Feb. 14, 2026
The Practice of Attempted Elimination of Unwanted Vital Movements Through Purposeful Indulgence, Part 1
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 5, Physical Consciousness — Subconscient — Sleep and Dream — Illness, pp. 94-95This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/02/12/the-practice-of-attempted-elimination-of-unwanted-vital-movements-through-purposeful-indulgence-part-1/
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 #yoga #integral yoga #spirituality #vichara #vairagya #anubhava #desire #indulgence #siddhartha
1
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,680
There is a theory current in
various spiritual paths as well
2
00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:08,720
as in various attempts to
overcome certain unwanted
3
00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:13,720
behaviours in the ordinary life,
that by purposeful indulgence
4
00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:19,840
through experience anubhava, the
individual can overcome the
5
00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:25,840
undesired impulse, craving or
desire the ideas that such
6
00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:30,080
indulgence will exhaust the
tendency and thus allow the
7
00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,800
individual to move on from that
drive.
8
00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,800
The overindulgence can create a
form of distaste or rejection,
9
00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:42,880
eventually a detachment from the
impulse viragya.
10
00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,080
There are reported cases of
individuals who reject things
11
00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:49,320
after feeling glutted or
satiated.
12
00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:54,720
This only works, however, if it
leads to a true renunciation and
13
00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:59,840
not just a temporary feeling at
the time of satiation to see the
14
00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:03,600
impulse revive once the energy
rebuilds itself in the being.
15
00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:08,920
The Buddha became satiated with
the luxury and satisfaction of
16
00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:13,200
desires he experienced as a
young pampered Prince.
17
00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:17,520
After he saw the suffering that
people experienced, he
18
00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:21,800
contrasted that with his own
situation, realized that his
19
00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:25,560
life was being artificially
cushioned and walled off from
20
00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:30,880
the truth of human existence,
and at that point his life of
21
00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:35,120
satiation gave way to true
rejection and non attachment.
22
00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:40,040
An offshoot of this approach of
overindulgence is what may be
23
00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:44,760
called a type of inoculation,
whereby someone is introduced to
24
00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:48,080
something that could become
addictive in such a way as to
25
00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:51,400
make them feel sick and
associate that item with the
26
00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,960
sickness, thus steering them
away from doing that in the
27
00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,360
future.
We see this with parents who aid
28
00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:02,480
a young person in smoking or
alcohol with the view to
29
00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:07,680
overindulgence the first time.
In some cases such inoculation
30
00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:12,120
has been seen to be effective,
but in many cases, after the
31
00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:16,560
first experience, peer pressure
may lead the individual to try
32
00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:21,320
again, and then they overcome
the first artificially created
33
00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:25,400
bad experience and actually
become enmeshed in that
34
00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,080
behaviour.
For individuals pressured by
35
00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,640
vital desires and impulses that
they find hard to master,
36
00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:37,520
indulgence is usually not the
solution, as it strengthens the
37
00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:42,400
grooves already built into the
system and makes it easier, not
38
00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:48,360
harder, to continue to indulge.
What may be an occasional
39
00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:52,320
inconvenience, if indulged, may
actually become a deeply
40
00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,520
embedded, repetitive demand of
the vital being.
41
00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,920
The vital has its own methods of
convincing the mind to support
42
00:02:59,920 --> 00:03:04,120
the satisfaction of its desires,
and this is one of the routes it
43
00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:08,760
may take to accomplish that.
Under the guise of dealing with
44
00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:13,320
a particular drive or impulse,
it is secretly enjoying and
45
00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:17,240
strengthening it.
Less dangerous methods include
46
00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:22,320
the practices of Nyana Yoga such
as Vichara discrimination and
47
00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:25,480
application of the higher
understanding to control a vital
48
00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,800
impulse.
This method may be overwhelmed
49
00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:32,560
if the vital Dr. is strong,
deeply embedded and insistent,
50
00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:36,560
and requires then a constant
application of the higher will
51
00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:38,800
to eventually bring it under
management.
52
00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:43,840
Another is to take the impulse
and substitute for it an
53
00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,800
alternative more aligned with
the objective the seeker has
54
00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:51,720
before him.
For example, if an impulse to
55
00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:55,600
eat a snack comes up, the
individual may recognize that he
56
00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,760
should instead take up his daily
exercise routine or sit for
57
00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:03,200
meditation, or focus on
something of interest to him.
58
00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:08,160
This concept of substitution can
be utilized by the higher
59
00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:13,480
aspiration and will to address
any desire, drive or craving
60
00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:17,399
that comes up with an
appropriate alternative chosen.
61
00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:24,360
In his short novel Sidarta,
Hermann Hesse described a seeker
62
00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:28,320
who had not worked out all the
vital drives from his nature and
63
00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:32,000
could not therefore fully adopt
the attitude of non attachment.
64
00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:36,280
He returns to the city after
some attempts at taking up the
65
00:04:36,280 --> 00:04:39,040
ascetic life of the renunciate
in the forest.
66
00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:44,200
There he is enmeshed in the life
of sexual allurement, creation
67
00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:48,680
of wealth, creating a family,
and along the way falls into
68
00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:53,040
various forms of indulgence in
drink and gambling as he
69
00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,480
immerses himself in the ordinary
pursuits of life.
70
00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:01,600
Eventually he experiences a
sense of distaste for all of
71
00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:06,000
this, and his earlier spiritual
leanings bring him to the point
72
00:05:06,280 --> 00:05:10,360
of renouncing that life and
finding peace and fulfillment
73
00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:14,600
through listening to the silent
lessons of the river and the
74
00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:20,280
example of a simple ferryman.
In this case, the question of
75
00:05:20,280 --> 00:05:23,760
working out unfulfilled drives
and desires meant returning to
76
00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:28,280
the ordinary life for a time,
but eventually the spiritual
77
00:05:28,280 --> 00:05:34,800
drive brought him to a place of
contentment and realization, Sri
78
00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:38,960
Orobindo writes quote.
The system of getting rid of
79
00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:43,960
things by Anubhava can also be a
dangerous one, for on this way
80
00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,520
one can easily become more
entangled instead of arriving at
81
00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:50,560
freedom.
This method has behind it two
82
00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:54,880
well known psychological
motives. 1 The motive of
83
00:05:54,960 --> 00:06:00,200
purposeful exhaustion is valid
only in some cases, especially
84
00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:04,280
when some natural tendency has
too strong a hold or too strong
85
00:06:04,280 --> 00:06:08,840
a drive in it to be got rid of
by vichara, or by the process of
86
00:06:08,840 --> 00:06:12,760
rejection and the substitution
of the true movement in its
87
00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:16,440
place.
When that happens in excess, the
88
00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:20,520
soduct have sometimes even to go
back to the ordinary action of
89
00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:24,800
the ordinary life, get the true
experience of it with a new mind
90
00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:29,400
and will behind, and then return
to the spiritual life with the
91
00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:33,480
obstacle eliminated, or else
ready for elimination.
92
00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:38,720
But this method of proposed of
indulgence is always dangerous,
93
00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:43,280
though sometimes inevitable.
It succeeds only when there is a
94
00:06:43,280 --> 00:06:48,360
very strong will in the being
towards realization, for then
95
00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:52,600
indulgence brings a strong
dissatisfaction and reaction.
96
00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:57,640
Vairagya and the will towards
perfection can be carried down
97
00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:00,880
into the recalcitrant part of
the nature.
98
00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:06,200
End Quote.
Reference Sri Aurobindo, Bases
99
00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:10,960
of Yoga, Chapter 5, Physical
Consciousness, Subcontinent
100
00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:16,000
Sleep and Dream Illness, pages
94 to 95.
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,680
There is a theory current in
various spiritual paths as well
2
00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:08,720
as in various attempts to
overcome certain unwanted
3
00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:13,720
behaviours in the ordinary life,
that by purposeful indulgence
4
00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:19,840
through experience anubhava, the
individual can overcome the
5
00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:25,840
undesired impulse, craving or
desire the ideas that such
6
00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:30,080
indulgence will exhaust the
tendency and thus allow the
7
00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,800
individual to move on from that
drive.
8
00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,800
The overindulgence can create a
form of distaste or rejection,
9
00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:42,880
eventually a detachment from the
impulse viragya.
10
00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,080
There are reported cases of
individuals who reject things
11
00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:49,320
after feeling glutted or
satiated.
12
00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:54,720
This only works, however, if it
leads to a true renunciation and
13
00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:59,840
not just a temporary feeling at
the time of satiation to see the
14
00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:03,600
impulse revive once the energy
rebuilds itself in the being.
15
00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:08,920
The Buddha became satiated with
the luxury and satisfaction of
16
00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:13,200
desires he experienced as a
young pampered Prince.
17
00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:17,520
After he saw the suffering that
people experienced, he
18
00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:21,800
contrasted that with his own
situation, realized that his
19
00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:25,560
life was being artificially
cushioned and walled off from
20
00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:30,880
the truth of human existence,
and at that point his life of
21
00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:35,120
satiation gave way to true
rejection and non attachment.
22
00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:40,040
An offshoot of this approach of
overindulgence is what may be
23
00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:44,760
called a type of inoculation,
whereby someone is introduced to
24
00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:48,080
something that could become
addictive in such a way as to
25
00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:51,400
make them feel sick and
associate that item with the
26
00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,960
sickness, thus steering them
away from doing that in the
27
00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,360
future.
We see this with parents who aid
28
00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:02,480
a young person in smoking or
alcohol with the view to
29
00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:07,680
overindulgence the first time.
In some cases such inoculation
30
00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:12,120
has been seen to be effective,
but in many cases, after the
31
00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:16,560
first experience, peer pressure
may lead the individual to try
32
00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:21,320
again, and then they overcome
the first artificially created
33
00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:25,400
bad experience and actually
become enmeshed in that
34
00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,080
behaviour.
For individuals pressured by
35
00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,640
vital desires and impulses that
they find hard to master,
36
00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:37,520
indulgence is usually not the
solution, as it strengthens the
37
00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:42,400
grooves already built into the
system and makes it easier, not
38
00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:48,360
harder, to continue to indulge.
What may be an occasional
39
00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:52,320
inconvenience, if indulged, may
actually become a deeply
40
00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,520
embedded, repetitive demand of
the vital being.
41
00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,920
The vital has its own methods of
convincing the mind to support
42
00:02:59,920 --> 00:03:04,120
the satisfaction of its desires,
and this is one of the routes it
43
00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:08,760
may take to accomplish that.
Under the guise of dealing with
44
00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:13,320
a particular drive or impulse,
it is secretly enjoying and
45
00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:17,240
strengthening it.
Less dangerous methods include
46
00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:22,320
the practices of Nyana Yoga such
as Vichara discrimination and
47
00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:25,480
application of the higher
understanding to control a vital
48
00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,800
impulse.
This method may be overwhelmed
49
00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:32,560
if the vital Dr. is strong,
deeply embedded and insistent,
50
00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:36,560
and requires then a constant
application of the higher will
51
00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:38,800
to eventually bring it under
management.
52
00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:43,840
Another is to take the impulse
and substitute for it an
53
00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,800
alternative more aligned with
the objective the seeker has
54
00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:51,720
before him.
For example, if an impulse to
55
00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:55,600
eat a snack comes up, the
individual may recognize that he
56
00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,760
should instead take up his daily
exercise routine or sit for
57
00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:03,200
meditation, or focus on
something of interest to him.
58
00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:08,160
This concept of substitution can
be utilized by the higher
59
00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:13,480
aspiration and will to address
any desire, drive or craving
60
00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:17,399
that comes up with an
appropriate alternative chosen.
61
00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:24,360
In his short novel Sidarta,
Hermann Hesse described a seeker
62
00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:28,320
who had not worked out all the
vital drives from his nature and
63
00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:32,000
could not therefore fully adopt
the attitude of non attachment.
64
00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:36,280
He returns to the city after
some attempts at taking up the
65
00:04:36,280 --> 00:04:39,040
ascetic life of the renunciate
in the forest.
66
00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:44,200
There he is enmeshed in the life
of sexual allurement, creation
67
00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:48,680
of wealth, creating a family,
and along the way falls into
68
00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:53,040
various forms of indulgence in
drink and gambling as he
69
00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,480
immerses himself in the ordinary
pursuits of life.
70
00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:01,600
Eventually he experiences a
sense of distaste for all of
71
00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:06,000
this, and his earlier spiritual
leanings bring him to the point
72
00:05:06,280 --> 00:05:10,360
of renouncing that life and
finding peace and fulfillment
73
00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:14,600
through listening to the silent
lessons of the river and the
74
00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:20,280
example of a simple ferryman.
In this case, the question of
75
00:05:20,280 --> 00:05:23,760
working out unfulfilled drives
and desires meant returning to
76
00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:28,280
the ordinary life for a time,
but eventually the spiritual
77
00:05:28,280 --> 00:05:34,800
drive brought him to a place of
contentment and realization, Sri
78
00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:38,960
Orobindo writes quote.
The system of getting rid of
79
00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:43,960
things by Anubhava can also be a
dangerous one, for on this way
80
00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,520
one can easily become more
entangled instead of arriving at
81
00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:50,560
freedom.
This method has behind it two
82
00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:54,880
well known psychological
motives. 1 The motive of
83
00:05:54,960 --> 00:06:00,200
purposeful exhaustion is valid
only in some cases, especially
84
00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:04,280
when some natural tendency has
too strong a hold or too strong
85
00:06:04,280 --> 00:06:08,840
a drive in it to be got rid of
by vichara, or by the process of
86
00:06:08,840 --> 00:06:12,760
rejection and the substitution
of the true movement in its
87
00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:16,440
place.
When that happens in excess, the
88
00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:20,520
soduct have sometimes even to go
back to the ordinary action of
89
00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:24,800
the ordinary life, get the true
experience of it with a new mind
90
00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:29,400
and will behind, and then return
to the spiritual life with the
91
00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:33,480
obstacle eliminated, or else
ready for elimination.
92
00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:38,720
But this method of proposed of
indulgence is always dangerous,
93
00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:43,280
though sometimes inevitable.
It succeeds only when there is a
94
00:06:43,280 --> 00:06:48,360
very strong will in the being
towards realization, for then
95
00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:52,600
indulgence brings a strong
dissatisfaction and reaction.
96
00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:57,640
Vairagya and the will towards
perfection can be carried down
97
00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:00,880
into the recalcitrant part of
the nature.
98
00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:06,200
End Quote.
Reference Sri Aurobindo, Bases
99
00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:10,960
of Yoga, Chapter 5, Physical
Consciousness, Subcontinent
100
00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:16,000
Sleep and Dream Illness, pages
94 to 95.
