Dec. 10, 2024
"Simply Watch the Fish"
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter XIII Power of Identification, pg. 109 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/12/07/simply-watch-the-fish/
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
00:00:01,640 --> 00:00:05,120
For most people, the experience
of losing the sense of the ego
2
00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:09,760
is unplanned, fleeting, and even
unappreciated.
3
00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:14,160
As it occurs, they simply shift
their identification elsewhere
4
00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:18,840
without recognizing what exactly
is taking place with respect to
5
00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:22,400
the seat and focus of their
conscious awareness.
6
00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:26,960
For the spiritual seeker,
however, these glimpses provide
7
00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:30,840
an insight to the eventual
process of loosening the grip of
8
00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:35,680
the ego and widening the
individual ego consciousness to
9
00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,840
join the universal consciousness
with all of the liberating
10
00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:44,200
effects and powers of knowledge
and action that accompany that
11
00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:48,040
shift.
All of the techniques, whether
12
00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:52,200
the focus on a single point of
light or intense concentration
13
00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,200
in reading, or the
identification with some
14
00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,400
external being, as was
illustrated with the example of
15
00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:02,760
the theater, or a deep silent
identification with a piece of
16
00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:07,160
music.
Or, as noted here below, the
17
00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:12,520
identification with fish in an
aquarium, or indeed any other
18
00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:15,600
techniques that shift the
awareness out of the little ego
19
00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:20,120
sense have their place in the
spiritual growth process.
20
00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:23,920
These are not things that one
can achieve through mental
21
00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,120
struggle.
The mental struggle simply roots
22
00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:29,840
the being more deeply into the
ego awareness.
23
00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,280
Rather, the struggle has to be
dropped so that the
24
00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:38,480
consciousness can expand and
explore the wider possibilities
25
00:01:38,960 --> 00:01:43,600
as it shifts its seat.
Seekers sometimes start by
26
00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:46,920
working to shift their awareness
out of the brain center and into
27
00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:51,120
the heart center, or even
undertaking systematic
28
00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:54,840
relaxation techniques such as
starting with awareness of the
29
00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:59,000
toes and then slowly shifting
the awareness up through other
30
00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:03,120
parts of the body.
All of these practices can
31
00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:06,920
prepare the individual to allow
the consciousness to move
32
00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:12,400
further away above the head or
externally into other places or
33
00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:18,240
beings, the mother writes.
Quote These are phenomena of
34
00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:21,840
self identification only they
are involuntary.
35
00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:25,360
And this is also one of the
methods used today to cure
36
00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:28,920
nervous diseases.
When someone cannot sleep,
37
00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:33,120
cannot be restful because he is
too excited and nervous, and his
38
00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:37,920
nerves are ill and weakened by
excessive agitation, he is told
39
00:02:37,920 --> 00:02:40,320
to sit in front of an aquarium,
for instance.
40
00:02:40,920 --> 00:02:43,560
An aquarium.
That's very lovely, isn't it?
41
00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:47,960
Before an aquarium with Pretty
Little fish in it, goldfish.
42
00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:53,280
Just to sit there, settle down
in an easy chair and try not to
43
00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:58,040
think of anything, particularly
not of his troubles, and look at
44
00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:01,720
the fish.
So he looks at the fish moving
45
00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:06,480
around, coming and going,
swimming, gliding, turning,
46
00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:12,040
meeting, crossing, chasing one
another indefinitely, and also
47
00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,840
the water flowing slowly and the
passing fish.
48
00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:19,320
After a while he lives the life
of fishes.
49
00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:24,800
He comes and goes, swims,
glides, plays, and at the end of
50
00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,240
the hour his nerves are in a
perfect state and he is
51
00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:32,560
completely restful.
But the condition is that one
52
00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,960
must not think of one's
troubles, simply watch the fish.
53
00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:43,080
End Quote Reference Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother Powers
54
00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:48,160
within Chapter 13, Power of
Identification, page 109.
00:00:01,640 --> 00:00:05,120
For most people, the experience
of losing the sense of the ego
2
00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:09,760
is unplanned, fleeting, and even
unappreciated.
3
00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:14,160
As it occurs, they simply shift
their identification elsewhere
4
00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:18,840
without recognizing what exactly
is taking place with respect to
5
00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:22,400
the seat and focus of their
conscious awareness.
6
00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:26,960
For the spiritual seeker,
however, these glimpses provide
7
00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:30,840
an insight to the eventual
process of loosening the grip of
8
00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:35,680
the ego and widening the
individual ego consciousness to
9
00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,840
join the universal consciousness
with all of the liberating
10
00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:44,200
effects and powers of knowledge
and action that accompany that
11
00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:48,040
shift.
All of the techniques, whether
12
00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:52,200
the focus on a single point of
light or intense concentration
13
00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,200
in reading, or the
identification with some
14
00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,400
external being, as was
illustrated with the example of
15
00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:02,760
the theater, or a deep silent
identification with a piece of
16
00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:07,160
music.
Or, as noted here below, the
17
00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:12,520
identification with fish in an
aquarium, or indeed any other
18
00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:15,600
techniques that shift the
awareness out of the little ego
19
00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:20,120
sense have their place in the
spiritual growth process.
20
00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:23,920
These are not things that one
can achieve through mental
21
00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,120
struggle.
The mental struggle simply roots
22
00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:29,840
the being more deeply into the
ego awareness.
23
00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,280
Rather, the struggle has to be
dropped so that the
24
00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:38,480
consciousness can expand and
explore the wider possibilities
25
00:01:38,960 --> 00:01:43,600
as it shifts its seat.
Seekers sometimes start by
26
00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:46,920
working to shift their awareness
out of the brain center and into
27
00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:51,120
the heart center, or even
undertaking systematic
28
00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:54,840
relaxation techniques such as
starting with awareness of the
29
00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:59,000
toes and then slowly shifting
the awareness up through other
30
00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:03,120
parts of the body.
All of these practices can
31
00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:06,920
prepare the individual to allow
the consciousness to move
32
00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:12,400
further away above the head or
externally into other places or
33
00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:18,240
beings, the mother writes.
Quote These are phenomena of
34
00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:21,840
self identification only they
are involuntary.
35
00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:25,360
And this is also one of the
methods used today to cure
36
00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:28,920
nervous diseases.
When someone cannot sleep,
37
00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:33,120
cannot be restful because he is
too excited and nervous, and his
38
00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:37,920
nerves are ill and weakened by
excessive agitation, he is told
39
00:02:37,920 --> 00:02:40,320
to sit in front of an aquarium,
for instance.
40
00:02:40,920 --> 00:02:43,560
An aquarium.
That's very lovely, isn't it?
41
00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:47,960
Before an aquarium with Pretty
Little fish in it, goldfish.
42
00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:53,280
Just to sit there, settle down
in an easy chair and try not to
43
00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:58,040
think of anything, particularly
not of his troubles, and look at
44
00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:01,720
the fish.
So he looks at the fish moving
45
00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:06,480
around, coming and going,
swimming, gliding, turning,
46
00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:12,040
meeting, crossing, chasing one
another indefinitely, and also
47
00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,840
the water flowing slowly and the
passing fish.
48
00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:19,320
After a while he lives the life
of fishes.
49
00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:24,800
He comes and goes, swims,
glides, plays, and at the end of
50
00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,240
the hour his nerves are in a
perfect state and he is
51
00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:32,560
completely restful.
But the condition is that one
52
00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,960
must not think of one's
troubles, simply watch the fish.
53
00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:43,080
End Quote Reference Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother Powers
54
00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:48,160
within Chapter 13, Power of
Identification, page 109.