Oct. 26, 2025
How to Change Human Nature
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 2, Faith — Aspiration — Surrender, pg. 26
This episode is also available as a blog post at How to Change Human Nature | Sri Aurobindo Studies
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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
00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:04,160
Human beings have struggled in
their attempts to make changes
2
00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:08,039
to human nature.
Throughout human history, many
3
00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,480
approaches have been tried,
including adopting tough
4
00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:16,400
disciplines, isolating oneself
from society to avoid the
5
00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:21,520
impulses and temptations, as
well as harsh tortures to which
6
00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:25,640
the body has been subjected to
try to whip it into shape, so to
7
00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:29,360
speak.
Experience shows us, however,
8
00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:33,080
that these methods of forcible
control or suppression of human
9
00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:38,400
nature simply do not succeed in
the long term, and they have an
10
00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:42,760
additional drawback in that they
require a tremendous amount of
11
00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:46,000
attention and effort to
effectuate them at all.
12
00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:50,240
These methods are based in the
idea that the individual has
13
00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:54,400
control over his own life and
actions and can therefore attain
14
00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:59,000
this mastery by his own efforts.
When we look at the development
15
00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,800
of human attributes of body,
life and mind, including
16
00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:08,480
instincts, habits and embedded
modes of action, it is clear
17
00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:12,520
that these things developed over
hundreds of thousands of years,
18
00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:16,200
with many of them going back
even further to the pre human
19
00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:20,640
evolutionary action that goes
back many millions of years.
20
00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:24,640
The evolutionary process is
therefore bigger and more
21
00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:30,120
encompassing than any individual
human being can comprehend, much
22
00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:35,160
less gain mastery over.
When the seeker shifts his focus
23
00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:39,440
from the ego standpoint to the
divine standpoint, he is able to
24
00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:42,720
see that the evolutionary
changes are a general change
25
00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:46,640
that needs to take place within
a broader context.
26
00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:50,720
This is not something that any
individual can do on his own.
27
00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:55,880
The solution then is to use the
focus and energy that otherwise
28
00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:58,440
is spent trying to control the
lower nature through
29
00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:03,080
suppression, to tune the
awareness to the psychic being
30
00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:07,160
and the spiritual consciousness,
and create a field of
31
00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,800
receptivity for the knowledge
and power of that higher
32
00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,840
evolutionary force to work
within and through him.
33
00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,320
This involves not simply
creation of an intellectual
34
00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:23,160
knowledge, but also an opening
of the heart and the vital being
35
00:02:23,640 --> 00:02:27,480
to the divine, Sri Orbindo
observes quote.
36
00:02:28,640 --> 00:02:32,800
To do anything by mental control
is always difficult when what is
37
00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:37,040
attempted runs contrary to the
trend of human nature or of the
38
00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:40,760
personal nature.
A strong will patiently and
39
00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:45,360
perseveringly turned towards its
object can affect a change, but
40
00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:49,280
usually it takes a long time,
and the success at the beginning
41
00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,960
may be only partial and
checkered by many failures.
42
00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,520
To turn all actions
automatically into worship
43
00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:59,040
cannot be done by thought
control only.
44
00:02:59,640 --> 00:03:03,120
There must be a strong
aspiration in the heart which
45
00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,400
will bring about some
realization or feeling of the
46
00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:10,080
presence of the one to whom
worship is offered.
47
00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:15,160
The buckta does not rely on his
own effort alone, but on the
48
00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,280
grace and power of the Divine
whom he adores.
49
00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:23,880
End Quote.
Reference Srioro Bindo, Bases of
50
00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:28,920
Yoga Chapter 2.
Faith, Aspiration, Surrender,
51
00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:30,720
page 26.
00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:04,160
Human beings have struggled in
their attempts to make changes
2
00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:08,039
to human nature.
Throughout human history, many
3
00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,480
approaches have been tried,
including adopting tough
4
00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:16,400
disciplines, isolating oneself
from society to avoid the
5
00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:21,520
impulses and temptations, as
well as harsh tortures to which
6
00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:25,640
the body has been subjected to
try to whip it into shape, so to
7
00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:29,360
speak.
Experience shows us, however,
8
00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:33,080
that these methods of forcible
control or suppression of human
9
00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:38,400
nature simply do not succeed in
the long term, and they have an
10
00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:42,760
additional drawback in that they
require a tremendous amount of
11
00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:46,000
attention and effort to
effectuate them at all.
12
00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:50,240
These methods are based in the
idea that the individual has
13
00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:54,400
control over his own life and
actions and can therefore attain
14
00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:59,000
this mastery by his own efforts.
When we look at the development
15
00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,800
of human attributes of body,
life and mind, including
16
00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:08,480
instincts, habits and embedded
modes of action, it is clear
17
00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:12,520
that these things developed over
hundreds of thousands of years,
18
00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:16,200
with many of them going back
even further to the pre human
19
00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:20,640
evolutionary action that goes
back many millions of years.
20
00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:24,640
The evolutionary process is
therefore bigger and more
21
00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:30,120
encompassing than any individual
human being can comprehend, much
22
00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:35,160
less gain mastery over.
When the seeker shifts his focus
23
00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:39,440
from the ego standpoint to the
divine standpoint, he is able to
24
00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:42,720
see that the evolutionary
changes are a general change
25
00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:46,640
that needs to take place within
a broader context.
26
00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:50,720
This is not something that any
individual can do on his own.
27
00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:55,880
The solution then is to use the
focus and energy that otherwise
28
00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:58,440
is spent trying to control the
lower nature through
29
00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:03,080
suppression, to tune the
awareness to the psychic being
30
00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:07,160
and the spiritual consciousness,
and create a field of
31
00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,800
receptivity for the knowledge
and power of that higher
32
00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,840
evolutionary force to work
within and through him.
33
00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,320
This involves not simply
creation of an intellectual
34
00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:23,160
knowledge, but also an opening
of the heart and the vital being
35
00:02:23,640 --> 00:02:27,480
to the divine, Sri Orbindo
observes quote.
36
00:02:28,640 --> 00:02:32,800
To do anything by mental control
is always difficult when what is
37
00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:37,040
attempted runs contrary to the
trend of human nature or of the
38
00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:40,760
personal nature.
A strong will patiently and
39
00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:45,360
perseveringly turned towards its
object can affect a change, but
40
00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:49,280
usually it takes a long time,
and the success at the beginning
41
00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,960
may be only partial and
checkered by many failures.
42
00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,520
To turn all actions
automatically into worship
43
00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:59,040
cannot be done by thought
control only.
44
00:02:59,640 --> 00:03:03,120
There must be a strong
aspiration in the heart which
45
00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,400
will bring about some
realization or feeling of the
46
00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:10,080
presence of the one to whom
worship is offered.
47
00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:15,160
The buckta does not rely on his
own effort alone, but on the
48
00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,280
grace and power of the Divine
whom he adores.
49
00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:23,880
End Quote.
Reference Srioro Bindo, Bases of
50
00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:28,920
Yoga Chapter 2.
Faith, Aspiration, Surrender,
51
00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:30,720
page 26.
