A Podcast Featuring Sri Aurobindo Studies
Sept. 28, 2025

The Process of Establishing the True Foundation for the Practice of the Integral Yoga

The Process of Establishing the True Foundation for the Practice of the Integral Yoga

reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1, Calm — Peace — Equality, pp. 9-10This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/09/26/the-process-of-establishing-the-true-foundation-for-the-practice-of-the-integral-yoga/

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Establishing peace and quietness
in the being is not a matter of

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intellectual determination,
rather, it is a concrete

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experience that comes with the
action of the force that

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descends into the being from
higher ranges of consciousness.

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Many believe that it is a matter
of disciplining oneself not to

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react to circumstances.
Stoicism and similar disciplines

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try to suppress and overcome the
reactions, and to a certain

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degree such methods may provide
some help initially.

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At the same time, such methods
are imperfect, subject to

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failure under extreme
provocation, and are primarily

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external controls, not
necessarily a true peace and

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quietude inwardly.
Just as the mental quiet is

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focused on stealing the ripples
of the mind stuff, so the true

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experience of peace and quietude
in the practice of yoga comes

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through the stilling of the
inward vibrational pattern, or

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at least the separation of the
witness consciousness from the

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external nature, so that all the
ripples take place on the

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surface and don't affect the
witness.

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The experience of this deep
peace and the widening of the

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being is something palpable and
not to be confused with either

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suppression of reactions or a
dulling of the awareness, Sri

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Aurobindo writes.
Quote At last you have the true

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foundation of the Sadhna.
This calm peace and surrender

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are the right atmosphere for all
the rest to come.

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Knowledge, strength, Ananda, let
it become complete.

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It does not remain when engaged
in work, because it is still

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confined to the mind proper,
which has only just received the

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gift of silence.
When the new consciousness is

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fully formed and has taken
entire possession of the vital

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nature and the physical being,
the vital as yet as only touched

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or dominated by the silence, not
possessed by it, then this

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defect will disappear.
The quiet consciousness of peace

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you now have in the mind must
become not only calm, but wide.

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You must feel it everywhere,
yourself in it and all in it.

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This also will help to bring the
calm as a basis into the action.

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The wider your consciousness
becomes, the more you will be

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able to receive from above.
The Shakti will be able to

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descend and bring strength and
light as well as peace into the

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system.
What you feel as narrow and

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limited in you is the physical
mind.

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It can only widen if this wider
consciousness and the light come

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down and possess the nature.
The physical inertia from which

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you suffer is likely to lessen
and disappear only when strength

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from above descends into the
system.

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Remain quiet, open yourself, and
call the Divine Shakti to

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confirm the calm and peace, to
widen the consciousness and to

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bring into it as much light and
power as it can at present

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receive and assimilate.
Take care not to be over eager,

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as this may disturb again such
quiet and balance as has been

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already established in the vital
nature.

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Have confidence in the final
result and give time for the

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power to do its work.
End Quote Reference Sri, Oral

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Bindo Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1,
Calm, Peace and Equality, pages

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9 to 10.