Jan. 3, 2026
The Role of the Physical Body in the Spiritual Sadhana
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 4, Desire — Food — Sex, pp. 67-68This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/01/01/the-role-of-the-physical-body-in-the-spiritual-sadhana/
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#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #asceticism #materialism #food #physical body #spirituality
1
00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:05,120
A human birth is considered to
be an important and valuable
2
00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:10,000
step in the growth of the soul
and in the evolutionary
3
00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:14,360
development of consciousness in
furtherance of the divine
4
00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:18,240
manifestation.
It is not to be wasted.
5
00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:23,480
The traditions of India indicate
that even the gods, who are
6
00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:27,800
static beings, would have to
take birth in the body in order
7
00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:31,960
to evolve, change, transform and
develop.
8
00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:37,920
Considered in this light, it
becomes clear that abuse or
9
00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:42,680
weakening of the physical frame
is counterproductive and not
10
00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:47,400
indicated as a path forward,
particularly for those who take
11
00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:53,320
up the integral Yoga, which aims
to transform life, not abandon
12
00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:57,000
it.
There is a considerable ascetic
13
00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,200
tendency leading toward
renunciation of the body, based
14
00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:05,040
on long historical precedent in
spiritual traditions throughout
15
00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:08,280
the world.
This tendency developed due to
16
00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:12,360
the difficulty of overcoming the
forces of vital desire in all
17
00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:17,640
its forms and manifestations and
reactions, including greed,
18
00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:24,360
jealousy, envy, anger, lust,
cravings and passions that drive
19
00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:29,720
the being out of balance.
Sri Aurobindo proposes to
20
00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:35,440
transform, not eliminate the
vital being and thus when it
21
00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,040
comes to dealing with the
physical body, he recommends A
22
00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,960
balanced approach without
craving, desire or avoidance.
23
00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:48,240
The body should be maintained,
kept functional and in balance,
24
00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:53,320
even developed to reach its
higher potentials, without the
25
00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:56,520
seeker falling into the other
side of the issue by becoming
26
00:01:56,520 --> 00:02:00,480
attached and thereby grasping
for physical results.
27
00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:05,680
To do this, the seeker must
overcome the limitations of both
28
00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:10,840
the materialist fixture on the
external world and its
29
00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:15,040
manifestation, as well as the
limitations of the refusal of
30
00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:19,720
the ascetic to participate fully
in the divine manifestation by
31
00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:24,800
seeking an escape from it.
Shiobindo writes quote.
32
00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:29,160
It is a mistake to neglect the
body and let it waste away.
33
00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,920
The body is the means of the
sadhna and should be maintained
34
00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:35,760
in good order.
There should be no attachment to
35
00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:40,600
it, but no contempt or neglect
either of the material part of
36
00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:44,920
our nature.
In this yoga the aim is not only
37
00:02:44,920 --> 00:02:47,800
the union with the higher
consciousness, but the
38
00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:52,600
transformation by its power of
the lower, including the
39
00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:56,360
physical nature.
It is not necessary to have
40
00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:59,080
desire or greed of food in order
to eat.
41
00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:04,320
The Yogi eats not out of desire
but to maintain the body.
42
00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:09,280
End Quote.
Reference Sri Aurobindo, Faces
43
00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:15,840
of Yoga, Chapter 4 Desire Food
Sex, pages 67 to 68.
00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:05,120
A human birth is considered to
be an important and valuable
2
00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:10,000
step in the growth of the soul
and in the evolutionary
3
00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:14,360
development of consciousness in
furtherance of the divine
4
00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:18,240
manifestation.
It is not to be wasted.
5
00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:23,480
The traditions of India indicate
that even the gods, who are
6
00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:27,800
static beings, would have to
take birth in the body in order
7
00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:31,960
to evolve, change, transform and
develop.
8
00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:37,920
Considered in this light, it
becomes clear that abuse or
9
00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:42,680
weakening of the physical frame
is counterproductive and not
10
00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:47,400
indicated as a path forward,
particularly for those who take
11
00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:53,320
up the integral Yoga, which aims
to transform life, not abandon
12
00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:57,000
it.
There is a considerable ascetic
13
00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,200
tendency leading toward
renunciation of the body, based
14
00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:05,040
on long historical precedent in
spiritual traditions throughout
15
00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:08,280
the world.
This tendency developed due to
16
00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:12,360
the difficulty of overcoming the
forces of vital desire in all
17
00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:17,640
its forms and manifestations and
reactions, including greed,
18
00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:24,360
jealousy, envy, anger, lust,
cravings and passions that drive
19
00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:29,720
the being out of balance.
Sri Aurobindo proposes to
20
00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:35,440
transform, not eliminate the
vital being and thus when it
21
00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,040
comes to dealing with the
physical body, he recommends A
22
00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,960
balanced approach without
craving, desire or avoidance.
23
00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:48,240
The body should be maintained,
kept functional and in balance,
24
00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:53,320
even developed to reach its
higher potentials, without the
25
00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:56,520
seeker falling into the other
side of the issue by becoming
26
00:01:56,520 --> 00:02:00,480
attached and thereby grasping
for physical results.
27
00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:05,680
To do this, the seeker must
overcome the limitations of both
28
00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:10,840
the materialist fixture on the
external world and its
29
00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:15,040
manifestation, as well as the
limitations of the refusal of
30
00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:19,720
the ascetic to participate fully
in the divine manifestation by
31
00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:24,800
seeking an escape from it.
Shiobindo writes quote.
32
00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:29,160
It is a mistake to neglect the
body and let it waste away.
33
00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,920
The body is the means of the
sadhna and should be maintained
34
00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:35,760
in good order.
There should be no attachment to
35
00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:40,600
it, but no contempt or neglect
either of the material part of
36
00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:44,920
our nature.
In this yoga the aim is not only
37
00:02:44,920 --> 00:02:47,800
the union with the higher
consciousness, but the
38
00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:52,600
transformation by its power of
the lower, including the
39
00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:56,360
physical nature.
It is not necessary to have
40
00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:59,080
desire or greed of food in order
to eat.
41
00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:04,320
The Yogi eats not out of desire
but to maintain the body.
42
00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:09,280
End Quote.
Reference Sri Aurobindo, Faces
43
00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:15,840
of Yoga, Chapter 4 Desire Food
Sex, pages 67 to 68.
