Oct. 13, 2025
The Total Change of the Nature Cannot Be Done in a Day
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1, Calm — Peace — Equality, pp. 18-19
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/10/11/the-total-change-of-the-nature-cannot-be-done-in-a-day/
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
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:05,520
Modern life moves at high speed.
We expect things to take place
2
00:00:05,520 --> 00:00:10,320
virtually instantaneously.
As a result, we judge things in
3
00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:12,840
the light of the time it takes
to accomplish them.
4
00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:17,920
If we have to expend an effort,
we hope and expect that we will
5
00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:20,960
immediately begin to see
palpable results.
6
00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:26,960
We want an easy button or an
enlightenment pill, something
7
00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:30,960
that will accomplish the goal
quickly and without a lot of
8
00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,880
stress.
This expectation colours the way
9
00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:37,240
we take up the yoga in modern
era.
10
00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:42,160
Stories of past yogic aspirants
tell of long apprenticeships,
11
00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:46,120
difficult and time consuming
tasks that had to be performed
12
00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:53,000
and dedication that survive
periods of doubt, hesitation and
13
00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,040
even despair.
A new recognition has developed
14
00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:00,600
that even in the practice of
yoga, the play of the three
15
00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:04,920
gunas of nature, sattva, rajas
and tamas continues.
16
00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:10,800
As long as we identify with the
external ego personality and see
17
00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:15,560
ourselves as separate and
drivers of our own progress, we
18
00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:19,360
are subject to the impulsions of
the gunas, including, when
19
00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:23,920
Thomas is predominant, feelings
of weakness, weariness,
20
00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:29,000
darkness, inadequacy, failure,
and incapacity.
21
00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,760
The systematic development of
the witness consciousness, which
22
00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:38,800
by definition separates the
awareness from identification
23
00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:44,480
with the ego personality, is a
key mechanism to help the seeker
24
00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:48,720
to recognize the patterns of the
three gunas and their impacts on
25
00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:53,680
the thoughts, feelings and
actions of the external being.
26
00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,280
The recognition that the
development of human nature,
27
00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,760
including the evolution and
manifestation of the capacities
28
00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:06,760
of the mind, took place over 10s
or even hundreds of thousands of
29
00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:11,240
years preceding even the
emergence of true human beings
30
00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:15,200
from their genetic ancestry
represents a way to put the
31
00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,040
current efforts into a realistic
time frame.
32
00:02:18,920 --> 00:02:22,920
Patience and persistence become
then the watchwords for the
33
00:02:22,920 --> 00:02:27,800
changes which cannot be expected
to completely overturn many
34
00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:33,160
millennia of habits and patterns
of action in the short space of
35
00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:37,600
a single human lifetime.
None of this can be done through
36
00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:42,360
individual human effort, which
is to a great degree a figment
37
00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:47,640
built up by the external ego.
The change that is taking place
38
00:02:47,640 --> 00:02:51,280
is the manifestation of the
divine action in the Creation,
39
00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:55,800
and the individual is a
potential Nexus and operative
40
00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,720
point of receptivity and
expression of that action.
41
00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:05,040
Navigating between the starting
point of the human ego and the
42
00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:09,920
shift to the divine standpoint
can be aided tremendously by the
43
00:03:09,920 --> 00:03:15,320
psychic transformation, which
focuses on aspiration and
44
00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:20,240
consecration, and by reliance on
the guide or guru who has
45
00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:27,640
experience along the path, Sri
Ravinda writes quote not to be
46
00:03:27,640 --> 00:03:33,160
disturbed, to remain quiet and
confident is the right attitude,
47
00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:37,680
but it is necessary also to
receive the help of the Mother
48
00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:43,400
and not to stand back for any
reason from Her solicitude. 1
49
00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:47,920
ought not to indulge ideas of
incapacity, inability to
50
00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:52,720
respond, dwelling too much on
defects and failures, and
51
00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:57,480
allowing the mind to be in pain
and shame on their account, for
52
00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:01,960
these ideas and feelings become
in the end weakening things.
53
00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:08,160
If there are difficulties,
stumblings or failures, one has
54
00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:12,640
to look at them quietly and call
in tranquilly and persistently
55
00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:16,519
the divine help for their
removal, but not to allow
56
00:04:16,519 --> 00:04:20,959
oneself to be upset or pained or
discouraged.
57
00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:26,560
Yoga is not an easy path and the
total change of the nature
58
00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:33,080
cannot be done in a day.
End Quote reference.
59
00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:38,600
Sri Aravindo, Bases of Yoga,
Chapter 1, Calm, Peace and
60
00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:41,120
Equality, pages 18 to 19.
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:05,520
Modern life moves at high speed.
We expect things to take place
2
00:00:05,520 --> 00:00:10,320
virtually instantaneously.
As a result, we judge things in
3
00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:12,840
the light of the time it takes
to accomplish them.
4
00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:17,920
If we have to expend an effort,
we hope and expect that we will
5
00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:20,960
immediately begin to see
palpable results.
6
00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:26,960
We want an easy button or an
enlightenment pill, something
7
00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:30,960
that will accomplish the goal
quickly and without a lot of
8
00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,880
stress.
This expectation colours the way
9
00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:37,240
we take up the yoga in modern
era.
10
00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:42,160
Stories of past yogic aspirants
tell of long apprenticeships,
11
00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:46,120
difficult and time consuming
tasks that had to be performed
12
00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:53,000
and dedication that survive
periods of doubt, hesitation and
13
00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,040
even despair.
A new recognition has developed
14
00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:00,600
that even in the practice of
yoga, the play of the three
15
00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:04,920
gunas of nature, sattva, rajas
and tamas continues.
16
00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:10,800
As long as we identify with the
external ego personality and see
17
00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:15,560
ourselves as separate and
drivers of our own progress, we
18
00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:19,360
are subject to the impulsions of
the gunas, including, when
19
00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:23,920
Thomas is predominant, feelings
of weakness, weariness,
20
00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:29,000
darkness, inadequacy, failure,
and incapacity.
21
00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,760
The systematic development of
the witness consciousness, which
22
00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:38,800
by definition separates the
awareness from identification
23
00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:44,480
with the ego personality, is a
key mechanism to help the seeker
24
00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:48,720
to recognize the patterns of the
three gunas and their impacts on
25
00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:53,680
the thoughts, feelings and
actions of the external being.
26
00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,280
The recognition that the
development of human nature,
27
00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,760
including the evolution and
manifestation of the capacities
28
00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:06,760
of the mind, took place over 10s
or even hundreds of thousands of
29
00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:11,240
years preceding even the
emergence of true human beings
30
00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:15,200
from their genetic ancestry
represents a way to put the
31
00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,040
current efforts into a realistic
time frame.
32
00:02:18,920 --> 00:02:22,920
Patience and persistence become
then the watchwords for the
33
00:02:22,920 --> 00:02:27,800
changes which cannot be expected
to completely overturn many
34
00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:33,160
millennia of habits and patterns
of action in the short space of
35
00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:37,600
a single human lifetime.
None of this can be done through
36
00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:42,360
individual human effort, which
is to a great degree a figment
37
00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:47,640
built up by the external ego.
The change that is taking place
38
00:02:47,640 --> 00:02:51,280
is the manifestation of the
divine action in the Creation,
39
00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:55,800
and the individual is a
potential Nexus and operative
40
00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,720
point of receptivity and
expression of that action.
41
00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:05,040
Navigating between the starting
point of the human ego and the
42
00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:09,920
shift to the divine standpoint
can be aided tremendously by the
43
00:03:09,920 --> 00:03:15,320
psychic transformation, which
focuses on aspiration and
44
00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:20,240
consecration, and by reliance on
the guide or guru who has
45
00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:27,640
experience along the path, Sri
Ravinda writes quote not to be
46
00:03:27,640 --> 00:03:33,160
disturbed, to remain quiet and
confident is the right attitude,
47
00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:37,680
but it is necessary also to
receive the help of the Mother
48
00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:43,400
and not to stand back for any
reason from Her solicitude. 1
49
00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:47,920
ought not to indulge ideas of
incapacity, inability to
50
00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:52,720
respond, dwelling too much on
defects and failures, and
51
00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:57,480
allowing the mind to be in pain
and shame on their account, for
52
00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:01,960
these ideas and feelings become
in the end weakening things.
53
00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:08,160
If there are difficulties,
stumblings or failures, one has
54
00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:12,640
to look at them quietly and call
in tranquilly and persistently
55
00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:16,519
the divine help for their
removal, but not to allow
56
00:04:16,519 --> 00:04:20,959
oneself to be upset or pained or
discouraged.
57
00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:26,560
Yoga is not an easy path and the
total change of the nature
58
00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:33,080
cannot be done in a day.
End Quote reference.
59
00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:38,600
Sri Aravindo, Bases of Yoga,
Chapter 1, Calm, Peace and
60
00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:41,120
Equality, pages 18 to 19.
