Oct. 21, 2025
The True Attitude of Sadhana
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 2, Faith — Aspiration — Surrender, pg. 23This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/10/19/the-true-attitude-of-sadhana/
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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
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:03,680
Most people act under the
impulsion of their vital
2
00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:08,240
desires, physical wants and
mental opinions, which are
3
00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:12,160
coloured by the society within
which an individual lives and
4
00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:15,200
its established norms and
expectations.
5
00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:19,440
When an individual takes up the
spiritual life and attempts to
6
00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:23,160
live according to the Divine
will, he is faced with the
7
00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:27,360
sometimes subtle and difficult
question of how to distinguish
8
00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,920
between what we are moved to do
by the make up of our ego
9
00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:34,720
personality, including the
mental, vital and physical
10
00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:38,960
impulses that are the drives
that propel most human activity
11
00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:43,240
in the world and the actual
promptings of the Divine.
12
00:00:44,160 --> 00:00:47,800
Not every voice we hear in our
minds represents the Divine
13
00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:52,080
will, nor does every impulsion
we feel represent the true
14
00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:56,560
guidance we seek.
As we deepen our inner sense of
15
00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:00,840
quietude and peace, we can begin
to actually observe these
16
00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:05,120
impulsions or drives.
We can identify the source,
17
00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,240
whether they come from one of
the lower energy centers that
18
00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:12,320
Channel the physical and vital
forces, or by pressure from
19
00:01:12,320 --> 00:01:15,160
outside being exerted on one of
these centers.
20
00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:19,920
These are a clear sign of ego
intervening in the process.
21
00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:24,520
There are useful practices that
can help us to ferret out the
22
00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:29,240
source and energy behind any
impulsion that comes, namely
23
00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:33,800
when resists the impulsion and
uses the resultant build up of
24
00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:37,720
energy to identify the location
and source.
25
00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,560
This can also be done as a
thought experiment to look at
26
00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:46,480
the driving force of what we are
seeking and ask ourselves does
27
00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:51,320
it satisfy some desire, some
deeply hidden impulsion or fear?
28
00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:56,280
Does it further some ambition or
seeking for any form of self
29
00:01:56,320 --> 00:02:00,160
aggrandizement, whether for the
body, the life force or the
30
00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,640
mind?
Does withholding the fulfilment
31
00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:08,479
of that force bring about
frustration, anger, impatience,
32
00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,800
hatred, or any extremely
aggressive state of mind,
33
00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:18,040
emotion or life force?
In order to escape the the
34
00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:22,400
slavery of the desire soul, the
seeker eventually must align
35
00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:26,560
with the psychic being, the true
soul that is directly and
36
00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:28,880
completely turned toward the
Divine.
37
00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:33,640
The promptings of the soul are
generally quiet, do not bring
38
00:02:33,640 --> 00:02:39,240
disturbance, and take on the
form of aspiration, receptivity,
39
00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:45,160
gratitude, and consecration.
The psychic being has trust in
40
00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:49,320
the divine process and
recognizes that human judgement
41
00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:54,240
and time frames are not the same
as divine judgement and time
42
00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:59,640
frames.
Sri Aurobindo notes quote not to
43
00:02:59,640 --> 00:03:04,280
impose one's mind and vital will
on the Divine, but to receive
44
00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:08,840
the Divine's will and follow It
is the true attitude of Sadhna.
45
00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:14,400
Not to say this is my right,
want, claim, need, requirement.
46
00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:19,800
Why do I not get it?
But to give oneself to surrender
47
00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:24,960
and to receive with joy whatever
the Divine gives, not grieving
48
00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:31,240
or revolting is the better way.
Then what you receive will be
49
00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:36,560
the right thing for you.
End Quote Reference Sri
50
00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:42,280
Aurobindo Faces of Yoga, Chapter
2 Faith, Aspiration, Surrender
51
00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:43,880
page 23.
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:03,680
Most people act under the
impulsion of their vital
2
00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:08,240
desires, physical wants and
mental opinions, which are
3
00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:12,160
coloured by the society within
which an individual lives and
4
00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:15,200
its established norms and
expectations.
5
00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:19,440
When an individual takes up the
spiritual life and attempts to
6
00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:23,160
live according to the Divine
will, he is faced with the
7
00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:27,360
sometimes subtle and difficult
question of how to distinguish
8
00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,920
between what we are moved to do
by the make up of our ego
9
00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:34,720
personality, including the
mental, vital and physical
10
00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:38,960
impulses that are the drives
that propel most human activity
11
00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:43,240
in the world and the actual
promptings of the Divine.
12
00:00:44,160 --> 00:00:47,800
Not every voice we hear in our
minds represents the Divine
13
00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:52,080
will, nor does every impulsion
we feel represent the true
14
00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:56,560
guidance we seek.
As we deepen our inner sense of
15
00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:00,840
quietude and peace, we can begin
to actually observe these
16
00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:05,120
impulsions or drives.
We can identify the source,
17
00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,240
whether they come from one of
the lower energy centers that
18
00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:12,320
Channel the physical and vital
forces, or by pressure from
19
00:01:12,320 --> 00:01:15,160
outside being exerted on one of
these centers.
20
00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:19,920
These are a clear sign of ego
intervening in the process.
21
00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:24,520
There are useful practices that
can help us to ferret out the
22
00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:29,240
source and energy behind any
impulsion that comes, namely
23
00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:33,800
when resists the impulsion and
uses the resultant build up of
24
00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:37,720
energy to identify the location
and source.
25
00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,560
This can also be done as a
thought experiment to look at
26
00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:46,480
the driving force of what we are
seeking and ask ourselves does
27
00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:51,320
it satisfy some desire, some
deeply hidden impulsion or fear?
28
00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:56,280
Does it further some ambition or
seeking for any form of self
29
00:01:56,320 --> 00:02:00,160
aggrandizement, whether for the
body, the life force or the
30
00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,640
mind?
Does withholding the fulfilment
31
00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:08,479
of that force bring about
frustration, anger, impatience,
32
00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,800
hatred, or any extremely
aggressive state of mind,
33
00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:18,040
emotion or life force?
In order to escape the the
34
00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:22,400
slavery of the desire soul, the
seeker eventually must align
35
00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:26,560
with the psychic being, the true
soul that is directly and
36
00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:28,880
completely turned toward the
Divine.
37
00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:33,640
The promptings of the soul are
generally quiet, do not bring
38
00:02:33,640 --> 00:02:39,240
disturbance, and take on the
form of aspiration, receptivity,
39
00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:45,160
gratitude, and consecration.
The psychic being has trust in
40
00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:49,320
the divine process and
recognizes that human judgement
41
00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:54,240
and time frames are not the same
as divine judgement and time
42
00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:59,640
frames.
Sri Aurobindo notes quote not to
43
00:02:59,640 --> 00:03:04,280
impose one's mind and vital will
on the Divine, but to receive
44
00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:08,840
the Divine's will and follow It
is the true attitude of Sadhna.
45
00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:14,400
Not to say this is my right,
want, claim, need, requirement.
46
00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:19,800
Why do I not get it?
But to give oneself to surrender
47
00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:24,960
and to receive with joy whatever
the Divine gives, not grieving
48
00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:31,240
or revolting is the better way.
Then what you receive will be
49
00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:36,560
the right thing for you.
End Quote Reference Sri
50
00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:42,280
Aurobindo Faces of Yoga, Chapter
2 Faith, Aspiration, Surrender
51
00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:43,880
page 23.
