July 25, 2024
Mental Consciousness Cannot Directly Comprehend Spiritual Forces at Work
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Hidden Forces of Life, Ch.7 Spiritual Forces of Help and Succour, pg.159 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/07/20/mental-consciousness-cannot-directly-comprehend-spiritual-forces-at-work/
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 Sri Aurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:05,640
In order to know something, we
need to utilize the tools and
2
00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:10,360
methods appropriate to whatever
form or energetic action we are
3
00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:14,000
trying to know.
Those things which rely on
4
00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:18,120
emotion, for instance, cannot be
fully understood by the logical
5
00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:22,040
intellect.
Similarly, the strict step by
6
00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:25,880
step process of mathematics is
not something that the vital
7
00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:29,800
nature or the emotions in
general can comprehend.
8
00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:33,680
This is actually one serious
cause of misunderstanding
9
00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:37,520
between people as they try to
communicate with one another
10
00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:40,600
from vastly different
perspectives and starting
11
00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:44,120
points.
How much more difficult it is,
12
00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:47,880
therefore, to understand an
entirely different order of
13
00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:52,200
consciousness using powers and
methods proper to a preceding
14
00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,640
order.
The logical intellect, while it
15
00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:59,520
has its powerful capacities and
benefits in its own field of
16
00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:05,160
action, is not competent to
judge spiritual experience or
17
00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:07,760
the expression of spiritual
force in action.
18
00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,560
This implies that the normal
standards of determining what is
19
00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:17,960
valid or real used by the mind
are unable to make a similar
20
00:01:17,960 --> 00:01:21,600
judgment.
The spiritual consciousness can
21
00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:25,080
only be understood by someone
who is capable of experiencing
22
00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:29,680
that consciousness, who has the
receptivity and intuitive
23
00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:33,080
understanding needed to
comprehend its action.
24
00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:37,640
The mind may be able to infer
the existence of a spiritual
25
00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,120
force through various effects
that it cannot otherwise
26
00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:45,960
explain, particularly if these
effects are reported by those
27
00:01:45,960 --> 00:01:49,800
who actually have experienced
the spiritual consciousness
28
00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:54,360
directly, and thus a correlation
can be established.
29
00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:59,040
The failure of the mind to
comprehend spiritual experience
30
00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:04,080
with the tools of analysis,
logic and reason leads many who
31
00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:08,199
are rooted in the consciousness
of the external body, life mind
32
00:02:08,199 --> 00:02:13,040
complex to simply deny the
existence of the spiritual
33
00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:18,360
reality or to treat it as some
kind of result of the play of
34
00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:21,840
the material elements and powers
that are the first basis of the
35
00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,960
material life.
It is impossible to convince
36
00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:30,160
someone who has not had the
actual experience and who
37
00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:34,240
demands proof of the existence
or action of the spiritual
38
00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:39,120
consciousness, just as it is
equally impossible to convince
39
00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:42,400
someone who has never
experienced concentrated thought
40
00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:46,600
that such a power of insight and
action may actually exist.
41
00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,920
Many things that are the result
of mental efforts look simply
42
00:02:50,920 --> 00:02:55,000
like miracles to those who do
not have the current capacity
43
00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:59,760
for serious, organized,
systematic thought and the
44
00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:01,880
results that come from that
process.
45
00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:07,560
Similarly, those with the power
of thought but without spiritual
46
00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:12,080
insight or experience may tend
to deny or explain away
47
00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:16,640
spiritual forces at work.
When the being is ready, the
48
00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:20,000
capacity for the next phase of
development of consciousness
49
00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:24,960
opens up on its own and at that
time, without argument or
50
00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:31,240
denial, the understanding comes.
Sri Aurobindo observes quote.
51
00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:36,800
Even in ordinary non spiritual
things, the action of invisible
52
00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:41,880
or subjective forces is open to
doubt and discussion in which
53
00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:46,920
there could be no material
certitude, while the spiritual
54
00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:51,120
force is invisible in itself and
also invisible in its action.
55
00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:56,960
So it is idle to try to prove
that such and such a result was
56
00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:01,600
the effect of spiritual force.
Each must form his own idea
57
00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:05,720
about that, for if it is
accepted, it cannot be as a
58
00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:09,480
result of proof and argument,
but only as a result of
59
00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:15,000
experience of faith, or of that
insight into the deeper heart or
60
00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:19,880
the deeper intelligence which
looks behind appearances and
61
00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:24,400
sees what is behind them.
The spiritual consciousness does
62
00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:28,280
not claim in that way.
It can state the truth about
63
00:04:28,280 --> 00:04:32,160
itself, but not fight for a
personal acceptance.
64
00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:36,720
A general and impersonal truth
about spiritual force is another
65
00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:41,680
matter, but I doubt whether the
time has come for it or whether
66
00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:46,880
it could be understood by mere
reasoning, intelligence, and
67
00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:51,720
quote reference.
Srioro Bindo and the mother, The
68
00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:54,280
hidden forces of life, Chapter
7.
69
00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:59,320
Spiritual Forces of Help and
Succor, page 159.
00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:05,640
In order to know something, we
need to utilize the tools and
2
00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:10,360
methods appropriate to whatever
form or energetic action we are
3
00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:14,000
trying to know.
Those things which rely on
4
00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:18,120
emotion, for instance, cannot be
fully understood by the logical
5
00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:22,040
intellect.
Similarly, the strict step by
6
00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:25,880
step process of mathematics is
not something that the vital
7
00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:29,800
nature or the emotions in
general can comprehend.
8
00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:33,680
This is actually one serious
cause of misunderstanding
9
00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:37,520
between people as they try to
communicate with one another
10
00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:40,600
from vastly different
perspectives and starting
11
00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:44,120
points.
How much more difficult it is,
12
00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:47,880
therefore, to understand an
entirely different order of
13
00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:52,200
consciousness using powers and
methods proper to a preceding
14
00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,640
order.
The logical intellect, while it
15
00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:59,520
has its powerful capacities and
benefits in its own field of
16
00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:05,160
action, is not competent to
judge spiritual experience or
17
00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:07,760
the expression of spiritual
force in action.
18
00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,560
This implies that the normal
standards of determining what is
19
00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:17,960
valid or real used by the mind
are unable to make a similar
20
00:01:17,960 --> 00:01:21,600
judgment.
The spiritual consciousness can
21
00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:25,080
only be understood by someone
who is capable of experiencing
22
00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:29,680
that consciousness, who has the
receptivity and intuitive
23
00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:33,080
understanding needed to
comprehend its action.
24
00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:37,640
The mind may be able to infer
the existence of a spiritual
25
00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,120
force through various effects
that it cannot otherwise
26
00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:45,960
explain, particularly if these
effects are reported by those
27
00:01:45,960 --> 00:01:49,800
who actually have experienced
the spiritual consciousness
28
00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:54,360
directly, and thus a correlation
can be established.
29
00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:59,040
The failure of the mind to
comprehend spiritual experience
30
00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:04,080
with the tools of analysis,
logic and reason leads many who
31
00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:08,199
are rooted in the consciousness
of the external body, life mind
32
00:02:08,199 --> 00:02:13,040
complex to simply deny the
existence of the spiritual
33
00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:18,360
reality or to treat it as some
kind of result of the play of
34
00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:21,840
the material elements and powers
that are the first basis of the
35
00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,960
material life.
It is impossible to convince
36
00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:30,160
someone who has not had the
actual experience and who
37
00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:34,240
demands proof of the existence
or action of the spiritual
38
00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:39,120
consciousness, just as it is
equally impossible to convince
39
00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:42,400
someone who has never
experienced concentrated thought
40
00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:46,600
that such a power of insight and
action may actually exist.
41
00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,920
Many things that are the result
of mental efforts look simply
42
00:02:50,920 --> 00:02:55,000
like miracles to those who do
not have the current capacity
43
00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:59,760
for serious, organized,
systematic thought and the
44
00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:01,880
results that come from that
process.
45
00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:07,560
Similarly, those with the power
of thought but without spiritual
46
00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:12,080
insight or experience may tend
to deny or explain away
47
00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:16,640
spiritual forces at work.
When the being is ready, the
48
00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:20,000
capacity for the next phase of
development of consciousness
49
00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:24,960
opens up on its own and at that
time, without argument or
50
00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:31,240
denial, the understanding comes.
Sri Aurobindo observes quote.
51
00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:36,800
Even in ordinary non spiritual
things, the action of invisible
52
00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:41,880
or subjective forces is open to
doubt and discussion in which
53
00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:46,920
there could be no material
certitude, while the spiritual
54
00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:51,120
force is invisible in itself and
also invisible in its action.
55
00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:56,960
So it is idle to try to prove
that such and such a result was
56
00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:01,600
the effect of spiritual force.
Each must form his own idea
57
00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:05,720
about that, for if it is
accepted, it cannot be as a
58
00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:09,480
result of proof and argument,
but only as a result of
59
00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:15,000
experience of faith, or of that
insight into the deeper heart or
60
00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:19,880
the deeper intelligence which
looks behind appearances and
61
00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:24,400
sees what is behind them.
The spiritual consciousness does
62
00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:28,280
not claim in that way.
It can state the truth about
63
00:04:28,280 --> 00:04:32,160
itself, but not fight for a
personal acceptance.
64
00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:36,720
A general and impersonal truth
about spiritual force is another
65
00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:41,680
matter, but I doubt whether the
time has come for it or whether
66
00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:46,880
it could be understood by mere
reasoning, intelligence, and
67
00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:51,720
quote reference.
Srioro Bindo and the mother, The
68
00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:54,280
hidden forces of life, Chapter
7.
69
00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:59,320
Spiritual Forces of Help and
Succor, page 159.