Feb. 1, 2025
The Fourfold Power of Intuition and Its Action in the Human Instruments of Mind, Life and Body
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter XXI Intuition, pg. 162 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/01/30/the-fourfold-power-of-intuition-and-its-action-in-the-human-instruments-of-mind-life-and-body/
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
00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:04,360
A major concern for those who
are desirous of shifting from
2
00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:08,880
the mental to the intuitional
consciousness definitely lies in
3
00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:12,640
the transition.
How that is going to work, what
4
00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:17,640
the role of the mind, if any, is
in this transition, and how the
5
00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:21,080
consciousness will function as
it shifts to reliance on the
6
00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:25,680
intuitional capacities.
There is a definite anxiety
7
00:00:26,080 --> 00:00:30,360
about discontinuing reliance on
the mental power which is built
8
00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:33,120
up and carried the individual
through their development.
9
00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:37,640
In the beginning, then, it is
not uncommon to see something of
10
00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:42,080
a hybrid approach, where the
intuition begins to flow but
11
00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:46,880
gets commandeered, modified by,
and adjusted to fit into the
12
00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:51,640
forms of mental consciousness
and exercise of the mental will.
13
00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:57,120
If the seeker is able to move
beyond this interim approach and
14
00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:02,320
begin to rely more completely on
the intuition, he may find, as
15
00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:06,800
Sri Orobindo describes, that the
intuitional power can actually
16
00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:12,120
replicate, but at an advanced
and more powerful level, the
17
00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:16,960
mental functionality.
In fairness, it is a totally
18
00:01:16,960 --> 00:01:19,760
different type of activity that
the seeker must become
19
00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:24,720
accustomed to by quieting the
mind, receiving the intuitive
20
00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:29,280
understanding and not garbling
or watering it down.
21
00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:33,960
All this without creating
distortions or
22
00:01:33,960 --> 00:01:37,560
misinterpretations through the
mental translation that can
23
00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:40,160
dramatically change what is
being received.
24
00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:47,040
The intuition itself also, as
Sri Aurobindo notes, is capable
25
00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:51,280
of this type of discrimination
and understanding, so it can be
26
00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:55,280
a self correcting mechanism once
it becomes operative.
27
00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:02,120
Sriorbindo observes quote.
Intuition has a fourfold power,
28
00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:07,720
A power of revelatory truth
seeing, a power of inspiration
29
00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:11,640
or truth hearing.
A power of truth, touch or
30
00:02:11,640 --> 00:02:15,320
immediate seizing of
significance which is akin to
31
00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:18,280
the ordinary nature of its
intervention in our mental
32
00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:22,120
intelligence.
A power of true and automatic
33
00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:26,880
discrimination, of the orderly
and exact relation of truth to
34
00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:30,240
truth.
These are the fourfold potencies
35
00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:34,160
of intuition.
Intuition can therefore perform
36
00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:38,040
all the action of reason,
including the function of
37
00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:42,160
logical intelligence, which is
to work out the right relation
38
00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:46,160
of things and the right relation
of idea with idea.
39
00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:52,040
But by its own superior process
and with steps that do not fail
40
00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:56,520
or falter, it takes up also and
transforms into its own
41
00:02:56,520 --> 00:03:01,800
substance not only the mind of
thought, but the heart and life
42
00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:04,800
and the sense and physical
consciousness.
43
00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,680
Already all these have their own
peculiar powers of intuition,
44
00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:11,960
derivative from the hidden
light.
45
00:03:12,920 --> 00:03:16,560
The pure power descending from
above can assume them all into
46
00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:21,320
itself, and impart to these
deeper heart perceptions and
47
00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:25,600
life perceptions and the
divinations of the body a
48
00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,040
greater integrality and
perfection.
49
00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:33,040
It can thus change the whole
consciousness into the stuff of
50
00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:37,320
intuition, for it brings its own
greater radiant movement into
51
00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:43,200
the will, into the feelings and
emotions, the life impulses, the
52
00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:47,680
action of sense and sensation,
the very workings of the body
53
00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:51,200
consciousness.
It recasts them into the light
54
00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:55,760
and power of truth and illumines
their knowledge and their
55
00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:58,120
ignorance.
End Quote.
56
00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:03,600
Reference Srioro Bindu and the
Mother Powers within, Chapter
57
00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:07,720
21.
Intuition, page 162.
00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:04,360
A major concern for those who
are desirous of shifting from
2
00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:08,880
the mental to the intuitional
consciousness definitely lies in
3
00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:12,640
the transition.
How that is going to work, what
4
00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:17,640
the role of the mind, if any, is
in this transition, and how the
5
00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:21,080
consciousness will function as
it shifts to reliance on the
6
00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:25,680
intuitional capacities.
There is a definite anxiety
7
00:00:26,080 --> 00:00:30,360
about discontinuing reliance on
the mental power which is built
8
00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:33,120
up and carried the individual
through their development.
9
00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:37,640
In the beginning, then, it is
not uncommon to see something of
10
00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:42,080
a hybrid approach, where the
intuition begins to flow but
11
00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:46,880
gets commandeered, modified by,
and adjusted to fit into the
12
00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:51,640
forms of mental consciousness
and exercise of the mental will.
13
00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:57,120
If the seeker is able to move
beyond this interim approach and
14
00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:02,320
begin to rely more completely on
the intuition, he may find, as
15
00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:06,800
Sri Orobindo describes, that the
intuitional power can actually
16
00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:12,120
replicate, but at an advanced
and more powerful level, the
17
00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:16,960
mental functionality.
In fairness, it is a totally
18
00:01:16,960 --> 00:01:19,760
different type of activity that
the seeker must become
19
00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:24,720
accustomed to by quieting the
mind, receiving the intuitive
20
00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:29,280
understanding and not garbling
or watering it down.
21
00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:33,960
All this without creating
distortions or
22
00:01:33,960 --> 00:01:37,560
misinterpretations through the
mental translation that can
23
00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:40,160
dramatically change what is
being received.
24
00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:47,040
The intuition itself also, as
Sri Aurobindo notes, is capable
25
00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:51,280
of this type of discrimination
and understanding, so it can be
26
00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:55,280
a self correcting mechanism once
it becomes operative.
27
00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:02,120
Sriorbindo observes quote.
Intuition has a fourfold power,
28
00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:07,720
A power of revelatory truth
seeing, a power of inspiration
29
00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:11,640
or truth hearing.
A power of truth, touch or
30
00:02:11,640 --> 00:02:15,320
immediate seizing of
significance which is akin to
31
00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:18,280
the ordinary nature of its
intervention in our mental
32
00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:22,120
intelligence.
A power of true and automatic
33
00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:26,880
discrimination, of the orderly
and exact relation of truth to
34
00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:30,240
truth.
These are the fourfold potencies
35
00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:34,160
of intuition.
Intuition can therefore perform
36
00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:38,040
all the action of reason,
including the function of
37
00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:42,160
logical intelligence, which is
to work out the right relation
38
00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:46,160
of things and the right relation
of idea with idea.
39
00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:52,040
But by its own superior process
and with steps that do not fail
40
00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:56,520
or falter, it takes up also and
transforms into its own
41
00:02:56,520 --> 00:03:01,800
substance not only the mind of
thought, but the heart and life
42
00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:04,800
and the sense and physical
consciousness.
43
00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,680
Already all these have their own
peculiar powers of intuition,
44
00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:11,960
derivative from the hidden
light.
45
00:03:12,920 --> 00:03:16,560
The pure power descending from
above can assume them all into
46
00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:21,320
itself, and impart to these
deeper heart perceptions and
47
00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:25,600
life perceptions and the
divinations of the body a
48
00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,040
greater integrality and
perfection.
49
00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:33,040
It can thus change the whole
consciousness into the stuff of
50
00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:37,320
intuition, for it brings its own
greater radiant movement into
51
00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:43,200
the will, into the feelings and
emotions, the life impulses, the
52
00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:47,680
action of sense and sensation,
the very workings of the body
53
00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:51,200
consciousness.
It recasts them into the light
54
00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:55,760
and power of truth and illumines
their knowledge and their
55
00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:58,120
ignorance.
End Quote.
56
00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:03,600
Reference Srioro Bindu and the
Mother Powers within, Chapter
57
00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:07,720
21.
Intuition, page 162.