July 5, 2025
Establishing the Psychic Being as the Central Organising Principle and Overcoming the Dominion of the Vital Nature and the External Being
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 5, Attitudes on the Path, pg. 120This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/07/03/establishing-the-psychic-being-as-the-central-organizing-principle-and-overcoming-the-dominion-of-the-vital-nature-and-the-external-being/
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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
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,840
As long as we identify ourselves
with our external personality,
2
00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:09,520
the body, life, mind, complex we
inhabit and project into the
3
00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:14,400
world, we are subject to the
responses, reactions, and
4
00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:19,240
motivations that they express.
Based on the developments of the
5
00:00:19,240 --> 00:00:23,520
entire past evolutionary history
of consciousness on the planet,
6
00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:27,240
and specifically closely
associated with the
7
00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:33,440
socialization we receive through
family, friends, school, and the
8
00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:38,240
society at large, we internalize
these things to such a degree
9
00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:40,480
that we believe we are these
things.
10
00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:44,480
We remain locked within the
framework of this personality
11
00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:48,840
and its relationship to its
society and the world at large,
12
00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:54,480
and we thus do not even
recognize that there can be, and
13
00:00:54,480 --> 00:01:00,720
indeed is another way to relate.
In particular, the vital nature
14
00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:04,560
thrives in this environment as
it tries to fulfill its desires,
15
00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:09,480
and its power and long history
of control ensure that it will
16
00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:13,800
manipulate the mind to believe
and support its assertions and
17
00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:19,680
thereby justify the old ways,
the old habits, the old aims and
18
00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:23,120
methods of fulfillment of the
vital strives.
19
00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:27,720
In order to transition away from
this state of affairs, the
20
00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:31,880
spiritual aspirant needs to be
able to first of all separate
21
00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:36,160
himself from the external nature
of the body, life, mind, so that
22
00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:39,680
he can actually see the process
at work and observe the vital
23
00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:43,000
impulses and how they act upon
the mind.
24
00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:48,400
And then be prepared to act upon
what he can now observe to
25
00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:52,720
ensure that a change takes place
and that the focus is shifted
26
00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:56,960
away from the vital nature.
To the psychic standpoint,
27
00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:03,200
Srioro Bindo writes quote.
The one condition of getting rid
28
00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:08,360
of things inner obstacles is an
absolute central sincerity in
29
00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,720
all the parts of the being, and
that means an absolute
30
00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:16,240
insistence on the truth and
nothing but the truth.
31
00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:21,000
There will then be a readiness
for unsparing self criticism and
32
00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:25,520
vigilant openness to the light
and uneasiness when falsehood
33
00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:29,560
comes in, which will finally
purify the whole being.
34
00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:34,320
The defects mentioned are more
or less common in various
35
00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:38,040
degrees in almost every sodic,
though there are some who are
36
00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:42,080
not touched by them.
They can be got rid of if the
37
00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:47,080
requisite sincerity is there,
but if they occupy the central
38
00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:51,880
parts of the being and vitiate
the attitude, then the sodic
39
00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,320
will give a constant open or
covert support to them.
40
00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,840
His mind will always be ready to
give disguises and
41
00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:03,720
justifications and try to elude
the Searchlight of the self.
42
00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:08,120
Critical faculty and protests of
the psychic being.
43
00:03:08,920 --> 00:03:13,280
That means of failure in the
yoga, at least for this
44
00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:18,200
existence.
End Quote Reference Sri
45
00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:22,240
Aurobindo and the Mother looking
from Within, Chapter 5,
46
00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,840
Attitudes on the Path, page 120.
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,840
As long as we identify ourselves
with our external personality,
2
00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:09,520
the body, life, mind, complex we
inhabit and project into the
3
00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:14,400
world, we are subject to the
responses, reactions, and
4
00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:19,240
motivations that they express.
Based on the developments of the
5
00:00:19,240 --> 00:00:23,520
entire past evolutionary history
of consciousness on the planet,
6
00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:27,240
and specifically closely
associated with the
7
00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:33,440
socialization we receive through
family, friends, school, and the
8
00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:38,240
society at large, we internalize
these things to such a degree
9
00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:40,480
that we believe we are these
things.
10
00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:44,480
We remain locked within the
framework of this personality
11
00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:48,840
and its relationship to its
society and the world at large,
12
00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:54,480
and we thus do not even
recognize that there can be, and
13
00:00:54,480 --> 00:01:00,720
indeed is another way to relate.
In particular, the vital nature
14
00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:04,560
thrives in this environment as
it tries to fulfill its desires,
15
00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:09,480
and its power and long history
of control ensure that it will
16
00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:13,800
manipulate the mind to believe
and support its assertions and
17
00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:19,680
thereby justify the old ways,
the old habits, the old aims and
18
00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:23,120
methods of fulfillment of the
vital strives.
19
00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:27,720
In order to transition away from
this state of affairs, the
20
00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:31,880
spiritual aspirant needs to be
able to first of all separate
21
00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:36,160
himself from the external nature
of the body, life, mind, so that
22
00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:39,680
he can actually see the process
at work and observe the vital
23
00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:43,000
impulses and how they act upon
the mind.
24
00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:48,400
And then be prepared to act upon
what he can now observe to
25
00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:52,720
ensure that a change takes place
and that the focus is shifted
26
00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:56,960
away from the vital nature.
To the psychic standpoint,
27
00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:03,200
Srioro Bindo writes quote.
The one condition of getting rid
28
00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:08,360
of things inner obstacles is an
absolute central sincerity in
29
00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,720
all the parts of the being, and
that means an absolute
30
00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:16,240
insistence on the truth and
nothing but the truth.
31
00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:21,000
There will then be a readiness
for unsparing self criticism and
32
00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:25,520
vigilant openness to the light
and uneasiness when falsehood
33
00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:29,560
comes in, which will finally
purify the whole being.
34
00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:34,320
The defects mentioned are more
or less common in various
35
00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:38,040
degrees in almost every sodic,
though there are some who are
36
00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:42,080
not touched by them.
They can be got rid of if the
37
00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:47,080
requisite sincerity is there,
but if they occupy the central
38
00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:51,880
parts of the being and vitiate
the attitude, then the sodic
39
00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,320
will give a constant open or
covert support to them.
40
00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,840
His mind will always be ready to
give disguises and
41
00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:03,720
justifications and try to elude
the Searchlight of the self.
42
00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:08,120
Critical faculty and protests of
the psychic being.
43
00:03:08,920 --> 00:03:13,280
That means of failure in the
yoga, at least for this
44
00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:18,200
existence.
End Quote Reference Sri
45
00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:22,240
Aurobindo and the Mother looking
from Within, Chapter 5,
46
00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,840
Attitudes on the Path, page 120.