Oct. 30, 2025
The Cure for the Spiritual Aspirant for Doubt, Guilt, Feelings of Unsuitability and Despair
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 2, Faith — Aspiration — Surrender, pp. 27-28
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/10/28/the-cure-for-the-spiritual-aspirant-for-doubt-guilt-feelings-of-unsuitability-and-despair/
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
#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #doubt #guilt #despair #ego consciousness #divine standpoint
1
00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,960
As long as we base ourselves in
the individual personal
2
00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:09,000
identity, what we term the ego
consciousness, we are subject to
3
00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:13,480
mistakes, failures,
indiscretions and other
4
00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:17,600
situations where we do not meet
our own internal concept of what
5
00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,640
we should do.
Most of this is based on the
6
00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:25,640
background and training we have
received in our society and the
7
00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:29,800
expectations that are put upon
us by that societal setting.
8
00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:35,080
When an individual takes up the
spiritual life, he adds to the
9
00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:38,800
embedded background
expectations, a new set of
10
00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:43,640
expectations based on what he
interprets or what he is told
11
00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:47,720
the requirements of the
spiritual path he is on to be.
12
00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:54,080
In some cases, eventual results
are taken to be rules to follow
13
00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:58,400
from the outset, even though the
seeker is not wholly prepared to
14
00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:03,240
do that to the extent he remains
in the consciousness of the
15
00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:08,040
individual ego personality.
This can lead to feelings of
16
00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:14,480
unsuitability, doubt, guilt or
despair of achieving the desired
17
00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:17,640
result.
The primary prescription that
18
00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:21,960
resolves these feelings is to
shift to the divine standpoint
19
00:01:21,960 --> 00:01:26,480
and away from the ego
standpoint, to thereby act from
20
00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:31,200
the impulsion of the Divine and
not be anguished thereby by
21
00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:35,240
normal human difficulties,
failures or troubles.
22
00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:39,720
This is the liberation from the
ego personality that provides
23
00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:44,920
the basis for a dedicated,
consecrated and still active
24
00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:48,960
life in the world.
The more the seeker focuses on
25
00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:53,040
turning his attention to the
Divine, the less he is bothered
26
00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:57,240
by the inevitable weaknesses and
failures that are the issues
27
00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:02,040
that act as obstacles during the
transition from ego nature to
28
00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:05,400
divine nature.
Obsessing over all the
29
00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:09,000
impediments of the natural being
as developed in the past and
30
00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:13,600
present simply creates friction
in the process of transitioning
31
00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:17,440
to the basis of the next phase
of consciousness that is
32
00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:22,120
manifesting through the seekers
who open to its capabilities.
33
00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:28,920
Sri Aurobindo notes quote you
ask how you can repair the wrong
34
00:02:28,920 --> 00:02:33,680
you seem to have done, admitting
that it is as you say.
35
00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,520
It seems to me that the
reparation lies precisely in
36
00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:42,520
this, in making yourself a
vessel for the Divine Truth and
37
00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:46,600
the Divine Love, and the first
steps towards that are a
38
00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:51,320
complete self consecration and
self purification, a complete
39
00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:55,840
opening of oneself to the
Divine, rejecting all in oneself
40
00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:59,920
that can stand in the way of the
fulfillment in the spiritual
41
00:02:59,920 --> 00:03:02,880
life.
There is no other reparation for
42
00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:08,000
any mistake, none that is wholly
effective at the beginning.
43
00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:12,440
One should not ask for any other
fruit or results than this
44
00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:17,240
internal growth and change, for
otherwise one lays oneself open
45
00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:22,160
to severe disappointments.
Only when one is free can one
46
00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:27,360
free others, and in yoga it is
out of the inner victory that
47
00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:33,280
there comes the outer conquest.
End Quote Reference Sri
48
00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:38,640
Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga,
Chapter 2 Faith, Aspiration
49
00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:42,280
Surrender, pages 27 to 28.
00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,960
As long as we base ourselves in
the individual personal
2
00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:09,000
identity, what we term the ego
consciousness, we are subject to
3
00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:13,480
mistakes, failures,
indiscretions and other
4
00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:17,600
situations where we do not meet
our own internal concept of what
5
00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,640
we should do.
Most of this is based on the
6
00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:25,640
background and training we have
received in our society and the
7
00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:29,800
expectations that are put upon
us by that societal setting.
8
00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:35,080
When an individual takes up the
spiritual life, he adds to the
9
00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:38,800
embedded background
expectations, a new set of
10
00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:43,640
expectations based on what he
interprets or what he is told
11
00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:47,720
the requirements of the
spiritual path he is on to be.
12
00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:54,080
In some cases, eventual results
are taken to be rules to follow
13
00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:58,400
from the outset, even though the
seeker is not wholly prepared to
14
00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:03,240
do that to the extent he remains
in the consciousness of the
15
00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:08,040
individual ego personality.
This can lead to feelings of
16
00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:14,480
unsuitability, doubt, guilt or
despair of achieving the desired
17
00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:17,640
result.
The primary prescription that
18
00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:21,960
resolves these feelings is to
shift to the divine standpoint
19
00:01:21,960 --> 00:01:26,480
and away from the ego
standpoint, to thereby act from
20
00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:31,200
the impulsion of the Divine and
not be anguished thereby by
21
00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:35,240
normal human difficulties,
failures or troubles.
22
00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:39,720
This is the liberation from the
ego personality that provides
23
00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:44,920
the basis for a dedicated,
consecrated and still active
24
00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:48,960
life in the world.
The more the seeker focuses on
25
00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:53,040
turning his attention to the
Divine, the less he is bothered
26
00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:57,240
by the inevitable weaknesses and
failures that are the issues
27
00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:02,040
that act as obstacles during the
transition from ego nature to
28
00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:05,400
divine nature.
Obsessing over all the
29
00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:09,000
impediments of the natural being
as developed in the past and
30
00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:13,600
present simply creates friction
in the process of transitioning
31
00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:17,440
to the basis of the next phase
of consciousness that is
32
00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:22,120
manifesting through the seekers
who open to its capabilities.
33
00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:28,920
Sri Aurobindo notes quote you
ask how you can repair the wrong
34
00:02:28,920 --> 00:02:33,680
you seem to have done, admitting
that it is as you say.
35
00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,520
It seems to me that the
reparation lies precisely in
36
00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:42,520
this, in making yourself a
vessel for the Divine Truth and
37
00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:46,600
the Divine Love, and the first
steps towards that are a
38
00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:51,320
complete self consecration and
self purification, a complete
39
00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:55,840
opening of oneself to the
Divine, rejecting all in oneself
40
00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:59,920
that can stand in the way of the
fulfillment in the spiritual
41
00:02:59,920 --> 00:03:02,880
life.
There is no other reparation for
42
00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:08,000
any mistake, none that is wholly
effective at the beginning.
43
00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:12,440
One should not ask for any other
fruit or results than this
44
00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:17,240
internal growth and change, for
otherwise one lays oneself open
45
00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:22,160
to severe disappointments.
Only when one is free can one
46
00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:27,360
free others, and in yoga it is
out of the inner victory that
47
00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:33,280
there comes the outer conquest.
End Quote Reference Sri
48
00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:38,640
Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga,
Chapter 2 Faith, Aspiration
49
00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:42,280
Surrender, pages 27 to 28.