May 2, 2025
Spiritually Effective Work Depends on the Inner Attitude
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 3, Action and Work, pp. 64-65This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/04/30/spiritually-effective-work-depends-on-the-inner-attitude/
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
00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:06,000
Whenever we act in the world,
whether it is a job or any kind
2
00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:09,160
of activity that involves the
expression of energy in the
3
00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,760
external world, whether
physical, vital, mental,
4
00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:17,560
etcetera, we generally do so
with a particular ambition,
5
00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:23,080
motivation, desire or need.
It could be based on physical
6
00:00:23,080 --> 00:00:25,360
needs for food, clothing and
shelter.
7
00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:29,280
It could be based on vital
desires or some form of
8
00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:33,760
ambition, A seeking for some
physical, vital, emotional or
9
00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:38,560
mental satisfaction.
It could be a form of vanity or
10
00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:42,640
a seeking after fame or glory,
wealth or other forms of
11
00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,840
recognition.
We would be hard pressed if we
12
00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:51,520
examine our actions closely to
find any act that is not based
13
00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,160
in some motive of the ego
personality.
14
00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:59,440
Even work that looks like it is
charitable or without a personal
15
00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:04,120
motive, if we scratch the
surface, may have some kind of
16
00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:08,120
ulterior motivation or ego
satisfaction mechanism taking
17
00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:12,200
place.
For a work to advance the seeker
18
00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:16,120
spiritually, it must be free of
all these motivations.
19
00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:20,320
The most obvious way is to have
the psychic being come forward,
20
00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:24,480
guiding and managing the action
based on aspiration,
21
00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:27,800
consecration and devotional
surrender.
22
00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:32,480
Even here, however, we
frequently see a form of ego
23
00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,400
presentation getting some
satisfaction, so it is not
24
00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:39,480
always as simple as we may
believe.
25
00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:45,480
In his book The Mother, Srioro
Bindo advises that the effort
26
00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:50,200
required of the spiritual seeker
is 1 of aspiration, rejection,
27
00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:53,760
surrender.
This is a constant work both in
28
00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:59,040
terms of the psychic aspiration
leading but also the inward view
29
00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,200
that spots the ego motives and
rejects them, leading to a
30
00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:08,400
surrender to the higher force.
The Bhagavad Gita explores the
31
00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,320
idea of work done without desire
for the fruits done for the
32
00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:16,160
benefit of all, without self
seeking or self dealing.
33
00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:19,760
Srioro Bindu explores the
meaning of the Gita's
34
00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,960
prescription for how to be a
selfless worker in the world.
35
00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:27,720
In his essays on the Gita.
He provides A brief overview.
36
00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:34,560
Here Srioro Bindu observes quote
the spiritual eve activity of
37
00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,440
work depends on the inner
attitude.
38
00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:42,720
The only work that spiritually
purifies is that which is done
39
00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:46,480
without personal motives,
without desire for fame or
40
00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:51,160
public recognition or worldly
greatness, without insistence on
41
00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,560
one's own mental motives or
vital lusts and demands or
42
00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:59,120
physical preferences, without
vanity or crude self assertion
43
00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:01,640
or claim for position or
prestige.
44
00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:07,160
All work done in an egoistic
spirit, however good for people
45
00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:12,000
in the world of the ignorance,
is of no avail to the seeker of
46
00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:16,640
the yoga.
End Quote Reference Shrioro
47
00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:21,080
Bindu and the Mother Looking
from Within, Chapter 3, Actioned
48
00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:24,440
and Work, pages 64 to 65.
00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:06,000
Whenever we act in the world,
whether it is a job or any kind
2
00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:09,160
of activity that involves the
expression of energy in the
3
00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,760
external world, whether
physical, vital, mental,
4
00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:17,560
etcetera, we generally do so
with a particular ambition,
5
00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:23,080
motivation, desire or need.
It could be based on physical
6
00:00:23,080 --> 00:00:25,360
needs for food, clothing and
shelter.
7
00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:29,280
It could be based on vital
desires or some form of
8
00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:33,760
ambition, A seeking for some
physical, vital, emotional or
9
00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:38,560
mental satisfaction.
It could be a form of vanity or
10
00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:42,640
a seeking after fame or glory,
wealth or other forms of
11
00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,840
recognition.
We would be hard pressed if we
12
00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:51,520
examine our actions closely to
find any act that is not based
13
00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,160
in some motive of the ego
personality.
14
00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:59,440
Even work that looks like it is
charitable or without a personal
15
00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:04,120
motive, if we scratch the
surface, may have some kind of
16
00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:08,120
ulterior motivation or ego
satisfaction mechanism taking
17
00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:12,200
place.
For a work to advance the seeker
18
00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:16,120
spiritually, it must be free of
all these motivations.
19
00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:20,320
The most obvious way is to have
the psychic being come forward,
20
00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:24,480
guiding and managing the action
based on aspiration,
21
00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:27,800
consecration and devotional
surrender.
22
00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:32,480
Even here, however, we
frequently see a form of ego
23
00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,400
presentation getting some
satisfaction, so it is not
24
00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:39,480
always as simple as we may
believe.
25
00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:45,480
In his book The Mother, Srioro
Bindo advises that the effort
26
00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:50,200
required of the spiritual seeker
is 1 of aspiration, rejection,
27
00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:53,760
surrender.
This is a constant work both in
28
00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:59,040
terms of the psychic aspiration
leading but also the inward view
29
00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,200
that spots the ego motives and
rejects them, leading to a
30
00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:08,400
surrender to the higher force.
The Bhagavad Gita explores the
31
00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,320
idea of work done without desire
for the fruits done for the
32
00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:16,160
benefit of all, without self
seeking or self dealing.
33
00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:19,760
Srioro Bindu explores the
meaning of the Gita's
34
00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,960
prescription for how to be a
selfless worker in the world.
35
00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:27,720
In his essays on the Gita.
He provides A brief overview.
36
00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:34,560
Here Srioro Bindu observes quote
the spiritual eve activity of
37
00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,440
work depends on the inner
attitude.
38
00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:42,720
The only work that spiritually
purifies is that which is done
39
00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:46,480
without personal motives,
without desire for fame or
40
00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:51,160
public recognition or worldly
greatness, without insistence on
41
00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,560
one's own mental motives or
vital lusts and demands or
42
00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:59,120
physical preferences, without
vanity or crude self assertion
43
00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:01,640
or claim for position or
prestige.
44
00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:07,160
All work done in an egoistic
spirit, however good for people
45
00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:12,000
in the world of the ignorance,
is of no avail to the seeker of
46
00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:16,640
the yoga.
End Quote Reference Shrioro
47
00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:21,080
Bindu and the Mother Looking
from Within, Chapter 3, Actioned
48
00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:24,440
and Work, pages 64 to 65.