Nov. 23, 2025
Standing Back from the Reactions of the External Nature
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 3, In Difficulty, pg. 43This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/11/21/standing-back-from-the-reactions-of-the-external-nature/
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#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #spirituality #Gunas #Rajas #Tamas #aspiration #Divine
1
00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:04,320
The action of the three gunas
rules our external nature.
2
00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,480
Rajas, active in the vital
being, tends to fixate on the
3
00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:13,360
fulfillment and satisfaction of
desires of whatever kind.
4
00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,720
Desires, however, cannot ever be
fully satisfied.
5
00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:22,000
As the fulfillment of a desire
simply increases, the vitals
6
00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:26,800
push for more.
A groove is more or less created
7
00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:31,680
that is a known and easy pathway
for energy to flow, and
8
00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:36,000
thereafter it tends to go down
that path more easily than
9
00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:37,840
trying to take a different
approach.
10
00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:43,960
When a desire is not satisfied,
it tends to recoil into the Guna
11
00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:48,760
of Thomas, which can bring about
dissatisfaction, depression,
12
00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:54,560
weakness, lethargy, or feelings
of incapacity or insufficiency.
13
00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:59,560
The action of the gunas in the
external nature is so automatic
14
00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:03,600
that people tend to get caught
up in them and just accept them
15
00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:08,560
as the reality of their lives.
The spiritual seeker has before
16
00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:13,200
him the task of unraveling these
reactions and responses and
17
00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:17,320
rewiring the direction of the
energy flow toward the Divine.
18
00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:22,520
One of the most powerful methods
is to create within oneself the
19
00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:26,360
witness consciousness, which
stands back and observes the
20
00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:30,400
action of the external nature
and is able to see these
21
00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:35,040
reactions for what they are.
He can also note that both
22
00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:40,760
satisfaction of the desire and
denial of the desire create
23
00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:44,360
results that keep the attention
focused on the outer nature
24
00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:47,960
instead of on the spiritual
aspiration itself.
25
00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:53,360
Eventually, this witness can
become more or less a neutral
26
00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:57,840
observer and not provide any
sanction or support to those
27
00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:01,800
movements.
Rather, he can consciously turn
28
00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:05,840
his focus to the psychic being
and support the soul's
29
00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:11,280
aspiration and the link to the
Divine Presence and reality.
30
00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:17,560
Srioro Bindo notes quote The
rule in yoga is not to let the
31
00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:22,520
depression depress you, to stand
back from it, observe its cause,
32
00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:26,600
and remove the cause.
For the cause is always in
33
00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:31,760
oneself, perhaps a vital defect
somewhere, a wrong movement
34
00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:37,160
indulged, or a petty desire
causing a recoil, sometimes by
35
00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:41,080
its satisfaction, sometimes by
its disappointment.
36
00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:47,320
In yoga, a desire satisfied a
false movement, given its head,
37
00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:52,560
produces very often a worse
recoil than disappointed desire.
38
00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:57,680
What is needed for you is to
live more deeply within, less in
39
00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,880
the outer vital and mental part
which is exposed to these
40
00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:04,160
touches.
The inmost psychic being is not
41
00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:07,360
oppressed by them.
It stands in its own closeness
42
00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:12,560
to the divine and sees the small
surface movements as surface
43
00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:14,440
things foreign to the true
being.
44
00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:19,920
End Quote.
Reference Srioro Vindo, Bases of
45
00:03:19,920 --> 00:03:24,480
Yoga, Chapter 3 in difficulty,
page 43.
00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:04,320
The action of the three gunas
rules our external nature.
2
00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,480
Rajas, active in the vital
being, tends to fixate on the
3
00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:13,360
fulfillment and satisfaction of
desires of whatever kind.
4
00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,720
Desires, however, cannot ever be
fully satisfied.
5
00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:22,000
As the fulfillment of a desire
simply increases, the vitals
6
00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:26,800
push for more.
A groove is more or less created
7
00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:31,680
that is a known and easy pathway
for energy to flow, and
8
00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:36,000
thereafter it tends to go down
that path more easily than
9
00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:37,840
trying to take a different
approach.
10
00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:43,960
When a desire is not satisfied,
it tends to recoil into the Guna
11
00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:48,760
of Thomas, which can bring about
dissatisfaction, depression,
12
00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:54,560
weakness, lethargy, or feelings
of incapacity or insufficiency.
13
00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:59,560
The action of the gunas in the
external nature is so automatic
14
00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:03,600
that people tend to get caught
up in them and just accept them
15
00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:08,560
as the reality of their lives.
The spiritual seeker has before
16
00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:13,200
him the task of unraveling these
reactions and responses and
17
00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:17,320
rewiring the direction of the
energy flow toward the Divine.
18
00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:22,520
One of the most powerful methods
is to create within oneself the
19
00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:26,360
witness consciousness, which
stands back and observes the
20
00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:30,400
action of the external nature
and is able to see these
21
00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:35,040
reactions for what they are.
He can also note that both
22
00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:40,760
satisfaction of the desire and
denial of the desire create
23
00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:44,360
results that keep the attention
focused on the outer nature
24
00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:47,960
instead of on the spiritual
aspiration itself.
25
00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:53,360
Eventually, this witness can
become more or less a neutral
26
00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:57,840
observer and not provide any
sanction or support to those
27
00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:01,800
movements.
Rather, he can consciously turn
28
00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:05,840
his focus to the psychic being
and support the soul's
29
00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:11,280
aspiration and the link to the
Divine Presence and reality.
30
00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:17,560
Srioro Bindo notes quote The
rule in yoga is not to let the
31
00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:22,520
depression depress you, to stand
back from it, observe its cause,
32
00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:26,600
and remove the cause.
For the cause is always in
33
00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:31,760
oneself, perhaps a vital defect
somewhere, a wrong movement
34
00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:37,160
indulged, or a petty desire
causing a recoil, sometimes by
35
00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:41,080
its satisfaction, sometimes by
its disappointment.
36
00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:47,320
In yoga, a desire satisfied a
false movement, given its head,
37
00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:52,560
produces very often a worse
recoil than disappointed desire.
38
00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:57,680
What is needed for you is to
live more deeply within, less in
39
00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,880
the outer vital and mental part
which is exposed to these
40
00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:04,160
touches.
The inmost psychic being is not
41
00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:07,360
oppressed by them.
It stands in its own closeness
42
00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:12,560
to the divine and sees the small
surface movements as surface
43
00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:14,440
things foreign to the true
being.
44
00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:19,920
End Quote.
Reference Srioro Vindo, Bases of
45
00:03:19,920 --> 00:03:24,480
Yoga, Chapter 3 in difficulty,
page 43.
