May 6, 2025
Overcoming the Tendency to Rehash Past Work or Worry About Future Work
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within , Chapter 3, Action and Work, pg. 67This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/05/04/overcoming-the-tendency-to-rehash-past-work-or-worry-about-future-work/
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
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:05,080
We spend a considerable amount
of our time rehashing events and
2
00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:09,640
actions that are passed,
analysing them, worrying about
3
00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:13,480
whether we have done things
correctly or not, and reflecting
4
00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:16,760
on how we might deal with
similar events in the future in
5
00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,480
a better way.
We recount what happened during
6
00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:25,800
our day to our close companions.
If we reflect for a moment on
7
00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:30,680
how much time, energy and focus
is spent in looking back at what
8
00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:35,120
we have recently done, not to
speak of circumstances long in
9
00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:39,200
our past, we can easily
understand the amount of time
10
00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:43,760
and energy spent is enormous.
Could we find a better way to
11
00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:50,080
deploy that time and energy?
Similarly, we tend to make what
12
00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,960
if scenarios about possible
future actions and events.
13
00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:58,600
We worry about how we are going
to deal with some situation that
14
00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:03,120
we anticipate in our work.
It may be a concern about an
15
00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:06,920
issue we are having with a Co
worker or there may be a
16
00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:10,280
particularly difficult problem
we are trying to solve.
17
00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:15,600
Whatever the case may be, we are
putting substantial energy and
18
00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:20,880
time into future circumstances
that may or may not actually
19
00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:25,000
occur.
There are, of course, times to
20
00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:28,240
reflect on the past events if we
are using that time to
21
00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:33,480
understand and illuminate our
nature, our reactions, and our
22
00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:38,400
habitual patterns of action, and
thereby are using the review as
23
00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:42,960
a means of progress.
Most of the time, however, this
24
00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:44,840
is not actually what we are
doing.
25
00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:48,720
It is also worth noting that
such things really only have
26
00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:53,400
significance as long as we are
still locked into the ego
27
00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:57,520
standpoint.
Similarly, reflection on
28
00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:01,280
possible future actions may be
useful in terms of both guiding
29
00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:06,000
the being into new attitudes and
in aiding the realization of a
30
00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:11,560
specific goal or result.
Yet most of the time our focus
31
00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:15,920
on the future is not shaped in
this type of positive way, but
32
00:02:15,920 --> 00:02:20,760
is a form of anxiety or worry
sapping energy rather than
33
00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:23,760
creating new directions and
avenues of development.
34
00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:28,600
Again, this is the ego
standpoint in action.
35
00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:33,200
The practice of mindfulness
works to bring our attention
36
00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:37,440
entirely into the present.
This practice is useful when it
37
00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:41,120
can help break the habits of
time and energy being dissipated
38
00:02:41,640 --> 00:02:45,720
through rehashing the past or
worrying about the future.
39
00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:50,680
Triorbindo provides a succinct
description of such a practice
40
00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,840
to discipline the being and move
it away from the ego
41
00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:58,680
personality's fixation with its
own past and its own future.
42
00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:04,000
The spiritual seeker, as he
shifts the standpoint away from
43
00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:08,440
the ego, becomes receptive to a
higher force that orders,
44
00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:14,320
organizes and manages the work
effort and thus the individual
45
00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:18,320
fixation on past and future is
no longer useful.
46
00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:23,480
As the seeker relies more and
more on the Divine rather than
47
00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:27,600
on his own individual
personality and capacities, he
48
00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:32,120
can gain a measure of peace and
calm as he carries out the work
49
00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:37,400
to be done and not disperse his
energy and focus on the past or
50
00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:43,880
the future, Sri Robindo notes
quote Think of your work only
51
00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:47,560
when it is being done, not
before and not after.
52
00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:51,520
Do not let your mind go back on
a work that is finished.
53
00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:56,560
It belongs to the past, and all
rehandling of it is a waste of
54
00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,800
power.
Do not let your mind labor in
55
00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,760
anticipation on a work that has
yet to be done.
56
00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:08,680
The power that acts in you will
see to it at its own time if you
57
00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:10,600
can.
Remember to let your mind work
58
00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:14,600
only when its action is needed.
The strain will lessen and
59
00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:19,720
disappear.
End Quote Reference Srioro Bindo
60
00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,800
and the Mother Looking from
Within, Chapter 3.
61
00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:25,960
Actioned and Work, page 67.
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:05,080
We spend a considerable amount
of our time rehashing events and
2
00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:09,640
actions that are passed,
analysing them, worrying about
3
00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:13,480
whether we have done things
correctly or not, and reflecting
4
00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:16,760
on how we might deal with
similar events in the future in
5
00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,480
a better way.
We recount what happened during
6
00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:25,800
our day to our close companions.
If we reflect for a moment on
7
00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:30,680
how much time, energy and focus
is spent in looking back at what
8
00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:35,120
we have recently done, not to
speak of circumstances long in
9
00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:39,200
our past, we can easily
understand the amount of time
10
00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:43,760
and energy spent is enormous.
Could we find a better way to
11
00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:50,080
deploy that time and energy?
Similarly, we tend to make what
12
00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,960
if scenarios about possible
future actions and events.
13
00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:58,600
We worry about how we are going
to deal with some situation that
14
00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:03,120
we anticipate in our work.
It may be a concern about an
15
00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:06,920
issue we are having with a Co
worker or there may be a
16
00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:10,280
particularly difficult problem
we are trying to solve.
17
00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:15,600
Whatever the case may be, we are
putting substantial energy and
18
00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:20,880
time into future circumstances
that may or may not actually
19
00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:25,000
occur.
There are, of course, times to
20
00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:28,240
reflect on the past events if we
are using that time to
21
00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:33,480
understand and illuminate our
nature, our reactions, and our
22
00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:38,400
habitual patterns of action, and
thereby are using the review as
23
00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:42,960
a means of progress.
Most of the time, however, this
24
00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:44,840
is not actually what we are
doing.
25
00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:48,720
It is also worth noting that
such things really only have
26
00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:53,400
significance as long as we are
still locked into the ego
27
00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:57,520
standpoint.
Similarly, reflection on
28
00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:01,280
possible future actions may be
useful in terms of both guiding
29
00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:06,000
the being into new attitudes and
in aiding the realization of a
30
00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:11,560
specific goal or result.
Yet most of the time our focus
31
00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:15,920
on the future is not shaped in
this type of positive way, but
32
00:02:15,920 --> 00:02:20,760
is a form of anxiety or worry
sapping energy rather than
33
00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:23,760
creating new directions and
avenues of development.
34
00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:28,600
Again, this is the ego
standpoint in action.
35
00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:33,200
The practice of mindfulness
works to bring our attention
36
00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:37,440
entirely into the present.
This practice is useful when it
37
00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:41,120
can help break the habits of
time and energy being dissipated
38
00:02:41,640 --> 00:02:45,720
through rehashing the past or
worrying about the future.
39
00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:50,680
Triorbindo provides a succinct
description of such a practice
40
00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,840
to discipline the being and move
it away from the ego
41
00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:58,680
personality's fixation with its
own past and its own future.
42
00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:04,000
The spiritual seeker, as he
shifts the standpoint away from
43
00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:08,440
the ego, becomes receptive to a
higher force that orders,
44
00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:14,320
organizes and manages the work
effort and thus the individual
45
00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:18,320
fixation on past and future is
no longer useful.
46
00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:23,480
As the seeker relies more and
more on the Divine rather than
47
00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:27,600
on his own individual
personality and capacities, he
48
00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:32,120
can gain a measure of peace and
calm as he carries out the work
49
00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:37,400
to be done and not disperse his
energy and focus on the past or
50
00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:43,880
the future, Sri Robindo notes
quote Think of your work only
51
00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:47,560
when it is being done, not
before and not after.
52
00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:51,520
Do not let your mind go back on
a work that is finished.
53
00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:56,560
It belongs to the past, and all
rehandling of it is a waste of
54
00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,800
power.
Do not let your mind labor in
55
00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,760
anticipation on a work that has
yet to be done.
56
00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:08,680
The power that acts in you will
see to it at its own time if you
57
00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:10,600
can.
Remember to let your mind work
58
00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:14,600
only when its action is needed.
The strain will lessen and
59
00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:19,720
disappear.
End Quote Reference Srioro Bindo
60
00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,800
and the Mother Looking from
Within, Chapter 3.
61
00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:25,960
Actioned and Work, page 67.