July 27, 2025
Spiritual Development Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
Apple Podcasts 
Spotify 
Amazon Music 
RSS Feed 
Castro 
RadioPublic 
PocketCasts 
YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 5, Attitudes on the Path, pp. 136-137This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/07/25/spiritual-development-is-a-marathon-not-a-sprint/
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
00:00:01,400 --> 00:00:05,840
A devotee by the name of
Satyakama Jabala approached a
2
00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:09,760
respected guru in a story
related in the Chandogya
3
00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:13,880
Upanishad.
He asked for teachings so he
4
00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,560
could achieve realization on the
spiritual path.
5
00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:20,920
The teacher asked him his name
and family background, to which
6
00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:25,560
the young seeker replied that he
did not know who his father was.
7
00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,600
The teacher was impressed with
the truthfulness of the youth
8
00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:34,360
and gave him an opportunity.
The story goes that the teacher
9
00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:37,640
entrusted some cattle to the boy
and told him to take them to the
10
00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:43,640
forest and when the herd reached
1000 cattle he should return and
11
00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,880
would obtain the teachings.
The story is variously told as
12
00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:52,240
being either 2 or 400 cattle
that he started with.
13
00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:58,240
Either way, the implication is
similar, only that starting with
14
00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:01,640
two obviously entails more time
and more risk.
15
00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:06,400
Let us assume, then, that the
number was 400 for purposes of
16
00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:09,960
our review.
This process involves years of
17
00:01:09,960 --> 00:01:13,240
effort.
The young individual with no
18
00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:17,960
training or background had to
learn how to care for, feed,
19
00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:22,760
tend and protect the cattle
against hunger, disease,
20
00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:26,640
accident and predation by wild
animals.
21
00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:32,000
He had to also live a life of
solitude focused on achieving
22
00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:36,000
his task.
The dedication, perseverance and
23
00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:40,360
determination he needed to
achieve spiritual realization is
24
00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,360
obvious.
He could not let moods,
25
00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:48,880
depression, loneliness,
discouragement or fear cause him
26
00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:54,000
to give up.
All of us are subject to changes
27
00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:58,840
of moods, circumstances, and our
response to them based on the
28
00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:03,960
energy we express the play of
the three gunas of nature and
29
00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:08,680
their ability to vary our
response to circumstances and
30
00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:13,760
the circumstances themselves.
If we let the three gunas rule
31
00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:18,680
us, at some point we will become
angry, or we will give up out of
32
00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:24,120
frustration, or we will respond
out of fear and the process gets
33
00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:28,040
broken.
If we add to this the incredible
34
00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:33,080
difficulty and complexity of
attempting to address and change
35
00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,920
embedded habits and instincts
built up throughout the
36
00:02:36,920 --> 00:02:41,000
development of animal life on
the planet and into the
37
00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:45,280
conditioning that we undergo as
human beings, we can begin to
38
00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:50,600
recognize the difficulty and the
elusive nature of obtaining a
39
00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:54,720
permanent change in any aspect
of our existence.
40
00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:59,840
Therefore, the seeker is best
served by practising how to
41
00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:03,560
separate himself from the
changes that take place in the
42
00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:09,080
external nature and simply
observe from the standpoint of
43
00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:14,400
the witness consciousness.
Srioro Bindo writes quote.
44
00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:20,480
No Sadiq, even if he had the
capacity of the ancient Rishis
45
00:03:20,920 --> 00:03:26,720
and Tapaswis, or the strength of
a Vivekananda, can hope to keep
46
00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:30,720
during the early years of his
Sadhna A continuous good
47
00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:35,760
condition or union with the
Divine, or an unbroken call or
48
00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:39,600
height of aspiration.
It takes a long time to
49
00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:43,640
spiritualize the whole nature,
and until that is done,
50
00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:49,440
variations must come, a constant
trust and patience must be
51
00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:54,200
cultivated, must be acquired,
not the least when things go
52
00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:58,120
against, for when they are
favorable, trust and patience
53
00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:02,520
are easy.
The power needed in yoga is the
54
00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:07,120
power to go through effort,
difficulty, or trouble without
55
00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:12,800
getting fatigued, depressed,
discouraged, or impatient, and
56
00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,320
without breaking off the effort
or giving up one's aim or
57
00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:21,560
resolution.
End Quote Reference Shriya
58
00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,480
Robindo and the Mother Looking
from Within, Chapter 5,
59
00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:30,560
Attitudes on the Path, pages 136
to 137.
00:00:01,400 --> 00:00:05,840
A devotee by the name of
Satyakama Jabala approached a
2
00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:09,760
respected guru in a story
related in the Chandogya
3
00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:13,880
Upanishad.
He asked for teachings so he
4
00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,560
could achieve realization on the
spiritual path.
5
00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:20,920
The teacher asked him his name
and family background, to which
6
00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:25,560
the young seeker replied that he
did not know who his father was.
7
00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,600
The teacher was impressed with
the truthfulness of the youth
8
00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:34,360
and gave him an opportunity.
The story goes that the teacher
9
00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:37,640
entrusted some cattle to the boy
and told him to take them to the
10
00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:43,640
forest and when the herd reached
1000 cattle he should return and
11
00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,880
would obtain the teachings.
The story is variously told as
12
00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:52,240
being either 2 or 400 cattle
that he started with.
13
00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:58,240
Either way, the implication is
similar, only that starting with
14
00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:01,640
two obviously entails more time
and more risk.
15
00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:06,400
Let us assume, then, that the
number was 400 for purposes of
16
00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:09,960
our review.
This process involves years of
17
00:01:09,960 --> 00:01:13,240
effort.
The young individual with no
18
00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:17,960
training or background had to
learn how to care for, feed,
19
00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:22,760
tend and protect the cattle
against hunger, disease,
20
00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:26,640
accident and predation by wild
animals.
21
00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:32,000
He had to also live a life of
solitude focused on achieving
22
00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:36,000
his task.
The dedication, perseverance and
23
00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:40,360
determination he needed to
achieve spiritual realization is
24
00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,360
obvious.
He could not let moods,
25
00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:48,880
depression, loneliness,
discouragement or fear cause him
26
00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:54,000
to give up.
All of us are subject to changes
27
00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:58,840
of moods, circumstances, and our
response to them based on the
28
00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:03,960
energy we express the play of
the three gunas of nature and
29
00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:08,680
their ability to vary our
response to circumstances and
30
00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:13,760
the circumstances themselves.
If we let the three gunas rule
31
00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:18,680
us, at some point we will become
angry, or we will give up out of
32
00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:24,120
frustration, or we will respond
out of fear and the process gets
33
00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:28,040
broken.
If we add to this the incredible
34
00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:33,080
difficulty and complexity of
attempting to address and change
35
00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,920
embedded habits and instincts
built up throughout the
36
00:02:36,920 --> 00:02:41,000
development of animal life on
the planet and into the
37
00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:45,280
conditioning that we undergo as
human beings, we can begin to
38
00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:50,600
recognize the difficulty and the
elusive nature of obtaining a
39
00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:54,720
permanent change in any aspect
of our existence.
40
00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:59,840
Therefore, the seeker is best
served by practising how to
41
00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:03,560
separate himself from the
changes that take place in the
42
00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:09,080
external nature and simply
observe from the standpoint of
43
00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:14,400
the witness consciousness.
Srioro Bindo writes quote.
44
00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:20,480
No Sadiq, even if he had the
capacity of the ancient Rishis
45
00:03:20,920 --> 00:03:26,720
and Tapaswis, or the strength of
a Vivekananda, can hope to keep
46
00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:30,720
during the early years of his
Sadhna A continuous good
47
00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:35,760
condition or union with the
Divine, or an unbroken call or
48
00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:39,600
height of aspiration.
It takes a long time to
49
00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:43,640
spiritualize the whole nature,
and until that is done,
50
00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:49,440
variations must come, a constant
trust and patience must be
51
00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:54,200
cultivated, must be acquired,
not the least when things go
52
00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:58,120
against, for when they are
favorable, trust and patience
53
00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:02,520
are easy.
The power needed in yoga is the
54
00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:07,120
power to go through effort,
difficulty, or trouble without
55
00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:12,800
getting fatigued, depressed,
discouraged, or impatient, and
56
00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,320
without breaking off the effort
or giving up one's aim or
57
00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:21,560
resolution.
End Quote Reference Shriya
58
00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,480
Robindo and the Mother Looking
from Within, Chapter 5,
59
00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:30,560
Attitudes on the Path, pages 136
to 137.