Aug. 27, 2025
The Power of Rejection in Gaining Mastery Over the Nature
reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 5, Attitudes on the Path, pp. 157-158
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/08/25/the-power-of-rejection-in-gaining-mastery-over-the-nature/
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
00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:04,400
Operant conditioning is a
phenomenon identified in Western
2
00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:09,480
psychology by BF Skinner.
His experiments showed that by
3
00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:13,160
the results of carrying out
specific actions, they can
4
00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:17,280
either be encouraged through
positive reinforcement or
5
00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,880
discouraged through negative
reinforcement.
6
00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:24,200
One of the principles he
elicited in his experiments was
7
00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:26,920
the impact of the reinforcement
over time.
8
00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:30,960
Experiments showed that by
removing any positive
9
00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:36,000
reinforcement, certain behaviors
would weaken and fade out over
10
00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,240
time.
Consistent reinforcement led to
11
00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:42,360
patterns, habits, and embedded
actions.
12
00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:47,280
Occasional reinforcement,
however, also continued the
13
00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:52,400
pattern as an expectation built
up that next time the positive
14
00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,760
reinforcement could come.
This principle works in gambling
15
00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:00,680
with what are known as one armed
bandits slot machines.
16
00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,239
People get small winnings
occasionally, which leads them
17
00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:06,760
to continue putting their money
into the machine.
18
00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:11,320
The longer they play and the
more small winnings they get
19
00:01:11,320 --> 00:01:15,920
along the way, the more they
expect a major jackpot to occur.
20
00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:20,560
Of course, the machinery is set
up to make such major jackpots
21
00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:25,400
extremely rare, and thus there
is a huge advantage to the
22
00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:28,080
machine over the human playing
the machine.
23
00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:33,960
If we apply this knowledge to
our individual being and our
24
00:01:33,960 --> 00:01:37,520
attempt to control and gain
mastery over our external
25
00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:41,760
nature, we can easily see that
the advice provided by the
26
00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:46,320
mother is an accurate portrayal
of what it actually takes to
27
00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:51,120
succeed in the task.
The rejection of attention, the
28
00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:55,960
rejection of any manifestation
of these forces is the only way
29
00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:58,960
to eliminate them from the
nature entirely.
30
00:01:59,880 --> 00:02:05,040
Even occasional indulgence leads
to a long and arduous process of
31
00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:09,039
continuance of the movements
that the seeker desires to
32
00:02:09,039 --> 00:02:13,320
overcome.
The methods of rejection may
33
00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:18,600
include negative approaches such
as direct refusal, discipline or
34
00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:23,760
denial of various sorts, as well
as positive approaches that turn
35
00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,800
the attention elsewhere to focus
on the positive thoughts,
36
00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:32,760
feelings, emotions, etcetera
that eventually are intended to
37
00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:35,680
replace those former movements
and activities.
38
00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:41,640
Just as Western psychology has
discovered, the human instrument
39
00:02:41,640 --> 00:02:46,720
can be modified, trained if you
will, to adapt to new conditions
40
00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:49,520
and carry out new types of
behaviors.
41
00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:55,160
Yoga is, as Shrioro Bindo has
noted, a form of applied
42
00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,720
psychology.
While yogic psychology is
43
00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:03,000
clearly much more developed and
advanced with understanding
44
00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,440
based on at least several 1000
years of efforts, it is useful
45
00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:11,880
to note where Western psychology
is beginning to recognize these
46
00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:16,040
things, particularly for those
who are accustomed to seeing
47
00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:21,320
things in Western terms.
The mother writes quote.
48
00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:26,680
If you do not accept certain
movements, then naturally when
49
00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:30,320
they find that they can't
manifest, gradually they
50
00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:32,640
diminish in force and stop
occurring.
51
00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:37,320
If you refuse to express
everything that is of a lower
52
00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:42,440
kind, little by little the very
thing disappears and the
53
00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,280
consciousness is emptied of
lower things.
54
00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:51,760
It is by refusing to give
expression I mean not only in
55
00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:55,400
action but also in thought, in
feeling.
56
00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:02,040
When impulses, thoughts,
emotions come, if you refuse to
57
00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:07,640
express them, if you push them
aside and remain in a state of
58
00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:13,600
inner aspiration and calm, then
gradually they lose their force
59
00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:17,760
and stop coming.
So the consciousness is emptied
60
00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:22,000
of its lower movements.
But, for instance, when
61
00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:26,000
undesirable thoughts come, if
you look at them, observe them,
62
00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:28,760
if you take pleasure in
following them in their
63
00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:31,640
movements, they will never stop
coming.
64
00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:35,560
It is the same thing when you
have undesirable feelings or
65
00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:39,080
sensations.
If you pay attention to them,
66
00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:43,280
concentrate on them or even look
at them with a certain
67
00:04:43,280 --> 00:04:46,120
indulgence, they will never
stop.
68
00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:52,760
But if you absolutely refuse to
receive and express them, after
69
00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:57,360
some time they stop.
You must be patient and very
70
00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:01,240
persistent in a great
aspiration.
71
00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:05,120
If you can put yourself into
contact with something higher,
72
00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:10,120
some influence of your psychic
being or some light from above,
73
00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:14,080
and if you can manage to put
this in touch with these lower
74
00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:18,120
movements, naturally they stop
more quickly.
75
00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:23,000
But before even being able to
draw these things by aspiration,
76
00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:26,160
you can already stop those
movements from finding
77
00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:30,840
expression in you by a very
persistent and patient refusal.
78
00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:36,400
When thoughts which you do not
like come, if you just brush
79
00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:40,960
them away and do not pay them
any attention at all, after some
80
00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:45,880
time they won't come any longer.
But you must do this very
81
00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:50,000
persistently and regularly.
End Quote.
82
00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:53,760
Reference.
Srioro Bindu and the Mother
83
00:05:53,840 --> 00:06:00,400
Looking from Within, Chapter 5.
Attitudes on the Path, pages 157
84
00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:01,600
to 158.
00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:04,400
Operant conditioning is a
phenomenon identified in Western
2
00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:09,480
psychology by BF Skinner.
His experiments showed that by
3
00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:13,160
the results of carrying out
specific actions, they can
4
00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:17,280
either be encouraged through
positive reinforcement or
5
00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,880
discouraged through negative
reinforcement.
6
00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:24,200
One of the principles he
elicited in his experiments was
7
00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:26,920
the impact of the reinforcement
over time.
8
00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:30,960
Experiments showed that by
removing any positive
9
00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:36,000
reinforcement, certain behaviors
would weaken and fade out over
10
00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,240
time.
Consistent reinforcement led to
11
00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:42,360
patterns, habits, and embedded
actions.
12
00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:47,280
Occasional reinforcement,
however, also continued the
13
00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:52,400
pattern as an expectation built
up that next time the positive
14
00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,760
reinforcement could come.
This principle works in gambling
15
00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:00,680
with what are known as one armed
bandits slot machines.
16
00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,239
People get small winnings
occasionally, which leads them
17
00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:06,760
to continue putting their money
into the machine.
18
00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:11,320
The longer they play and the
more small winnings they get
19
00:01:11,320 --> 00:01:15,920
along the way, the more they
expect a major jackpot to occur.
20
00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:20,560
Of course, the machinery is set
up to make such major jackpots
21
00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:25,400
extremely rare, and thus there
is a huge advantage to the
22
00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:28,080
machine over the human playing
the machine.
23
00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:33,960
If we apply this knowledge to
our individual being and our
24
00:01:33,960 --> 00:01:37,520
attempt to control and gain
mastery over our external
25
00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:41,760
nature, we can easily see that
the advice provided by the
26
00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:46,320
mother is an accurate portrayal
of what it actually takes to
27
00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:51,120
succeed in the task.
The rejection of attention, the
28
00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:55,960
rejection of any manifestation
of these forces is the only way
29
00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:58,960
to eliminate them from the
nature entirely.
30
00:01:59,880 --> 00:02:05,040
Even occasional indulgence leads
to a long and arduous process of
31
00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:09,039
continuance of the movements
that the seeker desires to
32
00:02:09,039 --> 00:02:13,320
overcome.
The methods of rejection may
33
00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:18,600
include negative approaches such
as direct refusal, discipline or
34
00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:23,760
denial of various sorts, as well
as positive approaches that turn
35
00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,800
the attention elsewhere to focus
on the positive thoughts,
36
00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:32,760
feelings, emotions, etcetera
that eventually are intended to
37
00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:35,680
replace those former movements
and activities.
38
00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:41,640
Just as Western psychology has
discovered, the human instrument
39
00:02:41,640 --> 00:02:46,720
can be modified, trained if you
will, to adapt to new conditions
40
00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:49,520
and carry out new types of
behaviors.
41
00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:55,160
Yoga is, as Shrioro Bindo has
noted, a form of applied
42
00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,720
psychology.
While yogic psychology is
43
00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:03,000
clearly much more developed and
advanced with understanding
44
00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,440
based on at least several 1000
years of efforts, it is useful
45
00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:11,880
to note where Western psychology
is beginning to recognize these
46
00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:16,040
things, particularly for those
who are accustomed to seeing
47
00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:21,320
things in Western terms.
The mother writes quote.
48
00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:26,680
If you do not accept certain
movements, then naturally when
49
00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:30,320
they find that they can't
manifest, gradually they
50
00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:32,640
diminish in force and stop
occurring.
51
00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:37,320
If you refuse to express
everything that is of a lower
52
00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:42,440
kind, little by little the very
thing disappears and the
53
00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,280
consciousness is emptied of
lower things.
54
00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:51,760
It is by refusing to give
expression I mean not only in
55
00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:55,400
action but also in thought, in
feeling.
56
00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:02,040
When impulses, thoughts,
emotions come, if you refuse to
57
00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:07,640
express them, if you push them
aside and remain in a state of
58
00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:13,600
inner aspiration and calm, then
gradually they lose their force
59
00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:17,760
and stop coming.
So the consciousness is emptied
60
00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:22,000
of its lower movements.
But, for instance, when
61
00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:26,000
undesirable thoughts come, if
you look at them, observe them,
62
00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:28,760
if you take pleasure in
following them in their
63
00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:31,640
movements, they will never stop
coming.
64
00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:35,560
It is the same thing when you
have undesirable feelings or
65
00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:39,080
sensations.
If you pay attention to them,
66
00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:43,280
concentrate on them or even look
at them with a certain
67
00:04:43,280 --> 00:04:46,120
indulgence, they will never
stop.
68
00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:52,760
But if you absolutely refuse to
receive and express them, after
69
00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:57,360
some time they stop.
You must be patient and very
70
00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:01,240
persistent in a great
aspiration.
71
00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:05,120
If you can put yourself into
contact with something higher,
72
00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:10,120
some influence of your psychic
being or some light from above,
73
00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:14,080
and if you can manage to put
this in touch with these lower
74
00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:18,120
movements, naturally they stop
more quickly.
75
00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:23,000
But before even being able to
draw these things by aspiration,
76
00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:26,160
you can already stop those
movements from finding
77
00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:30,840
expression in you by a very
persistent and patient refusal.
78
00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:36,400
When thoughts which you do not
like come, if you just brush
79
00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:40,960
them away and do not pay them
any attention at all, after some
80
00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:45,880
time they won't come any longer.
But you must do this very
81
00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:50,000
persistently and regularly.
End Quote.
82
00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:53,760
Reference.
Srioro Bindu and the Mother
83
00:05:53,840 --> 00:06:00,400
Looking from Within, Chapter 5.
Attitudes on the Path, pages 157
84
00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:01,600
to 158.
