Oct. 9, 2025
Spiritual Experience Beyond the Mind
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1, Calm -- Peace -- Equality, pp. 16-17This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/10/07/spiritual-experience-beyond-the-mind/
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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
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,080
In his epic poem savitri, a
legend and a symbol, Sri
2
00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:11,200
aurobindo states quote God shall
grow up while the wise men talk
3
00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:13,400
and sleep.
End Quote.
4
00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:18,880
Until an individual has an
actual experience of an inward
5
00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:25,000
state of consciousness or that
of the silent mind, or one in
6
00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:30,360
which the experience is that of
an uninvolved witness, or one
7
00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:34,240
experiences the descent of
knowledge or power or ecstatic
8
00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,440
bliss that goes outside the
bounds of the normal human
9
00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:42,760
experience, he cannot truly
understand what is meant by
10
00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:47,200
these descriptive terms.
The matter of his spiritual
11
00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:51,400
experiences, for those who have
not personally experienced them,
12
00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:56,880
is one of either belief or
disbelief or one of argument in
13
00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:01,000
favor of or against.
For those who are locked into
14
00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:06,240
the logical, rational mental
mindset, these experiences are
15
00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:11,240
almost impossible to fit into
their world view and thus they
16
00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:14,960
will declare them as
hallucinations, dreams,
17
00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:20,000
delusions, or any number of
other derogatory terms that more
18
00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:23,960
than anything else to find the
limits and framework that
19
00:01:23,960 --> 00:01:26,480
surrounds the mental
consciousness.
20
00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:32,040
This same mental consciousness,
however, falls silent when it is
21
00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:37,760
asked to explain the first cause
of existence or any number of
22
00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:43,240
other inexplicable things.
The mind is so busy analyzing,
23
00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:47,560
categorizing, comparing,
contrasting, and formulating
24
00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:52,120
that it remains locked into its
narrow round of conceptions.
25
00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:57,400
Only when the mind falls silent
and the being takes a receptive
26
00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:01,640
standpoint can the individual
truly begin to widen the
27
00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:06,000
consciousness and experience
what lies outside the strictly
28
00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:10,000
mental realm.
When the seeker begins to have
29
00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:14,800
experiences that fall outside
the mind's realm, he recognizes
30
00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:19,600
the reality of them.
Indeed, they are more real, more
31
00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,760
compelling than all the mental
ideas and arguments he engaged
32
00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,280
in prior.
They are generally so powerfully
33
00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:31,440
impactful that the individual
treats them as highlights and
34
00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:36,040
key experiences of his life and
will remember them and their
35
00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:39,840
powerful impact throughout the
rest of his lifetime.
36
00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:46,920
Generally Sri Aurobindo notes
quote what happened to you shows
37
00:02:46,920 --> 00:02:50,360
what are the conditions of that
state in which the divine power
38
00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:54,920
takes the place of the ego and
directs the action, making the
39
00:02:54,920 --> 00:02:57,200
mind, life and body an
instrument.
40
00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:03,120
A receptive silence of the mind,
an effacement of the mental ego,
41
00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:06,680
and the reduction of the mental
being to the position of a
42
00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:12,400
witness, a close contact with
the Divine power and an openness
43
00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:16,400
of the being to that one
influence and no other, are the
44
00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:20,160
conditions for becoming an
instrument of the Divine moved
45
00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:25,600
by that and that only.
The silence of the mind does not
46
00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,760
of itself bring in the
supermental consciousness.
47
00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:33,040
There are many states or planes
or levels of consciousness
48
00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:36,360
between the human mind and the
supermind.
49
00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:41,040
The silence opens the mind and
the rest of the being to greater
50
00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:46,680
things, sometimes to the cosmic
consciousness, sometimes to the
51
00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:51,240
experience of the silent self,
sometimes to the presence or
52
00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:55,640
power of the Divine, sometimes
to a higher consciousness than
53
00:03:55,640 --> 00:04:00,600
that of the human mind.
The mind's silence is the most
54
00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:05,280
favorable condition, not the
only one, for the divine power
55
00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:09,840
to descend first upon and then
into the individual
56
00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:13,840
consciousness and there do its
work to transform that
57
00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:18,640
consciousness, giving it the
necessary experiences, altering
58
00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:22,920
all its outlook and movements,
leading it from stage to stage
59
00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,600
till it is ready for the last
super mental change.
60
00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:32,840
End Quote reference.
Shriya Robindo, Bases of Yoga,
61
00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:38,960
Chapter 1, Calm, Peace and
Equality, pages 16 to 17.
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,080
In his epic poem savitri, a
legend and a symbol, Sri
2
00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:11,200
aurobindo states quote God shall
grow up while the wise men talk
3
00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:13,400
and sleep.
End Quote.
4
00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:18,880
Until an individual has an
actual experience of an inward
5
00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:25,000
state of consciousness or that
of the silent mind, or one in
6
00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:30,360
which the experience is that of
an uninvolved witness, or one
7
00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:34,240
experiences the descent of
knowledge or power or ecstatic
8
00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,440
bliss that goes outside the
bounds of the normal human
9
00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:42,760
experience, he cannot truly
understand what is meant by
10
00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:47,200
these descriptive terms.
The matter of his spiritual
11
00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:51,400
experiences, for those who have
not personally experienced them,
12
00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:56,880
is one of either belief or
disbelief or one of argument in
13
00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:01,000
favor of or against.
For those who are locked into
14
00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:06,240
the logical, rational mental
mindset, these experiences are
15
00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:11,240
almost impossible to fit into
their world view and thus they
16
00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:14,960
will declare them as
hallucinations, dreams,
17
00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:20,000
delusions, or any number of
other derogatory terms that more
18
00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:23,960
than anything else to find the
limits and framework that
19
00:01:23,960 --> 00:01:26,480
surrounds the mental
consciousness.
20
00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:32,040
This same mental consciousness,
however, falls silent when it is
21
00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:37,760
asked to explain the first cause
of existence or any number of
22
00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:43,240
other inexplicable things.
The mind is so busy analyzing,
23
00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:47,560
categorizing, comparing,
contrasting, and formulating
24
00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:52,120
that it remains locked into its
narrow round of conceptions.
25
00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:57,400
Only when the mind falls silent
and the being takes a receptive
26
00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:01,640
standpoint can the individual
truly begin to widen the
27
00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:06,000
consciousness and experience
what lies outside the strictly
28
00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:10,000
mental realm.
When the seeker begins to have
29
00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:14,800
experiences that fall outside
the mind's realm, he recognizes
30
00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:19,600
the reality of them.
Indeed, they are more real, more
31
00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,760
compelling than all the mental
ideas and arguments he engaged
32
00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,280
in prior.
They are generally so powerfully
33
00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:31,440
impactful that the individual
treats them as highlights and
34
00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:36,040
key experiences of his life and
will remember them and their
35
00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:39,840
powerful impact throughout the
rest of his lifetime.
36
00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:46,920
Generally Sri Aurobindo notes
quote what happened to you shows
37
00:02:46,920 --> 00:02:50,360
what are the conditions of that
state in which the divine power
38
00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:54,920
takes the place of the ego and
directs the action, making the
39
00:02:54,920 --> 00:02:57,200
mind, life and body an
instrument.
40
00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:03,120
A receptive silence of the mind,
an effacement of the mental ego,
41
00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:06,680
and the reduction of the mental
being to the position of a
42
00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:12,400
witness, a close contact with
the Divine power and an openness
43
00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:16,400
of the being to that one
influence and no other, are the
44
00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:20,160
conditions for becoming an
instrument of the Divine moved
45
00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:25,600
by that and that only.
The silence of the mind does not
46
00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,760
of itself bring in the
supermental consciousness.
47
00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:33,040
There are many states or planes
or levels of consciousness
48
00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:36,360
between the human mind and the
supermind.
49
00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:41,040
The silence opens the mind and
the rest of the being to greater
50
00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:46,680
things, sometimes to the cosmic
consciousness, sometimes to the
51
00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:51,240
experience of the silent self,
sometimes to the presence or
52
00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:55,640
power of the Divine, sometimes
to a higher consciousness than
53
00:03:55,640 --> 00:04:00,600
that of the human mind.
The mind's silence is the most
54
00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:05,280
favorable condition, not the
only one, for the divine power
55
00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:09,840
to descend first upon and then
into the individual
56
00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:13,840
consciousness and there do its
work to transform that
57
00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:18,640
consciousness, giving it the
necessary experiences, altering
58
00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:22,920
all its outlook and movements,
leading it from stage to stage
59
00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,600
till it is ready for the last
super mental change.
60
00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:32,840
End Quote reference.
Shriya Robindo, Bases of Yoga,
61
00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:38,960
Chapter 1, Calm, Peace and
Equality, pages 16 to 17.
