Jan. 29, 2026
The Need for Patience and Perseverance to Bring About Evolutionary Change of Consciousness
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 5, Physical Consciousness — Subconscient — Sleep and Dream — Illness, pg. 85This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/01/27/the-need-for-patience-and-perseverance-to-bring-about-evolutionary-change-of-consciousness/
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
#Sri Aurobindo #evolution of consciousness #yoga #integral yoga #spirituality #physical consciousness #transformation of life
1
00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:04,040
It is essential for the
spiritual seeker to maintain his
2
00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:08,200
view of the long term objectives
and the time frames of the
3
00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:12,640
evolution of consciousness in
nature in order for him to avoid
4
00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:17,960
becoming overly anxious about
specific setbacks or delays in
5
00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:22,240
completing transforming the
external physical consciousness.
6
00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:26,920
When an individual takes up the
practice of yoga, he begins to
7
00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:30,960
observe the defects and
limitations of the existing
8
00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:35,800
formulation of not only his own
external being, but of the
9
00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:40,200
external life in general.
If he does not take the path of
10
00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:45,000
abandonment of that life, the
path of the ascetic, but chooses
11
00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:49,160
instead the integral path of
unification of spirit and matter
12
00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,000
and the transformation rather
than the abandonment of the
13
00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:58,000
external life, he finds that the
entire structure of the mental
14
00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:03,240
life, the vital life and the
physical life needs to change.
15
00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,880
Looking back at the history of
the evolution of consciousness
16
00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:12,440
provides needed context for the
daily setbacks and difficulties.
17
00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:16,800
Evolution of a next stage of
consciousness in the world takes
18
00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:22,040
place not overnight, but over
time frames that far exceed our
19
00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:26,760
short human life experience.
The development of life out of
20
00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:31,840
matter took millions of years.
Similarly, the development of
21
00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:36,360
mind out of life itself took a
long time, although this
22
00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:40,520
occurred somewhat faster in
geological time than the prior
23
00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:44,240
stage.
We are now at a threshold of the
24
00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:48,040
evolution of the next phase of
consciousness, a stage which
25
00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:52,840
takes awareness beyond the mind,
which Riorobindo calls the
26
00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:57,400
supermental consciousness.
This phase may proceed more
27
00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:01,680
quickly than the prior stages if
we look at the evolutionary
28
00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:06,400
process, but that does not mean
that all the existing
29
00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:12,440
formulations, habits, instincts,
reactions and responses change
30
00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:16,680
overnight just because a seeker
wants it to happen.
31
00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:22,440
It is with this perspective that
the seeker needs to both carry
32
00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:27,080
out the concentration and focus
needed while at the same time
33
00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:31,200
maintaining the patience and
understanding of the lengthy
34
00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:35,080
process involved and the
persistent efforts needed
35
00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:39,000
constantly to help shepherd
these changes along.
36
00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:44,560
The process is necessarily one
with day-to-day failure acting
37
00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:48,880
as the stepping stone to the
eventual success given the
38
00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:52,480
nature of the process, the
embedded resistance and
39
00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:57,320
conservative principle, and the
time nature requires to fix
40
00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:02,160
definitive changes into the
prior evolved principles so that
41
00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:05,920
they can operate in the new
environment brought about by the
42
00:03:05,920 --> 00:03:10,920
newly evolved powers.
Sri Robindo notes quote.
43
00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:15,080
These variations in the
consciousness during the day are
44
00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:18,320
a thing that is common to almost
everybody in the Sadhna.
45
00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:24,160
The principle of oscillation,
relaxation, relapse to a normal
46
00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:28,720
or a past lower condition from a
higher state that is experienced
47
00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:33,120
but not yet perfectly stable,
becomes very strong and marked
48
00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:36,200
when the working of the sadhna
is in the physical
49
00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:39,320
consciousness.
For there is an inertia in the
50
00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:42,720
physical nature that does not
easily allow the intensity
51
00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:45,840
natural to the higher
consciousness to remain
52
00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:49,080
constant.
The physical is always sinking
53
00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:53,480
back to something more ordinary.
The higher consciousness and its
54
00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:58,120
force have to work long and come
again and again before they can
55
00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:01,640
become constant and normal in
the physical nature.
56
00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:06,240
Do not be disturbed or
discouraged by these variations
57
00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:09,600
or this delay, however long and
tedious.
58
00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:14,600
Remain careful only to be quiet
always with an inner quietude
59
00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:19,880
and as open as possible to the
higher power, not allowing any
60
00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:22,360
really adverse condition to get
hold of you.
61
00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:27,480
If there is no adverse wave,
then the rest is only a
62
00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:31,840
persistence of imperfections
which all have an abundance.
63
00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:36,480
That imperfection and
persistence the force must work
64
00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:41,840
out and eliminate, but for the
elimination time is needed.
65
00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:48,840
End Quote reference Trioro
Window Bases of yoga, Chapter 5.
66
00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:53,400
Physical consciousness,
subconscient sleep and dream
67
00:04:53,840 --> 00:04:56,000
illness.
Page 85.
00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:04,040
It is essential for the
spiritual seeker to maintain his
2
00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:08,200
view of the long term objectives
and the time frames of the
3
00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:12,640
evolution of consciousness in
nature in order for him to avoid
4
00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:17,960
becoming overly anxious about
specific setbacks or delays in
5
00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:22,240
completing transforming the
external physical consciousness.
6
00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:26,920
When an individual takes up the
practice of yoga, he begins to
7
00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:30,960
observe the defects and
limitations of the existing
8
00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:35,800
formulation of not only his own
external being, but of the
9
00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:40,200
external life in general.
If he does not take the path of
10
00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:45,000
abandonment of that life, the
path of the ascetic, but chooses
11
00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:49,160
instead the integral path of
unification of spirit and matter
12
00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,000
and the transformation rather
than the abandonment of the
13
00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:58,000
external life, he finds that the
entire structure of the mental
14
00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:03,240
life, the vital life and the
physical life needs to change.
15
00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,880
Looking back at the history of
the evolution of consciousness
16
00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:12,440
provides needed context for the
daily setbacks and difficulties.
17
00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:16,800
Evolution of a next stage of
consciousness in the world takes
18
00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:22,040
place not overnight, but over
time frames that far exceed our
19
00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:26,760
short human life experience.
The development of life out of
20
00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:31,840
matter took millions of years.
Similarly, the development of
21
00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:36,360
mind out of life itself took a
long time, although this
22
00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:40,520
occurred somewhat faster in
geological time than the prior
23
00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:44,240
stage.
We are now at a threshold of the
24
00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:48,040
evolution of the next phase of
consciousness, a stage which
25
00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:52,840
takes awareness beyond the mind,
which Riorobindo calls the
26
00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:57,400
supermental consciousness.
This phase may proceed more
27
00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:01,680
quickly than the prior stages if
we look at the evolutionary
28
00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:06,400
process, but that does not mean
that all the existing
29
00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:12,440
formulations, habits, instincts,
reactions and responses change
30
00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:16,680
overnight just because a seeker
wants it to happen.
31
00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:22,440
It is with this perspective that
the seeker needs to both carry
32
00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:27,080
out the concentration and focus
needed while at the same time
33
00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:31,200
maintaining the patience and
understanding of the lengthy
34
00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:35,080
process involved and the
persistent efforts needed
35
00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:39,000
constantly to help shepherd
these changes along.
36
00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:44,560
The process is necessarily one
with day-to-day failure acting
37
00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:48,880
as the stepping stone to the
eventual success given the
38
00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:52,480
nature of the process, the
embedded resistance and
39
00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:57,320
conservative principle, and the
time nature requires to fix
40
00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:02,160
definitive changes into the
prior evolved principles so that
41
00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:05,920
they can operate in the new
environment brought about by the
42
00:03:05,920 --> 00:03:10,920
newly evolved powers.
Sri Robindo notes quote.
43
00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:15,080
These variations in the
consciousness during the day are
44
00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:18,320
a thing that is common to almost
everybody in the Sadhna.
45
00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:24,160
The principle of oscillation,
relaxation, relapse to a normal
46
00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:28,720
or a past lower condition from a
higher state that is experienced
47
00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:33,120
but not yet perfectly stable,
becomes very strong and marked
48
00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:36,200
when the working of the sadhna
is in the physical
49
00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:39,320
consciousness.
For there is an inertia in the
50
00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:42,720
physical nature that does not
easily allow the intensity
51
00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:45,840
natural to the higher
consciousness to remain
52
00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:49,080
constant.
The physical is always sinking
53
00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:53,480
back to something more ordinary.
The higher consciousness and its
54
00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:58,120
force have to work long and come
again and again before they can
55
00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:01,640
become constant and normal in
the physical nature.
56
00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:06,240
Do not be disturbed or
discouraged by these variations
57
00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:09,600
or this delay, however long and
tedious.
58
00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:14,600
Remain careful only to be quiet
always with an inner quietude
59
00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:19,880
and as open as possible to the
higher power, not allowing any
60
00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:22,360
really adverse condition to get
hold of you.
61
00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:27,480
If there is no adverse wave,
then the rest is only a
62
00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:31,840
persistence of imperfections
which all have an abundance.
63
00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:36,480
That imperfection and
persistence the force must work
64
00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:41,840
out and eliminate, but for the
elimination time is needed.
65
00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:48,840
End Quote reference Trioro
Window Bases of yoga, Chapter 5.
66
00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:53,400
Physical consciousness,
subconscient sleep and dream
67
00:04:53,840 --> 00:04:56,000
illness.
Page 85.