Nov. 9, 2024
The Difference Between Living According to the Inner Truth of One’s Being or the External Ego Personality
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter VII Attitude, pp. 78-79 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/11/07/the-difference-between-living-according-to-the-inner-truth-of-ones-being-or-the-external-ego-personality/
Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are all available 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 Sri Aurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:01,640 --> 00:00:04,200
The mother draws a clear
distinction between the
2
00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:07,680
individual who is in contact
with his own deepest inner truth
3
00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:12,320
of being, his swadharma, and the
individual who does not pay
4
00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:17,200
attention to this deepest truth
but lives what may be called a
5
00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:21,480
transactional existence focused
on the aggrandizement and
6
00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:24,720
enjoyment of his outer being and
personality.
7
00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:30,200
In the Mahabharata we can
identify two major people who
8
00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:32,720
embody these two opposite
tendencies.
9
00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:38,160
There is King Yudhishtira, later
emperor, who is the embodiment
10
00:00:38,160 --> 00:00:43,640
of Dharma, who works not for his
own self aggrandizement but to
11
00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:46,560
provide benefit to everyone
under his umbrella.
12
00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:52,160
Then there is Duryodhana, his
cousin, who while a king in his
13
00:00:52,160 --> 00:00:57,240
own right, with power and wealth
at his disposal, is so jealous
14
00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:02,640
of his cousin that he is willing
to lie, cheat and steal to win
15
00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,360
the wealth and Kingdom of
Yudhishtira and eventually
16
00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:10,360
becomes the proximate cause of
the great battle that led to the
17
00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,960
destruction of vast numbers of
Chatrias.
18
00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:19,000
In the battle of Kurukshetra,
one can see the peace and
19
00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:23,960
harmony at work in the person of
Yudhishtira and can observe the
20
00:01:23,960 --> 00:01:28,640
selfishness, bitterness and
jealousy eating away at
21
00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,120
Duryodhana and clouding his
wisdom.
22
00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:36,000
The mother notes quote the inner
law.
23
00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:40,600
The truth of the being is the
divine presence in every human
24
00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:44,840
being, which should be the
master and guide of our life.
25
00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:49,360
When you acquire the habit of
listening to this inner law,
26
00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:54,800
when you obey it, follow it, try
more and more to let it guide
27
00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:59,920
your life, you create around you
an atmosphere of truth and peace
28
00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:04,760
and harmony, which naturally
reacts upon circumstances and
29
00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:08,600
forms, so to say, the atmosphere
in which you live.
30
00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:14,800
When you are a being of justice,
truth, harmony, compassion,
31
00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:18,120
understanding of perfect
goodwill.
32
00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:23,440
This inner attitude, the more
sincere and total it is, the
33
00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:26,760
more it reacts upon the external
circumstances.
34
00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:30,960
Not that it necessarily
diminishes the difficulties of
35
00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:35,760
life, but it gives these
difficulties a new meaning, and
36
00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,760
that allows you to face them
with a new strength and a new
37
00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:42,840
wisdom.
Whereas the man, the human being
38
00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:47,560
who follows his impulses, who
obeys his desires, who has not
39
00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:52,680
time for scruples, who comes to
live in complete cynicism, not
40
00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:57,240
caring for the effect that his
life has upon others, or for the
41
00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:00,440
more or less harmful
consequences of his acts,
42
00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:04,520
creates for himself an
atmosphere of ugliness,
43
00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:10,120
selfishness, conflict, and bad
will, which necessarily acts
44
00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:12,800
more and more upon his
consciousness and gives a
45
00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:18,160
bitterness to his life that in
the end becomes a perpetual
46
00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:22,120
torment.
Of course, this does not mean
47
00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:25,960
that such a man will not succeed
in what he undertakes, that he
48
00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:28,760
will not be able to possess what
he desires.
49
00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,600
These external advantages
disappear only when there is
50
00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:39,000
within the inmost being a spark
of sincerity which persists and
51
00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,520
makes him worthy of this
misfortune.
52
00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:46,920
If you see a bad man become
unlucky and miserable, you must
53
00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:51,480
immediately respect him.
It means that the flame of inner
54
00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:55,720
sincerity is not altogether
extinguished and something still
55
00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:59,360
reacts to his bad actions.
End Quote.
56
00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:05,720
Reference Srioro Bindu and the
Mother Powers within, Chapter 7
57
00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:09,440
Attitude, pages 78 to 79.
00:00:01,640 --> 00:00:04,200
The mother draws a clear
distinction between the
2
00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:07,680
individual who is in contact
with his own deepest inner truth
3
00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:12,320
of being, his swadharma, and the
individual who does not pay
4
00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:17,200
attention to this deepest truth
but lives what may be called a
5
00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:21,480
transactional existence focused
on the aggrandizement and
6
00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:24,720
enjoyment of his outer being and
personality.
7
00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:30,200
In the Mahabharata we can
identify two major people who
8
00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:32,720
embody these two opposite
tendencies.
9
00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:38,160
There is King Yudhishtira, later
emperor, who is the embodiment
10
00:00:38,160 --> 00:00:43,640
of Dharma, who works not for his
own self aggrandizement but to
11
00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:46,560
provide benefit to everyone
under his umbrella.
12
00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:52,160
Then there is Duryodhana, his
cousin, who while a king in his
13
00:00:52,160 --> 00:00:57,240
own right, with power and wealth
at his disposal, is so jealous
14
00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:02,640
of his cousin that he is willing
to lie, cheat and steal to win
15
00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,360
the wealth and Kingdom of
Yudhishtira and eventually
16
00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:10,360
becomes the proximate cause of
the great battle that led to the
17
00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,960
destruction of vast numbers of
Chatrias.
18
00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:19,000
In the battle of Kurukshetra,
one can see the peace and
19
00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:23,960
harmony at work in the person of
Yudhishtira and can observe the
20
00:01:23,960 --> 00:01:28,640
selfishness, bitterness and
jealousy eating away at
21
00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,120
Duryodhana and clouding his
wisdom.
22
00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:36,000
The mother notes quote the inner
law.
23
00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:40,600
The truth of the being is the
divine presence in every human
24
00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:44,840
being, which should be the
master and guide of our life.
25
00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:49,360
When you acquire the habit of
listening to this inner law,
26
00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:54,800
when you obey it, follow it, try
more and more to let it guide
27
00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:59,920
your life, you create around you
an atmosphere of truth and peace
28
00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:04,760
and harmony, which naturally
reacts upon circumstances and
29
00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:08,600
forms, so to say, the atmosphere
in which you live.
30
00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:14,800
When you are a being of justice,
truth, harmony, compassion,
31
00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:18,120
understanding of perfect
goodwill.
32
00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:23,440
This inner attitude, the more
sincere and total it is, the
33
00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:26,760
more it reacts upon the external
circumstances.
34
00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:30,960
Not that it necessarily
diminishes the difficulties of
35
00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:35,760
life, but it gives these
difficulties a new meaning, and
36
00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,760
that allows you to face them
with a new strength and a new
37
00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:42,840
wisdom.
Whereas the man, the human being
38
00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:47,560
who follows his impulses, who
obeys his desires, who has not
39
00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:52,680
time for scruples, who comes to
live in complete cynicism, not
40
00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:57,240
caring for the effect that his
life has upon others, or for the
41
00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:00,440
more or less harmful
consequences of his acts,
42
00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:04,520
creates for himself an
atmosphere of ugliness,
43
00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:10,120
selfishness, conflict, and bad
will, which necessarily acts
44
00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:12,800
more and more upon his
consciousness and gives a
45
00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:18,160
bitterness to his life that in
the end becomes a perpetual
46
00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:22,120
torment.
Of course, this does not mean
47
00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:25,960
that such a man will not succeed
in what he undertakes, that he
48
00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:28,760
will not be able to possess what
he desires.
49
00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,600
These external advantages
disappear only when there is
50
00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:39,000
within the inmost being a spark
of sincerity which persists and
51
00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,520
makes him worthy of this
misfortune.
52
00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:46,920
If you see a bad man become
unlucky and miserable, you must
53
00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:51,480
immediately respect him.
It means that the flame of inner
54
00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:55,720
sincerity is not altogether
extinguished and something still
55
00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:59,360
reacts to his bad actions.
End Quote.
56
00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:05,720
Reference Srioro Bindu and the
Mother Powers within, Chapter 7
57
00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:09,440
Attitude, pages 78 to 79.