Sept. 14, 2025
Looking from Within -- Summary and Conclusions
reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Summary and Conclusions [with citations from the Preface and back cover]This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/09/12/looking-from-within-summary-and-conclusions/
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 --> 00:00:04,320
There is a deeply embedded
aspiration within humanity to
2
00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:08,600
discover some purpose or
significance to our lives and to
3
00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:12,920
the very existence of the
creation within which we live
4
00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:16,880
and act.
Our training and education from
5
00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:20,720
our earliest childhood is
fixated on achieving our
6
00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:24,160
standing within the external
reality of the society within
7
00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,760
which we live.
We are asked to learn a trade,
8
00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:31,560
have a career, marry and raise a
family.
9
00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,960
We are then told that we should
seek for enjoyment and we search
10
00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:39,560
for happiness through external
actions and material
11
00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,520
gratifications.
For many people this seems to be
12
00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:47,840
sufficient.
Yet at times, almost everyone
13
00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:51,800
suffers from the inner struggle
as to whether there is more to
14
00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:56,760
life than a seemingly mindless
round of eating, sleeping,
15
00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:00,320
working and enjoying ourselves
through some form of
16
00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:04,200
entertainment.
Occasionally someone concludes
17
00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,600
that there must be something
more, something deeper,
18
00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,240
something significant to make
this entire immeasurable
19
00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:14,800
creation and energy worth the
effort.
20
00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:20,360
In some cases there is a
traumatic event, a near death
21
00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:25,400
experience, a catastrophic
failure in the outer life, grief
22
00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:29,160
from loss of loved ones,
pressures to succeed at what
23
00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:31,840
appears to be a meaningless
life.
24
00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,760
This causes a period of soul
searching and people look into
25
00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:40,560
various directions to find the
meaning of their lives.
26
00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:45,080
They explore religions, they
investigate philosophies of
27
00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:50,400
life, they try out various
entheogenic substances and
28
00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:54,040
experience the temporary
dissolution of the ego core.
29
00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:57,840
They may take up life
challenging activities,
30
00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:03,040
adventures, and explorations, or
they may immerse themselves in
31
00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:08,000
some science or art or skill
that helps them reach beyond
32
00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:12,160
their limits.
Eventually they recognize that
33
00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:16,760
they have only received partial
answers, incomplete solutions,
34
00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,480
and third hand recitations about
the reality.
35
00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:25,480
At that point they are ready to
take up their own practice of
36
00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:29,080
inner growth and development,
which is called yoga.
37
00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,840
When an individual takes up
yoga, he begins to experience
38
00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:38,160
the shift from an externally
focused life to an inner
39
00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:42,600
developed life.
He begins looking from within.
40
00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:47,040
This leads to A2 pronged effort
in Trioro Bindo's Yoga.
41
00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:52,800
First, the liberation of the
awareness, the consciousness as
42
00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:57,280
a separate witness of the nature
and the illusory forms and
43
00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,120
results that are achieved in the
external world.
44
00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:05,200
This liberation can lead the
seeker away from the life as in
45
00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:09,640
the way of the ascetic, or it
may become a foundation for the
46
00:03:09,640 --> 00:03:14,560
second prong of the effort which
Ryorobindo calls the Yoga of
47
00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:18,040
Self Perfection.
This yoga seeks to bring the
48
00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:22,920
Divine reality into full and
conscious manifestation here by
49
00:03:22,920 --> 00:03:26,600
bringing a next level of
consciousness into manifestation
50
00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:31,080
to create the harmony and
balance that the current
51
00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:35,440
accommodation of the physical
vital mental being has not yet
52
00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:41,200
worked out.
Doctor de Lal writes quote 3
53
00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:44,560
chief categories of seekers have
been kept in view in selecting
54
00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:49,080
passages for this compilation.
Those who wish to obtain a
55
00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,560
greater life mastery and self
mastery.
56
00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:58,400
Those who, while pursuing the
common goals of life, also aim
57
00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:02,280
at something beyond the ordinary
life and seek to grow towards a
58
00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:04,400
higher or spiritual state of
being.
59
00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:10,000
Those for whom spiritual growth
is the primary purpose and
60
00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:14,880
preoccupation of life.
All of the many approaches for
61
00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,720
the attainment of mastery and
inner growth involve the
62
00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:22,320
cultivation of certain attitudes
which are related to inner or
63
00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:27,000
psychological states from which
we look at and react to
64
00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:31,520
everything in life, both within
us and outside us.
65
00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:36,920
This book deals with such basic
attitudes in the light of Srioro
66
00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:41,160
Bindo's yoga.
End Quote Reference.
67
00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:44,600
Srioro Bindo and the Mother.
Looking from within.
68
00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:49,840
Summary and conclusions, with
citations from the preface and
69
00:04:49,840 --> 00:04:50,560
back cover.
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,320
There is a deeply embedded
aspiration within humanity to
2
00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:08,600
discover some purpose or
significance to our lives and to
3
00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:12,920
the very existence of the
creation within which we live
4
00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:16,880
and act.
Our training and education from
5
00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:20,720
our earliest childhood is
fixated on achieving our
6
00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:24,160
standing within the external
reality of the society within
7
00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,760
which we live.
We are asked to learn a trade,
8
00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:31,560
have a career, marry and raise a
family.
9
00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,960
We are then told that we should
seek for enjoyment and we search
10
00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:39,560
for happiness through external
actions and material
11
00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,520
gratifications.
For many people this seems to be
12
00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:47,840
sufficient.
Yet at times, almost everyone
13
00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:51,800
suffers from the inner struggle
as to whether there is more to
14
00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:56,760
life than a seemingly mindless
round of eating, sleeping,
15
00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:00,320
working and enjoying ourselves
through some form of
16
00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:04,200
entertainment.
Occasionally someone concludes
17
00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,600
that there must be something
more, something deeper,
18
00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,240
something significant to make
this entire immeasurable
19
00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:14,800
creation and energy worth the
effort.
20
00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:20,360
In some cases there is a
traumatic event, a near death
21
00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:25,400
experience, a catastrophic
failure in the outer life, grief
22
00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:29,160
from loss of loved ones,
pressures to succeed at what
23
00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:31,840
appears to be a meaningless
life.
24
00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,760
This causes a period of soul
searching and people look into
25
00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:40,560
various directions to find the
meaning of their lives.
26
00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:45,080
They explore religions, they
investigate philosophies of
27
00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:50,400
life, they try out various
entheogenic substances and
28
00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:54,040
experience the temporary
dissolution of the ego core.
29
00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:57,840
They may take up life
challenging activities,
30
00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:03,040
adventures, and explorations, or
they may immerse themselves in
31
00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:08,000
some science or art or skill
that helps them reach beyond
32
00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:12,160
their limits.
Eventually they recognize that
33
00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:16,760
they have only received partial
answers, incomplete solutions,
34
00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,480
and third hand recitations about
the reality.
35
00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:25,480
At that point they are ready to
take up their own practice of
36
00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:29,080
inner growth and development,
which is called yoga.
37
00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,840
When an individual takes up
yoga, he begins to experience
38
00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:38,160
the shift from an externally
focused life to an inner
39
00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:42,600
developed life.
He begins looking from within.
40
00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:47,040
This leads to A2 pronged effort
in Trioro Bindo's Yoga.
41
00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:52,800
First, the liberation of the
awareness, the consciousness as
42
00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:57,280
a separate witness of the nature
and the illusory forms and
43
00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,120
results that are achieved in the
external world.
44
00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:05,200
This liberation can lead the
seeker away from the life as in
45
00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:09,640
the way of the ascetic, or it
may become a foundation for the
46
00:03:09,640 --> 00:03:14,560
second prong of the effort which
Ryorobindo calls the Yoga of
47
00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:18,040
Self Perfection.
This yoga seeks to bring the
48
00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:22,920
Divine reality into full and
conscious manifestation here by
49
00:03:22,920 --> 00:03:26,600
bringing a next level of
consciousness into manifestation
50
00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:31,080
to create the harmony and
balance that the current
51
00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:35,440
accommodation of the physical
vital mental being has not yet
52
00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:41,200
worked out.
Doctor de Lal writes quote 3
53
00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:44,560
chief categories of seekers have
been kept in view in selecting
54
00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:49,080
passages for this compilation.
Those who wish to obtain a
55
00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,560
greater life mastery and self
mastery.
56
00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:58,400
Those who, while pursuing the
common goals of life, also aim
57
00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:02,280
at something beyond the ordinary
life and seek to grow towards a
58
00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:04,400
higher or spiritual state of
being.
59
00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:10,000
Those for whom spiritual growth
is the primary purpose and
60
00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:14,880
preoccupation of life.
All of the many approaches for
61
00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,720
the attainment of mastery and
inner growth involve the
62
00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:22,320
cultivation of certain attitudes
which are related to inner or
63
00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:27,000
psychological states from which
we look at and react to
64
00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:31,520
everything in life, both within
us and outside us.
65
00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:36,920
This book deals with such basic
attitudes in the light of Srioro
66
00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:41,160
Bindo's yoga.
End Quote Reference.
67
00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:44,600
Srioro Bindo and the Mother.
Looking from within.
68
00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:49,840
Summary and conclusions, with
citations from the preface and
69
00:04:49,840 --> 00:04:50,560
back cover.
