April 15, 2024
The Power of the Psychic Being
Apple Podcasts 
Spotify 
Amazon Music 
RSS Feed 
Castro 
RadioPublic 
PocketCasts 
YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Hidden Forces of Life, Ch. 2 Hidden Forces Within, pp. 51-52 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/04/13/the-power-of-the-psychic-being/
YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/@santoshkrinsky871
More information about Sri Aurobindo can be found at http://www.aurobindo.net
The US editions and links to e-book editions of Sri Aurobindo’s writings can be found at http://www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:07,000
When most people think of power,
it is within the context of some
2
00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:10,920
overt ability to accomplish
something in the setting of the
3
00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:13,640
external world within which we
live and act.
4
00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:19,760
This may be political power,
economic power, physical power,
5
00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:25,520
moral power, the power to
persuade, the power of an idea,
6
00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:31,080
the power of motivation, whether
through speech, writing, or
7
00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:35,720
through some other medium.
It may be the power to uplift
8
00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:40,720
and inspire, such as the power
of art or music that touches
9
00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:45,600
something in the being.
Because the psychic being works
10
00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:49,400
from behind the scenes and
through influence and guidance
11
00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:54,600
of the body, life, mind complex,
it is hard to define exactly
12
00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:59,840
what power the psychic has, and
this is the thrust of a question
13
00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:01,920
posed to the mother by a
disciple.
14
00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:08,160
The power of the psychic being,
though subtle and unable to be
15
00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:12,360
defined by our external
definitions of power, is a
16
00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:16,120
causative power.
Its role is not the direct
17
00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:20,640
implementation of any particular
line of action in the world, but
18
00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:25,920
to create the sole circumstances
and guide the responses for the
19
00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:31,360
soul's development and use of
its external capacities in the
20
00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:34,080
service of the divine
manifestation to which the
21
00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:38,120
psychic being, through its
direct relation to the divine,
22
00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:43,560
is connected.
The Titeria Upanishad makes the
23
00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,520
point that the gross external
being is the result of the more
24
00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:51,680
subtle planes and powers that
create them, the subtlest of
25
00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:56,200
which is the element of Ananda,
Part of the triune ultimate
26
00:01:56,200 --> 00:02:01,880
reality of Satchidananda, the
power that sets everything in
27
00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:05,680
motion and orders the framework
and development of the universal
28
00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:10,240
creation, is the ultimate, if
often unrecognized, power.
29
00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:15,440
This is not just true in a
universal sense, but even in the
30
00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:17,720
life and development of the
individual.
31
00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:23,760
When the soul has an opportunity
to direct, guide, or impel the
32
00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:29,680
individual along a certain line
of development, the disciple
33
00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:37,360
asks has the psychic any power?
The mother answers quote power.
34
00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,480
It is usually the psychic which
guides the being.
35
00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,360
One knows nothing about it
because one is not conscious of
36
00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,960
it, but usually it is that which
guides the being.
37
00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:53,560
If one is very attentive, one
becomes aware of it, but the
38
00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,440
majority of men haven't the
least idea of it.
39
00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:01,040
For instance, when they have
decided in their outer ignorance
40
00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:05,120
to do something, and instead of
their being able to do it, all
41
00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:09,120
the circumstances are so
organized that they do something
42
00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:13,600
else, they start shouting,
storming, flying into a Rage
43
00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:17,000
Against fate.
Saying that depends on what they
44
00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:21,440
believe, their beliefs that
nature is wicked, or their
45
00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:27,640
destiny baleful, or God unjust,
or no matter what, it depends on
46
00:03:27,640 --> 00:03:32,440
what they believe, while most of
the time it is just the very
47
00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:36,000
circumstance which was most
favourable for their inner
48
00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,840
development.
And naturally, if you ask the
49
00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:43,680
psychic to help you to fashion a
pleasant life for yourself, to
50
00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:47,480
earn money, have children, who
will be the pride of the family,
51
00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:50,920
etcetera.
Well, the psychic will not help
52
00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:55,640
you, but it will create for you
all the circumstances necessary
53
00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,600
to awaken something in you, so
that the need of union with the
54
00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:02,960
divine may be born in your
consciousness.
55
00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:08,360
At times you have made fine
plans and if they had succeeded,
56
00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:12,400
you would have been more or less
encrusted in your outer
57
00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:17,320
ignorance, your stupid little
ambition and your aimless
58
00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:21,240
activity.
Whilst if you receive a good
59
00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:27,200
shock and the post you coveted
is denied to you, the plan you
60
00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:31,920
made is shattered and you find
yourself completely thwarted.
61
00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:37,800
Then sometimes this opposition
opens to you a door on something
62
00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:42,880
truer and deeper, and when you
are a little awake and look
63
00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:50,120
back, if you are in the least
sincere, you say, ah, it wasn't
64
00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:54,520
I who was right.
It was nature, or the divine
65
00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:57,920
grace or my psychic being who
did it.
66
00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,640
It is the psychic being which
organized that.
67
00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:08,240
End Quote Reference Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother, The
68
00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,760
Hidden Forces of Life, Chapter
2.
69
00:05:10,840 --> 00:05:15,200
Hidden Forces within pages 51 to
52.
00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:07,000
When most people think of power,
it is within the context of some
2
00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:10,920
overt ability to accomplish
something in the setting of the
3
00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:13,640
external world within which we
live and act.
4
00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:19,760
This may be political power,
economic power, physical power,
5
00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:25,520
moral power, the power to
persuade, the power of an idea,
6
00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:31,080
the power of motivation, whether
through speech, writing, or
7
00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:35,720
through some other medium.
It may be the power to uplift
8
00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:40,720
and inspire, such as the power
of art or music that touches
9
00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:45,600
something in the being.
Because the psychic being works
10
00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:49,400
from behind the scenes and
through influence and guidance
11
00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:54,600
of the body, life, mind complex,
it is hard to define exactly
12
00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:59,840
what power the psychic has, and
this is the thrust of a question
13
00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:01,920
posed to the mother by a
disciple.
14
00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:08,160
The power of the psychic being,
though subtle and unable to be
15
00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:12,360
defined by our external
definitions of power, is a
16
00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:16,120
causative power.
Its role is not the direct
17
00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:20,640
implementation of any particular
line of action in the world, but
18
00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:25,920
to create the sole circumstances
and guide the responses for the
19
00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:31,360
soul's development and use of
its external capacities in the
20
00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:34,080
service of the divine
manifestation to which the
21
00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:38,120
psychic being, through its
direct relation to the divine,
22
00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:43,560
is connected.
The Titeria Upanishad makes the
23
00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,520
point that the gross external
being is the result of the more
24
00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:51,680
subtle planes and powers that
create them, the subtlest of
25
00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:56,200
which is the element of Ananda,
Part of the triune ultimate
26
00:01:56,200 --> 00:02:01,880
reality of Satchidananda, the
power that sets everything in
27
00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:05,680
motion and orders the framework
and development of the universal
28
00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:10,240
creation, is the ultimate, if
often unrecognized, power.
29
00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:15,440
This is not just true in a
universal sense, but even in the
30
00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:17,720
life and development of the
individual.
31
00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:23,760
When the soul has an opportunity
to direct, guide, or impel the
32
00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:29,680
individual along a certain line
of development, the disciple
33
00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:37,360
asks has the psychic any power?
The mother answers quote power.
34
00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,480
It is usually the psychic which
guides the being.
35
00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,360
One knows nothing about it
because one is not conscious of
36
00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,960
it, but usually it is that which
guides the being.
37
00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:53,560
If one is very attentive, one
becomes aware of it, but the
38
00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,440
majority of men haven't the
least idea of it.
39
00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:01,040
For instance, when they have
decided in their outer ignorance
40
00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:05,120
to do something, and instead of
their being able to do it, all
41
00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:09,120
the circumstances are so
organized that they do something
42
00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:13,600
else, they start shouting,
storming, flying into a Rage
43
00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:17,000
Against fate.
Saying that depends on what they
44
00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:21,440
believe, their beliefs that
nature is wicked, or their
45
00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:27,640
destiny baleful, or God unjust,
or no matter what, it depends on
46
00:03:27,640 --> 00:03:32,440
what they believe, while most of
the time it is just the very
47
00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:36,000
circumstance which was most
favourable for their inner
48
00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,840
development.
And naturally, if you ask the
49
00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:43,680
psychic to help you to fashion a
pleasant life for yourself, to
50
00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:47,480
earn money, have children, who
will be the pride of the family,
51
00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:50,920
etcetera.
Well, the psychic will not help
52
00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:55,640
you, but it will create for you
all the circumstances necessary
53
00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,600
to awaken something in you, so
that the need of union with the
54
00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:02,960
divine may be born in your
consciousness.
55
00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:08,360
At times you have made fine
plans and if they had succeeded,
56
00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:12,400
you would have been more or less
encrusted in your outer
57
00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:17,320
ignorance, your stupid little
ambition and your aimless
58
00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:21,240
activity.
Whilst if you receive a good
59
00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:27,200
shock and the post you coveted
is denied to you, the plan you
60
00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:31,920
made is shattered and you find
yourself completely thwarted.
61
00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:37,800
Then sometimes this opposition
opens to you a door on something
62
00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:42,880
truer and deeper, and when you
are a little awake and look
63
00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:50,120
back, if you are in the least
sincere, you say, ah, it wasn't
64
00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:54,520
I who was right.
It was nature, or the divine
65
00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:57,920
grace or my psychic being who
did it.
66
00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,640
It is the psychic being which
organized that.
67
00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:08,240
End Quote Reference Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother, The
68
00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,760
Hidden Forces of Life, Chapter
2.
69
00:05:10,840 --> 00:05:15,200
Hidden Forces within pages 51 to
52.