Feb. 26, 2023
Methods for Quieting the Activity of the Mechanical Mind
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2023/02/24/methods-for-quieting-the-activity-of-the-mechanical-mind/
1
00:00:01,400 --> 00:00:06,400
The mind seems always to be busy
and we seem to have a constant
2
00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:10,000
inner commentary about
Sensations, perceptions
3
00:00:10,300 --> 00:00:14,500
memories.
Anticipated activities, hopes
4
00:00:14,500 --> 00:00:17,900
and dreams and worries about
situations.
5
00:00:17,900 --> 00:00:21,800
We need to address.
Then there are the drives and
6
00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:27,500
Cravings such as hunger thirst
or sensations of discomfort pain
7
00:00:27,500 --> 00:00:32,000
or desire.
The Mind remains constantly busy
8
00:00:32,900 --> 00:00:34,900
and there seems to be no way
out.
9
00:00:35,900 --> 00:00:41,200
When we sit for meditation, we
find it almost impossible to get
10
00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:46,300
rid of all of this activity.
And in fact, simply because we
11
00:00:46,300 --> 00:00:51,000
are sitting quietly and trying
to still the mind, we become
12
00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:55,200
much more aware of the activity,
and when we are involved in our
13
00:00:55,200 --> 00:01:00,900
constant round of activities
externally, SRI aurobindo treats
14
00:01:00,900 --> 00:01:04,000
this as a more or less
mechanical action of the mind
15
00:01:04,700 --> 00:01:07,700
and provides us various tools to
address this.
16
00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,800
The primary Aid is the
separation of the witness
17
00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:14,500
Consciousness from the active
nature.
18
00:01:15,700 --> 00:01:19,400
As we shift to this new
standpoint, we begin to
19
00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:23,200
experience the mechanical action
of the Mind as something
20
00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:29,200
external to our awareness and
thus, it becomes easier to
21
00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:32,900
either disregard it or even
reject it.
22
00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,700
It is important.
However to exercise patience any
23
00:01:38,700 --> 00:01:42,400
impatience represents the
stirring of fridge Asik desire,
24
00:01:43,100 --> 00:01:47,600
which has the opposite effect
and tends to disturb the Mind
25
00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:51,800
rather than quiet it.
The long habit of the mechanical
26
00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:55,800
mind is not something that is
resolved in a day.
27
00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:02,600
SRI aurobindo notes, quote the
mind is always an activity but
28
00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:07,400
we do not observe fully what it
is doing but allow ourselves to
29
00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:10,500
be carried away in the Stream of
continual thinking.
30
00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:16,200
When we try to concentrate this
stream of self-made mechanical
31
00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:22,200
thinking becomes prominent to
our observation, it is the first
32
00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:25,100
normal obstacle.
The other is sleep during
33
00:02:25,100 --> 00:02:32,000
meditation to Effort for yoga.
The best thing to do is to
34
00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,700
realize that the thought flow is
not yourself.
35
00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:39,900
It is not you who are thinking,
but thought that is going on.
36
00:02:39,900 --> 00:02:44,400
In the mind, it is prakrit e
with its thought energy.
37
00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:46,900
That is Raising all this world
of thought in.
38
00:02:46,900 --> 00:02:52,300
You imposing it on the purusa,
you as the purusa must stand
39
00:02:52,300 --> 00:02:56,500
back as the witness, observing
the action, but refusing to
40
00:02:56,500 --> 00:03:01,100
identify yourself with it.
The next thing is to exercise a
41
00:03:01,100 --> 00:03:06,800
control and reject the thoughts
Though, sometimes by the very
42
00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:11,600
Act of Detachment, the thought,
habit Falls away or diminishes
43
00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:15,100
during the meditation.
And there is a sufficient
44
00:03:15,100 --> 00:03:19,700
silence or at any rate of
quietude, which makes it easy to
45
00:03:19,700 --> 00:03:24,000
reject, the thoughts that come
and fix oneself on the object of
46
00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:28,200
meditation.
If one becomes aware of the
47
00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:33,700
thoughts, as coming from outside
from the universal nature, then
48
00:03:33,700 --> 00:03:37,900
one can throw them out before
they reach the mind in that way,
49
00:03:37,900 --> 00:03:43,600
the Mind finally fall silent.
If neither of these things
50
00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:48,400
happens, a persistent practice
of rejection becomes necessary.
51
00:03:49,300 --> 00:03:52,400
There should be no struggle or
wrestling with the thought.
52
00:03:53,500 --> 00:03:56,900
But only a quiet self separation
and refusal.
53
00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:02,900
Success does not come at first,
but if consent is constantly
54
00:04:02,900 --> 00:04:08,100
withheld, the mechanical World
eventually ceases and begins to
55
00:04:08,100 --> 00:04:11,100
die away and one can then have
it.
56
00:04:11,100 --> 00:04:16,200
Will an inner quietude or
silence. it should be noted that
57
00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:20,000
the result of the yogic
processes is not except in rare
58
00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:25,800
cases, immediate and one must
apply, the will patience till
59
00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:29,700
they give a result, which is
sometimes long in coming if
60
00:04:29,700 --> 00:04:34,700
there is much resistance in the
outer nature, And quote,
61
00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:39,800
reference SRI aurobindo in the
mother growing within the
62
00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:44,500
psychology of inner development.
Chapter 5 growth of
63
00:04:44,500 --> 00:04:50,000
Consciousness means and methods
Pages 92 to 93,
00:00:01,400 --> 00:00:06,400
The mind seems always to be busy
and we seem to have a constant
2
00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:10,000
inner commentary about
Sensations, perceptions
3
00:00:10,300 --> 00:00:14,500
memories.
Anticipated activities, hopes
4
00:00:14,500 --> 00:00:17,900
and dreams and worries about
situations.
5
00:00:17,900 --> 00:00:21,800
We need to address.
Then there are the drives and
6
00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:27,500
Cravings such as hunger thirst
or sensations of discomfort pain
7
00:00:27,500 --> 00:00:32,000
or desire.
The Mind remains constantly busy
8
00:00:32,900 --> 00:00:34,900
and there seems to be no way
out.
9
00:00:35,900 --> 00:00:41,200
When we sit for meditation, we
find it almost impossible to get
10
00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:46,300
rid of all of this activity.
And in fact, simply because we
11
00:00:46,300 --> 00:00:51,000
are sitting quietly and trying
to still the mind, we become
12
00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:55,200
much more aware of the activity,
and when we are involved in our
13
00:00:55,200 --> 00:01:00,900
constant round of activities
externally, SRI aurobindo treats
14
00:01:00,900 --> 00:01:04,000
this as a more or less
mechanical action of the mind
15
00:01:04,700 --> 00:01:07,700
and provides us various tools to
address this.
16
00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,800
The primary Aid is the
separation of the witness
17
00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:14,500
Consciousness from the active
nature.
18
00:01:15,700 --> 00:01:19,400
As we shift to this new
standpoint, we begin to
19
00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:23,200
experience the mechanical action
of the Mind as something
20
00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:29,200
external to our awareness and
thus, it becomes easier to
21
00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:32,900
either disregard it or even
reject it.
22
00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,700
It is important.
However to exercise patience any
23
00:01:38,700 --> 00:01:42,400
impatience represents the
stirring of fridge Asik desire,
24
00:01:43,100 --> 00:01:47,600
which has the opposite effect
and tends to disturb the Mind
25
00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:51,800
rather than quiet it.
The long habit of the mechanical
26
00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:55,800
mind is not something that is
resolved in a day.
27
00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:02,600
SRI aurobindo notes, quote the
mind is always an activity but
28
00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:07,400
we do not observe fully what it
is doing but allow ourselves to
29
00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:10,500
be carried away in the Stream of
continual thinking.
30
00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:16,200
When we try to concentrate this
stream of self-made mechanical
31
00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:22,200
thinking becomes prominent to
our observation, it is the first
32
00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:25,100
normal obstacle.
The other is sleep during
33
00:02:25,100 --> 00:02:32,000
meditation to Effort for yoga.
The best thing to do is to
34
00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,700
realize that the thought flow is
not yourself.
35
00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:39,900
It is not you who are thinking,
but thought that is going on.
36
00:02:39,900 --> 00:02:44,400
In the mind, it is prakrit e
with its thought energy.
37
00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:46,900
That is Raising all this world
of thought in.
38
00:02:46,900 --> 00:02:52,300
You imposing it on the purusa,
you as the purusa must stand
39
00:02:52,300 --> 00:02:56,500
back as the witness, observing
the action, but refusing to
40
00:02:56,500 --> 00:03:01,100
identify yourself with it.
The next thing is to exercise a
41
00:03:01,100 --> 00:03:06,800
control and reject the thoughts
Though, sometimes by the very
42
00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:11,600
Act of Detachment, the thought,
habit Falls away or diminishes
43
00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:15,100
during the meditation.
And there is a sufficient
44
00:03:15,100 --> 00:03:19,700
silence or at any rate of
quietude, which makes it easy to
45
00:03:19,700 --> 00:03:24,000
reject, the thoughts that come
and fix oneself on the object of
46
00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:28,200
meditation.
If one becomes aware of the
47
00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:33,700
thoughts, as coming from outside
from the universal nature, then
48
00:03:33,700 --> 00:03:37,900
one can throw them out before
they reach the mind in that way,
49
00:03:37,900 --> 00:03:43,600
the Mind finally fall silent.
If neither of these things
50
00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:48,400
happens, a persistent practice
of rejection becomes necessary.
51
00:03:49,300 --> 00:03:52,400
There should be no struggle or
wrestling with the thought.
52
00:03:53,500 --> 00:03:56,900
But only a quiet self separation
and refusal.
53
00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:02,900
Success does not come at first,
but if consent is constantly
54
00:04:02,900 --> 00:04:08,100
withheld, the mechanical World
eventually ceases and begins to
55
00:04:08,100 --> 00:04:11,100
die away and one can then have
it.
56
00:04:11,100 --> 00:04:16,200
Will an inner quietude or
silence. it should be noted that
57
00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:20,000
the result of the yogic
processes is not except in rare
58
00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:25,800
cases, immediate and one must
apply, the will patience till
59
00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:29,700
they give a result, which is
sometimes long in coming if
60
00:04:29,700 --> 00:04:34,700
there is much resistance in the
outer nature, And quote,
61
00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:39,800
reference SRI aurobindo in the
mother growing within the
62
00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:44,500
psychology of inner development.
Chapter 5 growth of
63
00:04:44,500 --> 00:04:50,000
Consciousness means and methods
Pages 92 to 93,
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