April 12, 2026
The Soul, the Psychic Being and the External Mind, Life and Body
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Psychic Being — Soul: Its Nature, Mission and Evolution, Section 1 Meaning and Nature of the Psychic Being, pp. 28-29This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/04/10/the-soul-the-psychic-being-and-the-external-mind-life-and-body/
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 #soul #psychic being #mystic fire
1
00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:05,160
The voice of the soul is quiet,
not loud or insistent.
2
00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:10,640
It does not try to overpower the
evolved external being, but
3
00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:15,080
rather to guide from behind,
allowing the being to gain
4
00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:19,040
experience and turn toward the
divine as a natural progression,
5
00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:25,400
not a coerced subjugation.
The body, life mind complex that
6
00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,640
is active in our external lives
brings with it a lot of fixed
7
00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:33,600
ways of acting, long standing
interactions between them that
8
00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:38,560
create pathways of perception,
understanding and expression
9
00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:44,360
that are virtually automatic.
When the psychic being attempts
10
00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:48,120
to influence the external life,
it comes up against these
11
00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:52,800
embedded habits and reactions.
Changing them takes time and
12
00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:56,680
patience.
At the same time, the psychic
13
00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:01,840
being grows, matures and gains
both insight and strength, which
14
00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,640
it can then use to expand its
influence on the external being.
15
00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:11,560
This dynamic is at the heart of
the relation between the soul
16
00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:16,880
and the external nature and its
expression as the desire soul.
17
00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:24,200
Sriorbin denotes quote.
It is the very nature of the
18
00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:28,320
soul of the psychic being to
turn towards the Divine Truth as
19
00:01:28,320 --> 00:01:32,720
the sunflower to the sun.
It accepts and clings to all
20
00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:37,080
that is divine, or progressing
towards Divinity, and draws back
21
00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:41,040
from all that is a perversion or
a denial of it, from all that is
22
00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:46,200
false and undivine.
Yet the soul is at first but a
23
00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,880
spark, and then a little flame
of Godhead, burning in the midst
24
00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:54,160
of a great darkness.
For the most part it is veiled
25
00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,120
in its inner sanctum, and to
reveal itself it has to call on
26
00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:02,920
the mind, the life force, and
the physical consciousness and
27
00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,360
persuade them as best they can
to express it.
28
00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:11,560
Ordinarily it succeeds at most
in suffusing their outwardness
29
00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:15,800
with its inner light, and
modifying with its purifying
30
00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:19,400
fineness their dark obscurities
or their coarser mixture.
31
00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:24,720
Even when there is a form
psychic being able to express
32
00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:29,440
itself with some directness in
life, it is still in all but a
33
00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,200
few, a smaller portion of the
being.
34
00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,480
No bigger in the mass of the
body than the thumb of a man,
35
00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,080
was the image used by the
ancient seers.
36
00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:44,400
And it is not always able to
prevail against the obscurity
37
00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:48,600
and ignorant smallness of the
physical consciousness, the
38
00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:53,240
mistaken surenesses of the mind,
or the arrogance and vehemence
39
00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:57,440
of the vital nature.
This soul is obliged to accept
40
00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:02,400
the human mental, emotive,
sensational life as it is, its
41
00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:07,080
relations, its activities, its
cherished forms and figures.
42
00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:12,440
It has to labor to disengage and
increase the divine element in
43
00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:17,080
all this relative truth mixed
with continual falsifying error.
44
00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:21,360
This love turned to the uses of
the animal body or the
45
00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:25,640
satisfaction of the Vilego.
This life of an average manhood
46
00:03:25,640 --> 00:03:29,960
shot with rare and pale glimpses
of Godhead and the darker
47
00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:34,960
luridities of the demon and the
brute unerring in the essence of
48
00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,920
its will.
It is obliged, often under the
49
00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:41,280
pressure of its instruments, to
submit to mistakes of action,
50
00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:46,280
wrong placement of feeling,
wrong choice of person, errors
51
00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:50,320
in the exact form of its will,
in the circumstances of its
52
00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:54,000
expression of the infallible
inner ideal.
53
00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:59,200
Yet is there a divination within
it which makes it a surer guide
54
00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,720
than the reason, or than even
the highest desire.
55
00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:08,120
And through apparent errors and
stumblings its voice can still
56
00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,960
lead better than the precise
intellect and the considering
57
00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,600
mental judgment.
This voice of the soul is not
58
00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:20,440
what we call conscience, for
that is only a mental and often
59
00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:23,760
conventional erring substitute,
is it?
60
00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:28,080
It is a deeper and more seldom
heard call, yet to follow it
61
00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:32,160
when heard is wisest even.
It is better to wander at the
62
00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,240
call of 1's soul than to go
apparently straight with the
63
00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:38,200
reason and the outward moral
mentor.
64
00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,120
But it is only when the life
turns towards the Divine that
65
00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:46,520
the soul can truly come forward
and impose its power on the
66
00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:52,280
outer members for itself.
A spark of the Divine to grow in
67
00:04:52,280 --> 00:04:57,200
flame towards the Divine is its
true life and its very reason of
68
00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:03,160
existence.
End Quote Reference Srioro Bindu
69
00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,160
and the Mother.
The psychic being soul, its
70
00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:09,720
nature, mission and evolution.
Section 1.
71
00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:14,840
Meaning and Nature of the
Psychic Being, pages 28 to 29.
00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:05,160
The voice of the soul is quiet,
not loud or insistent.
2
00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:10,640
It does not try to overpower the
evolved external being, but
3
00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:15,080
rather to guide from behind,
allowing the being to gain
4
00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:19,040
experience and turn toward the
divine as a natural progression,
5
00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:25,400
not a coerced subjugation.
The body, life mind complex that
6
00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,640
is active in our external lives
brings with it a lot of fixed
7
00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:33,600
ways of acting, long standing
interactions between them that
8
00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:38,560
create pathways of perception,
understanding and expression
9
00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:44,360
that are virtually automatic.
When the psychic being attempts
10
00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:48,120
to influence the external life,
it comes up against these
11
00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:52,800
embedded habits and reactions.
Changing them takes time and
12
00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:56,680
patience.
At the same time, the psychic
13
00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:01,840
being grows, matures and gains
both insight and strength, which
14
00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,640
it can then use to expand its
influence on the external being.
15
00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:11,560
This dynamic is at the heart of
the relation between the soul
16
00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:16,880
and the external nature and its
expression as the desire soul.
17
00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:24,200
Sriorbin denotes quote.
It is the very nature of the
18
00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:28,320
soul of the psychic being to
turn towards the Divine Truth as
19
00:01:28,320 --> 00:01:32,720
the sunflower to the sun.
It accepts and clings to all
20
00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:37,080
that is divine, or progressing
towards Divinity, and draws back
21
00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:41,040
from all that is a perversion or
a denial of it, from all that is
22
00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:46,200
false and undivine.
Yet the soul is at first but a
23
00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,880
spark, and then a little flame
of Godhead, burning in the midst
24
00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:54,160
of a great darkness.
For the most part it is veiled
25
00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,120
in its inner sanctum, and to
reveal itself it has to call on
26
00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:02,920
the mind, the life force, and
the physical consciousness and
27
00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,360
persuade them as best they can
to express it.
28
00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:11,560
Ordinarily it succeeds at most
in suffusing their outwardness
29
00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:15,800
with its inner light, and
modifying with its purifying
30
00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:19,400
fineness their dark obscurities
or their coarser mixture.
31
00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:24,720
Even when there is a form
psychic being able to express
32
00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:29,440
itself with some directness in
life, it is still in all but a
33
00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,200
few, a smaller portion of the
being.
34
00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,480
No bigger in the mass of the
body than the thumb of a man,
35
00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,080
was the image used by the
ancient seers.
36
00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:44,400
And it is not always able to
prevail against the obscurity
37
00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:48,600
and ignorant smallness of the
physical consciousness, the
38
00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:53,240
mistaken surenesses of the mind,
or the arrogance and vehemence
39
00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:57,440
of the vital nature.
This soul is obliged to accept
40
00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:02,400
the human mental, emotive,
sensational life as it is, its
41
00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:07,080
relations, its activities, its
cherished forms and figures.
42
00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:12,440
It has to labor to disengage and
increase the divine element in
43
00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:17,080
all this relative truth mixed
with continual falsifying error.
44
00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:21,360
This love turned to the uses of
the animal body or the
45
00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:25,640
satisfaction of the Vilego.
This life of an average manhood
46
00:03:25,640 --> 00:03:29,960
shot with rare and pale glimpses
of Godhead and the darker
47
00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:34,960
luridities of the demon and the
brute unerring in the essence of
48
00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,920
its will.
It is obliged, often under the
49
00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:41,280
pressure of its instruments, to
submit to mistakes of action,
50
00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:46,280
wrong placement of feeling,
wrong choice of person, errors
51
00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:50,320
in the exact form of its will,
in the circumstances of its
52
00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:54,000
expression of the infallible
inner ideal.
53
00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:59,200
Yet is there a divination within
it which makes it a surer guide
54
00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,720
than the reason, or than even
the highest desire.
55
00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:08,120
And through apparent errors and
stumblings its voice can still
56
00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,960
lead better than the precise
intellect and the considering
57
00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,600
mental judgment.
This voice of the soul is not
58
00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:20,440
what we call conscience, for
that is only a mental and often
59
00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:23,760
conventional erring substitute,
is it?
60
00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:28,080
It is a deeper and more seldom
heard call, yet to follow it
61
00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:32,160
when heard is wisest even.
It is better to wander at the
62
00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,240
call of 1's soul than to go
apparently straight with the
63
00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:38,200
reason and the outward moral
mentor.
64
00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,120
But it is only when the life
turns towards the Divine that
65
00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:46,520
the soul can truly come forward
and impose its power on the
66
00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:52,280
outer members for itself.
A spark of the Divine to grow in
67
00:04:52,280 --> 00:04:57,200
flame towards the Divine is its
true life and its very reason of
68
00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:03,160
existence.
End Quote Reference Srioro Bindu
69
00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,160
and the Mother.
The psychic being soul, its
70
00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:09,720
nature, mission and evolution.
Section 1.
71
00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:14,840
Meaning and Nature of the
Psychic Being, pages 28 to 29.