reacts in the same
way.
43
00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:01,280
The nature has changed.
End Quote.
44
00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:05,120
Reference.
Srioro, Bindo and the Mother
45
00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:10,400
Looking from Within, Chapter 5.
Attitudes on the Path, pages
46
00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:12,520
1:44 to 1:45.
