A Podcast Featuring Sri Aurobindo Studies
Dec. 10, 2025

The Different Processes for Change of the Vital Nature and the Psychic Being

The Different Processes for Change of the Vital Nature and the Psychic Being

reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 3, In Difficulty, pp. 54-55This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/12/08/the-different-processes-for-change-of-the-vital-nature-and-the-psychic-being/

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#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #spirituality #Gunas #Rajas #vital being #psychic being

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The vital nature under the
influence of the Guna of Rajas

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tends to create drama.
Struggle, disruption, aggressive

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responses are all a part of this
vital play.

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One of the manifestations of
this drama is to raise the

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temperature about any
resistance, obstacle, delay,

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etcetera that the individual
experiences.

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Another is to seek out a culprit
and label it as a hostile force,

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thereby accentuating the
challenge being faced and

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increasing the dramatic effect.
The nature of the psychic being

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is different.
It tends to be a quiet voice

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that recommends, guides and
maintains a constant patient

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presence that has its influence
grow over time as the seeker

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begins to hear the voice of the
soul.

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Images from material nature
illustrate the difference.

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The volcano erupts with heat,
light and earthquake activity

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while it changes a landscape
quickly.

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A river also can change a
landscape, but it may take

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thousands of years to carve out
a Canyon in Hard Rock, Sri

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Robindo writes quote, The method
of the divine manifestation is

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through calm and harmony, not
through a catastrophic upheaval.

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The latter is the sign of a
struggle, generally of

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conflicting vital forces, but at
any rate a struggle on the

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inferior plane.
You think too much of the

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adverse forces.
That kind of preoccupation

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causes much unnecessary
struggle.

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Fix your mind on the positive
side, open to the Mother's

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power.
Concentrate on Her protection,

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call for light, calm and peace
and purity and growth into the

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Divine consciousness and
knowledge.

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The idea of tests also is not a
healthy idea and ought not to be

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pushed too far.
Tests are applied not by the

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Divine, but by the forces of the
lower planes, mental, vital,

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physical, and allowed by the
Divine, because that is part of

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the soul's training and helps it
to know itself, its powers, and

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the limitations it has to
outgrow.

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The Mother is not testing you at
every moment, but rather helping

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you at every moment to rise
beyond the necessity of tests

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and difficulties which belong to
the inferior consciousness.

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To be always conscious of that
help will be your best safeguard

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against all attacks, whether of
adverse powers or of your own

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lower nature.
End Quote Reference.

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Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga,
Chapter 3 in difficulty, pages

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54 to 55.