April 1, 2025
Humility and Self-Confidence
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 2, Looking at Oneself and Others, pg. 40
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/03/30/humility-and-self-confidence/
Video presentations,interviews and podcast episodes are all available 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
00:00:01,040 --> 00:00:04,360
The play of the three gunas is
active at all times in the life
2
00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:07,640
we live.
Here we may believe that the
3
00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:11,560
aspiration or an act of
consecration overcomes this
4
00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,160
play.
But if we examine closely, we
5
00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:20,000
can see that in actuality even
the quality of our sadhana, our
6
00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:24,400
spiritual effort, is very much
controlled and governed by
7
00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,760
whichever guna is predominant at
a particular time.
8
00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:32,800
And they continue to fluctuate,
moving us from one mood to
9
00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:35,440
another.
Along with these fluctuations,
10
00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:40,640
it is thus a somewhat frequent
occurrence that spiritual
11
00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:44,680
aspirants shift from a mood of
exuberance to one of depression
12
00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:49,600
as they go from a powerful
spiritual experience to a dry
13
00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:54,040
period where everything seems to
be going wrong and all the
14
00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,240
weaknesses of the lower nature
are asserting themselves.
15
00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,680
When Rajas is in the ascendant,
the seeker may feel that he is
16
00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,239
highly advanced and a powerful
sadak.
17
00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:09,120
When Thomas takes over, he may
feel overwhelmed and worried
18
00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:13,600
about a lack of progress and
capacity for the practice of the
19
00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,240
yoga.
The balanced approach comes
20
00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:22,760
along with the rise of Satwa.
The sadak then, may not become
21
00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:28,200
overly confident nor overly
depressed, but recognize rather
22
00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:32,040
that both of these states are
the result of the play of the
23
00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:35,440
Gunas.
This provides an opportunity for
24
00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:41,560
the sodic to not waste energy in
either puffing himself up nor
25
00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:45,960
falling into a gloomy state of
mental or vital paralysis.
26
00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,840
In reality, all of this is
taking place in the external
27
00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:54,080
nature and the soul.
The true self is not affected by
28
00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:57,480
either.
When the sodic can disentangle
29
00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:01,400
himself from this play, take the
standpoint of the witness
30
00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:06,440
consciousness, and refocus his
view on the spiritual path, he
31
00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:10,400
finds that the higher force
actually is at work all the time
32
00:02:10,759 --> 00:02:15,640
to transform his consciousness.
And these transitory changes due
33
00:02:15,640 --> 00:02:20,280
to the play of the gunas have
little or no essential meaning
34
00:02:20,920 --> 00:02:25,600
and thus can be set aside so
that the awareness is tuned to
35
00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:30,520
the divine consciousness.
Sriorobindo observes quote.
36
00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:36,080
Humility is needful, but
constant self depreciation does
37
00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:39,880
not help.
Excessive self esteem and self
38
00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:42,480
depreciation are both wrong
attitudes.
39
00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:48,240
To recognize any defects without
exaggerating them is useful, but
40
00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:52,960
once recognized, it is no good
dwelling on them always.
41
00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:56,920
You must have the confidence
that the divine Force can change
42
00:02:56,920 --> 00:03:00,440
everything, and you must let the
force work.
43
00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:05,360
In Quote reference.
Shrioro Bindu and the Mother,
44
00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:10,120
Looking from Within, Chapter 2.
Looking at Oneself and Others,
45
00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:11,320
page 40.
00:00:01,040 --> 00:00:04,360
The play of the three gunas is
active at all times in the life
2
00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:07,640
we live.
Here we may believe that the
3
00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:11,560
aspiration or an act of
consecration overcomes this
4
00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,160
play.
But if we examine closely, we
5
00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:20,000
can see that in actuality even
the quality of our sadhana, our
6
00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:24,400
spiritual effort, is very much
controlled and governed by
7
00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,760
whichever guna is predominant at
a particular time.
8
00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:32,800
And they continue to fluctuate,
moving us from one mood to
9
00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:35,440
another.
Along with these fluctuations,
10
00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:40,640
it is thus a somewhat frequent
occurrence that spiritual
11
00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:44,680
aspirants shift from a mood of
exuberance to one of depression
12
00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:49,600
as they go from a powerful
spiritual experience to a dry
13
00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:54,040
period where everything seems to
be going wrong and all the
14
00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,240
weaknesses of the lower nature
are asserting themselves.
15
00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,680
When Rajas is in the ascendant,
the seeker may feel that he is
16
00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,239
highly advanced and a powerful
sadak.
17
00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:09,120
When Thomas takes over, he may
feel overwhelmed and worried
18
00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:13,600
about a lack of progress and
capacity for the practice of the
19
00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,240
yoga.
The balanced approach comes
20
00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:22,760
along with the rise of Satwa.
The sadak then, may not become
21
00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:28,200
overly confident nor overly
depressed, but recognize rather
22
00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:32,040
that both of these states are
the result of the play of the
23
00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:35,440
Gunas.
This provides an opportunity for
24
00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:41,560
the sodic to not waste energy in
either puffing himself up nor
25
00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:45,960
falling into a gloomy state of
mental or vital paralysis.
26
00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,840
In reality, all of this is
taking place in the external
27
00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:54,080
nature and the soul.
The true self is not affected by
28
00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:57,480
either.
When the sodic can disentangle
29
00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:01,400
himself from this play, take the
standpoint of the witness
30
00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:06,440
consciousness, and refocus his
view on the spiritual path, he
31
00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:10,400
finds that the higher force
actually is at work all the time
32
00:02:10,759 --> 00:02:15,640
to transform his consciousness.
And these transitory changes due
33
00:02:15,640 --> 00:02:20,280
to the play of the gunas have
little or no essential meaning
34
00:02:20,920 --> 00:02:25,600
and thus can be set aside so
that the awareness is tuned to
35
00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:30,520
the divine consciousness.
Sriorobindo observes quote.
36
00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:36,080
Humility is needful, but
constant self depreciation does
37
00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:39,880
not help.
Excessive self esteem and self
38
00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:42,480
depreciation are both wrong
attitudes.
39
00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:48,240
To recognize any defects without
exaggerating them is useful, but
40
00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:52,960
once recognized, it is no good
dwelling on them always.
41
00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:56,920
You must have the confidence
that the divine Force can change
42
00:02:56,920 --> 00:03:00,440
everything, and you must let the
force work.
43
00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:05,360
In Quote reference.
Shrioro Bindu and the Mother,
44
00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:10,120
Looking from Within, Chapter 2.
Looking at Oneself and Others,
45
00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:11,320
page 40.