Aug. 23, 2024
Powers Within -- Introduction
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YouTube reference: reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/08/18/powers-within-introduction/
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
00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:05,280
We are a civilization obsessed
with the idea of power.
2
00:00:06,560 --> 00:00:09,880
In the external world.
We fixate on economic power,
3
00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:16,280
political power, military might,
physical strength, and various
4
00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,120
forms of magical and sexual
power.
5
00:00:20,080 --> 00:00:25,760
We recognize the power of ideas,
of charismatic leaders, of
6
00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:30,080
religious teachings, and many
10s or hundreds of millions of
7
00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:36,000
people have died as a result of
the exercise of one power or
8
00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,680
another through the history of
humanity.
9
00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:44,440
Popular culture is dominated by
imaginations about individuals
10
00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:50,240
who possess, develop, or obtain
some specific type of individual
11
00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:55,560
superpower and utilize it for
good or ill in the society.
12
00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,800
This is a form of escapist
entertainment to help make up
13
00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:05,880
for how powerless most people
feel in relation to the forces
14
00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:09,120
at work to drive them through
their daily lives.
15
00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:14,600
What is rarely recognized is
that all of the external powers
16
00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:18,600
that are the levers of activity,
development and control in the
17
00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:23,160
world are based on specific
powers that arise within each
18
00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:28,400
individual and can be brought
forward, focused, trained,
19
00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:34,640
developed and manifested by most
people if they understand and
20
00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,200
follow the methodologies needed
to do that.
21
00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:42,200
Just as we can see extraordinary
feats of athletic performance in
22
00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:46,080
the Olympic Games, and can
understand that these feats come
23
00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:49,520
about as a result of intense
concentration and training
24
00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:54,280
regimens, so also we can begin
to understand that with the
25
00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:59,360
right forms of concentration and
systematic effort, many other
26
00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:03,360
forms of power can be brought
into realization in our lives.
27
00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:08,880
The escapism we see in the
worship of superheroes is a
28
00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:13,240
misplaced understanding that
real power of various sorts is
29
00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:17,480
not real or capable of being
developed by each of us, and
30
00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:21,320
that we therefore have to look
outside ourselves for powers
31
00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:24,720
that can save us or advance our
interests.
32
00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:31,400
Rishis, sages and shaman have
long understood that the root of
33
00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:36,920
all power is within, and that
through specific practices many
34
00:02:36,920 --> 00:02:41,800
powers can indeed be manifested.
Yogic practitioners have long
35
00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:45,760
been advised that while powers
may develop within them as a
36
00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:50,520
result of their practice, they
should disregard them so as not
37
00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:56,240
to be distracted in their
seeking for the eternal Srioro.
38
00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:59,840
Bindo and the Mother take a more
nuanced view of the situation.
39
00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:04,640
They recognize that the seeking
after power can become a
40
00:03:04,640 --> 00:03:08,880
distraction.
However, they also recognize
41
00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:13,320
that as consciousness evolves
and develops, new powers will
42
00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:17,480
naturally begin to express
themselves, and this natural
43
00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:21,280
evolutionary development is a
benefit, not simply a
44
00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:25,280
distraction.
Thus, there is a role for the
45
00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:28,960
exercise of these powers in the
furtherance of the progress and
46
00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:34,400
perfection of our inner lives
and our outer circumstances in
47
00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:38,920
the world.
People throughout time have been
48
00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:43,120
intrigued by the possibility of
new occult or paranormal powers
49
00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:45,640
that they can access and
utilize.
50
00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:50,200
Tremendous focus has been placed
on methods that developed as a
51
00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:55,440
result of interest, including
physical, vital, emotional,
52
00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:59,600
mental, psychic, and spiritual
methods of action.
53
00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:06,240
In his Autobiography of a Yogi,
Paramanth Yogananda described
54
00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:10,360
meeting with many individuals
who exhibited powers on a number
55
00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:14,480
of different planes.
Alexandra David Neal and her
56
00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:19,680
various texts relating her
experiences and travels in Tibet
57
00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:24,600
also describes numerous
individuals and the powers they
58
00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:29,040
manifested, as well as
describing her own first hand
59
00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:33,360
experience in developing some of
those powers.
60
00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:40,360
The current text Powers Within
has been extracted, organized
61
00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:45,120
and compiled by Doctor AS Delal
from the writings of Sri
62
00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:50,120
Aurobindo and the Mother.
A wide range of powers, many
63
00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:53,440
that we recognize as
theoretically available to us,
64
00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:58,840
and a great many more that we
simply do not attend to, are
65
00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:02,640
systematically reviewed.
The manner of their development
66
00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:06,960
set forth, and the proper use
and implementation of these
67
00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:11,760
powers in our lives is examined
along the way.
68
00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:17,320
Occult powers, paranormal
powers, and other powers of mind
69
00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:24,720
and body are discussed and
explored in reference.
70
00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:28,760
Sri Aurobindo and the Mother
powers within.
00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:05,280
We are a civilization obsessed
with the idea of power.
2
00:00:06,560 --> 00:00:09,880
In the external world.
We fixate on economic power,
3
00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:16,280
political power, military might,
physical strength, and various
4
00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,120
forms of magical and sexual
power.
5
00:00:20,080 --> 00:00:25,760
We recognize the power of ideas,
of charismatic leaders, of
6
00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:30,080
religious teachings, and many
10s or hundreds of millions of
7
00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:36,000
people have died as a result of
the exercise of one power or
8
00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,680
another through the history of
humanity.
9
00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:44,440
Popular culture is dominated by
imaginations about individuals
10
00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:50,240
who possess, develop, or obtain
some specific type of individual
11
00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:55,560
superpower and utilize it for
good or ill in the society.
12
00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,800
This is a form of escapist
entertainment to help make up
13
00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:05,880
for how powerless most people
feel in relation to the forces
14
00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:09,120
at work to drive them through
their daily lives.
15
00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:14,600
What is rarely recognized is
that all of the external powers
16
00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:18,600
that are the levers of activity,
development and control in the
17
00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:23,160
world are based on specific
powers that arise within each
18
00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:28,400
individual and can be brought
forward, focused, trained,
19
00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:34,640
developed and manifested by most
people if they understand and
20
00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,200
follow the methodologies needed
to do that.
21
00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:42,200
Just as we can see extraordinary
feats of athletic performance in
22
00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:46,080
the Olympic Games, and can
understand that these feats come
23
00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:49,520
about as a result of intense
concentration and training
24
00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:54,280
regimens, so also we can begin
to understand that with the
25
00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:59,360
right forms of concentration and
systematic effort, many other
26
00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:03,360
forms of power can be brought
into realization in our lives.
27
00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:08,880
The escapism we see in the
worship of superheroes is a
28
00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:13,240
misplaced understanding that
real power of various sorts is
29
00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:17,480
not real or capable of being
developed by each of us, and
30
00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:21,320
that we therefore have to look
outside ourselves for powers
31
00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:24,720
that can save us or advance our
interests.
32
00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:31,400
Rishis, sages and shaman have
long understood that the root of
33
00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:36,920
all power is within, and that
through specific practices many
34
00:02:36,920 --> 00:02:41,800
powers can indeed be manifested.
Yogic practitioners have long
35
00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:45,760
been advised that while powers
may develop within them as a
36
00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:50,520
result of their practice, they
should disregard them so as not
37
00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:56,240
to be distracted in their
seeking for the eternal Srioro.
38
00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:59,840
Bindo and the Mother take a more
nuanced view of the situation.
39
00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:04,640
They recognize that the seeking
after power can become a
40
00:03:04,640 --> 00:03:08,880
distraction.
However, they also recognize
41
00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:13,320
that as consciousness evolves
and develops, new powers will
42
00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:17,480
naturally begin to express
themselves, and this natural
43
00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:21,280
evolutionary development is a
benefit, not simply a
44
00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:25,280
distraction.
Thus, there is a role for the
45
00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:28,960
exercise of these powers in the
furtherance of the progress and
46
00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:34,400
perfection of our inner lives
and our outer circumstances in
47
00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:38,920
the world.
People throughout time have been
48
00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:43,120
intrigued by the possibility of
new occult or paranormal powers
49
00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:45,640
that they can access and
utilize.
50
00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:50,200
Tremendous focus has been placed
on methods that developed as a
51
00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:55,440
result of interest, including
physical, vital, emotional,
52
00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:59,600
mental, psychic, and spiritual
methods of action.
53
00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:06,240
In his Autobiography of a Yogi,
Paramanth Yogananda described
54
00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:10,360
meeting with many individuals
who exhibited powers on a number
55
00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:14,480
of different planes.
Alexandra David Neal and her
56
00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:19,680
various texts relating her
experiences and travels in Tibet
57
00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:24,600
also describes numerous
individuals and the powers they
58
00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:29,040
manifested, as well as
describing her own first hand
59
00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:33,360
experience in developing some of
those powers.
60
00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:40,360
The current text Powers Within
has been extracted, organized
61
00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:45,120
and compiled by Doctor AS Delal
from the writings of Sri
62
00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:50,120
Aurobindo and the Mother.
A wide range of powers, many
63
00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:53,440
that we recognize as
theoretically available to us,
64
00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:58,840
and a great many more that we
simply do not attend to, are
65
00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:02,640
systematically reviewed.
The manner of their development
66
00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:06,960
set forth, and the proper use
and implementation of these
67
00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:11,760
powers in our lives is examined
along the way.
68
00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:17,320
Occult powers, paranormal
powers, and other powers of mind
69
00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:24,720
and body are discussed and
explored in reference.
70
00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:28,760
Sri Aurobindo and the Mother
powers within.