March 1, 2025
Overcoming the Power of External Circumstances on the Inner Life
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 1, Looking at Life and Circumstances, pp. 6-7This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/02/27/overcoming-the-power-of-external-circumstances-on-the-inner-life/
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
00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:05,320
Most people have very little, if
any, real control over
2
00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:07,680
circumstances that arise in
their lives.
3
00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:13,920
They are born into a family, a
community, a society, a
4
00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:18,760
religious background, an ethnic
background, an economic system,
5
00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:24,480
an educational system, and a
raft of customs, traditions,
6
00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:30,480
habits and lifeways that they
breathe in with every breath as
7
00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,680
they grow, learn and take their
place within the social
8
00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:39,280
structure.
This structure focuses attention
9
00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,280
on the outward existence and
builds up the persistence of the
10
00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:48,880
ego personality.
The practice of yoga undertaking
11
00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:53,080
conscious spiritual growth
necessarily involves separating
12
00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:57,200
oneself from all these fixed
habitual patterns so that new
13
00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:01,560
understanding, new powers of
consciousness, new powers of
14
00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:07,000
action can actually manifest.
There needs to be a reversal of
15
00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:11,720
consciousness whereby the yogic
practitioner actually responds
16
00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:16,520
in an opposite way to the normal
external reaction patterns.
17
00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,280
A first step in this process is
to begin to observe the
18
00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:25,520
reactions and understand the
patterns that are embedded.
19
00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:30,600
A second and further step is to
shift the attention to the inner
20
00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,160
consciousness and away from the
external focus.
21
00:01:35,320 --> 00:01:40,400
A third step then is to simply
stop attending to the
22
00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:42,440
impressions of the external
nature.
23
00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:48,040
A fourth step is to have the
ability to act in the outer
24
00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,960
world without being swallowed up
because of the new inner
25
00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:57,760
directed standpoint and focus.
Sri Orobindo frequently advised
26
00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:02,760
people to live within, be not
shaken by outward happenings.
27
00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:08,960
If we try this, if we work at
it, we begin to see a new
28
00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:12,800
pattern emerge whereby those
outer circumstances bother us
29
00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:19,280
less and less, and we can remain
calm, concentrated and focused
30
00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:24,480
in the inner status even while
acting forcefully in the world,
31
00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:30,960
Triorbindo notes quote.
You should not be so dependent
32
00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,520
on outward things.
It is this attitude that makes
33
00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,840
you give so excessive an
importance to circumstances.
34
00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:43,080
I do not say that circumstances
cannot help or hinder, but they
35
00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:46,760
are circumstances, not the
fundamental thing which is in
36
00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:51,800
ourselves, and their help or
their hindrance ought not to be
37
00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:57,480
of primary importance.
In Yoga, as in every great or
38
00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,880
serious human effort, there is
always bound to be an abundance
39
00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:06,920
of adverse interventions and
unfavourable circumstances which
40
00:03:06,920 --> 00:03:10,600
have to be overcome.
To give them too great an
41
00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:14,160
importance increases their
importance, and their power to
42
00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:18,760
multiply themselves gives them,
as it were, confidence in
43
00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:22,960
themselves, and the habit of
coming to face them with
44
00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,560
equanimity.
If one cannot manage a cheerful
45
00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:29,760
persistence against them, of
confident and resolute will,
46
00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:35,640
diminishes, On the contrary,
their importance and effect, and
47
00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:40,360
in the end, though not at once,
gets rid of their persistence
48
00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:44,080
and recurrence.
It is therefore a principle in
49
00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,120
Yoga to recognize the
determining power of what is
50
00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:52,160
within us, for that is the
deeper truth, to set that right
51
00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:55,960
and establish the inward
strength as against the power of
52
00:03:55,960 --> 00:04:00,840
outward circumstances.
The strength is there even in
53
00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:04,600
the weakest.
One has to find it, to unveil
54
00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:08,560
it, and to keep it in front
throughout the journey and the
55
00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:10,360
battle.
End Quote.
56
00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:15,480
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother looking from within.
57
00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:18,120
Chapter 1.
Looking at life and
58
00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:21,040
Circumstances, pages six to
seven.
00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:05,320
Most people have very little, if
any, real control over
2
00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:07,680
circumstances that arise in
their lives.
3
00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:13,920
They are born into a family, a
community, a society, a
4
00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:18,760
religious background, an ethnic
background, an economic system,
5
00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:24,480
an educational system, and a
raft of customs, traditions,
6
00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:30,480
habits and lifeways that they
breathe in with every breath as
7
00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,680
they grow, learn and take their
place within the social
8
00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:39,280
structure.
This structure focuses attention
9
00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,280
on the outward existence and
builds up the persistence of the
10
00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:48,880
ego personality.
The practice of yoga undertaking
11
00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:53,080
conscious spiritual growth
necessarily involves separating
12
00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:57,200
oneself from all these fixed
habitual patterns so that new
13
00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:01,560
understanding, new powers of
consciousness, new powers of
14
00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:07,000
action can actually manifest.
There needs to be a reversal of
15
00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:11,720
consciousness whereby the yogic
practitioner actually responds
16
00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:16,520
in an opposite way to the normal
external reaction patterns.
17
00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,280
A first step in this process is
to begin to observe the
18
00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:25,520
reactions and understand the
patterns that are embedded.
19
00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:30,600
A second and further step is to
shift the attention to the inner
20
00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,160
consciousness and away from the
external focus.
21
00:01:35,320 --> 00:01:40,400
A third step then is to simply
stop attending to the
22
00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:42,440
impressions of the external
nature.
23
00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:48,040
A fourth step is to have the
ability to act in the outer
24
00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,960
world without being swallowed up
because of the new inner
25
00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:57,760
directed standpoint and focus.
Sri Orobindo frequently advised
26
00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:02,760
people to live within, be not
shaken by outward happenings.
27
00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:08,960
If we try this, if we work at
it, we begin to see a new
28
00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:12,800
pattern emerge whereby those
outer circumstances bother us
29
00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:19,280
less and less, and we can remain
calm, concentrated and focused
30
00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:24,480
in the inner status even while
acting forcefully in the world,
31
00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:30,960
Triorbindo notes quote.
You should not be so dependent
32
00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,520
on outward things.
It is this attitude that makes
33
00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,840
you give so excessive an
importance to circumstances.
34
00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:43,080
I do not say that circumstances
cannot help or hinder, but they
35
00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:46,760
are circumstances, not the
fundamental thing which is in
36
00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:51,800
ourselves, and their help or
their hindrance ought not to be
37
00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:57,480
of primary importance.
In Yoga, as in every great or
38
00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,880
serious human effort, there is
always bound to be an abundance
39
00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:06,920
of adverse interventions and
unfavourable circumstances which
40
00:03:06,920 --> 00:03:10,600
have to be overcome.
To give them too great an
41
00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:14,160
importance increases their
importance, and their power to
42
00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:18,760
multiply themselves gives them,
as it were, confidence in
43
00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:22,960
themselves, and the habit of
coming to face them with
44
00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,560
equanimity.
If one cannot manage a cheerful
45
00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:29,760
persistence against them, of
confident and resolute will,
46
00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:35,640
diminishes, On the contrary,
their importance and effect, and
47
00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:40,360
in the end, though not at once,
gets rid of their persistence
48
00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:44,080
and recurrence.
It is therefore a principle in
49
00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,120
Yoga to recognize the
determining power of what is
50
00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:52,160
within us, for that is the
deeper truth, to set that right
51
00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:55,960
and establish the inward
strength as against the power of
52
00:03:55,960 --> 00:04:00,840
outward circumstances.
The strength is there even in
53
00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:04,600
the weakest.
One has to find it, to unveil
54
00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:08,560
it, and to keep it in front
throughout the journey and the
55
00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:10,360
battle.
End Quote.
56
00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:15,480
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother looking from within.
57
00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:18,120
Chapter 1.
Looking at life and
58
00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:21,040
Circumstances, pages six to
seven.