Sept. 30, 2025
The Spiritual Seeker's Aspiration and Prayer
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1, Calm — Peace — Equality, pg. 11
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/09/28/the-spiritual-seekers-aspiration-and-prayer/
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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
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,440
Particularly in the West, when
people think about yoga, they
2
00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:09,360
believe it is a series of
physical postures or exercises
3
00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:12,280
done with a certain sense of
concentration.
4
00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:17,640
They associate Hatha yoga with
the entirety of yogic practice
5
00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:22,960
and in many instances treat yoga
as a form of physical
6
00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:27,040
conditioning.
The field of yoga is, however,
7
00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:31,640
something much different, far
vaster and more powerful than
8
00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:37,200
just physical conditioning.
Yoga means union, and the object
9
00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,080
of yoga is the union of the soul
with the divine.
10
00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:45,360
Srioro Bindo has noted that Yoga
is essentially a form of applied
11
00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:50,320
psychology as it delves into the
inner realms, the thoughts,
12
00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:55,480
feelings, emotions, actions and
reactions of the being, and aims
13
00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:59,040
to shift the standpoint from
that of the external ego
14
00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:04,480
personality to one of union with
the Divine, with the motive
15
00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:07,960
force and power of action
derived from that oneness with
16
00:01:07,960 --> 00:01:10,560
the divine force as it
manifests.
17
00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:16,200
Once the seeker recognizes the
deeper aims of yoga, the
18
00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,240
perfection of the physical
conditioning of the body can no
19
00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,080
longer be accepted as the entire
objective.
20
00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:27,640
Srioro Bindo outlines the
aspiration and prayer that the
21
00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:32,160
seeker can utilize to succeed in
the deeper yogic endeavour.
22
00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:39,520
Srioro Bindo notes quote First
aspire and pray to the Mother
23
00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:46,400
for quiet in the mind, purity,
calm and peace and awakened
24
00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:52,040
consciousness, intensity of
devotion, strength and spiritual
25
00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:56,720
capacity to face all inner and
outer difficulties and go
26
00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:02,600
through to the end of the yoga.
If the consciousness awakens and
27
00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:07,400
there is devotion and intensity
of aspiration, it will be
28
00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:13,200
possible for the mind, provided
it learns quietude and peace, to
29
00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:18,880
grow in knowledge.
End Quote reference Shrioro
30
00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:25,160
Bindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1.
Calm, Peace and Equality, page
31
00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:25,720
11.
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,440
Particularly in the West, when
people think about yoga, they
2
00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:09,360
believe it is a series of
physical postures or exercises
3
00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:12,280
done with a certain sense of
concentration.
4
00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:17,640
They associate Hatha yoga with
the entirety of yogic practice
5
00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:22,960
and in many instances treat yoga
as a form of physical
6
00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:27,040
conditioning.
The field of yoga is, however,
7
00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:31,640
something much different, far
vaster and more powerful than
8
00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:37,200
just physical conditioning.
Yoga means union, and the object
9
00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,080
of yoga is the union of the soul
with the divine.
10
00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:45,360
Srioro Bindo has noted that Yoga
is essentially a form of applied
11
00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:50,320
psychology as it delves into the
inner realms, the thoughts,
12
00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:55,480
feelings, emotions, actions and
reactions of the being, and aims
13
00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:59,040
to shift the standpoint from
that of the external ego
14
00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:04,480
personality to one of union with
the Divine, with the motive
15
00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:07,960
force and power of action
derived from that oneness with
16
00:01:07,960 --> 00:01:10,560
the divine force as it
manifests.
17
00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:16,200
Once the seeker recognizes the
deeper aims of yoga, the
18
00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,240
perfection of the physical
conditioning of the body can no
19
00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,080
longer be accepted as the entire
objective.
20
00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:27,640
Srioro Bindo outlines the
aspiration and prayer that the
21
00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:32,160
seeker can utilize to succeed in
the deeper yogic endeavour.
22
00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:39,520
Srioro Bindo notes quote First
aspire and pray to the Mother
23
00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:46,400
for quiet in the mind, purity,
calm and peace and awakened
24
00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:52,040
consciousness, intensity of
devotion, strength and spiritual
25
00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:56,720
capacity to face all inner and
outer difficulties and go
26
00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:02,600
through to the end of the yoga.
If the consciousness awakens and
27
00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:07,400
there is devotion and intensity
of aspiration, it will be
28
00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:13,200
possible for the mind, provided
it learns quietude and peace, to
29
00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:18,880
grow in knowledge.
End Quote reference Shrioro
30
00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:25,160
Bindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1.
Calm, Peace and Equality, page
31
00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:25,720
11.
