May 9, 2025
The Spiritual Seeker and the Material World
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within , Chapter 3, Action and Work, pp. 68-69This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/05/07/the-spiritual-seeker-and-the-material-world/
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
00:00:01,240 --> 00:00:04,840
One of the habits that is built
up over many millennia among
2
00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:09,720
spiritual practitioners is the
ingrained idea that matter and
3
00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:14,440
spirit are essentially
irreconcilable and that in order
4
00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:18,560
to pursue the spiritual life,
one must be willing to give up
5
00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:24,640
and abandoned the material life.
Material life and a focus on it
6
00:00:25,240 --> 00:00:29,160
is seen as a distraction from
the one pointed effort needed to
7
00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:33,920
achieve spiritual liberation.
The focus has been placed on the
8
00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:39,400
concept one without a second to
illustrate the need for focus.
9
00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,520
And it is true that if a
spiritual seeker is fixated on
10
00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:50,480
the external material world, its
objects and opportunities, as a
11
00:00:50,480 --> 00:00:55,200
goal or objective in and of
itself, it is difficult, if not
12
00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:59,240
impossible, to make progress in
the spiritual quest.
13
00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:05,000
Srioro Bindo and the Mother,
recognizing this need at the
14
00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:09,080
same time, have set before us a
different objective and a
15
00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:14,480
different means of realization.
They add to the concept of 1
16
00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:19,600
without a second the other great
dictum of the ancient sages.
17
00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:25,480
All this is the Brahman.
Their objective is to bring
18
00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,000
about the liberation of the
consciousness from the
19
00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:32,440
boundaries set by the body,
life, mind, complex, not for
20
00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:37,240
escape, but to aid in the
transformation of life through
21
00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:41,360
the infusion of the spiritual
consciousness into the very
22
00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:45,200
depths of matter and the
material consciousness.
23
00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,960
In their view, action in the
world and interaction with other
24
00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:54,240
beings and the very material
substance is not to be
25
00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:59,680
abandoned, rather the action is
to be infused with spiritual
26
00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:04,440
force so that matter can take on
the spiritual energy and radiate
27
00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:08,360
it.
In his epic poem Savitri, a
28
00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,560
Legend and a symbol, Srioro
Bindo makes this clear when he
29
00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:18,400
states quote and matter shall
reveal the spirit's face.
30
00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:22,960
End Quote.
It is from this standpoint the
31
00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:28,480
Trior Bindo takes up our way of
handling material things without
32
00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:30,760
becoming lost in the material
world.
33
00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:35,200
We can bring down the spiritual
consciousness and treat matter
34
00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,920
as one with the spirit.
Treat it as the manifestation of
35
00:02:38,920 --> 00:02:43,800
consciousness that it is.
Respect it and act in relation
36
00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:48,440
to material objects so as to aid
in their transformation and
37
00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:52,840
transfiguration as visible
expressions of the spirit,
38
00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:59,960
Sriorgindo notes quote.
It is very true that physical
39
00:02:59,960 --> 00:03:03,480
things have a consciousness
within them which feels and
40
00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:07,640
responds to care and is
sensitive to careless touch and
41
00:03:07,640 --> 00:03:11,960
rough handling.
To know or feel that and learn
42
00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:16,400
to be careful of them is a great
progress of consciousness.
43
00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:21,360
The rough handling and careless
breaking or waste and misuse of
44
00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:26,640
physical things is a denial of
the yogic consciousness and a
45
00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:30,600
great hindrance to the bringing
down of the Divine truth to the
46
00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,720
material plane.
End Quote.
47
00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:39,040
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother, Looking from Within,
48
00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:44,720
Chapter 3, Action and Work,
pages 68 to 69.
00:00:01,240 --> 00:00:04,840
One of the habits that is built
up over many millennia among
2
00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:09,720
spiritual practitioners is the
ingrained idea that matter and
3
00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:14,440
spirit are essentially
irreconcilable and that in order
4
00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:18,560
to pursue the spiritual life,
one must be willing to give up
5
00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:24,640
and abandoned the material life.
Material life and a focus on it
6
00:00:25,240 --> 00:00:29,160
is seen as a distraction from
the one pointed effort needed to
7
00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:33,920
achieve spiritual liberation.
The focus has been placed on the
8
00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:39,400
concept one without a second to
illustrate the need for focus.
9
00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,520
And it is true that if a
spiritual seeker is fixated on
10
00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:50,480
the external material world, its
objects and opportunities, as a
11
00:00:50,480 --> 00:00:55,200
goal or objective in and of
itself, it is difficult, if not
12
00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:59,240
impossible, to make progress in
the spiritual quest.
13
00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:05,000
Srioro Bindo and the Mother,
recognizing this need at the
14
00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:09,080
same time, have set before us a
different objective and a
15
00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:14,480
different means of realization.
They add to the concept of 1
16
00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:19,600
without a second the other great
dictum of the ancient sages.
17
00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:25,480
All this is the Brahman.
Their objective is to bring
18
00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,000
about the liberation of the
consciousness from the
19
00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:32,440
boundaries set by the body,
life, mind, complex, not for
20
00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:37,240
escape, but to aid in the
transformation of life through
21
00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:41,360
the infusion of the spiritual
consciousness into the very
22
00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:45,200
depths of matter and the
material consciousness.
23
00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,960
In their view, action in the
world and interaction with other
24
00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:54,240
beings and the very material
substance is not to be
25
00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:59,680
abandoned, rather the action is
to be infused with spiritual
26
00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:04,440
force so that matter can take on
the spiritual energy and radiate
27
00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:08,360
it.
In his epic poem Savitri, a
28
00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,560
Legend and a symbol, Srioro
Bindo makes this clear when he
29
00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:18,400
states quote and matter shall
reveal the spirit's face.
30
00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:22,960
End Quote.
It is from this standpoint the
31
00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:28,480
Trior Bindo takes up our way of
handling material things without
32
00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:30,760
becoming lost in the material
world.
33
00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:35,200
We can bring down the spiritual
consciousness and treat matter
34
00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,920
as one with the spirit.
Treat it as the manifestation of
35
00:02:38,920 --> 00:02:43,800
consciousness that it is.
Respect it and act in relation
36
00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:48,440
to material objects so as to aid
in their transformation and
37
00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:52,840
transfiguration as visible
expressions of the spirit,
38
00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:59,960
Sriorgindo notes quote.
It is very true that physical
39
00:02:59,960 --> 00:03:03,480
things have a consciousness
within them which feels and
40
00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:07,640
responds to care and is
sensitive to careless touch and
41
00:03:07,640 --> 00:03:11,960
rough handling.
To know or feel that and learn
42
00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:16,400
to be careful of them is a great
progress of consciousness.
43
00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:21,360
The rough handling and careless
breaking or waste and misuse of
44
00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:26,640
physical things is a denial of
the yogic consciousness and a
45
00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:30,600
great hindrance to the bringing
down of the Divine truth to the
46
00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,720
material plane.
End Quote.
47
00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:39,040
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother, Looking from Within,
48
00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:44,720
Chapter 3, Action and Work,
pages 68 to 69.