Oct. 20, 2025
The Divine Intention and Will Goes Beyond the Human Ability to Conceive and Grasp It
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 2, Faith — Aspiration — Surrender, pg. 23This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/10/18/the-divine-intention-and-will-goes-beyond-the-human-ability-to-conceive-and-grasp-it/
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1
00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:04,200
We try to judge situations and
events from our human
2
00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:07,840
understanding.
We do not generally see the
3
00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:12,440
chain of cause and effect that
led to a specific circumstance,
4
00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:16,920
nor the impact of the result
that we observe on future
5
00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:19,920
events.
We see things from our own
6
00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:24,120
narrow egoistic viewpoint and
judge them based on our own
7
00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:28,160
desires, wishes, or trained ways
of analysing them.
8
00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:33,160
Even when we try to see behind
the external action to the
9
00:00:33,160 --> 00:00:37,120
hidden sense, we use our human
mode of understanding to
10
00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:42,680
interpret what we are seeing.
We speak of the law of karma as
11
00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:45,720
if there is some kind of
immediate or eventual direct
12
00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:50,040
retribution to someone who does
something we judge to be wrong
13
00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:54,040
or immoral.
Conversely, we expect an
14
00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,360
eventual reward for someone who
does what we judge to be
15
00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:01,800
positive actions.
Yet the law of karma is clearly
16
00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:06,560
not so neatly organized as to
fit into our limited judgment
17
00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:10,080
frame.
In his book Rebirth and Karma,
18
00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:14,840
for instance, Srioro Bindo
describes the lines of karma and
19
00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:18,760
the higher lines of karma in
terms that differ greatly from
20
00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:22,280
the popular notions about how
karma operates.
21
00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:27,760
The divine creation moves on
different timelines and with
22
00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:32,560
vastly different purposes than
what any individual can see from
23
00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:35,360
his own limited lifetime and
standpoint.
24
00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:39,560
When we look at the time frames
needed for the evolutionary
25
00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:44,960
process alone, consisting of
billions of years, and try to
26
00:01:44,960 --> 00:01:49,440
compare it to the motives and
actions we can conceptualize in
27
00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:53,680
our short span of years, which
do not even represent a rounding
28
00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:57,720
error in the scale of the
Universal Manifestation, we
29
00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:02,040
quickly realize that we are not
in a position to judge any of
30
00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:06,920
these things as long as we
remain anchored to our small,
31
00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:11,440
comfortable and limited human
forms of understanding.
32
00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,520
Where does this leave us in our
attempt to grow spiritually and
33
00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:18,680
align ourselves with the Divine
Will?
34
00:02:19,920 --> 00:02:24,800
At that point, when we surrender
our attempt to define God by our
35
00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:29,560
mental conceptions, we begin to
act from the higher wisdom based
36
00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:35,520
in aspiration, receptivity and
the deeper faith that is the
37
00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:39,120
light of the soul shining
through our limited human
38
00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:46,400
mentality and vital nature.
Srioro Bindu observes quote, The
39
00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:50,560
ways of the Divine are not like
those of the human mind or
40
00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:55,320
according to our patterns, and
it is impossible to judge them
41
00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,560
or to lay down for him what he
shall or shall not do.
42
00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:05,560
For the Divine knows better than
we can know, if we admit the
43
00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:10,240
Divine at all.
Both true reason and bhakti seem
44
00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:14,920
to me to be at one in demanding
implicit faith and surrender.
45
00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:20,920
End Quote Reference Sri
Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga,
46
00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:26,560
Chapter 2 Faith, Aspiration
Surrender page 23.
00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:04,200
We try to judge situations and
events from our human
2
00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:07,840
understanding.
We do not generally see the
3
00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:12,440
chain of cause and effect that
led to a specific circumstance,
4
00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:16,920
nor the impact of the result
that we observe on future
5
00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:19,920
events.
We see things from our own
6
00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:24,120
narrow egoistic viewpoint and
judge them based on our own
7
00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:28,160
desires, wishes, or trained ways
of analysing them.
8
00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:33,160
Even when we try to see behind
the external action to the
9
00:00:33,160 --> 00:00:37,120
hidden sense, we use our human
mode of understanding to
10
00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:42,680
interpret what we are seeing.
We speak of the law of karma as
11
00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:45,720
if there is some kind of
immediate or eventual direct
12
00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:50,040
retribution to someone who does
something we judge to be wrong
13
00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:54,040
or immoral.
Conversely, we expect an
14
00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,360
eventual reward for someone who
does what we judge to be
15
00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:01,800
positive actions.
Yet the law of karma is clearly
16
00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:06,560
not so neatly organized as to
fit into our limited judgment
17
00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:10,080
frame.
In his book Rebirth and Karma,
18
00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:14,840
for instance, Srioro Bindo
describes the lines of karma and
19
00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:18,760
the higher lines of karma in
terms that differ greatly from
20
00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:22,280
the popular notions about how
karma operates.
21
00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:27,760
The divine creation moves on
different timelines and with
22
00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:32,560
vastly different purposes than
what any individual can see from
23
00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:35,360
his own limited lifetime and
standpoint.
24
00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:39,560
When we look at the time frames
needed for the evolutionary
25
00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:44,960
process alone, consisting of
billions of years, and try to
26
00:01:44,960 --> 00:01:49,440
compare it to the motives and
actions we can conceptualize in
27
00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:53,680
our short span of years, which
do not even represent a rounding
28
00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:57,720
error in the scale of the
Universal Manifestation, we
29
00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:02,040
quickly realize that we are not
in a position to judge any of
30
00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:06,920
these things as long as we
remain anchored to our small,
31
00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:11,440
comfortable and limited human
forms of understanding.
32
00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,520
Where does this leave us in our
attempt to grow spiritually and
33
00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:18,680
align ourselves with the Divine
Will?
34
00:02:19,920 --> 00:02:24,800
At that point, when we surrender
our attempt to define God by our
35
00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:29,560
mental conceptions, we begin to
act from the higher wisdom based
36
00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:35,520
in aspiration, receptivity and
the deeper faith that is the
37
00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:39,120
light of the soul shining
through our limited human
38
00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:46,400
mentality and vital nature.
Srioro Bindu observes quote, The
39
00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:50,560
ways of the Divine are not like
those of the human mind or
40
00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:55,320
according to our patterns, and
it is impossible to judge them
41
00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,560
or to lay down for him what he
shall or shall not do.
42
00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:05,560
For the Divine knows better than
we can know, if we admit the
43
00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:10,240
Divine at all.
Both true reason and bhakti seem
44
00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:14,920
to me to be at one in demanding
implicit faith and surrender.
45
00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:20,920
End Quote Reference Sri
Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga,
46
00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:26,560
Chapter 2 Faith, Aspiration
Surrender page 23.
