June 19, 2024
The Occult Action and Power of Vital Beings and Forces in Human Activities and Institutions
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Hidden Forces of Life, Ch. 5 Occult Forces, pp. 118-119 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/06/15/the-occult-action-and-power-of-vital-beings-and-forces-in-human-activities-and-institutions/
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
00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:05,000
For the most part, people live
on the surface of their being
2
00:00:05,560 --> 00:00:09,400
and do not see into the occult
or hidden beings and forces that
3
00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:15,160
exist and act upon them unseen,
invisible, and essentially
4
00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:18,640
unregarded.
Many things that occur in the
5
00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:21,600
world are hard to explain
without an understanding of the
6
00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:25,640
occult forces at work.
Western medicine made a great
7
00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:29,080
progress when it finally opened
up to the action of invisible
8
00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:33,320
entities and forces that are
causative factors in disease.
9
00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:39,080
Consider that the widespread and
deadly disease we call malaria
10
00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:43,760
was originally thought to be
caused by the bad air in certain
11
00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:48,040
locales, hence the name malaria
or bad air.
12
00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:53,480
In fact, Western medicine was
able to identify that malaria is
13
00:00:53,480 --> 00:00:57,720
actually caused by a single cell
parasite called Plasmodium,
14
00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:01,400
which is transmitted through the
bite of certain mosquitoes.
15
00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:06,360
Once the vector and the cause
were understood, invisible to
16
00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:10,680
the normal surface vision, steps
could be taken to mitigate the
17
00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:13,920
spread of the disease through
vector control, et cetera.
18
00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:19,480
As long as the cause of malaria
was unknown, it was subject to
19
00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:23,960
the development of superstition
based on unwarranted assumptions
20
00:01:24,320 --> 00:01:28,560
based on what we take for
knowledge when we are limited to
21
00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:33,360
the surface view of things.
This is not an isolated example,
22
00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:37,200
but an indicator of how things
occur in all areas of our lives,
23
00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:41,520
including in our religious
institutions and practices.
24
00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:45,600
We do not see the forces and
beings that actually either
25
00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:50,600
erect or at least take advantage
of the institutions within which
26
00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:55,560
we bring and express our fears,
regrets, desires, and
27
00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,000
impulsions.
These vital beings are also very
28
00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:03,120
conscious about where and how
they can best feed off of human
29
00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:07,680
emotions and energetic
expression, and thus they tend
30
00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:12,240
to congregate and in some cases
even actively manage what takes
31
00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:15,360
place in these places of
worship.
32
00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:20,760
This is not restricted to any
specific religion, but is more
33
00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:24,840
generally operative, just as
sincere consecration and
34
00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:28,400
devotion is not limited to
anyone religion.
35
00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:33,040
The depth of the individual
sincerity is a measure of both
36
00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:36,320
the type of protection the
individual has when entering
37
00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:40,280
into such a vitally charged
environment and the amount and
38
00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,840
type of progress in his
spiritual seeking that he can
39
00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:48,920
obtain even when he undertakes
his practices in what might be
40
00:02:48,920 --> 00:02:53,480
seen as a compromised
environment, the mother
41
00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:54,840
observes.
Quote.
42
00:02:55,640 --> 00:02:57,960
I am sorry, but that's how it
is.
43
00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:00,920
I tell you.
I have deliberately tried this
44
00:03:00,920 --> 00:03:05,760
experiment a little everywhere.
Maybe I found some very tiny
45
00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,840
places, like a tiny village
church at times, where there was
46
00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,440
a very quiet little spot for
meditation.
47
00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:19,160
Very still, very silent where
there was some aspiration, but
48
00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:22,600
this was so rare.
I have seen the beautiful
49
00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:28,560
churches of Italy, magnificent
places They were full of these
50
00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:32,600
vital beings and full of terror.
I remember painting in a
51
00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:37,640
basilica of Venice and while I
was working in the confessional,
52
00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:40,840
a priest was hearing the
confession of a poor woman.
53
00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:43,760
Well, it was truly a frightful
sight.
54
00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:48,160
I don't know what the priest was
like, what his character was.
55
00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:51,840
He could not be seen.
You know, don't you, that they
56
00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:55,360
are not seen.
They are shut up in a box and
57
00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:57,400
received the confession through
a grill.
58
00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:02,400
There was such a dark and
sucking power over him, and that
59
00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:06,280
poor woman was in such a state
of fearful terror that it was
60
00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:10,480
truly painful to see it.
And all these people believe
61
00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:15,200
this is something holy.
But it is a web of the hostile
62
00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:18,040
vital forces which use all this
to feed upon.
63
00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:23,200
Besides, in the invisible world
hardly any beings love to be
64
00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,480
worshipped except those of the
vital.
65
00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:30,960
These, as I said, are quite
pleased by it, and then it gives
66
00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:34,040
them importance.
They are puffed up with pride
67
00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:38,000
and feel very happy, and when
they can get a herd of people to
68
00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:41,040
worship them, they are quite
satisfied.
69
00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:46,720
End Quote Reference Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother, The
70
00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:51,720
Hidden Forces of Life, Chapter
5, Occult Forces, pages 118 to
71
00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:52,560
119.
00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:05,000
For the most part, people live
on the surface of their being
2
00:00:05,560 --> 00:00:09,400
and do not see into the occult
or hidden beings and forces that
3
00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:15,160
exist and act upon them unseen,
invisible, and essentially
4
00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:18,640
unregarded.
Many things that occur in the
5
00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:21,600
world are hard to explain
without an understanding of the
6
00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:25,640
occult forces at work.
Western medicine made a great
7
00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:29,080
progress when it finally opened
up to the action of invisible
8
00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:33,320
entities and forces that are
causative factors in disease.
9
00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:39,080
Consider that the widespread and
deadly disease we call malaria
10
00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:43,760
was originally thought to be
caused by the bad air in certain
11
00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:48,040
locales, hence the name malaria
or bad air.
12
00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:53,480
In fact, Western medicine was
able to identify that malaria is
13
00:00:53,480 --> 00:00:57,720
actually caused by a single cell
parasite called Plasmodium,
14
00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:01,400
which is transmitted through the
bite of certain mosquitoes.
15
00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:06,360
Once the vector and the cause
were understood, invisible to
16
00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:10,680
the normal surface vision, steps
could be taken to mitigate the
17
00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:13,920
spread of the disease through
vector control, et cetera.
18
00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:19,480
As long as the cause of malaria
was unknown, it was subject to
19
00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:23,960
the development of superstition
based on unwarranted assumptions
20
00:01:24,320 --> 00:01:28,560
based on what we take for
knowledge when we are limited to
21
00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:33,360
the surface view of things.
This is not an isolated example,
22
00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:37,200
but an indicator of how things
occur in all areas of our lives,
23
00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:41,520
including in our religious
institutions and practices.
24
00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:45,600
We do not see the forces and
beings that actually either
25
00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:50,600
erect or at least take advantage
of the institutions within which
26
00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:55,560
we bring and express our fears,
regrets, desires, and
27
00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,000
impulsions.
These vital beings are also very
28
00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:03,120
conscious about where and how
they can best feed off of human
29
00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:07,680
emotions and energetic
expression, and thus they tend
30
00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:12,240
to congregate and in some cases
even actively manage what takes
31
00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:15,360
place in these places of
worship.
32
00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:20,760
This is not restricted to any
specific religion, but is more
33
00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:24,840
generally operative, just as
sincere consecration and
34
00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:28,400
devotion is not limited to
anyone religion.
35
00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:33,040
The depth of the individual
sincerity is a measure of both
36
00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:36,320
the type of protection the
individual has when entering
37
00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:40,280
into such a vitally charged
environment and the amount and
38
00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,840
type of progress in his
spiritual seeking that he can
39
00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:48,920
obtain even when he undertakes
his practices in what might be
40
00:02:48,920 --> 00:02:53,480
seen as a compromised
environment, the mother
41
00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:54,840
observes.
Quote.
42
00:02:55,640 --> 00:02:57,960
I am sorry, but that's how it
is.
43
00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:00,920
I tell you.
I have deliberately tried this
44
00:03:00,920 --> 00:03:05,760
experiment a little everywhere.
Maybe I found some very tiny
45
00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,840
places, like a tiny village
church at times, where there was
46
00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,440
a very quiet little spot for
meditation.
47
00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:19,160
Very still, very silent where
there was some aspiration, but
48
00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:22,600
this was so rare.
I have seen the beautiful
49
00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:28,560
churches of Italy, magnificent
places They were full of these
50
00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:32,600
vital beings and full of terror.
I remember painting in a
51
00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:37,640
basilica of Venice and while I
was working in the confessional,
52
00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:40,840
a priest was hearing the
confession of a poor woman.
53
00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:43,760
Well, it was truly a frightful
sight.
54
00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:48,160
I don't know what the priest was
like, what his character was.
55
00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:51,840
He could not be seen.
You know, don't you, that they
56
00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:55,360
are not seen.
They are shut up in a box and
57
00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:57,400
received the confession through
a grill.
58
00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:02,400
There was such a dark and
sucking power over him, and that
59
00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:06,280
poor woman was in such a state
of fearful terror that it was
60
00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:10,480
truly painful to see it.
And all these people believe
61
00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:15,200
this is something holy.
But it is a web of the hostile
62
00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:18,040
vital forces which use all this
to feed upon.
63
00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:23,200
Besides, in the invisible world
hardly any beings love to be
64
00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,480
worshipped except those of the
vital.
65
00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:30,960
These, as I said, are quite
pleased by it, and then it gives
66
00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:34,040
them importance.
They are puffed up with pride
67
00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:38,000
and feel very happy, and when
they can get a herd of people to
68
00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:41,040
worship them, they are quite
satisfied.
69
00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:46,720
End Quote Reference Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother, The
70
00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:51,720
Hidden Forces of Life, Chapter
5, Occult Forces, pages 118 to
71
00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:52,560
119.