May 24, 2024
Overcoming the Discomfort of Cold Temperatures
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Hidden Forces of Life, Ch. 4 Cosmic and Universal Forces, pp. 92-93 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/05/21/overcoming-the-discomfort-of-cold-temperatures/
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
00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:05,160
Dealing with the heat radiation
that comes from the sun is a
2
00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:08,920
matter of gaining the ability to
absorb and utilize the energy
3
00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:11,840
without being overwhelmed by its
force.
4
00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,480
Turning then to the issue of how
to deal with cold, we have an
5
00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:20,520
entirely different scenario in
that we have a reduction in the
6
00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:23,080
energy available to us to absorb
heat.
7
00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:28,760
Cold represents a lack of force
rather than an active force in
8
00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:33,080
its own right.
Nevertheless, it is useful and
9
00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:36,240
important to be able to
determine how the body can
10
00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:40,240
effectively respond to cold.
The normal reaction is an
11
00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,720
attempt to shrink in and close
off the body from the impact of
12
00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:48,200
the cold, and in particular to
protect the body core.
13
00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:53,320
Obviously, shelter, clothing,
and external heat generation are
14
00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:57,440
mechanisms we utilize, but this
is not the answer to the
15
00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:01,520
question raised by the disciple
to which the mother responded.
16
00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:07,240
The famous escape artist Harry
Houdini reported that he
17
00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:10,880
systematically trained his body
to bear the cold by bathing in
18
00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:15,160
ice, and eventually he used this
capability as part of his
19
00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:19,000
career.
In this case, he habituated the
20
00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:23,000
body to respond to cold and
accept it rather than try to
21
00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:27,280
escape it or protect against it
through external means.
22
00:01:29,320 --> 00:01:35,440
The tradition of the Tibetans
describe a practice known by the
23
00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,920
name of Dumo, which is a form of
meditation practice which
24
00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:42,720
utilizes pranayam and
visualization.
25
00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:48,280
Advanced practitioners are able
to withstand extreme cold and
26
00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:52,960
Western scientists studying the
phenomena have validated the
27
00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:57,080
increase in body heat by skilled
practitioners of this method.
28
00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:02,600
The great Tibetan Yogi Milarepa
is said to have utilized Dumas
29
00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:05,480
as part of his spiritual
practice.
30
00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:10,080
It is noted that he spent long
periods of time in the Himalayan
31
00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:14,000
Mountains meditating without
apparently suffering the cold of
32
00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:18,840
the caves he was frequenting.
A well known French traveller,
33
00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:23,680
author and Tibetan Buddhist
practitioner, Madam Alexandra
34
00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:27,960
David Neel, described her
initiation and development in
35
00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:32,360
the practice of tumo and her
subsequent ability to withstand
36
00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,280
extreme cold.
We thus see several different
37
00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:40,040
techniques, one through
habituation, the other through
38
00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:44,280
active generation of internal
heat used by people seeking to
39
00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:46,960
mitigate the impact of cold on
the body.
40
00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:52,040
In neither case is the
individual burdened by feeling
41
00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:54,200
like he is suffering from the
cold.
42
00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:59,840
A disciple asks, can one do the
same thing when it is cold?
43
00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:03,000
The mother answers yes, I think
so.
44
00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:06,640
I think one can always do the
same thing in all cases.
45
00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:10,440
The sun is a very powerful
symbol in the organization of
46
00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:14,120
nature, so it is not altogether
the same thing.
47
00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:18,160
It possesses in itself an
extraordinary condensation of
48
00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:21,560
energy.
Cold seems to me a more negative
49
00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:23,640
thing.
It is an absence of something.
50
00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:28,240
But in any case, if one knows
how to enter the rhythm of the
51
00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:32,280
movements of nature, one avoids
many discomforts.
52
00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:36,560
What makes men suffer, what
disturbs the balance of the
53
00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:41,640
body, is a narrowness.
It is always a narrowness.
54
00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:45,160
It happens because one is shut
up in limits.
55
00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:49,840
And so there is, as Shri Robindo
writes here, a force which
56
00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:52,160
presses too strongly for these
limits.
57
00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:57,760
It upsets everything.
End Quote Reference Sri
58
00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:02,320
Aurobindo and the Mother, The
Hidden Forces of Life, Chapter
59
00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:07,880
4, Cosmic and Universal Forces,
pages 92 to 93.
00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:05,160
Dealing with the heat radiation
that comes from the sun is a
2
00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:08,920
matter of gaining the ability to
absorb and utilize the energy
3
00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:11,840
without being overwhelmed by its
force.
4
00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,480
Turning then to the issue of how
to deal with cold, we have an
5
00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:20,520
entirely different scenario in
that we have a reduction in the
6
00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:23,080
energy available to us to absorb
heat.
7
00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:28,760
Cold represents a lack of force
rather than an active force in
8
00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:33,080
its own right.
Nevertheless, it is useful and
9
00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:36,240
important to be able to
determine how the body can
10
00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:40,240
effectively respond to cold.
The normal reaction is an
11
00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,720
attempt to shrink in and close
off the body from the impact of
12
00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:48,200
the cold, and in particular to
protect the body core.
13
00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:53,320
Obviously, shelter, clothing,
and external heat generation are
14
00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:57,440
mechanisms we utilize, but this
is not the answer to the
15
00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:01,520
question raised by the disciple
to which the mother responded.
16
00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:07,240
The famous escape artist Harry
Houdini reported that he
17
00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:10,880
systematically trained his body
to bear the cold by bathing in
18
00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:15,160
ice, and eventually he used this
capability as part of his
19
00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:19,000
career.
In this case, he habituated the
20
00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:23,000
body to respond to cold and
accept it rather than try to
21
00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:27,280
escape it or protect against it
through external means.
22
00:01:29,320 --> 00:01:35,440
The tradition of the Tibetans
describe a practice known by the
23
00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,920
name of Dumo, which is a form of
meditation practice which
24
00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:42,720
utilizes pranayam and
visualization.
25
00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:48,280
Advanced practitioners are able
to withstand extreme cold and
26
00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:52,960
Western scientists studying the
phenomena have validated the
27
00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:57,080
increase in body heat by skilled
practitioners of this method.
28
00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:02,600
The great Tibetan Yogi Milarepa
is said to have utilized Dumas
29
00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:05,480
as part of his spiritual
practice.
30
00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:10,080
It is noted that he spent long
periods of time in the Himalayan
31
00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:14,000
Mountains meditating without
apparently suffering the cold of
32
00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:18,840
the caves he was frequenting.
A well known French traveller,
33
00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:23,680
author and Tibetan Buddhist
practitioner, Madam Alexandra
34
00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:27,960
David Neel, described her
initiation and development in
35
00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:32,360
the practice of tumo and her
subsequent ability to withstand
36
00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,280
extreme cold.
We thus see several different
37
00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:40,040
techniques, one through
habituation, the other through
38
00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:44,280
active generation of internal
heat used by people seeking to
39
00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:46,960
mitigate the impact of cold on
the body.
40
00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:52,040
In neither case is the
individual burdened by feeling
41
00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:54,200
like he is suffering from the
cold.
42
00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:59,840
A disciple asks, can one do the
same thing when it is cold?
43
00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:03,000
The mother answers yes, I think
so.
44
00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:06,640
I think one can always do the
same thing in all cases.
45
00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:10,440
The sun is a very powerful
symbol in the organization of
46
00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:14,120
nature, so it is not altogether
the same thing.
47
00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:18,160
It possesses in itself an
extraordinary condensation of
48
00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:21,560
energy.
Cold seems to me a more negative
49
00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:23,640
thing.
It is an absence of something.
50
00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:28,240
But in any case, if one knows
how to enter the rhythm of the
51
00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:32,280
movements of nature, one avoids
many discomforts.
52
00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:36,560
What makes men suffer, what
disturbs the balance of the
53
00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:41,640
body, is a narrowness.
It is always a narrowness.
54
00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:45,160
It happens because one is shut
up in limits.
55
00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:49,840
And so there is, as Shri Robindo
writes here, a force which
56
00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:52,160
presses too strongly for these
limits.
57
00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:57,760
It upsets everything.
End Quote Reference Sri
58
00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:02,320
Aurobindo and the Mother, The
Hidden Forces of Life, Chapter
59
00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:07,880
4, Cosmic and Universal Forces,
pages 92 to 93.