Dec. 1, 2025
Dealing With Periods of Dissipation and Distraction in the Spiritual Sadhana
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 3, In Difficulty, pg. 49This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/11/29/dealing-with-periods-of-dissipation-and-distraction-in-the-spiritual-sadhana
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
#Sri Aurobindo #ascent and assimilation #yoga #integral yoga #spirituality #sadhana
1
00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:04,400
Spiritual aspirants tend to have
periods of concentration,
2
00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:09,520
intense experiences, positive
forward movement centered around
3
00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:14,840
our deepest aspirations, only to
find that after some time the
4
00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:20,080
energy withdraws or they sink
back into old habits or
5
00:00:20,080 --> 00:00:22,240
comfortable patterns of the
past.
6
00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:26,160
They may look for activities
that do not take serious
7
00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:32,320
concentration and they act as
distractions or which dissipate
8
00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:36,400
the energy.
In today's world, scrolling
9
00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:41,320
social media or watching
mindless video reels can be
10
00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:43,960
added to traditional forms of
distraction.
11
00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:48,760
There is a truth behind this
alternation between spiritual
12
00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:51,040
focus and periods of
dissipation.
13
00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,320
The human instrument is not
normally capable of sustained
14
00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:59,880
concentration and focus over
long periods of time.
15
00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:04,800
Until the mind, the vital and
the physical being have been
16
00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:08,880
trained for endurance and
provided with the core ability
17
00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:13,760
to hold a focus, they will
naturally back off from time to
18
00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:17,480
time.
These periods of apparent
19
00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:21,000
retrogression may cause the
seeker to experience feelings of
20
00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:26,880
guilt or fear of incapacity,
when in fact they are natural
21
00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:31,600
periods of recovery and
assimilation in the long and
22
00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:36,760
arduous process of the spiritual
sadhna and the transformation of
23
00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:41,280
the nature.
They also act as signs of where
24
00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:44,360
effort can be fruitfully
expended to create a new
25
00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:48,560
development or expansion of the
spiritual force.
26
00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:53,360
They highlight immediate areas
of restriction or weakness that
27
00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:57,240
can become the spur towards a
new leap forward.
28
00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:03,560
Srioro Bindu observes quote an
occasional sinking of the
29
00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:05,760
consciousness.
Happens to everybody.
30
00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:10,080
The causes are various.
Some touch from outside,
31
00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:13,880
something not yet changed or not
sufficiently changed in the
32
00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:19,280
vital, especially the lower
vital, some inertia or obscurity
33
00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:22,000
rising up from the physical
parts of the nature.
34
00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:28,680
When it comes, remain quiet,
open yourself to the Mother and
35
00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:33,840
call back the true conditions
and aspire for a clear and
36
00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:38,160
undisturbed discrimination,
showing you from within yourself
37
00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:42,400
the cause of the thing that
needs to be set right.
38
00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:49,520
End Quote reference Sri
Rabindra, Faces of Yoga, Chapter
39
00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:53,320
3 in difficulty, page 49.
00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:04,400
Spiritual aspirants tend to have
periods of concentration,
2
00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:09,520
intense experiences, positive
forward movement centered around
3
00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:14,840
our deepest aspirations, only to
find that after some time the
4
00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:20,080
energy withdraws or they sink
back into old habits or
5
00:00:20,080 --> 00:00:22,240
comfortable patterns of the
past.
6
00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:26,160
They may look for activities
that do not take serious
7
00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:32,320
concentration and they act as
distractions or which dissipate
8
00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:36,400
the energy.
In today's world, scrolling
9
00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:41,320
social media or watching
mindless video reels can be
10
00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:43,960
added to traditional forms of
distraction.
11
00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:48,760
There is a truth behind this
alternation between spiritual
12
00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:51,040
focus and periods of
dissipation.
13
00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,320
The human instrument is not
normally capable of sustained
14
00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:59,880
concentration and focus over
long periods of time.
15
00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:04,800
Until the mind, the vital and
the physical being have been
16
00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:08,880
trained for endurance and
provided with the core ability
17
00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:13,760
to hold a focus, they will
naturally back off from time to
18
00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:17,480
time.
These periods of apparent
19
00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:21,000
retrogression may cause the
seeker to experience feelings of
20
00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:26,880
guilt or fear of incapacity,
when in fact they are natural
21
00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:31,600
periods of recovery and
assimilation in the long and
22
00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:36,760
arduous process of the spiritual
sadhna and the transformation of
23
00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:41,280
the nature.
They also act as signs of where
24
00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:44,360
effort can be fruitfully
expended to create a new
25
00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:48,560
development or expansion of the
spiritual force.
26
00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:53,360
They highlight immediate areas
of restriction or weakness that
27
00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:57,240
can become the spur towards a
new leap forward.
28
00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:03,560
Srioro Bindu observes quote an
occasional sinking of the
29
00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:05,760
consciousness.
Happens to everybody.
30
00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:10,080
The causes are various.
Some touch from outside,
31
00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:13,880
something not yet changed or not
sufficiently changed in the
32
00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:19,280
vital, especially the lower
vital, some inertia or obscurity
33
00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:22,000
rising up from the physical
parts of the nature.
34
00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:28,680
When it comes, remain quiet,
open yourself to the Mother and
35
00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:33,840
call back the true conditions
and aspire for a clear and
36
00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:38,160
undisturbed discrimination,
showing you from within yourself
37
00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:42,400
the cause of the thing that
needs to be set right.
38
00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:49,520
End Quote reference Sri
Rabindra, Faces of Yoga, Chapter
39
00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:53,320
3 in difficulty, page 49.