May 17, 2025
Dealing With the Reactive Impulses of the Vital Nature of the External Personality
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within , Chapter 4, Ordeals and Difficulties, pg. 77This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/05/15/dealing-with-the-reactive-impulses-of-the-vital-nature-of-the-external-personality/
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
00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:03,480
We tend to be reactive by
nature.
2
00:00:04,560 --> 00:00:07,760
Something occurs and we
immediately capture the
3
00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:12,480
vibration and respond to it.
Thus, we have outbursts of anger
4
00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:17,000
when we are frustrated or feel
insecure, or when something gets
5
00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:21,000
in the way of some idea,
intention or movement we want to
6
00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:24,320
undertake.
An example of this type of
7
00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:28,800
instantaneous reactivity is the
phenomenon of road rage.
8
00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:33,440
Perhaps someone is driving too
slowly or cuts in front.
9
00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:38,480
There's a reaction of anger, and
in some cases this manifests as
10
00:00:38,480 --> 00:00:43,640
a confrontation and a beating, a
fight, or even an attempted
11
00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,240
murder.
Many cases of domestic violence
12
00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:50,400
are a result of reacting in the
heat of the moment with anger
13
00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:54,000
and violence.
It is not just anger that occurs
14
00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,760
in this manner.
Many cases of sexual assault are
15
00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:02,440
crimes of passion as they occur
without premeditation when an
16
00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:06,880
individual suddenly experiences
the sexual force and does not
17
00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:11,760
restrain it from expression.
Basically, all of the vital
18
00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,840
impulses are subject to instant
activation when they are
19
00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:20,320
triggered by some vibrational
pattern reaching us or arising
20
00:01:20,320 --> 00:01:23,800
internally based on some
released cellular stored
21
00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:27,120
response.
Much of this occurs without
22
00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,840
being filtered through the
mental process, as encapsulated
23
00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:35,720
memories, feelings, or vital
reactions are triggered and play
24
00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:40,000
themselves out before we can
even consider how to respond.
25
00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:45,880
For the spiritual seeker intent
on transforming human nature,
26
00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,800
these triggered responses
represent both a particular
27
00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:54,480
challenge and an opportunity.
With mental control and
28
00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:58,520
discipline, it is possible to
withhold the reaction, but that
29
00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:03,160
only helps if the instantaneous
nature of it can be modified.
30
00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:08,000
Otherwise, the proverbial horse
is out of the barn before the
31
00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:11,800
door has been closed.
That is why adopting the
32
00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:14,480
practice of shifting the
standpoint to the witness
33
00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:19,480
consciousness, observing the
nature, is extremely useful to
34
00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:23,040
the spiritual seeker.
This allows the witness to
35
00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:28,360
create a buffer to lengthen the
fuse setting of the reactive
36
00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:33,560
nature, thus giving time for
considered response rather than
37
00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:37,360
instant reaction.
It is the attachment to the
38
00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:41,480
external ego personality that
allows the unfiltered reactions
39
00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:45,440
to take place.
It is the detachment from that
40
00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:49,680
ego personality that is the
first step in gaining mastery
41
00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:55,240
over these reactive impulses,
Shrioro Bindu observes quote.
42
00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,520
The difficulties of the
character persist so long as one
43
00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:03,400
yields to them in action.
When they rise, one has to make
44
00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,560
a strict rule not to act
according to the impulses of
45
00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:10,880
anger, ego, or whatever the
weakness may be that one wants
46
00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,840
to get rid of, or if one does
act in the heat of the moment,
47
00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,200
not to justify or persist in the
action.
48
00:03:18,920 --> 00:03:24,520
If one does that, after a time
the difficulty abates or is
49
00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:28,440
confined purely to a subjective
movement which one can observe,
50
00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:33,480
detach oneself from, and combat.
End Quote.
51
00:03:34,640 --> 00:03:37,400
Reference.
Srioro Bindu and the Mother
52
00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:42,920
Looking from Within, Chapter 4.
Ordeals and Difficulties, page
53
00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:43,840
77.
00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:03,480
We tend to be reactive by
nature.
2
00:00:04,560 --> 00:00:07,760
Something occurs and we
immediately capture the
3
00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:12,480
vibration and respond to it.
Thus, we have outbursts of anger
4
00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:17,000
when we are frustrated or feel
insecure, or when something gets
5
00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:21,000
in the way of some idea,
intention or movement we want to
6
00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:24,320
undertake.
An example of this type of
7
00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:28,800
instantaneous reactivity is the
phenomenon of road rage.
8
00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:33,440
Perhaps someone is driving too
slowly or cuts in front.
9
00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:38,480
There's a reaction of anger, and
in some cases this manifests as
10
00:00:38,480 --> 00:00:43,640
a confrontation and a beating, a
fight, or even an attempted
11
00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,240
murder.
Many cases of domestic violence
12
00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:50,400
are a result of reacting in the
heat of the moment with anger
13
00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:54,000
and violence.
It is not just anger that occurs
14
00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,760
in this manner.
Many cases of sexual assault are
15
00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:02,440
crimes of passion as they occur
without premeditation when an
16
00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:06,880
individual suddenly experiences
the sexual force and does not
17
00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:11,760
restrain it from expression.
Basically, all of the vital
18
00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,840
impulses are subject to instant
activation when they are
19
00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:20,320
triggered by some vibrational
pattern reaching us or arising
20
00:01:20,320 --> 00:01:23,800
internally based on some
released cellular stored
21
00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:27,120
response.
Much of this occurs without
22
00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,840
being filtered through the
mental process, as encapsulated
23
00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:35,720
memories, feelings, or vital
reactions are triggered and play
24
00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:40,000
themselves out before we can
even consider how to respond.
25
00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:45,880
For the spiritual seeker intent
on transforming human nature,
26
00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,800
these triggered responses
represent both a particular
27
00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:54,480
challenge and an opportunity.
With mental control and
28
00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:58,520
discipline, it is possible to
withhold the reaction, but that
29
00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:03,160
only helps if the instantaneous
nature of it can be modified.
30
00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:08,000
Otherwise, the proverbial horse
is out of the barn before the
31
00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:11,800
door has been closed.
That is why adopting the
32
00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:14,480
practice of shifting the
standpoint to the witness
33
00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:19,480
consciousness, observing the
nature, is extremely useful to
34
00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:23,040
the spiritual seeker.
This allows the witness to
35
00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:28,360
create a buffer to lengthen the
fuse setting of the reactive
36
00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:33,560
nature, thus giving time for
considered response rather than
37
00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:37,360
instant reaction.
It is the attachment to the
38
00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:41,480
external ego personality that
allows the unfiltered reactions
39
00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:45,440
to take place.
It is the detachment from that
40
00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:49,680
ego personality that is the
first step in gaining mastery
41
00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:55,240
over these reactive impulses,
Shrioro Bindu observes quote.
42
00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,520
The difficulties of the
character persist so long as one
43
00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:03,400
yields to them in action.
When they rise, one has to make
44
00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,560
a strict rule not to act
according to the impulses of
45
00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:10,880
anger, ego, or whatever the
weakness may be that one wants
46
00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,840
to get rid of, or if one does
act in the heat of the moment,
47
00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,200
not to justify or persist in the
action.
48
00:03:18,920 --> 00:03:24,520
If one does that, after a time
the difficulty abates or is
49
00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:28,440
confined purely to a subjective
movement which one can observe,
50
00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:33,480
detach oneself from, and combat.
End Quote.
51
00:03:34,640 --> 00:03:37,400
Reference.
Srioro Bindu and the Mother
52
00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:42,920
Looking from Within, Chapter 4.
Ordeals and Difficulties, page
53
00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:43,840
77.