March 2, 2026
The Role of Medicines for the Spiritual Aspirant in the Cure of Illnesses
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 5, Physical Consciousness — Subconscient — Sleep and Dream — Illness, pg. 106This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/02/28/the-role-of-medicines-for-the-spiritual-aspirant-in-the-cure-of-illnesses/
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 #illness #healing #medicine
1
00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:03,840
The spiritual aspirant
practicing the integral Yoga
2
00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:06,960
devotes his efforts to coming
into contact with the divine
3
00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:11,760
Force, being receptive to its
influence and action, and
4
00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:15,400
bringing it down to transform
the action of the mind, life and
5
00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:18,640
body.
Once this force is completely
6
00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:22,640
assimilated into the physical
cells of the body, it can do
7
00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:27,640
away with the vibratory response
we know as illness, according to
8
00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:31,040
the intensive work done by the
Mother of the Sri Ro Bindu
9
00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:34,840
Ashram, who spent years working
on opening the physical
10
00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:39,480
substance to the higher force.
For those who have not fully
11
00:00:39,480 --> 00:00:43,640
accomplished this task, however,
there remains the existing
12
00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,880
habitual patterns of response
and expression in the mind, the
13
00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:52,480
vital and in the body, each
level being successively more
14
00:00:52,480 --> 00:00:54,720
dense and therefore less
pliable.
15
00:00:55,680 --> 00:01:00,040
Long established habits in
physical nature tend to control
16
00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:04,360
the physical substance.
The process of transformation at
17
00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:09,520
the cellular level is long and
often not easily identifiable.
18
00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,520
Individuals sometimes get
glimpses of the power of the
19
00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:18,960
divine force directly acting on
the physical body and curing an
20
00:01:18,960 --> 00:01:23,520
illness without medicines.
Srioro Bindo related an incident
21
00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:27,680
involving his brother who was
very ill and not recovering.
22
00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:32,520
A wandering Yogi came by, saw
what the situation was and
23
00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:36,560
requested a glass of water.
He cut through the water while
24
00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,560
chanting certain mantras and had
the patient drink the water.
25
00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:46,360
Healing soon followed.
Paraman's Yogananda related a
26
00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:50,560
story from his own experience as
a youth where he was deathly
27
00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:53,320
ill.
His mother prayed with ardent
28
00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:57,320
faith to the Guru, and the
healing power entered him and
29
00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:01,240
healed him.
As long as the complete openness
30
00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:05,120
and transformation of the nature
is not accomplished, the seeker
31
00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:07,880
may resort to the use of
physical medicines.
32
00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:12,680
For the seeker, this is
adjunctive support, not primary
33
00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:17,200
action, and he continues to
focus on the Divine force as the
34
00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:22,680
curative power and the medicine
as the representative medium to
35
00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,240
deliver the support to the body
that it happens to require at
36
00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:30,840
that moment.
The spiritual path is long and
37
00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:34,720
arduous.
A healthy mind, a strong vital
38
00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:38,720
force and a strong and healthy
body are extraordinarily
39
00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,800
helpful.
The seeker should not waste this
40
00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:47,080
opportunity by refusing to care
for the body in a time of need,
41
00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:53,480
Srioro Bindo observes.
Quote medicines are a peace
42
00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:59,720
allay editor note last resort
that have to be used when
43
00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,720
something in the consciousness
does not respond or respond
44
00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:08,680
superficially to the force.
Very often it is some part of
45
00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:11,360
the material consciousness that
is unreceptive.
46
00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:15,720
At other times it is the
subcontinent which stands in the
47
00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:21,720
way even when the whole waking
mind life physical consent to
48
00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:25,800
the liberating influence.
If the subconscious also
49
00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:32,120
answers, then even a slight
touch of the force can not only
50
00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:36,920
cure the particular illness but
make that form or kind of
51
00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:40,560
illness practically impossible
hereafter.
52
00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:44,120
End Quote.
Reference.
53
00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:47,760
Sri Robindo, Bases of Yoga,
Chapter 5.
54
00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:52,320
Physical Consciousness,
Subconscious Sleep, and Dream
55
00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:55,080
Illness.
Page 106.
00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:03,840
The spiritual aspirant
practicing the integral Yoga
2
00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:06,960
devotes his efforts to coming
into contact with the divine
3
00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:11,760
Force, being receptive to its
influence and action, and
4
00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:15,400
bringing it down to transform
the action of the mind, life and
5
00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:18,640
body.
Once this force is completely
6
00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:22,640
assimilated into the physical
cells of the body, it can do
7
00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:27,640
away with the vibratory response
we know as illness, according to
8
00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:31,040
the intensive work done by the
Mother of the Sri Ro Bindu
9
00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:34,840
Ashram, who spent years working
on opening the physical
10
00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:39,480
substance to the higher force.
For those who have not fully
11
00:00:39,480 --> 00:00:43,640
accomplished this task, however,
there remains the existing
12
00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,880
habitual patterns of response
and expression in the mind, the
13
00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:52,480
vital and in the body, each
level being successively more
14
00:00:52,480 --> 00:00:54,720
dense and therefore less
pliable.
15
00:00:55,680 --> 00:01:00,040
Long established habits in
physical nature tend to control
16
00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:04,360
the physical substance.
The process of transformation at
17
00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:09,520
the cellular level is long and
often not easily identifiable.
18
00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,520
Individuals sometimes get
glimpses of the power of the
19
00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:18,960
divine force directly acting on
the physical body and curing an
20
00:01:18,960 --> 00:01:23,520
illness without medicines.
Srioro Bindo related an incident
21
00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:27,680
involving his brother who was
very ill and not recovering.
22
00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:32,520
A wandering Yogi came by, saw
what the situation was and
23
00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:36,560
requested a glass of water.
He cut through the water while
24
00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,560
chanting certain mantras and had
the patient drink the water.
25
00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:46,360
Healing soon followed.
Paraman's Yogananda related a
26
00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:50,560
story from his own experience as
a youth where he was deathly
27
00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:53,320
ill.
His mother prayed with ardent
28
00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:57,320
faith to the Guru, and the
healing power entered him and
29
00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:01,240
healed him.
As long as the complete openness
30
00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:05,120
and transformation of the nature
is not accomplished, the seeker
31
00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:07,880
may resort to the use of
physical medicines.
32
00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:12,680
For the seeker, this is
adjunctive support, not primary
33
00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:17,200
action, and he continues to
focus on the Divine force as the
34
00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:22,680
curative power and the medicine
as the representative medium to
35
00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,240
deliver the support to the body
that it happens to require at
36
00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:30,840
that moment.
The spiritual path is long and
37
00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:34,720
arduous.
A healthy mind, a strong vital
38
00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:38,720
force and a strong and healthy
body are extraordinarily
39
00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,800
helpful.
The seeker should not waste this
40
00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:47,080
opportunity by refusing to care
for the body in a time of need,
41
00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:53,480
Srioro Bindo observes.
Quote medicines are a peace
42
00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:59,720
allay editor note last resort
that have to be used when
43
00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,720
something in the consciousness
does not respond or respond
44
00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:08,680
superficially to the force.
Very often it is some part of
45
00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:11,360
the material consciousness that
is unreceptive.
46
00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:15,720
At other times it is the
subcontinent which stands in the
47
00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:21,720
way even when the whole waking
mind life physical consent to
48
00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:25,800
the liberating influence.
If the subconscious also
49
00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:32,120
answers, then even a slight
touch of the force can not only
50
00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:36,920
cure the particular illness but
make that form or kind of
51
00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:40,560
illness practically impossible
hereafter.
52
00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:44,120
End Quote.
Reference.
53
00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:47,760
Sri Robindo, Bases of Yoga,
Chapter 5.
54
00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:52,320
Physical Consciousness,
Subconscious Sleep, and Dream
55
00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:55,080
Illness.
Page 106.