The Limiting and Diluting Effect of the External Instruments on the Intimations of the Soul

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During the evolutionary
development of the ascending

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powers of consciousness, the
action of the soul is to provide

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an influence from behind, while
the primary attention is fixated

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on the needed development of the
powers of the external being,

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body, life and mind.
This severely limits the direct

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action of the soul until
everything is readied.

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There are, however, additional
factors which both limit and

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distort the soul's action in the
external being.

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One of these is the inability of
the outer instruments to fully

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and completely express the
soul's intimations in a pure and

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unmodified way.
The outer instruments of body,

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life and mind act somewhat like
a step down transformer that

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takes the potential high power
energetic action of the soul,

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runs it through their limited
capabilities, and without a

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clear recognition of the source
of the soul's pressures, try to

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fit them into the natural
inclinations of the respective

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instruments.
This leads to a watering down

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effect of the soul's power to
achieve its aims in the external

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nature, and even a distorting
effect when, for instance, vital

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passions are substituted and
palmed off as soul expressions.

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When the soul's pressure is Co
opted to fulfil goals of the

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external ego personality, it is
easy for the individual to lose

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the clarity of what actually
constitutes the expression of

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the soul, Shriorobindo writes
quote.

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But this psychic influence or
action does not come up to the

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surface quite pure, or does not
remain distinct in its purity.

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If it did, we would be able to
distinguish clearly the sole

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element in US and follow
consciously and fully.

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Its dictates an occult, mental
and vital and subtle physical

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action, intervenes, mixes with
it, tries to use it and turn it

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to its own prophet, dwarfs.
Its divinity distorts or

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diminishes, its self-expression,
even causes it to deviate and

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stumble, or stains it with the
impurity, smallness, and error

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of mind, life, and body.
After it reaches the surface

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thus alloyed and diminished, it
is taken hold of by the surface

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nature in an obscure reception
and ignorant formation, And

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there is, or can be by this
cause a still further deviation

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and mixture.
A twist is given, a wrong

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direction, is imparted, a wrong
application, a wrong formation,

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an erroneous result of what is
in itself pure stuff and action

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of our spiritual being.
A formation of consciousness is

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accordingly made, which is a
mixture of the psychic influence

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and its intimations, jumbled
with mental ideas and opinions,

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vital desires and urges,
habitual physical tendencies.

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They're coalesced too, with the
obscured soul influence, the

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ignorant, the well-intentioned
efforts of these external parts

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towards a higher direction, a
mental ideation of a very mixed

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character, often obscure even in
its idealism, sometimes even

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disastrously mistaken.
A fervor and passion of the

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emotional being throwing up its
spray and foam of feelings,

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sentiments, sentimentalisms, a
dynamic enthusiasm of the life

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parts, eager responses of the
physical, the thrills and

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excitements of nerve and body.
All these influences coalesce in

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a composite formation which is
frequently taken as the soul,

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and it's mixed and confused.
Action for the soul Stir for a

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psychic development in action or
a realized inner influence.

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The psychic entity is itself
free from stain or mixture, but

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what comes up from it is not
protected by that immunity.

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Therefore, this confusion
becomes possible.

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End Quote Reference Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother, The

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Hidden Forces of Life, Chapter
2, Hidden Forces within pages 47

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to 48.