March 16, 2025
Dealing with Dualities
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 1, Looking at Life and Circumstances, pp. 24-25This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/03/14/dealing-with-dualities/
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 SriAurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:03,760
Our experience in the world is
one of dualities.
2
00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:11,720
Hot and cold, wet and dry, happy
and sad, love and hate, darkness
3
00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:16,800
and light, etcetera.
We recognize that we cannot have
4
00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:21,880
the one without the other.
The Chinese symbol of Yin Yang
5
00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:26,360
illustrates the intertwined
nature of these dualities and
6
00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:30,480
that even in the greatest light
there is a spot of darkness and
7
00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,720
vice versa.
Once we recognize the nature of
8
00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:38,400
life as consisting of these
dualities, the question then
9
00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:40,480
arises as to what to do about
it.
10
00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:46,600
We seek happiness, we seek
light, we seek harmony, we seek
11
00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:52,080
freedom, but we are all the time
confronted with unhappiness,
12
00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,520
darkness, disharmony and
bondage, et cetera.
13
00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:01,040
Many people have come to the
conclusion that it is not
14
00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:04,640
possible to have one without the
other, that the price of
15
00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:09,160
happiness is acceptance of
unhappiness as a condition on
16
00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:12,800
occasion.
Some go so far as to say we
17
00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,560
would not appreciate the
positive side of the duality
18
00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:19,520
without the experience of the
negative side.
19
00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:24,960
We can imagine and create
fantasies about unmixed bliss
20
00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,400
and an existence without any of
the negative poles of the
21
00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,520
dualities.
Various religions have
22
00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:36,920
postulated heavens where the
elect or the saved go after
23
00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:41,320
departure from this world to
enjoy such a state of paradise
24
00:01:41,320 --> 00:01:46,360
in heaven, whatever the status
of existence is in some other
25
00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:52,040
place or on some other plane, we
are tasked with making sense of
26
00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:56,800
and responding to the conditions
here in this world, this world
27
00:01:56,800 --> 00:02:00,400
of dualities.
We thus need to determine how
28
00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,960
best to respond to those aspects
we find uncomfortable or
29
00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:08,039
negative, as well as to
understand the role they have to
30
00:02:08,039 --> 00:02:11,160
play in life here in the world
we live in.
31
00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,880
If we try to fight the
dualities, we quickly find out
32
00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:21,080
that we become upset,
frustrated, despondent or
33
00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:25,400
depressed, as they cannot be
eliminated from our lives.
34
00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:31,240
Some people preach a philosophy
of Stoicism whereby we condition
35
00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,000
ourselves to accept the
dualities without feeling
36
00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:38,200
oppressed, gaining strength in
our ability to withstand their
37
00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,960
impulsion.
Others suggest we rise above
38
00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:46,720
them, see and experience them,
but not be moved or shaken by
39
00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:51,720
them, so that whether we judge
something to be good or bad, we
40
00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:54,200
can benefit from its impact on
our lives.
41
00:02:56,200 --> 00:03:00,080
We may find, if we look closely
at our own responses to the
42
00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:04,320
dualities, that when we are
experiencing what we judge to be
43
00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:09,320
positive responses, we tend to
want to enjoy them and we do not
44
00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:13,400
tend to make serious efforts
compared to times when we are
45
00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:16,600
under pressure of what we term
negative responses.
46
00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,920
It is an answer to these
negative times that we make the
47
00:03:20,920 --> 00:03:26,120
greatest efforts generally, and
thus they become aids to our
48
00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:33,120
growth and progress.
Srioro Vindo notes quote This
49
00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,800
world has a double aspect.
It seems to be based on a
50
00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:41,160
material inconscience and an
ignorant mind and life full of
51
00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:45,440
that inconscience.
Error and sorrow, death and
52
00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:47,920
suffering, are the necessary
consequence.
53
00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:53,080
But there is evidently too, a
partially successful endeavour
54
00:03:53,720 --> 00:04:00,120
and an imperfect growth towards
light, knowledge, truth, good
55
00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:07,440
happiness, harmony, beauty, at
least a partial flowering of
56
00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:11,200
these things.
The meaning of this world must
57
00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:13,520
evidently lie in this
opposition.
58
00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:18,160
It must be an evolution which is
leading or struggling towards
59
00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,600
higher things out of a first,
darker appearance.
60
00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:26,160
Whatever guidance there is must
be given under these conditions
61
00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:30,360
of opposition and struggle, and
must be leading towards that
62
00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:34,400
higher state of things.
It is leading the individual
63
00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:38,720
certainly, and the world
presumably, towards the higher
64
00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:42,560
state, But through the double
terms of knowledge and
65
00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:47,000
ignorance, light and darkness,
death and life, pain and
66
00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:51,200
pleasure, happiness and
suffering, none of the terms can
67
00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,800
be excluded until the higher
status is reached and
68
00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:58,640
established.
It is not and cannot be
69
00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:03,320
ordinarily a guidance which at
once rejects the darker terms,
70
00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:07,480
still less a guidance which
brings us solely and always
71
00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:11,800
nothing but happiness, success
and good fortune.
72
00:05:12,840 --> 00:05:15,720
Its main concern is with the
growth of our being and
73
00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:20,120
consciousness, the growth
towards a higher Self, towards
74
00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:25,440
the Divine, eventually towards a
higher light, truth and bliss.
75
00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:31,160
The rest is secondary.
Sometimes a means, sometimes a
76
00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:39,040
result, not a primary purpose.
End Quote Reference Sri Robindo
77
00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:43,160
and the Mother, Looking from
Within, Chapter 1 Looking at
78
00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:46,880
Life and Circumstances, pages 24
to 25.
00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:03,760
Our experience in the world is
one of dualities.
2
00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:11,720
Hot and cold, wet and dry, happy
and sad, love and hate, darkness
3
00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:16,800
and light, etcetera.
We recognize that we cannot have
4
00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:21,880
the one without the other.
The Chinese symbol of Yin Yang
5
00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:26,360
illustrates the intertwined
nature of these dualities and
6
00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:30,480
that even in the greatest light
there is a spot of darkness and
7
00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,720
vice versa.
Once we recognize the nature of
8
00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:38,400
life as consisting of these
dualities, the question then
9
00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:40,480
arises as to what to do about
it.
10
00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:46,600
We seek happiness, we seek
light, we seek harmony, we seek
11
00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:52,080
freedom, but we are all the time
confronted with unhappiness,
12
00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,520
darkness, disharmony and
bondage, et cetera.
13
00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:01,040
Many people have come to the
conclusion that it is not
14
00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:04,640
possible to have one without the
other, that the price of
15
00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:09,160
happiness is acceptance of
unhappiness as a condition on
16
00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:12,800
occasion.
Some go so far as to say we
17
00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,560
would not appreciate the
positive side of the duality
18
00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:19,520
without the experience of the
negative side.
19
00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:24,960
We can imagine and create
fantasies about unmixed bliss
20
00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,400
and an existence without any of
the negative poles of the
21
00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,520
dualities.
Various religions have
22
00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:36,920
postulated heavens where the
elect or the saved go after
23
00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:41,320
departure from this world to
enjoy such a state of paradise
24
00:01:41,320 --> 00:01:46,360
in heaven, whatever the status
of existence is in some other
25
00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:52,040
place or on some other plane, we
are tasked with making sense of
26
00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:56,800
and responding to the conditions
here in this world, this world
27
00:01:56,800 --> 00:02:00,400
of dualities.
We thus need to determine how
28
00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,960
best to respond to those aspects
we find uncomfortable or
29
00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:08,039
negative, as well as to
understand the role they have to
30
00:02:08,039 --> 00:02:11,160
play in life here in the world
we live in.
31
00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,880
If we try to fight the
dualities, we quickly find out
32
00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:21,080
that we become upset,
frustrated, despondent or
33
00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:25,400
depressed, as they cannot be
eliminated from our lives.
34
00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:31,240
Some people preach a philosophy
of Stoicism whereby we condition
35
00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,000
ourselves to accept the
dualities without feeling
36
00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:38,200
oppressed, gaining strength in
our ability to withstand their
37
00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,960
impulsion.
Others suggest we rise above
38
00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:46,720
them, see and experience them,
but not be moved or shaken by
39
00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:51,720
them, so that whether we judge
something to be good or bad, we
40
00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:54,200
can benefit from its impact on
our lives.
41
00:02:56,200 --> 00:03:00,080
We may find, if we look closely
at our own responses to the
42
00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:04,320
dualities, that when we are
experiencing what we judge to be
43
00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:09,320
positive responses, we tend to
want to enjoy them and we do not
44
00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:13,400
tend to make serious efforts
compared to times when we are
45
00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:16,600
under pressure of what we term
negative responses.
46
00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,920
It is an answer to these
negative times that we make the
47
00:03:20,920 --> 00:03:26,120
greatest efforts generally, and
thus they become aids to our
48
00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:33,120
growth and progress.
Srioro Vindo notes quote This
49
00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,800
world has a double aspect.
It seems to be based on a
50
00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:41,160
material inconscience and an
ignorant mind and life full of
51
00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:45,440
that inconscience.
Error and sorrow, death and
52
00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:47,920
suffering, are the necessary
consequence.
53
00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:53,080
But there is evidently too, a
partially successful endeavour
54
00:03:53,720 --> 00:04:00,120
and an imperfect growth towards
light, knowledge, truth, good
55
00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:07,440
happiness, harmony, beauty, at
least a partial flowering of
56
00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:11,200
these things.
The meaning of this world must
57
00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:13,520
evidently lie in this
opposition.
58
00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:18,160
It must be an evolution which is
leading or struggling towards
59
00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,600
higher things out of a first,
darker appearance.
60
00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:26,160
Whatever guidance there is must
be given under these conditions
61
00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:30,360
of opposition and struggle, and
must be leading towards that
62
00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:34,400
higher state of things.
It is leading the individual
63
00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:38,720
certainly, and the world
presumably, towards the higher
64
00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:42,560
state, But through the double
terms of knowledge and
65
00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:47,000
ignorance, light and darkness,
death and life, pain and
66
00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:51,200
pleasure, happiness and
suffering, none of the terms can
67
00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,800
be excluded until the higher
status is reached and
68
00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:58,640
established.
It is not and cannot be
69
00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:03,320
ordinarily a guidance which at
once rejects the darker terms,
70
00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:07,480
still less a guidance which
brings us solely and always
71
00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:11,800
nothing but happiness, success
and good fortune.
72
00:05:12,840 --> 00:05:15,720
Its main concern is with the
growth of our being and
73
00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:20,120
consciousness, the growth
towards a higher Self, towards
74
00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:25,440
the Divine, eventually towards a
higher light, truth and bliss.
75
00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:31,160
The rest is secondary.
Sometimes a means, sometimes a
76
00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:39,040
result, not a primary purpose.
End Quote Reference Sri Robindo
77
00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:43,160
and the Mother, Looking from
Within, Chapter 1 Looking at
78
00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:46,880
Life and Circumstances, pages 24
to 25.