Sept. 2, 2025
The Initial Liberation of the Mental Being from Servitude to the Physical Body
reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 5, Attitudes on the Path, pp. 163-164This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/08/31/the-initial-liberation-of-the-mental-being-from-servitude-to-the-physical-body/
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
1
00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:04,360
We can learn much from the quite
commonly related phenomenon
2
00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:06,720
called the out of body
experience.
3
00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:10,960
Many people have had such an
experience where they resided in
4
00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:15,400
their awareness outside the
body, in some cases from above
5
00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:20,320
the body, and from that vantage
point could observe the body as
6
00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,880
different and separated from the
awareness with which they
7
00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:27,680
identified.
Many of these cases occur during
8
00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:31,720
traumatic events such as an
accident or an extreme onset of
9
00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:34,880
an illness.
The observing consciousness does
10
00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:38,640
not experience the trauma or
pain of the body as its own.
11
00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:44,160
Rather, it is detached and free
from that identification that
12
00:00:44,160 --> 00:00:47,360
bears the burden of the
suffering the body is undergoing
13
00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:51,280
during that trauma.
When the awareness returns to
14
00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:55,480
the body, the individual is able
to recount what others were
15
00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:59,360
doing to try to aid the body and
help it survive and recover.
16
00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:05,239
It is clear from such accounts
that the body is not the eye
17
00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,480
that we otherwise are trained to
associate with our
18
00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:13,480
individuality.
Of course, the awareness, once
19
00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:17,880
it exits its temporary home in
the body, can travel to distant
20
00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:22,760
areas and view things far away.
It is, however, easier for
21
00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:27,480
skeptics to call this a case of
imagination or dream than those
22
00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:31,520
instances that involve the
awareness nearby and able to
23
00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:37,960
relate specific circumstances.
Under trauma scenarios, the body
24
00:01:37,960 --> 00:01:41,040
acts as a vehicle and Nexus for
the consciousness in the
25
00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:45,160
external world, but the
consciousness is not ultimately
26
00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:49,200
bound to the body.
This also has implications for
27
00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,400
the status of consciousness
after the death of the body.
28
00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:57,080
Understanding that the conscious
awareness can move outside the
29
00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:02,160
body, independent from the body
during life, it clarifies the
30
00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:07,080
transcendence of death by that
same consciousness when the body
31
00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:10,880
has completed its usefulness and
is being discarded.
32
00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:16,040
Once we recognize this inherent
separation of the consciousness
33
00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:20,200
from the physical form, it is a
much simpler matter to realize
34
00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:24,600
that even when the awareness has
positioned itself in the body,
35
00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:29,640
it still remains separate and
distinct, and the only thing
36
00:02:29,640 --> 00:02:33,000
that has changed is the
experience of its current
37
00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,960
location.
What is possible under extreme
38
00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,120
and uncontrolled circumstances
can be made possible through
39
00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,480
concentration and repeated
conscious effort.
40
00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:48,240
It is thus feasible to position
oneself in the mental awareness
41
00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:53,360
and experience the body as
something separate and distinct,
42
00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:59,880
Srioro Bindo writes quote.
Secondly, with regard to the
43
00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:04,000
movements and experiences of the
body, the mind will come to know
44
00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:08,160
the pirusha seated within it,
as, first, the witness or
45
00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:12,440
observer of the movements, and
secondly, the knower or
46
00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:17,440
perceiver of the experiences.
It will cease to consider in
47
00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:22,800
thought or feel in sensation
these movements and experiences
48
00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:28,320
as its own, but rather consider
and feel them as not its own, as
49
00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:32,720
operations of nature governed by
the qualities of nature and
50
00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:34,760
their interaction upon each
other.
51
00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:40,960
This detachment can be made so
normal and carried so far that
52
00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:45,040
there will be a kind of division
between the mind and the body,
53
00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:51,040
and the former will observe and
experience the hunger, thirst,
54
00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:57,440
pain, fatigue, depression, et
cetera, of the physical being as
55
00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:01,760
if they were experiences of some
other person with whom it has so
56
00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:06,320
close a rapport as to be aware
of all that is going on within
57
00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:09,760
him.
This division is a great means,
58
00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:14,800
a great step towards mastery,
for the mind comes to observe
59
00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:20,079
these things first without being
overpowered, and finally without
60
00:04:20,079 --> 00:04:24,760
being at all affected by them
dispassionately, with clear
61
00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:28,000
understanding, but with perfect
detachment.
62
00:04:28,840 --> 00:04:31,800
This is the initial liberation
of the mental being from
63
00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:37,040
servitude to the body, for by
right knowledge put steadily
64
00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:41,600
into practice, liberation comes
inevitably.
65
00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:46,720
End Quote.
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
66
00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:51,200
Mother, Looking from Within,
Chapter 5, Attitudes on the
67
00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:55,200
Path, pages 163 to 164.
00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:04,360
We can learn much from the quite
commonly related phenomenon
2
00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:06,720
called the out of body
experience.
3
00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:10,960
Many people have had such an
experience where they resided in
4
00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:15,400
their awareness outside the
body, in some cases from above
5
00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:20,320
the body, and from that vantage
point could observe the body as
6
00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,880
different and separated from the
awareness with which they
7
00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:27,680
identified.
Many of these cases occur during
8
00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:31,720
traumatic events such as an
accident or an extreme onset of
9
00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:34,880
an illness.
The observing consciousness does
10
00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:38,640
not experience the trauma or
pain of the body as its own.
11
00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:44,160
Rather, it is detached and free
from that identification that
12
00:00:44,160 --> 00:00:47,360
bears the burden of the
suffering the body is undergoing
13
00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:51,280
during that trauma.
When the awareness returns to
14
00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:55,480
the body, the individual is able
to recount what others were
15
00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:59,360
doing to try to aid the body and
help it survive and recover.
16
00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:05,239
It is clear from such accounts
that the body is not the eye
17
00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,480
that we otherwise are trained to
associate with our
18
00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:13,480
individuality.
Of course, the awareness, once
19
00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:17,880
it exits its temporary home in
the body, can travel to distant
20
00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:22,760
areas and view things far away.
It is, however, easier for
21
00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:27,480
skeptics to call this a case of
imagination or dream than those
22
00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:31,520
instances that involve the
awareness nearby and able to
23
00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:37,960
relate specific circumstances.
Under trauma scenarios, the body
24
00:01:37,960 --> 00:01:41,040
acts as a vehicle and Nexus for
the consciousness in the
25
00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:45,160
external world, but the
consciousness is not ultimately
26
00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:49,200
bound to the body.
This also has implications for
27
00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,400
the status of consciousness
after the death of the body.
28
00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:57,080
Understanding that the conscious
awareness can move outside the
29
00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:02,160
body, independent from the body
during life, it clarifies the
30
00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:07,080
transcendence of death by that
same consciousness when the body
31
00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:10,880
has completed its usefulness and
is being discarded.
32
00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:16,040
Once we recognize this inherent
separation of the consciousness
33
00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:20,200
from the physical form, it is a
much simpler matter to realize
34
00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:24,600
that even when the awareness has
positioned itself in the body,
35
00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:29,640
it still remains separate and
distinct, and the only thing
36
00:02:29,640 --> 00:02:33,000
that has changed is the
experience of its current
37
00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,960
location.
What is possible under extreme
38
00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,120
and uncontrolled circumstances
can be made possible through
39
00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,480
concentration and repeated
conscious effort.
40
00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:48,240
It is thus feasible to position
oneself in the mental awareness
41
00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:53,360
and experience the body as
something separate and distinct,
42
00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:59,880
Srioro Bindo writes quote.
Secondly, with regard to the
43
00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:04,000
movements and experiences of the
body, the mind will come to know
44
00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:08,160
the pirusha seated within it,
as, first, the witness or
45
00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:12,440
observer of the movements, and
secondly, the knower or
46
00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:17,440
perceiver of the experiences.
It will cease to consider in
47
00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:22,800
thought or feel in sensation
these movements and experiences
48
00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:28,320
as its own, but rather consider
and feel them as not its own, as
49
00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:32,720
operations of nature governed by
the qualities of nature and
50
00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:34,760
their interaction upon each
other.
51
00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:40,960
This detachment can be made so
normal and carried so far that
52
00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:45,040
there will be a kind of division
between the mind and the body,
53
00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:51,040
and the former will observe and
experience the hunger, thirst,
54
00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:57,440
pain, fatigue, depression, et
cetera, of the physical being as
55
00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:01,760
if they were experiences of some
other person with whom it has so
56
00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:06,320
close a rapport as to be aware
of all that is going on within
57
00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:09,760
him.
This division is a great means,
58
00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:14,800
a great step towards mastery,
for the mind comes to observe
59
00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:20,079
these things first without being
overpowered, and finally without
60
00:04:20,079 --> 00:04:24,760
being at all affected by them
dispassionately, with clear
61
00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:28,000
understanding, but with perfect
detachment.
62
00:04:28,840 --> 00:04:31,800
This is the initial liberation
of the mental being from
63
00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:37,040
servitude to the body, for by
right knowledge put steadily
64
00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:41,600
into practice, liberation comes
inevitably.
65
00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:46,720
End Quote.
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
66
00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:51,200
Mother, Looking from Within,
Chapter 5, Attitudes on the
67
00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:55,200
Path, pages 163 to 164.
