June 25, 2024
Miracles, Belief, Powers and the Evolution of Consciousness
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Hidden Forces of Life, Ch. 5 Occult Forces, pp. 125-127
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/06/22/miracles-belief-powers-and-the-evolution-of-consciousness/
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
00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:05,040
For most people, there is a
tremendous barrier of skepticism
2
00:00:05,520 --> 00:00:08,960
about things that they cannot
see or experience for
3
00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:12,280
themselves.
There is also a good deal of
4
00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:15,480
ignorance about how things
actually work in the world,
5
00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:20,080
which can lead to misconceptions
and a tendency towards
6
00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:24,440
gullibility when someone appears
to speak with authority,
7
00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:28,920
particularly when it concerns
things that otherwise are unable
8
00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:31,400
to be verified by the external
senses.
9
00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:36,760
The role of miracles is to
bolster the credibility and
10
00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:40,400
acceptance of specific religious
groups or leaders.
11
00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:45,440
The concept is that if one can
perform various miracles, one
12
00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:49,200
has knowledge and powers that
people can see and experience
13
00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,640
and thus A level of trust and
reliance is built up.
14
00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:58,960
The lack of knowledge about the
mechanisms involved can lead
15
00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,960
people to believe that these
things represent direct divine
16
00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:07,600
intervention through the chosen
intermediary and thus
17
00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,080
establishes the primacy of that
particular path.
18
00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,040
Teaching religion or religious
leader.
19
00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,640
Another factor which enters in
nowadays is the ability to
20
00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:21,560
mislead.
Through slate of hand
21
00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:26,720
misdirection and through the use
of tools of modern computer
22
00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:33,160
science including artificial
intelligence, AI seeming
23
00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:37,000
miracles are created and
disseminated, when in fact they
24
00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:41,560
are not miracles at all, but
rather carefully staged events,
25
00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:47,720
motion pictures, magician
tricks, Internet reports or
26
00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:52,400
videos, and the advent of
careful editing or manipulation
27
00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:57,720
to create things like fake news
all may fall into this category,
28
00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,000
thus confusing the subject even
more.
29
00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:07,440
And to this the factor of vanity
and the factor of ambition by an
30
00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:13,000
individual desirous of gaining
fame, adherence, fortune, et
31
00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:17,120
cetera.
And we have a recipe for even
32
00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:21,280
more confusion.
The reality is that spirituality
33
00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:24,560
is not connected to the ability
to perform miracles.
34
00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,840
While new powers may develop as
the result of spiritual
35
00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:33,280
practice, these are more general
developments available not just
36
00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:38,600
to create belief or adherence to
a specific religious leader, but
37
00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:42,520
become natural developments of
the evolution of consciousness,
38
00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:47,760
such that as humanity reaches a
general point of readiness,
39
00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:52,120
these powers will begin to
appear across larger numbers of
40
00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,640
people.
Further, it should be noted that
41
00:02:55,640 --> 00:02:59,360
these powers are not miracles in
the sense of violating the laws
42
00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:04,880
of nature, but are developments
adhering to the logic of
43
00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:09,160
nature's progression.
In Her Questions and Answers
44
00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:13,760
1929, fourteenth April, the
Mother wrote quote.
45
00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:17,400
Ambition has been the undoing of
many yogis.
46
00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,760
A story is told of a Yogi who
had attained wonderful powers.
47
00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:25,400
He was invited by his disciples
to a great dinner.
48
00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:28,120
It was served on a big low
table.
49
00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:32,720
The disciples asked their master
to show his power in some way.
50
00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:37,320
He knew he should not, but the
seed of ambition was there in
51
00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:42,000
him, and he thought, after all,
it is a very innocent thing, and
52
00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,760
it may prove to them that such
things are possible, and teach
53
00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:50,640
them the greatness of God.
So he said, take away the table,
54
00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,400
but only the table.
Let the tablecloth remain as it
55
00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:58,640
is, with all the dishes upon it.
The disciples cried out.
56
00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:02,920
Oh, that cannot be done,
everything will fall down.
57
00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:07,480
But he insisted, and they
removed the table from under the
58
00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:11,160
cloth.
Lo, the miracle, the cloth, and
59
00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:14,240
all that was upon it remained
there, just as though the table
60
00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,360
was underneath.
The disciples wondered.
61
00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,720
But all on a sudden the Master
jumped up and rushed out,
62
00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:25,280
screaming and crying.
Nevermore shall I have a
63
00:04:25,280 --> 00:04:28,960
disciple?
Nevermore Woe is me, I have
64
00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,640
betrayed my God.
End Quote.
65
00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,080
The Mother explains further
quote.
66
00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:41,040
This is a temptation that every
teacher meets at every step, for
67
00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:44,640
the very simple reason that
ordinary humanity, in a general
68
00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:49,600
way, not being in personal
contact with the divine powers,
69
00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:53,640
understands nothing of what an
illumined consciousness may be,
70
00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:58,560
and asks for material proofs.
It is on this demand that most
71
00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:02,440
religions are established, and
for reasons which I may very
72
00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:06,360
frankly call political, they
have put at the origin of their
73
00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:10,040
religion a more or less
considerable number of miracles
74
00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:12,840
as having been performed by the
Founders.
75
00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:16,440
And they have thus more or less
crudely encouraged among
76
00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:20,800
ignorant people the taste, the
necessity for seeing what they
77
00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:24,840
call miracles, in order to
believe in the divine power of a
78
00:05:24,840 --> 00:05:27,640
person.
This is an extraordinary
79
00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:31,760
ignorance, because it is not at
all necessary to have a divine
80
00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:35,040
power or consciousness to
perform miracles.
81
00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:39,400
It is infinitely more easy to
perform miracles with the help
82
00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:44,200
of small entities of the vital
world who are material enough to
83
00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:49,120
be in touch with the physical
world and act upon it, then to
84
00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:53,040
live in the consciousness of the
higher regions and to work upon
85
00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,800
nature only through the
intermediary of all the other
86
00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:00,440
domains.
It has been repeated over and
87
00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:04,200
over again to all human
intellects that the proof of a
88
00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:10,960
being's divinity is that he can
raise the dead, cure maladies,
89
00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:16,360
and do many other things of the
same kind except making a fool,
90
00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:22,040
Wise Mother added later.
This is a Muhammadan story, I
91
00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:26,960
believe, as it was said that
Jesus raised the dead, healed
92
00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:31,520
the sick, made the dumb speak,
gave sight to the blind.
93
00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:36,520
One day an idiot was brought to
him to be made intelligent, and
94
00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:39,680
Jesus ran away.
Why did you run away?
95
00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:43,200
He was asked I can do
everything, he answered, except
96
00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:48,080
give intelligence to an idiot.
Well, I guarantee that this is
97
00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:52,120
not a proof.
It proves only one thing, that
98
00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:56,600
these masters are in contact
with the powers of the vital
99
00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,480
world and that with the help of
those beings they can perform
100
00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:02,560
these miracles.
That's all.
101
00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:08,560
End Quote Reference Sri Auro
Bindo and the Mother, The Hidden
102
00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:14,880
Forces of Life, Chapter 5,
Occult Forces, pages 125 to 127.
00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:05,040
For most people, there is a
tremendous barrier of skepticism
2
00:00:05,520 --> 00:00:08,960
about things that they cannot
see or experience for
3
00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:12,280
themselves.
There is also a good deal of
4
00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:15,480
ignorance about how things
actually work in the world,
5
00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:20,080
which can lead to misconceptions
and a tendency towards
6
00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:24,440
gullibility when someone appears
to speak with authority,
7
00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:28,920
particularly when it concerns
things that otherwise are unable
8
00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:31,400
to be verified by the external
senses.
9
00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:36,760
The role of miracles is to
bolster the credibility and
10
00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:40,400
acceptance of specific religious
groups or leaders.
11
00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:45,440
The concept is that if one can
perform various miracles, one
12
00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:49,200
has knowledge and powers that
people can see and experience
13
00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,640
and thus A level of trust and
reliance is built up.
14
00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:58,960
The lack of knowledge about the
mechanisms involved can lead
15
00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,960
people to believe that these
things represent direct divine
16
00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:07,600
intervention through the chosen
intermediary and thus
17
00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,080
establishes the primacy of that
particular path.
18
00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,040
Teaching religion or religious
leader.
19
00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,640
Another factor which enters in
nowadays is the ability to
20
00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:21,560
mislead.
Through slate of hand
21
00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:26,720
misdirection and through the use
of tools of modern computer
22
00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:33,160
science including artificial
intelligence, AI seeming
23
00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:37,000
miracles are created and
disseminated, when in fact they
24
00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:41,560
are not miracles at all, but
rather carefully staged events,
25
00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:47,720
motion pictures, magician
tricks, Internet reports or
26
00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:52,400
videos, and the advent of
careful editing or manipulation
27
00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:57,720
to create things like fake news
all may fall into this category,
28
00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,000
thus confusing the subject even
more.
29
00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:07,440
And to this the factor of vanity
and the factor of ambition by an
30
00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:13,000
individual desirous of gaining
fame, adherence, fortune, et
31
00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:17,120
cetera.
And we have a recipe for even
32
00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:21,280
more confusion.
The reality is that spirituality
33
00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:24,560
is not connected to the ability
to perform miracles.
34
00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,840
While new powers may develop as
the result of spiritual
35
00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:33,280
practice, these are more general
developments available not just
36
00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:38,600
to create belief or adherence to
a specific religious leader, but
37
00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:42,520
become natural developments of
the evolution of consciousness,
38
00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:47,760
such that as humanity reaches a
general point of readiness,
39
00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:52,120
these powers will begin to
appear across larger numbers of
40
00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,640
people.
Further, it should be noted that
41
00:02:55,640 --> 00:02:59,360
these powers are not miracles in
the sense of violating the laws
42
00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:04,880
of nature, but are developments
adhering to the logic of
43
00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:09,160
nature's progression.
In Her Questions and Answers
44
00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:13,760
1929, fourteenth April, the
Mother wrote quote.
45
00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:17,400
Ambition has been the undoing of
many yogis.
46
00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,760
A story is told of a Yogi who
had attained wonderful powers.
47
00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:25,400
He was invited by his disciples
to a great dinner.
48
00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:28,120
It was served on a big low
table.
49
00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:32,720
The disciples asked their master
to show his power in some way.
50
00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:37,320
He knew he should not, but the
seed of ambition was there in
51
00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:42,000
him, and he thought, after all,
it is a very innocent thing, and
52
00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,760
it may prove to them that such
things are possible, and teach
53
00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:50,640
them the greatness of God.
So he said, take away the table,
54
00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,400
but only the table.
Let the tablecloth remain as it
55
00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:58,640
is, with all the dishes upon it.
The disciples cried out.
56
00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:02,920
Oh, that cannot be done,
everything will fall down.
57
00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:07,480
But he insisted, and they
removed the table from under the
58
00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:11,160
cloth.
Lo, the miracle, the cloth, and
59
00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:14,240
all that was upon it remained
there, just as though the table
60
00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,360
was underneath.
The disciples wondered.
61
00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,720
But all on a sudden the Master
jumped up and rushed out,
62
00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:25,280
screaming and crying.
Nevermore shall I have a
63
00:04:25,280 --> 00:04:28,960
disciple?
Nevermore Woe is me, I have
64
00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,640
betrayed my God.
End Quote.
65
00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,080
The Mother explains further
quote.
66
00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:41,040
This is a temptation that every
teacher meets at every step, for
67
00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:44,640
the very simple reason that
ordinary humanity, in a general
68
00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:49,600
way, not being in personal
contact with the divine powers,
69
00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:53,640
understands nothing of what an
illumined consciousness may be,
70
00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:58,560
and asks for material proofs.
It is on this demand that most
71
00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:02,440
religions are established, and
for reasons which I may very
72
00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:06,360
frankly call political, they
have put at the origin of their
73
00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:10,040
religion a more or less
considerable number of miracles
74
00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:12,840
as having been performed by the
Founders.
75
00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:16,440
And they have thus more or less
crudely encouraged among
76
00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:20,800
ignorant people the taste, the
necessity for seeing what they
77
00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:24,840
call miracles, in order to
believe in the divine power of a
78
00:05:24,840 --> 00:05:27,640
person.
This is an extraordinary
79
00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:31,760
ignorance, because it is not at
all necessary to have a divine
80
00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:35,040
power or consciousness to
perform miracles.
81
00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:39,400
It is infinitely more easy to
perform miracles with the help
82
00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:44,200
of small entities of the vital
world who are material enough to
83
00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:49,120
be in touch with the physical
world and act upon it, then to
84
00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:53,040
live in the consciousness of the
higher regions and to work upon
85
00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,800
nature only through the
intermediary of all the other
86
00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:00,440
domains.
It has been repeated over and
87
00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:04,200
over again to all human
intellects that the proof of a
88
00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:10,960
being's divinity is that he can
raise the dead, cure maladies,
89
00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:16,360
and do many other things of the
same kind except making a fool,
90
00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:22,040
Wise Mother added later.
This is a Muhammadan story, I
91
00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:26,960
believe, as it was said that
Jesus raised the dead, healed
92
00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:31,520
the sick, made the dumb speak,
gave sight to the blind.
93
00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:36,520
One day an idiot was brought to
him to be made intelligent, and
94
00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:39,680
Jesus ran away.
Why did you run away?
95
00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:43,200
He was asked I can do
everything, he answered, except
96
00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:48,080
give intelligence to an idiot.
Well, I guarantee that this is
97
00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:52,120
not a proof.
It proves only one thing, that
98
00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:56,600
these masters are in contact
with the powers of the vital
99
00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,480
world and that with the help of
those beings they can perform
100
00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:02,560
these miracles.
That's all.
101
00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:08,560
End Quote Reference Sri Auro
Bindo and the Mother, The Hidden
102
00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:14,880
Forces of Life, Chapter 5,
Occult Forces, pages 125 to 127.