Sept. 28, 2025
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/
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
00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:05,880
Establishing peace and quietness
in the being is not a matter of
2
00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:10,080
intellectual determination,
rather, it is a concrete
3
00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:13,800
experience that comes with the
action of the force that
4
00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,400
descends into the being from
higher ranges of consciousness.
5
00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,920
Many believe that it is a matter
of disciplining oneself not to
6
00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:27,120
react to circumstances.
Stoicism and similar disciplines
7
00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:31,440
try to suppress and overcome the
reactions, and to a certain
8
00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:35,240
degree such methods may provide
some help initially.
9
00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:41,000
At the same time, such methods
are imperfect, subject to
10
00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,920
failure under extreme
provocation, and are primarily
11
00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:49,320
external controls, not
necessarily a true peace and
12
00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:53,720
quietude inwardly.
Just as the mental quiet is
13
00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:58,000
focused on stealing the ripples
of the mind stuff, so the true
14
00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:02,560
experience of peace and quietude
in the practice of yoga comes
15
00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:06,800
through the stilling of the
inward vibrational pattern, or
16
00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:11,520
at least the separation of the
witness consciousness from the
17
00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:15,520
external nature, so that all the
ripples take place on the
18
00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:18,520
surface and don't affect the
witness.
19
00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:23,920
The experience of this deep
peace and the widening of the
20
00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:28,680
being is something palpable and
not to be confused with either
21
00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:34,920
suppression of reactions or a
dulling of the awareness, Sri
22
00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:39,400
Aurobindo writes.
Quote At last you have the true
23
00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:43,960
foundation of the Sadhna.
This calm peace and surrender
24
00:01:43,960 --> 00:01:46,800
are the right atmosphere for all
the rest to come.
25
00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:52,040
Knowledge, strength, Ananda, let
it become complete.
26
00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,160
It does not remain when engaged
in work, because it is still
27
00:01:56,160 --> 00:02:00,280
confined to the mind proper,
which has only just received the
28
00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,680
gift of silence.
When the new consciousness is
29
00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:07,160
fully formed and has taken
entire possession of the vital
30
00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:11,720
nature and the physical being,
the vital as yet as only touched
31
00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:16,200
or dominated by the silence, not
possessed by it, then this
32
00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:21,320
defect will disappear.
The quiet consciousness of peace
33
00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:25,440
you now have in the mind must
become not only calm, but wide.
34
00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:30,760
You must feel it everywhere,
yourself in it and all in it.
35
00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:35,440
This also will help to bring the
calm as a basis into the action.
36
00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:40,160
The wider your consciousness
becomes, the more you will be
37
00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:44,480
able to receive from above.
The Shakti will be able to
38
00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:48,560
descend and bring strength and
light as well as peace into the
39
00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:51,640
system.
What you feel as narrow and
40
00:02:51,640 --> 00:02:54,120
limited in you is the physical
mind.
41
00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:59,320
It can only widen if this wider
consciousness and the light come
42
00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:04,720
down and possess the nature.
The physical inertia from which
43
00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:08,440
you suffer is likely to lessen
and disappear only when strength
44
00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:10,640
from above descends into the
system.
45
00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:16,760
Remain quiet, open yourself, and
call the Divine Shakti to
46
00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:21,440
confirm the calm and peace, to
widen the consciousness and to
47
00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:25,280
bring into it as much light and
power as it can at present
48
00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:30,120
receive and assimilate.
Take care not to be over eager,
49
00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:34,680
as this may disturb again such
quiet and balance as has been
50
00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,560
already established in the vital
nature.
51
00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:43,520
Have confidence in the final
result and give time for the
52
00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:49,360
power to do its work.
End Quote Reference Sri, Oral
53
00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:55,440
Bindo Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1,
Calm, Peace and Equality, pages
54
00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:56,360
9 to 10.
00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:05,880
Establishing peace and quietness
in the being is not a matter of
2
00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:10,080
intellectual determination,
rather, it is a concrete
3
00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:13,800
experience that comes with the
action of the force that
4
00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,400
descends into the being from
higher ranges of consciousness.
5
00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,920
Many believe that it is a matter
of disciplining oneself not to
6
00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:27,120
react to circumstances.
Stoicism and similar disciplines
7
00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:31,440
try to suppress and overcome the
reactions, and to a certain
8
00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:35,240
degree such methods may provide
some help initially.
9
00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:41,000
At the same time, such methods
are imperfect, subject to
10
00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,920
failure under extreme
provocation, and are primarily
11
00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:49,320
external controls, not
necessarily a true peace and
12
00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:53,720
quietude inwardly.
Just as the mental quiet is
13
00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:58,000
focused on stealing the ripples
of the mind stuff, so the true
14
00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:02,560
experience of peace and quietude
in the practice of yoga comes
15
00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:06,800
through the stilling of the
inward vibrational pattern, or
16
00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:11,520
at least the separation of the
witness consciousness from the
17
00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:15,520
external nature, so that all the
ripples take place on the
18
00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:18,520
surface and don't affect the
witness.
19
00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:23,920
The experience of this deep
peace and the widening of the
20
00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:28,680
being is something palpable and
not to be confused with either
21
00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:34,920
suppression of reactions or a
dulling of the awareness, Sri
22
00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:39,400
Aurobindo writes.
Quote At last you have the true
23
00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:43,960
foundation of the Sadhna.
This calm peace and surrender
24
00:01:43,960 --> 00:01:46,800
are the right atmosphere for all
the rest to come.
25
00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:52,040
Knowledge, strength, Ananda, let
it become complete.
26
00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,160
It does not remain when engaged
in work, because it is still
27
00:01:56,160 --> 00:02:00,280
confined to the mind proper,
which has only just received the
28
00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,680
gift of silence.
When the new consciousness is
29
00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:07,160
fully formed and has taken
entire possession of the vital
30
00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:11,720
nature and the physical being,
the vital as yet as only touched
31
00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:16,200
or dominated by the silence, not
possessed by it, then this
32
00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:21,320
defect will disappear.
The quiet consciousness of peace
33
00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:25,440
you now have in the mind must
become not only calm, but wide.
34
00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:30,760
You must feel it everywhere,
yourself in it and all in it.
35
00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:35,440
This also will help to bring the
calm as a basis into the action.
36
00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:40,160
The wider your consciousness
becomes, the more you will be
37
00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:44,480
able to receive from above.
The Shakti will be able to
38
00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:48,560
descend and bring strength and
light as well as peace into the
39
00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:51,640
system.
What you feel as narrow and
40
00:02:51,640 --> 00:02:54,120
limited in you is the physical
mind.
41
00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:59,320
It can only widen if this wider
consciousness and the light come
42
00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:04,720
down and possess the nature.
The physical inertia from which
43
00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:08,440
you suffer is likely to lessen
and disappear only when strength
44
00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:10,640
from above descends into the
system.
45
00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:16,760
Remain quiet, open yourself, and
call the Divine Shakti to
46
00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:21,440
confirm the calm and peace, to
widen the consciousness and to
47
00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:25,280
bring into it as much light and
power as it can at present
48
00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:30,120
receive and assimilate.
Take care not to be over eager,
49
00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:34,680
as this may disturb again such
quiet and balance as has been
50
00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,560
already established in the vital
nature.
51
00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:43,520
Have confidence in the final
result and give time for the
52
00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:49,360
power to do its work.
End Quote Reference Sri, Oral
53
00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:55,440
Bindo Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1,
Calm, Peace and Equality, pages
54
00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:56,360
9 to 10.
