Jan. 18, 2026
Shifting to the Divine Standpoint To Overcome the Impulses of the External Nature
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 4, Desire — Food — Sex, pg. 78This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/01/16/shifting-to-the-divine-standpoint-from-the-ego-standpoint-is-central-to-overcoming-the-impulses-of-the-external-nature-that-need-to-be-changed-for-the-spiritual-fulfillment/
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 #soul #psychic being #aspiration #sex impulse #Brahmacharya
1
00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:04,400
The practitioner of the Integral
Yoga has set before himself the
2
00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:09,280
change of what we consider to be
basic human nature, the
3
00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,680
established workings and
principles of action of the
4
00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:15,840
body, the life force and the
mind.
5
00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:21,040
These elements have developed
over countless millennia as part
6
00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:23,360
of the evolutionary process of
nature.
7
00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:27,200
Many of them have been
considered foundational
8
00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:30,600
principles of the physical body
and the life energy.
9
00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:35,360
Effectuating any change,
therefore, requires a process
10
00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:39,720
and a force that goes beyond our
mental will.
11
00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:46,080
In his book The Mother, Srioro
Bindo details this process and
12
00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:48,800
identifies this force.
Quote.
13
00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:53,600
There are two powers that alone
can affect in their conjunction
14
00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,640
the great and difficult thing
which is the aim of our
15
00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:03,680
endeavour, a fixed and unfailing
aspiration that calls from below
16
00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:08,520
and a supreme grace from above
that answers.
17
00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:12,600
End Quote, He continues.
Quote.
18
00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:18,080
In yoga also it is the Divine
who is the Sadak and the Sadhna.
19
00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:24,680
It is His Shakti with her light,
power, knowledge, consciousness,
20
00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:30,520
Ananda, acting upon the Adhar
and when it is open to her,
21
00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,960
pouring into it with these
divine forces that makes the
22
00:01:34,960 --> 00:01:37,480
sadhna possible.
End Quote.
23
00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:43,120
Whether we are looking at the
complex of elements that go into
24
00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:47,760
the sex impulse, or the greed
for food, or the rising of
25
00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:52,160
anger, or any other aspect of
the being that needs to change,
26
00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:57,840
the basic process is the same.
The seeker can most effectively
27
00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:01,720
bring about change by first not
accepting the movement as
28
00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:06,280
something that is an essential
part of himself, then opening
29
00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:11,440
himself to the higher force and
letting it work in him to change
30
00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:16,520
the direction and flow of the
energy, and finally by rejecting
31
00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:20,680
the contrary actions when they
try to reassert themselves.
32
00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:24,800
Much of this starts from the
basic standpoint.
33
00:02:25,640 --> 00:02:29,320
Most people start out with the
idea that we are human beings
34
00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:33,400
who are born and grow and
develop our physical, vital and
35
00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:37,120
mental skills to function in the
external world.
36
00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:42,520
In other words, we are bodies
who at some point may begin a
37
00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,320
search for a meaning in life
beyond the external
38
00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:50,280
satisfactions, needs, and
pleasures, and who may then
39
00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:54,800
search for the soul or some
other aspect that transcends the
40
00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:59,280
external life.
Few are those who recognize that
41
00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:03,800
we are not a body with a soul,
but a soul with a body.
42
00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:08,480
If we shift the standpoint to
the central focus of the soul,
43
00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,480
its innate connection to the
divine and its deeper
44
00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:17,280
understanding of its meaning and
purpose in life, and that the
45
00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:22,320
soul takes on a particular body,
life and mind complex to advance
46
00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:27,240
its purpose, the idea of gaining
mastery over this external being
47
00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:30,720
is much easier to accept and
realize.
48
00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:37,240
Trio Robindo writes quote.
The trouble of the sex impulse
49
00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,640
is bound to dwindle away if you
are in earnest about getting rid
50
00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,480
of it.
The difficulty is that part of
51
00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:47,440
your nature, especially the
lower vital and the subconscient
52
00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:51,720
which is active in sleep, keeps
the memory and attachment to
53
00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:55,760
these movements, and you do not
open these parts and make them
54
00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:59,120
accept the mother's light and
force to purify them.
55
00:03:59,960 --> 00:04:04,240
If you did that in and instead
of lamenting and getting
56
00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:07,240
troubled and clinging to the
idea that you cannot get rid of
57
00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:12,400
these things, insisted quietly,
with a calm faith and patient
58
00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,720
resolution on their
disappearance, separating
59
00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:20,320
yourself from them, refusing to
accept them or at all regard
60
00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:25,320
them as part of yourself, they
would after a time lose their
61
00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:28,560
force and dwindle.
End Quote.
62
00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:34,640
Reference Sri Aurobindo, Bases
of yoga, Chapter 4.
63
00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:39,080
Desire Food Sex page 78.
00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:04,400
The practitioner of the Integral
Yoga has set before himself the
2
00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:09,280
change of what we consider to be
basic human nature, the
3
00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,680
established workings and
principles of action of the
4
00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:15,840
body, the life force and the
mind.
5
00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:21,040
These elements have developed
over countless millennia as part
6
00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:23,360
of the evolutionary process of
nature.
7
00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:27,200
Many of them have been
considered foundational
8
00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:30,600
principles of the physical body
and the life energy.
9
00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:35,360
Effectuating any change,
therefore, requires a process
10
00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:39,720
and a force that goes beyond our
mental will.
11
00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:46,080
In his book The Mother, Srioro
Bindo details this process and
12
00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:48,800
identifies this force.
Quote.
13
00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:53,600
There are two powers that alone
can affect in their conjunction
14
00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,640
the great and difficult thing
which is the aim of our
15
00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:03,680
endeavour, a fixed and unfailing
aspiration that calls from below
16
00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:08,520
and a supreme grace from above
that answers.
17
00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:12,600
End Quote, He continues.
Quote.
18
00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:18,080
In yoga also it is the Divine
who is the Sadak and the Sadhna.
19
00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:24,680
It is His Shakti with her light,
power, knowledge, consciousness,
20
00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:30,520
Ananda, acting upon the Adhar
and when it is open to her,
21
00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,960
pouring into it with these
divine forces that makes the
22
00:01:34,960 --> 00:01:37,480
sadhna possible.
End Quote.
23
00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:43,120
Whether we are looking at the
complex of elements that go into
24
00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:47,760
the sex impulse, or the greed
for food, or the rising of
25
00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:52,160
anger, or any other aspect of
the being that needs to change,
26
00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:57,840
the basic process is the same.
The seeker can most effectively
27
00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:01,720
bring about change by first not
accepting the movement as
28
00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:06,280
something that is an essential
part of himself, then opening
29
00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:11,440
himself to the higher force and
letting it work in him to change
30
00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:16,520
the direction and flow of the
energy, and finally by rejecting
31
00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:20,680
the contrary actions when they
try to reassert themselves.
32
00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:24,800
Much of this starts from the
basic standpoint.
33
00:02:25,640 --> 00:02:29,320
Most people start out with the
idea that we are human beings
34
00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:33,400
who are born and grow and
develop our physical, vital and
35
00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:37,120
mental skills to function in the
external world.
36
00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:42,520
In other words, we are bodies
who at some point may begin a
37
00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,320
search for a meaning in life
beyond the external
38
00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:50,280
satisfactions, needs, and
pleasures, and who may then
39
00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:54,800
search for the soul or some
other aspect that transcends the
40
00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:59,280
external life.
Few are those who recognize that
41
00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:03,800
we are not a body with a soul,
but a soul with a body.
42
00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:08,480
If we shift the standpoint to
the central focus of the soul,
43
00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,480
its innate connection to the
divine and its deeper
44
00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:17,280
understanding of its meaning and
purpose in life, and that the
45
00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:22,320
soul takes on a particular body,
life and mind complex to advance
46
00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:27,240
its purpose, the idea of gaining
mastery over this external being
47
00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:30,720
is much easier to accept and
realize.
48
00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:37,240
Trio Robindo writes quote.
The trouble of the sex impulse
49
00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,640
is bound to dwindle away if you
are in earnest about getting rid
50
00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,480
of it.
The difficulty is that part of
51
00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:47,440
your nature, especially the
lower vital and the subconscient
52
00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:51,720
which is active in sleep, keeps
the memory and attachment to
53
00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:55,760
these movements, and you do not
open these parts and make them
54
00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:59,120
accept the mother's light and
force to purify them.
55
00:03:59,960 --> 00:04:04,240
If you did that in and instead
of lamenting and getting
56
00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:07,240
troubled and clinging to the
idea that you cannot get rid of
57
00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:12,400
these things, insisted quietly,
with a calm faith and patient
58
00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,720
resolution on their
disappearance, separating
59
00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:20,320
yourself from them, refusing to
accept them or at all regard
60
00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:25,320
them as part of yourself, they
would after a time lose their
61
00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:28,560
force and dwindle.
End Quote.
62
00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:34,640
Reference Sri Aurobindo, Bases
of yoga, Chapter 4.
63
00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:39,080
Desire Food Sex page 78.