April 22, 2025
How Do We Determine Our Destined Role in the World? -- Part 1
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 3, Action and Work, pp. 58-61
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/04/20/how-do-we-determine-our-destined-role-in-the-world-part-1/
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
#karma yoga #karma #yoga of works #destiny #life purpose
1
00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:04,600
Danny and Brinkley told the
story in his book Saved by the
2
00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:07,960
Light.
He was a mercenary, A hired
3
00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:10,880
killer.
He was struck by lightning.
4
00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:13,320
He was pronounced clinically
dead.
5
00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:19,160
He returned to life.
He knew at that moment that he
6
00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,880
was sent back to accomplish a
task, a mission.
7
00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:27,320
He left behind his prior life
and founded an organization
8
00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:33,640
called Compassion in Action CIA
to train people on how to work
9
00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:37,120
with those who were terminally
ill and in Hospice.
10
00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:42,680
In the book Called to Heal,
author Susan Schuster Campbell
11
00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:46,760
relates the tale of an African
shamanic healer she met during
12
00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,840
her travels.
The healer told her that she did
13
00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:54,320
not want to take up the role of
healer, but every time she tried
14
00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:57,320
something else, obstacles
intervened.
15
00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:01,880
She had serious health problems
herself and she could not move
16
00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:06,080
forward in her life.
This person consulted another
17
00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:10,240
healer who told her that her
denial of her destined role as a
18
00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:13,840
shamanic healer was causing all
her problems.
19
00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:18,960
She became a shamanic healer and
her life suddenly opened out in
20
00:01:18,960 --> 00:01:23,480
front of her in a very positive
way and she overcame the health
21
00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:25,720
issues that had been troubling
her.
22
00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:30,360
Another individual told of
having been poisoned and in
23
00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,840
terrible pain.
With all his limbs seized up.
24
00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:38,000
He could not breathe.
He heard an inner voice telling
25
00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:43,080
him do yogic breathing, about
which he knew nothing, having
26
00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:45,960
not been exposed to yoga prior
to that time.
27
00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:52,080
Something started breathing in
him and when he woke up, he
28
00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,400
understood he had been returned
to life to carry out a different
29
00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:57,440
role than the career he had
planned.
30
00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:03,160
He left college, took up the
practice of yoga, and dedicated
31
00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:05,120
his future life to that
practice.
32
00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:11,360
These are exceptional cases and
few individuals out of the
33
00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:16,120
billions of people living or
having lived in the world have
34
00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:19,240
this type of clear guidance
about their role and function.
35
00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:24,040
But that does not mean that
others are not intended to have
36
00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:31,160
their own unique part to play.
A disciple asks What is my place
37
00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:35,680
in the universal work?
The mother writes quote.
38
00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:41,800
We all have a role to fulfil, a
work to accomplish, a place
39
00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:46,040
which we alone can occupy.
But since this work is the
40
00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:50,080
expression, the outer
manifestation of the inmost
41
00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:53,920
depth of our being, we can
become conscious of its
42
00:02:53,920 --> 00:02:58,080
definitive form only when we
become conscious of this depth
43
00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:02,640
within ourselves.
This is what sometimes happens
44
00:03:02,640 --> 00:03:07,080
in cases of true conversion.
The moment we perceive the
45
00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,800
transfiguring light and give
ourselves to it without reserve,
46
00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:16,120
we can suddenly and precisely
become aware of what we are made
47
00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,560
for, of the purpose of our
existence on earth.
48
00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,120
But this enlightenment is
exceptional.
49
00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:27,960
It is brought about within us by
a whole series of efforts and
50
00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:30,960
inner attitudes.
And one of the essential
51
00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:34,360
conditions if we want to achieve
and maintain within ourselves
52
00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:39,560
these attitudes, these soul
states, is to devote part of our
53
00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:43,160
time each day to some impersonal
action.
54
00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:47,960
Every day we must do something
useful for others.
55
00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:54,400
And quote reference Shriya
Rabindu and the Mother Looking
56
00:03:54,400 --> 00:04:01,480
from Within, Chapter 3, Action
and Work, pages 58 to 61.
00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:04,600
Danny and Brinkley told the
story in his book Saved by the
2
00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:07,960
Light.
He was a mercenary, A hired
3
00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:10,880
killer.
He was struck by lightning.
4
00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:13,320
He was pronounced clinically
dead.
5
00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:19,160
He returned to life.
He knew at that moment that he
6
00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,880
was sent back to accomplish a
task, a mission.
7
00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:27,320
He left behind his prior life
and founded an organization
8
00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:33,640
called Compassion in Action CIA
to train people on how to work
9
00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:37,120
with those who were terminally
ill and in Hospice.
10
00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:42,680
In the book Called to Heal,
author Susan Schuster Campbell
11
00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:46,760
relates the tale of an African
shamanic healer she met during
12
00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,840
her travels.
The healer told her that she did
13
00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:54,320
not want to take up the role of
healer, but every time she tried
14
00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:57,320
something else, obstacles
intervened.
15
00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:01,880
She had serious health problems
herself and she could not move
16
00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:06,080
forward in her life.
This person consulted another
17
00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:10,240
healer who told her that her
denial of her destined role as a
18
00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:13,840
shamanic healer was causing all
her problems.
19
00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:18,960
She became a shamanic healer and
her life suddenly opened out in
20
00:01:18,960 --> 00:01:23,480
front of her in a very positive
way and she overcame the health
21
00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:25,720
issues that had been troubling
her.
22
00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:30,360
Another individual told of
having been poisoned and in
23
00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,840
terrible pain.
With all his limbs seized up.
24
00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:38,000
He could not breathe.
He heard an inner voice telling
25
00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:43,080
him do yogic breathing, about
which he knew nothing, having
26
00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:45,960
not been exposed to yoga prior
to that time.
27
00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:52,080
Something started breathing in
him and when he woke up, he
28
00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,400
understood he had been returned
to life to carry out a different
29
00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:57,440
role than the career he had
planned.
30
00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:03,160
He left college, took up the
practice of yoga, and dedicated
31
00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:05,120
his future life to that
practice.
32
00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:11,360
These are exceptional cases and
few individuals out of the
33
00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:16,120
billions of people living or
having lived in the world have
34
00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:19,240
this type of clear guidance
about their role and function.
35
00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:24,040
But that does not mean that
others are not intended to have
36
00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:31,160
their own unique part to play.
A disciple asks What is my place
37
00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:35,680
in the universal work?
The mother writes quote.
38
00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:41,800
We all have a role to fulfil, a
work to accomplish, a place
39
00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:46,040
which we alone can occupy.
But since this work is the
40
00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:50,080
expression, the outer
manifestation of the inmost
41
00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:53,920
depth of our being, we can
become conscious of its
42
00:02:53,920 --> 00:02:58,080
definitive form only when we
become conscious of this depth
43
00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:02,640
within ourselves.
This is what sometimes happens
44
00:03:02,640 --> 00:03:07,080
in cases of true conversion.
The moment we perceive the
45
00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,800
transfiguring light and give
ourselves to it without reserve,
46
00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:16,120
we can suddenly and precisely
become aware of what we are made
47
00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,560
for, of the purpose of our
existence on earth.
48
00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,120
But this enlightenment is
exceptional.
49
00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:27,960
It is brought about within us by
a whole series of efforts and
50
00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:30,960
inner attitudes.
And one of the essential
51
00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:34,360
conditions if we want to achieve
and maintain within ourselves
52
00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:39,560
these attitudes, these soul
states, is to devote part of our
53
00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:43,160
time each day to some impersonal
action.
54
00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:47,960
Every day we must do something
useful for others.
55
00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:54,400
And quote reference Shriya
Rabindu and the Mother Looking
56
00:03:54,400 --> 00:04:01,480
from Within, Chapter 3, Action
and Work, pages 58 to 61.