Jan. 23, 2026
Physical Austerities, Self-Torture, Fasting and the Mastery of the Sexual Impulse
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 4, Desire — Food — Sex, pp. 80-81
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/01/21/physical-austerities-self-torture-fasting-and-the-mastery-of-the-sexual-impulse/
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
#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #spirituality #aspiration #sexual impulse #self-torture #austerities
1
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,040
There is a considerable history
within the religious and
2
00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:08,000
spiritual traditions of the
world of the use of various
3
00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000
forms of self-inflicted physical
suffering to restrain the basic
4
00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:16,520
sexual impulse.
Part of this arises through an
5
00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:20,240
attempt at disciplining the
physical being to not stray from
6
00:00:20,240 --> 00:00:24,840
whatever the specific objective
of the particular path happens
7
00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:28,040
to be.
Another part arises through the
8
00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:33,680
dogma that sex is a sin and the
body is born sinful and thus
9
00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:37,640
needs to be punished.
Yet another part comes through
10
00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:41,040
the vital nature's desire for
excitement, attention, and
11
00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,600
action.
If it cannot get it through
12
00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:47,520
sexual activity, then it
substitutes various forms of
13
00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:52,600
painful suppression as a sort of
sadomasochistic alternative.
14
00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,240
And part of it comes through a
sense of frustration at the
15
00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:01,880
inability of the mind and will
to simply bring about compliance
16
00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:04,920
by the vital nature and the
physical body.
17
00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:10,080
Whatever the reasoning behind
adopting any of these methods,
18
00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:14,280
the reality is simply that they
do not actually succeed.
19
00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:19,160
The result tends to be weakening
of the body and the focusing of
20
00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:22,520
the attention on the suppression
of the sex drive and the
21
00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:27,440
physical means being employed
rather than on the aspiration,
22
00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:32,240
the tuning of the consciousness
to the spiritual force and the
23
00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:35,600
strengthening and increasing the
positive supportive action of
24
00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:39,800
the body, life and mind in the
spiritual transformation.
25
00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:45,600
As we know, harsh suppression
tends to increase the power of
26
00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:50,240
the force being suppressed so
that in the end it can become
27
00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:54,280
even more aggressively powerful
when it gets the opportunity to
28
00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:58,640
escape from the active conscious
will that is suppressing it,
29
00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:05,320
Sriorobindo notes quote.
Hurting the flesh is no remedy
30
00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:09,320
for the sex impulse, though it
may be a temporary diversion.
31
00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:14,120
It is the vital, and mostly the
vital physical that takes the
32
00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,440
sense perception as pleasure or
otherwise.
33
00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:21,920
Reduction of diet has not
usually a permanent effect.
34
00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:25,840
It may give a greater sense of
physical or vital physical
35
00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:30,680
purity, lighten the system, and
reduce certain kinds of tumus,
36
00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:35,080
but the sex impulse can very
well accommodate itself to a
37
00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:39,800
reduced diet.
It is not by physical means, but
38
00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:44,240
by a change in the consciousness
that these things can be
39
00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:48,880
surmounted.
End Quote Reference Sri
40
00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:56,240
Aurobindo Bases of Yoga, Chapter
4 Desire Food Sex pages 80 to
41
00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:56,920
81.
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,040
There is a considerable history
within the religious and
2
00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:08,000
spiritual traditions of the
world of the use of various
3
00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000
forms of self-inflicted physical
suffering to restrain the basic
4
00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:16,520
sexual impulse.
Part of this arises through an
5
00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:20,240
attempt at disciplining the
physical being to not stray from
6
00:00:20,240 --> 00:00:24,840
whatever the specific objective
of the particular path happens
7
00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:28,040
to be.
Another part arises through the
8
00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:33,680
dogma that sex is a sin and the
body is born sinful and thus
9
00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:37,640
needs to be punished.
Yet another part comes through
10
00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:41,040
the vital nature's desire for
excitement, attention, and
11
00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,600
action.
If it cannot get it through
12
00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:47,520
sexual activity, then it
substitutes various forms of
13
00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:52,600
painful suppression as a sort of
sadomasochistic alternative.
14
00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,240
And part of it comes through a
sense of frustration at the
15
00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:01,880
inability of the mind and will
to simply bring about compliance
16
00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:04,920
by the vital nature and the
physical body.
17
00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:10,080
Whatever the reasoning behind
adopting any of these methods,
18
00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:14,280
the reality is simply that they
do not actually succeed.
19
00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:19,160
The result tends to be weakening
of the body and the focusing of
20
00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:22,520
the attention on the suppression
of the sex drive and the
21
00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:27,440
physical means being employed
rather than on the aspiration,
22
00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:32,240
the tuning of the consciousness
to the spiritual force and the
23
00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:35,600
strengthening and increasing the
positive supportive action of
24
00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:39,800
the body, life and mind in the
spiritual transformation.
25
00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:45,600
As we know, harsh suppression
tends to increase the power of
26
00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:50,240
the force being suppressed so
that in the end it can become
27
00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:54,280
even more aggressively powerful
when it gets the opportunity to
28
00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:58,640
escape from the active conscious
will that is suppressing it,
29
00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:05,320
Sriorobindo notes quote.
Hurting the flesh is no remedy
30
00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:09,320
for the sex impulse, though it
may be a temporary diversion.
31
00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:14,120
It is the vital, and mostly the
vital physical that takes the
32
00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,440
sense perception as pleasure or
otherwise.
33
00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:21,920
Reduction of diet has not
usually a permanent effect.
34
00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:25,840
It may give a greater sense of
physical or vital physical
35
00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:30,680
purity, lighten the system, and
reduce certain kinds of tumus,
36
00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:35,080
but the sex impulse can very
well accommodate itself to a
37
00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:39,800
reduced diet.
It is not by physical means, but
38
00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:44,240
by a change in the consciousness
that these things can be
39
00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:48,880
surmounted.
End Quote Reference Sri
40
00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:56,240
Aurobindo Bases of Yoga, Chapter
4 Desire Food Sex pages 80 to
41
00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:56,920
81.
