May 26, 2025
The Complex Nature of Our Being Impacts Our Ability to Change and Transform Our Lives
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within , Chapter 4, Ordeals and Difficulties, pp.88-89This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/05/24/the-complex-nature-of-our-being-impacts-our-ability-to-change-and-transform-our-lives/
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
00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:04,320
Those who identify with their
mental being tend to believe
2
00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:08,000
that if they think in a certain
way that they have succeeded in
3
00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:11,360
embodying that.
They will take the thought for
4
00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:15,080
the accomplishment without
necessarily recognizing that
5
00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:19,680
their physical actions, their
vital energies, and even aspects
6
00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:22,680
of their thought mind continue
with things their minds have
7
00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:26,280
rejected.
This occurs because people tend
8
00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:29,960
not to recognize that they are
actually not a uniform being
9
00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:34,920
with one cohesive and coherent
line of development, but rather
10
00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:39,320
that they are an amalgam of a
number of different beings fused
11
00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:43,840
together into what we call
ourselves, our personality, our
12
00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,640
being.
It becomes even more interesting
13
00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:51,240
when we begin to recognize that
not everything that we respond
14
00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:56,200
to when a signal reaches our
brain is even truly our human
15
00:00:56,200 --> 00:01:00,160
constitution.
Scientists nowadays advise us
16
00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:04,480
that in our intestines we have a
thriving colony of intestinal
17
00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:09,760
flora microorganisms, and that
they are very much responsible
18
00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,360
for a good portion of our
digestive action.
19
00:01:13,320 --> 00:01:17,200
Now they have discovered that
this bacterial colony sends
20
00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:21,120
signals to the brain when it
wants food, and that at least
21
00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:25,680
part of our experience of hunger
is due to the cravings of our
22
00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,040
symbiotic companions in our
digestive system.
23
00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:34,880
Whose hunger is it if it is the
bacteria calling for food and
24
00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:37,320
signaling our brain to get
something to eat?
25
00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,960
We also receive impulses from
forces outside our bodies.
26
00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,640
We do not observe these forces
entering and stirring up
27
00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:50,680
vibrations within us, so we tend
to identify with those
28
00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:52,960
vibrations and treat them as our
own.
29
00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,680
With close observation, we can
begin to distinguish the
30
00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:02,360
movement of these universal
forces and their impact on our
31
00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:07,480
body, life, mind complex when we
finally awaken to the
32
00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:10,919
realization that holding a
particular thought is only one
33
00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:15,400
step in the process and that we
need to carry out that thought
34
00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:19,760
such that it harmonizes thought,
word and deed in a coherent way.
35
00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:25,040
Until that happens, all of these
elements, whether they are
36
00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:28,720
residents within our being,
whether they are part of our
37
00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:31,920
vital or physical being, with
their habits, instincts and
38
00:02:31,920 --> 00:02:36,440
trained responses, or whether
they are external forces which
39
00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:40,680
we allow to enter and manifest
within us, will drive our
40
00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:47,320
actions regardless of our mental
ideas and aspirations, the
41
00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:48,720
mother writes.
Quote.
42
00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:53,600
Evidently there is one
difficulty in your conscious
43
00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:55,160
being.
Something does not want.
44
00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,880
The difficulty wishes sincerely
to overcome it.
45
00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,840
But there are numberless
movements in other parts of your
46
00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:05,160
consciousness of which you are
not conscious.
47
00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,600
You say I want to be cured of
that.
48
00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:13,800
Unfortunately it is not
sufficient to say I want.
49
00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,280
There are other parts of the
consciousness which hide
50
00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:21,880
themselves so that you may not
be busy with them, and when your
51
00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:25,520
attention is turned away, these
parts try to assert themselves.
52
00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:30,760
That is why I say, and shall
always repeat, be perfectly
53
00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:34,160
sincere.
Do not try to deceive yourself.
54
00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,360
Do not say I have done all that
I could.
55
00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:43,120
If you do not succeed, it means
that you do not do all that you
56
00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:47,040
can.
For if you truly do all that you
57
00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:52,640
can, you will surely succeed.
If you have any defect which you
58
00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:57,360
want to get rid of, and which
still persists, and you say I
59
00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:02,320
have done all that I could, you
may be sure that you have not
60
00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:07,160
done all that you should have.
If you had, you would have
61
00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:10,000
triumphed.
For the difficulties that come
62
00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,000
to you are exactly in proportion
to your strength.
63
00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:16,399
Nothing can happen to you which
does not belong to your
64
00:04:16,399 --> 00:04:19,440
consciousness.
All that belongs to your
65
00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:22,240
consciousness you are able to
master.
66
00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:26,520
Even the things and suggestions
that come from outside can touch
67
00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:30,720
you only in proportion to the
consent of your consciousness,
68
00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:34,680
and you are made to be the
master of your consciousness.
69
00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:39,520
If you say I have done all that
I could, and in spite of
70
00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:44,120
everything the thing continues,
so I give up, you may be already
71
00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:46,920
sure that you have not done what
you could.
72
00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:51,800
When an error persists in spite
of everything, it means that
73
00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,960
something hidden in your being
springs up suddenly like a
74
00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:58,720
jack-in-the-box, and takes the
helm of your life.
75
00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:02,280
Hence there is only one thing to
do.
76
00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:06,520
It is to go hunting for all the
little dark corners which lie
77
00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:10,720
hidden in you.
And if you put just a tiny spark
78
00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:16,200
of goodwill on this darkness, it
will yield, will vanish, and
79
00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:20,640
what appeared to you impossible
will become not only possible,
80
00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:24,480
practicable, but it will have
been done.
81
00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,800
You can in this way, in one
minute get rid of a difficulty
82
00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,040
which would have harassed you
for years.
83
00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:36,920
I absolutely assure you of it.
That depends only on one thing,
84
00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:42,120
that you truly, sincerely want
to get rid of it.
85
00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:45,760
And it is the same for
everything from physical
86
00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:48,640
illnesses up to the highest
mental difficulties.
87
00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:53,680
One part of the consciousness
says, I don't want it, but
88
00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:57,880
behind there hides a heap of
things which say nothing, do not
89
00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:01,960
show themselves, and which just
want that things continue as
90
00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:05,160
they are.
Generally out of ignorance, they
91
00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:08,160
do not believe that it is
necessary to be cured.
92
00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:12,280
They believe that everything is
for the best in the best of
93
00:06:12,280 --> 00:06:16,240
worlds.
End Quote reference.
94
00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:19,520
Shrioro Bindu and the Mother
looking from within.
95
00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:24,920
Chapter 4, Ordeals and
Difficulties, pages 88 to 89.
00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:04,320
Those who identify with their
mental being tend to believe
2
00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:08,000
that if they think in a certain
way that they have succeeded in
3
00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:11,360
embodying that.
They will take the thought for
4
00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:15,080
the accomplishment without
necessarily recognizing that
5
00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:19,680
their physical actions, their
vital energies, and even aspects
6
00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:22,680
of their thought mind continue
with things their minds have
7
00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:26,280
rejected.
This occurs because people tend
8
00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:29,960
not to recognize that they are
actually not a uniform being
9
00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:34,920
with one cohesive and coherent
line of development, but rather
10
00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:39,320
that they are an amalgam of a
number of different beings fused
11
00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:43,840
together into what we call
ourselves, our personality, our
12
00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,640
being.
It becomes even more interesting
13
00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:51,240
when we begin to recognize that
not everything that we respond
14
00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:56,200
to when a signal reaches our
brain is even truly our human
15
00:00:56,200 --> 00:01:00,160
constitution.
Scientists nowadays advise us
16
00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:04,480
that in our intestines we have a
thriving colony of intestinal
17
00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:09,760
flora microorganisms, and that
they are very much responsible
18
00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,360
for a good portion of our
digestive action.
19
00:01:13,320 --> 00:01:17,200
Now they have discovered that
this bacterial colony sends
20
00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:21,120
signals to the brain when it
wants food, and that at least
21
00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:25,680
part of our experience of hunger
is due to the cravings of our
22
00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,040
symbiotic companions in our
digestive system.
23
00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:34,880
Whose hunger is it if it is the
bacteria calling for food and
24
00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:37,320
signaling our brain to get
something to eat?
25
00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,960
We also receive impulses from
forces outside our bodies.
26
00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,640
We do not observe these forces
entering and stirring up
27
00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:50,680
vibrations within us, so we tend
to identify with those
28
00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:52,960
vibrations and treat them as our
own.
29
00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,680
With close observation, we can
begin to distinguish the
30
00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:02,360
movement of these universal
forces and their impact on our
31
00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:07,480
body, life, mind complex when we
finally awaken to the
32
00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:10,919
realization that holding a
particular thought is only one
33
00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:15,400
step in the process and that we
need to carry out that thought
34
00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:19,760
such that it harmonizes thought,
word and deed in a coherent way.
35
00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:25,040
Until that happens, all of these
elements, whether they are
36
00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:28,720
residents within our being,
whether they are part of our
37
00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:31,920
vital or physical being, with
their habits, instincts and
38
00:02:31,920 --> 00:02:36,440
trained responses, or whether
they are external forces which
39
00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:40,680
we allow to enter and manifest
within us, will drive our
40
00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:47,320
actions regardless of our mental
ideas and aspirations, the
41
00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:48,720
mother writes.
Quote.
42
00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:53,600
Evidently there is one
difficulty in your conscious
43
00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:55,160
being.
Something does not want.
44
00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,880
The difficulty wishes sincerely
to overcome it.
45
00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,840
But there are numberless
movements in other parts of your
46
00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:05,160
consciousness of which you are
not conscious.
47
00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,600
You say I want to be cured of
that.
48
00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:13,800
Unfortunately it is not
sufficient to say I want.
49
00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,280
There are other parts of the
consciousness which hide
50
00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:21,880
themselves so that you may not
be busy with them, and when your
51
00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:25,520
attention is turned away, these
parts try to assert themselves.
52
00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:30,760
That is why I say, and shall
always repeat, be perfectly
53
00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:34,160
sincere.
Do not try to deceive yourself.
54
00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,360
Do not say I have done all that
I could.
55
00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:43,120
If you do not succeed, it means
that you do not do all that you
56
00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:47,040
can.
For if you truly do all that you
57
00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:52,640
can, you will surely succeed.
If you have any defect which you
58
00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:57,360
want to get rid of, and which
still persists, and you say I
59
00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:02,320
have done all that I could, you
may be sure that you have not
60
00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:07,160
done all that you should have.
If you had, you would have
61
00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:10,000
triumphed.
For the difficulties that come
62
00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,000
to you are exactly in proportion
to your strength.
63
00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:16,399
Nothing can happen to you which
does not belong to your
64
00:04:16,399 --> 00:04:19,440
consciousness.
All that belongs to your
65
00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:22,240
consciousness you are able to
master.
66
00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:26,520
Even the things and suggestions
that come from outside can touch
67
00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:30,720
you only in proportion to the
consent of your consciousness,
68
00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:34,680
and you are made to be the
master of your consciousness.
69
00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:39,520
If you say I have done all that
I could, and in spite of
70
00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:44,120
everything the thing continues,
so I give up, you may be already
71
00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:46,920
sure that you have not done what
you could.
72
00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:51,800
When an error persists in spite
of everything, it means that
73
00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,960
something hidden in your being
springs up suddenly like a
74
00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:58,720
jack-in-the-box, and takes the
helm of your life.
75
00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:02,280
Hence there is only one thing to
do.
76
00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:06,520
It is to go hunting for all the
little dark corners which lie
77
00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:10,720
hidden in you.
And if you put just a tiny spark
78
00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:16,200
of goodwill on this darkness, it
will yield, will vanish, and
79
00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:20,640
what appeared to you impossible
will become not only possible,
80
00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:24,480
practicable, but it will have
been done.
81
00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,800
You can in this way, in one
minute get rid of a difficulty
82
00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,040
which would have harassed you
for years.
83
00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:36,920
I absolutely assure you of it.
That depends only on one thing,
84
00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:42,120
that you truly, sincerely want
to get rid of it.
85
00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:45,760
And it is the same for
everything from physical
86
00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:48,640
illnesses up to the highest
mental difficulties.
87
00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:53,680
One part of the consciousness
says, I don't want it, but
88
00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:57,880
behind there hides a heap of
things which say nothing, do not
89
00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:01,960
show themselves, and which just
want that things continue as
90
00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:05,160
they are.
Generally out of ignorance, they
91
00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:08,160
do not believe that it is
necessary to be cured.
92
00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:12,280
They believe that everything is
for the best in the best of
93
00:06:12,280 --> 00:06:16,240
worlds.
End Quote reference.
94
00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:19,520
Shrioro Bindu and the Mother
looking from within.
95
00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:24,920
Chapter 4, Ordeals and
Difficulties, pages 88 to 89.