Oct. 7, 2025
Equality Is Not Inert Passivity to Circumstances
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1, Calm — Peace — Equality, pp. 15-16This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/10/05/equality-is-not-inert-passivity-to-circumstances/
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1
00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:04,480
Achieving the balance between
equality and inert passivity is
2
00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:09,200
difficult for the human mind, as
we tend to prefer clear black
3
00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:13,560
and white choices rather than
any kind of nuanced approach.
4
00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:17,880
Equality refers to the
psychological poise with which
5
00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:22,920
one receives all impressions,
sensations, circumstances, and
6
00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:27,680
forces that act upon the being.
This does not imply that one
7
00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:32,759
must meekly accept whatever
comes as the will of the divine.
8
00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,360
The equality and ability to
maintain calm is a function of
9
00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:40,760
the external nature.
This allows the secret to
10
00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:44,040
maintain his aspiration and
focus toward the divine.
11
00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:49,000
It is the psychic being in
contact with the divine that
12
00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:54,120
knows the thing to be done.
Outer circumstances do not
13
00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,040
generally favor the
transformation process that the
14
00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:02,760
psychic being has accepted, and
thus opposition, difficulties,
15
00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:07,800
obstructions will frequently
arise as the existing forces of
16
00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,840
the status quo try to maintain
their control and ascendancy.
17
00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:16,680
It is the very process of the
evolution of consciousness and
18
00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:21,000
the transformation to not accept
what comes from the existing
19
00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:25,680
modes and ways of the world and
the forces at play there, but to
20
00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:31,200
accept, introduce and move into
action the higher forces trying
21
00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:36,120
to manifest.
In his book The Mother, Sri
22
00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:38,600
Robindo addresses this precise
point.
23
00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:43,880
Quote Note that a temasek
surrender, refusing to fulfill
24
00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:47,720
the conditions and calling on
God to do everything and save
25
00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,560
when all the trouble and
struggle is a deception and does
26
00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,480
not lead to freedom and
perfection.
27
00:01:55,000 --> 00:02:01,280
End Quote, Sri Robindo writes.
Quote Equality is a very
28
00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:05,560
important part of this yoga.
It is necessary to keep equality
29
00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:10,320
under pain and suffering, and
that means to endure firmly and
30
00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:14,360
calmly, not to be restless or
troubled or depressed or
31
00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:19,320
despondent, to go on with a
steady faith in the Divine will.
32
00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:23,680
But equality does not include
inert acceptance.
33
00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:28,000
If, for instance, there is a
temporary failure of some
34
00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:32,920
endeavour in the Sadhna, one has
to keep equality, not to be
35
00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:38,280
troubled or despondent, but one
has not to accept the failure as
36
00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:41,560
an indication of the Divine will
and give up the endeavour.
37
00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:45,320
You ought rather to find out the
reason and meaning of the
38
00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:49,600
failure and go forward in faith
towards victory.
39
00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:55,400
So with illness you have not to
be troubled, shaken or restless,
40
00:02:55,880 --> 00:03:00,000
but you have not to accept
illness as the Divine will, but
41
00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,240
rather look upon it as an
imperfection of the body to be
42
00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:08,320
got rid of as you try to get rid
of vital imperfections or mental
43
00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:12,520
errors.
End Quote reference.
44
00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:18,080
Srioro Bindo, Bases of Yoga,
Chapter 1, Calm, Peace and
45
00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:21,120
Equality, pages 15 to 16.
00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:04,480
Achieving the balance between
equality and inert passivity is
2
00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:09,200
difficult for the human mind, as
we tend to prefer clear black
3
00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:13,560
and white choices rather than
any kind of nuanced approach.
4
00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:17,880
Equality refers to the
psychological poise with which
5
00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:22,920
one receives all impressions,
sensations, circumstances, and
6
00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:27,680
forces that act upon the being.
This does not imply that one
7
00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:32,759
must meekly accept whatever
comes as the will of the divine.
8
00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,360
The equality and ability to
maintain calm is a function of
9
00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:40,760
the external nature.
This allows the secret to
10
00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:44,040
maintain his aspiration and
focus toward the divine.
11
00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:49,000
It is the psychic being in
contact with the divine that
12
00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:54,120
knows the thing to be done.
Outer circumstances do not
13
00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,040
generally favor the
transformation process that the
14
00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:02,760
psychic being has accepted, and
thus opposition, difficulties,
15
00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:07,800
obstructions will frequently
arise as the existing forces of
16
00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,840
the status quo try to maintain
their control and ascendancy.
17
00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:16,680
It is the very process of the
evolution of consciousness and
18
00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:21,000
the transformation to not accept
what comes from the existing
19
00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:25,680
modes and ways of the world and
the forces at play there, but to
20
00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:31,200
accept, introduce and move into
action the higher forces trying
21
00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:36,120
to manifest.
In his book The Mother, Sri
22
00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:38,600
Robindo addresses this precise
point.
23
00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:43,880
Quote Note that a temasek
surrender, refusing to fulfill
24
00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:47,720
the conditions and calling on
God to do everything and save
25
00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,560
when all the trouble and
struggle is a deception and does
26
00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,480
not lead to freedom and
perfection.
27
00:01:55,000 --> 00:02:01,280
End Quote, Sri Robindo writes.
Quote Equality is a very
28
00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:05,560
important part of this yoga.
It is necessary to keep equality
29
00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:10,320
under pain and suffering, and
that means to endure firmly and
30
00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:14,360
calmly, not to be restless or
troubled or depressed or
31
00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:19,320
despondent, to go on with a
steady faith in the Divine will.
32
00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:23,680
But equality does not include
inert acceptance.
33
00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:28,000
If, for instance, there is a
temporary failure of some
34
00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:32,920
endeavour in the Sadhna, one has
to keep equality, not to be
35
00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:38,280
troubled or despondent, but one
has not to accept the failure as
36
00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:41,560
an indication of the Divine will
and give up the endeavour.
37
00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:45,320
You ought rather to find out the
reason and meaning of the
38
00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:49,600
failure and go forward in faith
towards victory.
39
00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:55,400
So with illness you have not to
be troubled, shaken or restless,
40
00:02:55,880 --> 00:03:00,000
but you have not to accept
illness as the Divine will, but
41
00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,240
rather look upon it as an
imperfection of the body to be
42
00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:08,320
got rid of as you try to get rid
of vital imperfections or mental
43
00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:12,520
errors.
End Quote reference.
44
00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:18,080
Srioro Bindo, Bases of Yoga,
Chapter 1, Calm, Peace and
45
00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:21,120
Equality, pages 15 to 16.
