Dec. 20, 2024
Encouraging the Dreams of Children
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter XVI Body, pp. 124-125 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/12/18/encouraging-the-dreams-of-children/
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 Sri Aurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,720
We could say that it is almost a
universal experience.
2
00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:09,400
A child expresses some
sentiment, some idea about what
3
00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:13,400
he or she would like to do,
something that soars beyond the
4
00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:16,960
mundane daily existence,
something that makes things
5
00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:22,120
better, increases the beauty and
harmony of life, cherishes life.
6
00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:28,960
And then the elders, parents,
relatives, teachers, make it
7
00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:32,880
clear to the child that their
dreams are not practical and
8
00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:36,680
they should instead focus on
their studies and preparing for
9
00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:40,800
a career or job that will
provide them a stable livelihood
10
00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:45,560
in their adult lives.
Rare are those elders who can
11
00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,640
nourish and encourage the dreams
of these children and who take
12
00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:52,560
steps to help them actually work
toward achieving them.
13
00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:56,640
An example that seems to
frequently come up is the
14
00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:00,480
natural and spontaneous love for
animals that children exhibit
15
00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:04,160
and their aversion to eating
meat when they find out that
16
00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:06,560
meat is actually a slaughtered
animal.
17
00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,280
Parents in meat eating societies
often force the children to eat
18
00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:15,760
meat despite the child's
aversion, and many is the time
19
00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:21,080
that a family dog benefited from
the child's resistance as the
20
00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,040
meat seemingly disappeared down
to the floor.
21
00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:29,240
Many children seem to have an
innate sense of beauty, harmony,
22
00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:36,040
harmlessness, justice, truth,
goodwill and basic harmony.
23
00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:39,120
We could ask how it is that.
Children.
24
00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:43,560
Have such dreams or aspirations?
Where do they come from if they
25
00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,960
are not part of their daily
external lives or education?
26
00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:50,560
It is clear when 1 looks
closely.
27
00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:55,200
That they bring them from
another domain of being those
28
00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:57,680
who understand these things.
In depth speak of the
29
00:01:57,680 --> 00:01:59,480
development of the psychic
being.
30
00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:02,760
Over many.
Lifetimes, the maturity of the
31
00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:05,680
understanding.
Without the intellectual.
32
00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,800
Words to.
Express it comes with them into
33
00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:09,639
the new.
Life.
34
00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:11,960
They have taken on.
It is.
35
00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,120
Also in such a manner that we
can understand how a young.
36
00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:20,280
Mozart five years old.
Can be writing music and at age
37
00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:25,320
6 performing before Royal Courts
in Europe, speaking to a
38
00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:29,920
maturity and power of expression
far beyond that of.
39
00:02:29,920 --> 00:02:34,280
Toddlers generally, the mother
notes quote.
40
00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:40,400
When one is very young, and, as
I say, well born, that is, born
41
00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:44,720
with a conscious psychic being
within, there is always in the
42
00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:49,760
dreams of the child a kind of
aspiration which for its child's
43
00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:53,480
consciousness is a sort of
ambition for something which
44
00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:57,000
would be beauty without
ugliness, justice without
45
00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:02,680
injustice, goodness without
limits, and a conscious constant
46
00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:07,760
success, a perpetual miracle.
One dreams of miracles.
47
00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,680
When one is young, one wants all
wickedness to disappear,
48
00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:16,080
everything to be always
luminous, beautiful, happy.
49
00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:18,920
One likes stories which end
happily.
50
00:03:19,640 --> 00:03:23,880
This is what one should rely on
when the body feels its
51
00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:28,480
miseries, its limitations.
One must establish this dream in
52
00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:32,680
it of a strength which would
have no limit, a beauty which
53
00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,680
would have no ugliness, and of
marvelous capacities.
54
00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,600
One dreams of being able to rise
into the air, of being wherever
55
00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:45,280
it is necessary to be, of
setting things right when they
56
00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:50,680
go wrong, of healing the sick.
Indeed, one has all sorts of
57
00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,800
dreams.
When 1 is very young, usually
58
00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,240
parents or teachers pass their
time throwing cold water on it,
59
00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:02,040
telling you, oh, it is a dream,
it's not reality.
60
00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:05,000
They should do the very
opposite.
61
00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:09,640
Children should be taught.
Yes, this is what you must try
62
00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:13,160
to realize.
And not only is it possible, but
63
00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:16,720
it is certain if you come in
contact with the part in you
64
00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:18,760
which is capable of doing this
thing.
65
00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:23,760
This is what should guide your
life, organize it, make you
66
00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:28,360
develop in the direction of the
true reality which the Earl
67
00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:36,240
ordinary world calls illusion.
End Quote Reference Srioro Bindo
68
00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:42,920
and the Mother Powers within,
Chapter 16 Body, pages 124 to
69
00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:44,080
125.
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,720
We could say that it is almost a
universal experience.
2
00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:09,400
A child expresses some
sentiment, some idea about what
3
00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:13,400
he or she would like to do,
something that soars beyond the
4
00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:16,960
mundane daily existence,
something that makes things
5
00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:22,120
better, increases the beauty and
harmony of life, cherishes life.
6
00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:28,960
And then the elders, parents,
relatives, teachers, make it
7
00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:32,880
clear to the child that their
dreams are not practical and
8
00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:36,680
they should instead focus on
their studies and preparing for
9
00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:40,800
a career or job that will
provide them a stable livelihood
10
00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:45,560
in their adult lives.
Rare are those elders who can
11
00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,640
nourish and encourage the dreams
of these children and who take
12
00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:52,560
steps to help them actually work
toward achieving them.
13
00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:56,640
An example that seems to
frequently come up is the
14
00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:00,480
natural and spontaneous love for
animals that children exhibit
15
00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:04,160
and their aversion to eating
meat when they find out that
16
00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:06,560
meat is actually a slaughtered
animal.
17
00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,280
Parents in meat eating societies
often force the children to eat
18
00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:15,760
meat despite the child's
aversion, and many is the time
19
00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:21,080
that a family dog benefited from
the child's resistance as the
20
00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,040
meat seemingly disappeared down
to the floor.
21
00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:29,240
Many children seem to have an
innate sense of beauty, harmony,
22
00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:36,040
harmlessness, justice, truth,
goodwill and basic harmony.
23
00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:39,120
We could ask how it is that.
Children.
24
00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:43,560
Have such dreams or aspirations?
Where do they come from if they
25
00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,960
are not part of their daily
external lives or education?
26
00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:50,560
It is clear when 1 looks
closely.
27
00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:55,200
That they bring them from
another domain of being those
28
00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:57,680
who understand these things.
In depth speak of the
29
00:01:57,680 --> 00:01:59,480
development of the psychic
being.
30
00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:02,760
Over many.
Lifetimes, the maturity of the
31
00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:05,680
understanding.
Without the intellectual.
32
00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,800
Words to.
Express it comes with them into
33
00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:09,639
the new.
Life.
34
00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:11,960
They have taken on.
It is.
35
00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,120
Also in such a manner that we
can understand how a young.
36
00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:20,280
Mozart five years old.
Can be writing music and at age
37
00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:25,320
6 performing before Royal Courts
in Europe, speaking to a
38
00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:29,920
maturity and power of expression
far beyond that of.
39
00:02:29,920 --> 00:02:34,280
Toddlers generally, the mother
notes quote.
40
00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:40,400
When one is very young, and, as
I say, well born, that is, born
41
00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:44,720
with a conscious psychic being
within, there is always in the
42
00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:49,760
dreams of the child a kind of
aspiration which for its child's
43
00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:53,480
consciousness is a sort of
ambition for something which
44
00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:57,000
would be beauty without
ugliness, justice without
45
00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:02,680
injustice, goodness without
limits, and a conscious constant
46
00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:07,760
success, a perpetual miracle.
One dreams of miracles.
47
00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,680
When one is young, one wants all
wickedness to disappear,
48
00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:16,080
everything to be always
luminous, beautiful, happy.
49
00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:18,920
One likes stories which end
happily.
50
00:03:19,640 --> 00:03:23,880
This is what one should rely on
when the body feels its
51
00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:28,480
miseries, its limitations.
One must establish this dream in
52
00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:32,680
it of a strength which would
have no limit, a beauty which
53
00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,680
would have no ugliness, and of
marvelous capacities.
54
00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,600
One dreams of being able to rise
into the air, of being wherever
55
00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:45,280
it is necessary to be, of
setting things right when they
56
00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:50,680
go wrong, of healing the sick.
Indeed, one has all sorts of
57
00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,800
dreams.
When 1 is very young, usually
58
00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,240
parents or teachers pass their
time throwing cold water on it,
59
00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:02,040
telling you, oh, it is a dream,
it's not reality.
60
00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:05,000
They should do the very
opposite.
61
00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:09,640
Children should be taught.
Yes, this is what you must try
62
00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:13,160
to realize.
And not only is it possible, but
63
00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:16,720
it is certain if you come in
contact with the part in you
64
00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:18,760
which is capable of doing this
thing.
65
00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:23,760
This is what should guide your
life, organize it, make you
66
00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:28,360
develop in the direction of the
true reality which the Earl
67
00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:36,240
ordinary world calls illusion.
End Quote Reference Srioro Bindo
68
00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:42,920
and the Mother Powers within,
Chapter 16 Body, pages 124 to
69
00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:44,080
125.