July 7, 2025
Distinguishing Truth from Falsehood Requires Separation from the Vital Desire-Soul and Its Impulsions
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 5, Attitudes on the Path, pp. 121-123This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/07/05/distinguishing-truth-from-falsehood-requires-separation-from-the-vital-desire-soul-and-its-impulsions/
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
00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:04,800
During the 1980s, there were a
number of scams carried out by
2
00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:08,080
US mail.
An individual would receive a
3
00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:11,280
letter purporting to come from
some high official in another
4
00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:15,840
country who had access to a
large amount of money and needed
5
00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:20,160
a partner to help take the funds
out of the country and invest
6
00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:23,560
them in the USA under the
control of the partner.
7
00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,400
The individual who received the
mail laughed about how absurd
8
00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:32,159
the whole idea was, but an
employee at the company was
9
00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:35,920
taken with the idea and was
concerned that it was just being
10
00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:39,760
thrown in the trash bin.
The company owner explained to
11
00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:43,960
this individual that it clearly
was some kind of false attempt
12
00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,920
to take advantage of someone in
the USA, possibly through
13
00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,000
stealing their banking
information.
14
00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:55,200
The employee asked for the
letter so he could follow up and
15
00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:59,320
become duly enriched.
Despite hearing the truth of the
16
00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:04,360
matter, his desire for instant
financial wealth was so strong
17
00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:07,360
that he could not accept that
truth.
18
00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:11,640
Needless to say, he did not gain
the riches he sought.
19
00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:15,880
This is actually a very common
occurrence, and people lose a
20
00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:18,920
lot of money each year to
similar deceptions.
21
00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:25,080
For a spiritual aspirant, if we
apply our understanding about
22
00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:30,120
how vital desire can cause us to
disregard or simply avoid what
23
00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:35,760
are unpleasant facts in order to
fulfill the desire, we can find
24
00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:41,120
that the truth, the factual
reality, is fully evident, but
25
00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:43,480
we essentially choose to
disregard it.
26
00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:47,640
The spiritual practitioner
eventually needs to find a
27
00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:51,120
standpoint whereby he can
observe the working of desire,
28
00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:57,120
the deceptions that work upon
his mind, and simply see and act
29
00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:02,600
upon the facts as they present
themselves, not the false and
30
00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:06,920
illusory notions that the
external desire soul creates to
31
00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:12,040
try and achieve its aims.
By virtue of a long standing
32
00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:15,440
practice of separating oneself
inwardly from the flow of
33
00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:21,880
thoughts, emotions, feelings,
perceptions and reactions, the
34
00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:26,440
spiritual aspirant has the
capacity at all times to see the
35
00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:30,400
truth.
If he chooses to see it, he must
36
00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:35,880
do away with wishful thinking,
partisan ideas and incomplete
37
00:02:35,920 --> 00:02:42,120
observations.
The Dhammapada states those who
38
00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:47,320
take error for truth and the
truth for error will never
39
00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:51,680
attain the supreme goal, for
they are LED astray by vain
40
00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:57,720
desires and false views, The
mother notes quote.
41
00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:03,000
My experience is like this.
Whenever you sincerely want to
42
00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:08,040
know the truth, you do know it.
There is always something to
43
00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:12,360
point out the error to you, to
make you recognize the truth,
44
00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:17,240
and if you observe yourself
attentively, you find out that
45
00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:22,120
it is because you prefer error
that you do not find the truth
46
00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:28,880
even in small details, the very
smallest, not to speak of the
47
00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,920
big things of life, the big
decisions that one has to take
48
00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:38,200
even in the smallest things.
Whenever the aspiration for the
49
00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:42,080
truth and the will to be true
are wholly sincere, the
50
00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:47,640
indication always comes.
And precisely with the method of
51
00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:51,600
the Buddhist discipline, if you
follow up within yourself the
52
00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:56,360
causes of your way of being, you
always find out that persistence
53
00:03:56,360 --> 00:04:00,840
and error comes from desire.
It is because you have the
54
00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:06,880
preference, the desire to feel,
to act, to think in a particular
55
00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:11,960
way that you make the mistake.
It is not simply because you do
56
00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:16,160
not know what is true.
You do not know it precisely
57
00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:21,000
because you say in a vague,
general, imprecise way, oh, I
58
00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:25,800
want the truth.
In fact, if you take a detail,
59
00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:31,080
each detail, and put your finger
on it, you discovered that you
60
00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,000
were playing the ostrich in
order not to see.
61
00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:40,000
You put up something uncertain,
something vague, a veil, in
62
00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:46,160
order not to see behind it.
Whenever there is sincerity, you
63
00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:51,400
find that the help, the
guidance, the grace are always
64
00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:55,880
there to give you the answer,
and you are not mistaken for
65
00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:59,240
long.
It is this sincerity in the
66
00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:04,400
aspiration for progress, in the
will, for truth, in the need to
67
00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:08,960
be truly pure, pure as it is
understood in the spiritual
68
00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,560
life.
It is this sincerity which is
69
00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:18,440
the key to all progress.
With it you know, and you can.
70
00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:24,520
There is always somewhere in the
being something which prefers to
71
00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:28,840
deceive itself.
Otherwise the light is there,
72
00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:33,600
always ready to guide, but you
shut your eyes in order not to
73
00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:38,640
see it.
End Quote Reference Shrioro
74
00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:42,240
Bindu and the Mother Looking
from Within, Chapter 5,
75
00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:47,280
Attitudes on the Path, pages 121
to 123.
00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:04,800
During the 1980s, there were a
number of scams carried out by
2
00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:08,080
US mail.
An individual would receive a
3
00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:11,280
letter purporting to come from
some high official in another
4
00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:15,840
country who had access to a
large amount of money and needed
5
00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:20,160
a partner to help take the funds
out of the country and invest
6
00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:23,560
them in the USA under the
control of the partner.
7
00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,400
The individual who received the
mail laughed about how absurd
8
00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:32,159
the whole idea was, but an
employee at the company was
9
00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:35,920
taken with the idea and was
concerned that it was just being
10
00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:39,760
thrown in the trash bin.
The company owner explained to
11
00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:43,960
this individual that it clearly
was some kind of false attempt
12
00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,920
to take advantage of someone in
the USA, possibly through
13
00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,000
stealing their banking
information.
14
00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:55,200
The employee asked for the
letter so he could follow up and
15
00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:59,320
become duly enriched.
Despite hearing the truth of the
16
00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:04,360
matter, his desire for instant
financial wealth was so strong
17
00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:07,360
that he could not accept that
truth.
18
00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:11,640
Needless to say, he did not gain
the riches he sought.
19
00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:15,880
This is actually a very common
occurrence, and people lose a
20
00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:18,920
lot of money each year to
similar deceptions.
21
00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:25,080
For a spiritual aspirant, if we
apply our understanding about
22
00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:30,120
how vital desire can cause us to
disregard or simply avoid what
23
00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:35,760
are unpleasant facts in order to
fulfill the desire, we can find
24
00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:41,120
that the truth, the factual
reality, is fully evident, but
25
00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:43,480
we essentially choose to
disregard it.
26
00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:47,640
The spiritual practitioner
eventually needs to find a
27
00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:51,120
standpoint whereby he can
observe the working of desire,
28
00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:57,120
the deceptions that work upon
his mind, and simply see and act
29
00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:02,600
upon the facts as they present
themselves, not the false and
30
00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:06,920
illusory notions that the
external desire soul creates to
31
00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:12,040
try and achieve its aims.
By virtue of a long standing
32
00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:15,440
practice of separating oneself
inwardly from the flow of
33
00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:21,880
thoughts, emotions, feelings,
perceptions and reactions, the
34
00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:26,440
spiritual aspirant has the
capacity at all times to see the
35
00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:30,400
truth.
If he chooses to see it, he must
36
00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:35,880
do away with wishful thinking,
partisan ideas and incomplete
37
00:02:35,920 --> 00:02:42,120
observations.
The Dhammapada states those who
38
00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:47,320
take error for truth and the
truth for error will never
39
00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:51,680
attain the supreme goal, for
they are LED astray by vain
40
00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:57,720
desires and false views, The
mother notes quote.
41
00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:03,000
My experience is like this.
Whenever you sincerely want to
42
00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:08,040
know the truth, you do know it.
There is always something to
43
00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:12,360
point out the error to you, to
make you recognize the truth,
44
00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:17,240
and if you observe yourself
attentively, you find out that
45
00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:22,120
it is because you prefer error
that you do not find the truth
46
00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:28,880
even in small details, the very
smallest, not to speak of the
47
00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,920
big things of life, the big
decisions that one has to take
48
00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:38,200
even in the smallest things.
Whenever the aspiration for the
49
00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:42,080
truth and the will to be true
are wholly sincere, the
50
00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:47,640
indication always comes.
And precisely with the method of
51
00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:51,600
the Buddhist discipline, if you
follow up within yourself the
52
00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:56,360
causes of your way of being, you
always find out that persistence
53
00:03:56,360 --> 00:04:00,840
and error comes from desire.
It is because you have the
54
00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:06,880
preference, the desire to feel,
to act, to think in a particular
55
00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:11,960
way that you make the mistake.
It is not simply because you do
56
00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:16,160
not know what is true.
You do not know it precisely
57
00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:21,000
because you say in a vague,
general, imprecise way, oh, I
58
00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:25,800
want the truth.
In fact, if you take a detail,
59
00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:31,080
each detail, and put your finger
on it, you discovered that you
60
00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,000
were playing the ostrich in
order not to see.
61
00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:40,000
You put up something uncertain,
something vague, a veil, in
62
00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:46,160
order not to see behind it.
Whenever there is sincerity, you
63
00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:51,400
find that the help, the
guidance, the grace are always
64
00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:55,880
there to give you the answer,
and you are not mistaken for
65
00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:59,240
long.
It is this sincerity in the
66
00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:04,400
aspiration for progress, in the
will, for truth, in the need to
67
00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:08,960
be truly pure, pure as it is
understood in the spiritual
68
00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,560
life.
It is this sincerity which is
69
00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:18,440
the key to all progress.
With it you know, and you can.
70
00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:24,520
There is always somewhere in the
being something which prefers to
71
00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:28,840
deceive itself.
Otherwise the light is there,
72
00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:33,600
always ready to guide, but you
shut your eyes in order not to
73
00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:38,640
see it.
End Quote Reference Shrioro
74
00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:42,240
Bindu and the Mother Looking
from Within, Chapter 5,
75
00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:47,280
Attitudes on the Path, pages 121
to 123.