March 3, 2026
Illness Is a Deformation of the Physical Nature
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 5, Physical Consciousness — Subconscient — Sleep and Dream — Illness, pp. 106-107This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/03/01/illness-is-a-deformation-of-the-physical-nature/
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
#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #spirituality #tamasic surrender #illness #health
1
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,040
When an individual takes up a
spiritual path, he has to work
2
00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:09,200
through the seemingly fine lines
of distinction that the various
3
00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,960
prescriptions and directions for
progress along the path appear
4
00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:17,680
to carry.
For example, equality and
5
00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:21,440
equanimity are counselled as
essential characteristics for
6
00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:24,920
progress.
This leads some individuals for
7
00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,640
a time to take these terms to
extremes that were never
8
00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:32,159
intended due to the dogmatic
nature of the mental
9
00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:36,840
understanding, the desire to
have a clear cut, uniform and
10
00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:40,280
neatly defined process for the
needed progress.
11
00:00:41,480 --> 00:00:45,080
One of the extremes that we
occasionally hear relates to
12
00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,160
accepting illness rather than
rejecting it outright.
13
00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:52,280
The thinking goes that the
individual has surrendered
14
00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:55,440
himself to the divine, and
whatever the divine chooses to
15
00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:58,000
provide is to be accepted
without question.
16
00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:03,880
This is a form of temasic
surrender that allows any force,
17
00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:08,920
no matter how much it may weaken
the being, to have sway without
18
00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:12,760
discrimination or any filtering
process.
19
00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:17,440
Not every force that comes to an
individual is of force for the
20
00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:20,600
progressive manifestation of the
divine in the world.
21
00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:25,400
Some forces actively work to
hold back that progress, to
22
00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:29,640
maintain the status quo and to
prevent the transformation of
23
00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:31,800
life that will undermine their
sway.
24
00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,440
These forces may work on the
mental level, the vital level,
25
00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:40,200
or the physical level.
Attacks of illness work to
26
00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:43,040
undermine the strength and
stability of the body.
27
00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:47,720
For a practitioner of the
Integral Yoga, the body needs to
28
00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:52,200
be strong enough to hold and
respond to the divine force.
29
00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:56,560
When illness undermines this
strength, it becomes an
30
00:01:56,560 --> 00:02:00,080
obstacle.
It is through our conscious
31
00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:04,320
choices that we aid in the
transformation process or become
32
00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:08,479
tools of those forces that want
to deny the transformation.
33
00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:13,040
If we choose to accept and
embrace mentally the vibrations
34
00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:17,520
of any illness, we are opening
the door to it, building grooves
35
00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:21,360
of response in the physical
cells and thereby making it
36
00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:24,200
easier for those vibrations to
act on the being.
37
00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,000
If we reject those vibratory
patterns, we strengthen the
38
00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:33,880
barriers against the illness and
thereby support the strong,
39
00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:39,320
vibrant and receptive physical
foundation needed to practice
40
00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:45,000
this yogic endeavour.
Sri Aurobindo notes quote Your
41
00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:49,920
theory of illness is a rather a
perilous creed, for illness is a
42
00:02:49,920 --> 00:02:53,160
thing to be eliminated, not
accepted or enjoyed.
43
00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:56,880
There is something in the being
that enjoys illness.
44
00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:01,560
It is possible even to turn the
pains of illness, like any other
45
00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:06,360
pain, into a form of pleasure,
For pain and pleasure are both
46
00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:10,400
of them degradations of an
original Ananda, and can be
47
00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:14,360
reduced into terms of each
other, or else sublimated into
48
00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:16,480
their original principle of
Ananda.
49
00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:22,120
It is true also that one must be
able to bear illness with calm,
50
00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:27,280
equanimity, endurance, even
recognition of it, since it has
51
00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:31,680
come as something that has to be
passed through in the course of
52
00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:35,520
experience.
But to accept and enjoy it means
53
00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,400
to help it to last, and that
will not do.
54
00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:43,640
For illness is a deformation of
the physical nature, just as
55
00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:48,800
lust, anger, jealousy, et cetera
are deformations of the vital
56
00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:53,920
nature, and error and prejudice
and indulgence of falsehood are
57
00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:56,360
deformations of the mental
nature.
58
00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:01,080
All these things have to be
eliminated, and rejection is the
59
00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,800
first condition of their
disappearance, while acceptance
60
00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:07,400
has a contrary effect
altogether.
61
00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:13,120
End Quote.
Reference Srioro Window Bases of
62
00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,480
Yoga, Chapter 5.
Physical consciousness,
63
00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,160
subconscious sleep and dream
illness.
64
00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:23,200
Pages one O 6 to one O 7.
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,040
When an individual takes up a
spiritual path, he has to work
2
00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:09,200
through the seemingly fine lines
of distinction that the various
3
00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,960
prescriptions and directions for
progress along the path appear
4
00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:17,680
to carry.
For example, equality and
5
00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:21,440
equanimity are counselled as
essential characteristics for
6
00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:24,920
progress.
This leads some individuals for
7
00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,640
a time to take these terms to
extremes that were never
8
00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:32,159
intended due to the dogmatic
nature of the mental
9
00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:36,840
understanding, the desire to
have a clear cut, uniform and
10
00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:40,280
neatly defined process for the
needed progress.
11
00:00:41,480 --> 00:00:45,080
One of the extremes that we
occasionally hear relates to
12
00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,160
accepting illness rather than
rejecting it outright.
13
00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:52,280
The thinking goes that the
individual has surrendered
14
00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:55,440
himself to the divine, and
whatever the divine chooses to
15
00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:58,000
provide is to be accepted
without question.
16
00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:03,880
This is a form of temasic
surrender that allows any force,
17
00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:08,920
no matter how much it may weaken
the being, to have sway without
18
00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:12,760
discrimination or any filtering
process.
19
00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:17,440
Not every force that comes to an
individual is of force for the
20
00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:20,600
progressive manifestation of the
divine in the world.
21
00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:25,400
Some forces actively work to
hold back that progress, to
22
00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:29,640
maintain the status quo and to
prevent the transformation of
23
00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:31,800
life that will undermine their
sway.
24
00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,440
These forces may work on the
mental level, the vital level,
25
00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:40,200
or the physical level.
Attacks of illness work to
26
00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:43,040
undermine the strength and
stability of the body.
27
00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:47,720
For a practitioner of the
Integral Yoga, the body needs to
28
00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:52,200
be strong enough to hold and
respond to the divine force.
29
00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:56,560
When illness undermines this
strength, it becomes an
30
00:01:56,560 --> 00:02:00,080
obstacle.
It is through our conscious
31
00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:04,320
choices that we aid in the
transformation process or become
32
00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:08,479
tools of those forces that want
to deny the transformation.
33
00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:13,040
If we choose to accept and
embrace mentally the vibrations
34
00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:17,520
of any illness, we are opening
the door to it, building grooves
35
00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:21,360
of response in the physical
cells and thereby making it
36
00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:24,200
easier for those vibrations to
act on the being.
37
00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,000
If we reject those vibratory
patterns, we strengthen the
38
00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:33,880
barriers against the illness and
thereby support the strong,
39
00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:39,320
vibrant and receptive physical
foundation needed to practice
40
00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:45,000
this yogic endeavour.
Sri Aurobindo notes quote Your
41
00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:49,920
theory of illness is a rather a
perilous creed, for illness is a
42
00:02:49,920 --> 00:02:53,160
thing to be eliminated, not
accepted or enjoyed.
43
00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:56,880
There is something in the being
that enjoys illness.
44
00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:01,560
It is possible even to turn the
pains of illness, like any other
45
00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:06,360
pain, into a form of pleasure,
For pain and pleasure are both
46
00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:10,400
of them degradations of an
original Ananda, and can be
47
00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:14,360
reduced into terms of each
other, or else sublimated into
48
00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:16,480
their original principle of
Ananda.
49
00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:22,120
It is true also that one must be
able to bear illness with calm,
50
00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:27,280
equanimity, endurance, even
recognition of it, since it has
51
00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:31,680
come as something that has to be
passed through in the course of
52
00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:35,520
experience.
But to accept and enjoy it means
53
00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,400
to help it to last, and that
will not do.
54
00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:43,640
For illness is a deformation of
the physical nature, just as
55
00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:48,800
lust, anger, jealousy, et cetera
are deformations of the vital
56
00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:53,920
nature, and error and prejudice
and indulgence of falsehood are
57
00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:56,360
deformations of the mental
nature.
58
00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:01,080
All these things have to be
eliminated, and rejection is the
59
00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,800
first condition of their
disappearance, while acceptance
60
00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:07,400
has a contrary effect
altogether.
61
00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:13,120
End Quote.
Reference Srioro Window Bases of
62
00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,480
Yoga, Chapter 5.
Physical consciousness,
63
00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,160
subconscious sleep and dream
illness.
64
00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:23,200
Pages one O 6 to one O 7.
