June 8, 2025
Gaining Perspective On Our Desires and Focus Within the Grand Canvas of Time and Space
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within , Chapter 4, Ordeals and Difficulties, pp..99-100
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/06/06/gaining-perspective-on-our-desires-and-focus-within-the-grand-canvas-of-time-and-space/
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
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,560
We spend most of our lives
fixated on the external life we
2
00:00:04,560 --> 00:00:08,640
are living, including our
internal reactions to that life,
3
00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:14,600
such as our feelings, desires,
sense impressions, thoughts,
4
00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:20,760
ideas, motivations, and physical
comforts and discomforts, among
5
00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,880
other things.
We focus on earning our
6
00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:27,280
livelihood, building
relationships, raising families,
7
00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:32,280
dealing with various crises that
arise in our lives, and dealing
8
00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:34,160
with the demands of the outer
life.
9
00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:39,000
Generally, from morning to
evening we are occupied with
10
00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,840
these things and then we carry
them with us into our times of
11
00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:49,080
rest, recreation and sleep.
As a result, we tend to become
12
00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:54,080
bound up in all the forces at
work in our lives, and given the
13
00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:58,520
proximity of these things to our
minds and senses, we magnify
14
00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:04,280
their importance and urgency.
It is said that day for the
15
00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:08,280
ordinary person is night for the
yogic practitioner, and vice
16
00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,360
versa.
We can gain some insight from
17
00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:15,640
this observation.
During the day, the sunshine
18
00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:19,040
circumscribes our view of the
world within what is called the
19
00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:23,560
vault of the sky.
Whether clear or cloudy, our
20
00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:28,160
vision stops us from viewing the
Galaxy and the vast number of
21
00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:32,280
stars that become visible at
night when the Sun's force is
22
00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,560
not keeping us fixated on the
world around us.
23
00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:40,360
The Yogi is able to move his
consciousness outside the realm
24
00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:45,440
of these daily activities and
cares and commune with the
25
00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:49,240
larger universal creation that
becomes visible at night.
26
00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:54,280
It is useful to note that most
people, even during the night
27
00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:58,560
time, do not occupy themselves
with observing the stars and
28
00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:02,680
space, and with the increase of
cloud cover and light pollution,
29
00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:06,400
many actually do not have that
opportunity.
30
00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,960
The lesson that the Yogi can
provide is that we need to shift
31
00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:16,200
our view from the finite to the
infinite, from the circumscribed
32
00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:21,720
elements of our daily lives to
something wider, deeper, freer,
33
00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:24,960
and not bound to our human
limitations.
34
00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:29,400
Some people do this through
contemplation of the Galaxy,
35
00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:34,080
some through viewing the
vastness of the ocean, some
36
00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,480
through viewing open remote
areas that provide a sense of
37
00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:41,000
wideness.
With the advent of the Internet,
38
00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:44,640
people can actually view the
incredible photographs and photo
39
00:02:44,640 --> 00:02:49,560
montages of the Galaxy or
multiple galaxies created by the
40
00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:54,120
James Webb Space Telescope and
use this as a subject of
41
00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:58,000
contemplation if they really
have no other options for
42
00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:02,120
experiencing the wideness.
The contemplation of the
43
00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:07,120
immensity of the universe helps
us attain perspective about our
44
00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:12,200
own concerns, desires, fears and
actions.
45
00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:17,600
The Rig Vedic seers understood
this issue when they referred to
46
00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:25,440
Satyam Rutam Rahat, The Truth,
the right, the vast, the mother
47
00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:30,200
observes quote.
If at a particular moment there
48
00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:34,080
is something which holds you,
grips you like that, holds you
49
00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:39,280
tight, close, pressed, and you
absolutely want it to happen,
50
00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,440
and you were fighting against a
terrible obstacle, you see
51
00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,240
something which is preventing it
from happening.
52
00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:51,760
If simply just at that moment
you begin to feel, to realize
53
00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:56,560
the myriads and myriads of years
there were before this present
54
00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:00,760
moment, and the myriads and
myriads of years there will be
55
00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:04,920
after this present moment, and
what importance this little
56
00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:09,840
event has in relation to all
that, there is no need to enter
57
00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,240
a spiritual consciousness or
anything else.
58
00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:18,000
Simply enter into relation with
space and time, with all that is
59
00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:23,000
before, all that is after, and
all that is happening at the
60
00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,480
same time.
If one is not an idiot,
61
00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:32,080
immediately he tells himself, Oh
well, I am attaching importance
62
00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:35,800
to something which doesn't have
any necessarily.
63
00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:41,480
So you see, it loses all
importance immediately if you
64
00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:46,600
can visualize, you know, simply
the immensity of the creation.
65
00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:51,840
I am not now Speaking of rising
to spiritual heights, simply the
66
00:04:51,840 --> 00:04:56,280
immensity of the creation in
time and space and this little
67
00:04:56,280 --> 00:04:59,440
event on which you are
concentrated with an importance
68
00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:02,360
as though it were something of
some importance.
69
00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:07,000
Immediately.
It does this gesture and it
70
00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:10,200
dissolves if you do it
sincerely.
71
00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:15,840
If naturally there is one part
of yourself which tells you, but
72
00:05:15,840 --> 00:05:20,440
for me it has an importance,
then there you have only to
73
00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:24,880
leave that part behind and keep
your consciousness as it is.
74
00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:30,360
But if you sincerely, you want
to see the true value of things,
75
00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:34,400
it is very easy.
There are other methods you
76
00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:36,920
know.
There's a Chinese sage who
77
00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:41,920
advises you to lie down upon
events as one floats on one's
78
00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:47,120
back upon the sea, imagining the
immensity of the ocean and that
79
00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:51,080
you let yourself go floating
upon this, upon the waves you
80
00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:54,360
see, like something
contemplating the skies and
81
00:05:54,360 --> 00:06:00,200
letting itself be carried away.
In Chinese, they call this Wu
82
00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:03,440
Wei.
When you can do this, all your
83
00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:07,400
troubles are gone.
I knew an Irishman who used to
84
00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:11,920
lie flat on his back and look
outside as much as possible on
85
00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:13,920
an evening when stars were in
the sky.
86
00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:19,120
He looked, contemplated the sky
and imagined that he was
87
00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:22,920
floating in that immensity of
countless luminous points.
88
00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:27,440
And immediately all troubles
were calmed.
89
00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:33,640
There are many ways, but
sincerely, you have only to have
90
00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:38,160
the sense of relativity between
your little person and the
91
00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:42,120
importance you give to the
things which concern you and the
92
00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:45,560
universal immensity.
This is enough.
93
00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:50,680
Naturally, there is another way.
It is to free oneself from the
94
00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:54,680
earth consciousness and rise
into a higher consciousness
95
00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:59,280
where these terrestrial things
take their true place, which is
96
00:06:59,280 --> 00:07:04,840
quite small, you see.
End Quote Reference Sri
97
00:07:04,840 --> 00:07:10,160
Aurobindo and the Mother Looking
from Within, Chapter 4, Ordeals
98
00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:13,800
and Difficulties, pages 99 to
100.
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,560
We spend most of our lives
fixated on the external life we
2
00:00:04,560 --> 00:00:08,640
are living, including our
internal reactions to that life,
3
00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:14,600
such as our feelings, desires,
sense impressions, thoughts,
4
00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:20,760
ideas, motivations, and physical
comforts and discomforts, among
5
00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,880
other things.
We focus on earning our
6
00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:27,280
livelihood, building
relationships, raising families,
7
00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:32,280
dealing with various crises that
arise in our lives, and dealing
8
00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:34,160
with the demands of the outer
life.
9
00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:39,000
Generally, from morning to
evening we are occupied with
10
00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,840
these things and then we carry
them with us into our times of
11
00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:49,080
rest, recreation and sleep.
As a result, we tend to become
12
00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:54,080
bound up in all the forces at
work in our lives, and given the
13
00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:58,520
proximity of these things to our
minds and senses, we magnify
14
00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:04,280
their importance and urgency.
It is said that day for the
15
00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:08,280
ordinary person is night for the
yogic practitioner, and vice
16
00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,360
versa.
We can gain some insight from
17
00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:15,640
this observation.
During the day, the sunshine
18
00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:19,040
circumscribes our view of the
world within what is called the
19
00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:23,560
vault of the sky.
Whether clear or cloudy, our
20
00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:28,160
vision stops us from viewing the
Galaxy and the vast number of
21
00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:32,280
stars that become visible at
night when the Sun's force is
22
00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,560
not keeping us fixated on the
world around us.
23
00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:40,360
The Yogi is able to move his
consciousness outside the realm
24
00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:45,440
of these daily activities and
cares and commune with the
25
00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:49,240
larger universal creation that
becomes visible at night.
26
00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:54,280
It is useful to note that most
people, even during the night
27
00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:58,560
time, do not occupy themselves
with observing the stars and
28
00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:02,680
space, and with the increase of
cloud cover and light pollution,
29
00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:06,400
many actually do not have that
opportunity.
30
00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,960
The lesson that the Yogi can
provide is that we need to shift
31
00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:16,200
our view from the finite to the
infinite, from the circumscribed
32
00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:21,720
elements of our daily lives to
something wider, deeper, freer,
33
00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:24,960
and not bound to our human
limitations.
34
00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:29,400
Some people do this through
contemplation of the Galaxy,
35
00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:34,080
some through viewing the
vastness of the ocean, some
36
00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,480
through viewing open remote
areas that provide a sense of
37
00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:41,000
wideness.
With the advent of the Internet,
38
00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:44,640
people can actually view the
incredible photographs and photo
39
00:02:44,640 --> 00:02:49,560
montages of the Galaxy or
multiple galaxies created by the
40
00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:54,120
James Webb Space Telescope and
use this as a subject of
41
00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:58,000
contemplation if they really
have no other options for
42
00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:02,120
experiencing the wideness.
The contemplation of the
43
00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:07,120
immensity of the universe helps
us attain perspective about our
44
00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:12,200
own concerns, desires, fears and
actions.
45
00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:17,600
The Rig Vedic seers understood
this issue when they referred to
46
00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:25,440
Satyam Rutam Rahat, The Truth,
the right, the vast, the mother
47
00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:30,200
observes quote.
If at a particular moment there
48
00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:34,080
is something which holds you,
grips you like that, holds you
49
00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:39,280
tight, close, pressed, and you
absolutely want it to happen,
50
00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,440
and you were fighting against a
terrible obstacle, you see
51
00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,240
something which is preventing it
from happening.
52
00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:51,760
If simply just at that moment
you begin to feel, to realize
53
00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:56,560
the myriads and myriads of years
there were before this present
54
00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:00,760
moment, and the myriads and
myriads of years there will be
55
00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:04,920
after this present moment, and
what importance this little
56
00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:09,840
event has in relation to all
that, there is no need to enter
57
00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,240
a spiritual consciousness or
anything else.
58
00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:18,000
Simply enter into relation with
space and time, with all that is
59
00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:23,000
before, all that is after, and
all that is happening at the
60
00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,480
same time.
If one is not an idiot,
61
00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:32,080
immediately he tells himself, Oh
well, I am attaching importance
62
00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:35,800
to something which doesn't have
any necessarily.
63
00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:41,480
So you see, it loses all
importance immediately if you
64
00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:46,600
can visualize, you know, simply
the immensity of the creation.
65
00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:51,840
I am not now Speaking of rising
to spiritual heights, simply the
66
00:04:51,840 --> 00:04:56,280
immensity of the creation in
time and space and this little
67
00:04:56,280 --> 00:04:59,440
event on which you are
concentrated with an importance
68
00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:02,360
as though it were something of
some importance.
69
00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:07,000
Immediately.
It does this gesture and it
70
00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:10,200
dissolves if you do it
sincerely.
71
00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:15,840
If naturally there is one part
of yourself which tells you, but
72
00:05:15,840 --> 00:05:20,440
for me it has an importance,
then there you have only to
73
00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:24,880
leave that part behind and keep
your consciousness as it is.
74
00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:30,360
But if you sincerely, you want
to see the true value of things,
75
00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:34,400
it is very easy.
There are other methods you
76
00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:36,920
know.
There's a Chinese sage who
77
00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:41,920
advises you to lie down upon
events as one floats on one's
78
00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:47,120
back upon the sea, imagining the
immensity of the ocean and that
79
00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:51,080
you let yourself go floating
upon this, upon the waves you
80
00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:54,360
see, like something
contemplating the skies and
81
00:05:54,360 --> 00:06:00,200
letting itself be carried away.
In Chinese, they call this Wu
82
00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:03,440
Wei.
When you can do this, all your
83
00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:07,400
troubles are gone.
I knew an Irishman who used to
84
00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:11,920
lie flat on his back and look
outside as much as possible on
85
00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:13,920
an evening when stars were in
the sky.
86
00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:19,120
He looked, contemplated the sky
and imagined that he was
87
00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:22,920
floating in that immensity of
countless luminous points.
88
00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:27,440
And immediately all troubles
were calmed.
89
00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:33,640
There are many ways, but
sincerely, you have only to have
90
00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:38,160
the sense of relativity between
your little person and the
91
00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:42,120
importance you give to the
things which concern you and the
92
00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:45,560
universal immensity.
This is enough.
93
00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:50,680
Naturally, there is another way.
It is to free oneself from the
94
00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:54,680
earth consciousness and rise
into a higher consciousness
95
00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:59,280
where these terrestrial things
take their true place, which is
96
00:06:59,280 --> 00:07:04,840
quite small, you see.
End Quote Reference Sri
97
00:07:04,840 --> 00:07:10,160
Aurobindo and the Mother Looking
from Within, Chapter 4, Ordeals
98
00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:13,800
and Difficulties, pages 99 to
100.