Oct. 5, 2025
The True Condition of Spiritual Progress
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1, Calm — Peace — Equality, pg. 14
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/10/03/the-true-condition-of-spiritual-progress/
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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
00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:04,320
We frequently hear from people
who say that they cannot focus
2
00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:09,000
on their spiritual practice as
they don't have a quiet space in
3
00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:15,160
which to meditate, or they live
in a crowded, noisy city, or
4
00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:18,720
they are overwhelmed with all
their duties relating to
5
00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:22,480
education, career, family,
etcetera.
6
00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,360
They focus their attention on
all of the external obstacles
7
00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:32,600
and use that as an excuse to
avoid the focus on their inner
8
00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:36,840
spiritual life.
If only I could find the time in
9
00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:39,800
a quiet place, I would meditate.
Every day.
10
00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:46,120
We hear this refrain repeated in
one form or another regularly.
11
00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:51,880
If only we could create the
ideal external circumstances.
12
00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:57,720
Those who take up a spiritual
practice in all earnestness soon
13
00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:02,320
discover that there are no
perfect surroundings nor any
14
00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:06,160
perfect times to focus on their
spiritual life.
15
00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:11,480
They therefore have to create
the space internally needed to
16
00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,760
remain connected regardless of
what they have in front of them
17
00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:19,760
in their external lives.
It is interesting to note that
18
00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:24,040
Sri Krishna chose to provide the
spiritual teaching encompassed
19
00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:28,360
with the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna
while they were on the
20
00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:33,360
battlefield and awaiting A
cataclysmic clash in the great
21
00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:36,880
Civil War described in the
Mahabharata.
22
00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:41,840
Anecdotes abound about
individuals who complained that
23
00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:45,960
people were talking outside the
meditation hall while they were
24
00:01:45,960 --> 00:01:49,720
trying to meditate.
Their meditation failure is
25
00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:51,960
blamed on what other people were
doing.
26
00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:57,520
The teacher's response in one
case was essentially why are you
27
00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:00,680
letting the talking of others
interfere with your meditation?
28
00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:05,800
They did not complain that your
meditation was disturbing their
29
00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:10,039
discussion.
People try to go on retreats to
30
00:02:10,039 --> 00:02:12,880
achieve the perfect
circumstances for spiritual
31
00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:16,680
progress.
In some instances, of course, a
32
00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:20,120
period of time away from the
daily routine can be very
33
00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:25,240
helpful, but they invariably
find out that first, they carry
34
00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:29,920
their issues with them into the
retreat, and second, they have
35
00:02:29,920 --> 00:02:34,080
not actually succeeded in
resolving these issues when they
36
00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:40,080
return to their normal duties,
Srioro Bindu observes quote.
37
00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,640
The inner spiritual progress
does not depend on outer
38
00:02:44,640 --> 00:02:49,320
conditions so much as on the way
we react to them from within.
39
00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,640
That has always been the
ultimate verdict of spiritual
40
00:02:53,640 --> 00:02:57,360
experience.
It is why we insist on taking
41
00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:00,920
the right attitude and
persisting in it on an inner
42
00:03:00,920 --> 00:03:04,360
state not dependent on outer
circumstances.
43
00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:09,800
A state of equality and calm if
it cannot be done at once.
44
00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:15,120
Of inner happiness on going more
and more within and looking from
45
00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:20,080
within outwards, instead of
living in the surface mind which
46
00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:23,280
is always at the mercy of the
shocks and blows of life.
47
00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:28,240
It is only from that inner state
that one can be stronger than
48
00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:34,840
life and its disturbing forces
and hope to conquer, to remain
49
00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:39,920
quiet within, firm in the will
to go through, refusing to be
50
00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:43,720
disturbed or discouraged by
difficulties or fluctuations.
51
00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:47,680
That is one of the first things
to be learned in the path.
52
00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:52,120
To do otherwise is to encourage
the instability of
53
00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:56,280
consciousness, the difficulty of
keeping experience of which you
54
00:03:56,280 --> 00:04:00,520
complain.
It is only if you keep quiet and
55
00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:04,840
steady within that the lines of
experience can go on with some
56
00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:08,880
steadiness, though there are
never without periods of
57
00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:14,760
interruptions and fluctuations.
But these, if properly treated,
58
00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:19,480
can then become periods of
assimilation and exhaustion of
59
00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:23,160
difficulty rather than denials
of sadhna.
60
00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:28,480
A spiritual atmosphere is more
important than outer conditions.
61
00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,840
If one can get that and also
create one's own spiritual air
62
00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:38,160
to breathe in and live in it,
that is the true condition of
63
00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:40,760
progress.
End Quote.
64
00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,440
Reference Trioro bindo bases of
yoga.
65
00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:49,000
Calm, Peace and Equality, page
14.
00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:04,320
We frequently hear from people
who say that they cannot focus
2
00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:09,000
on their spiritual practice as
they don't have a quiet space in
3
00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:15,160
which to meditate, or they live
in a crowded, noisy city, or
4
00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:18,720
they are overwhelmed with all
their duties relating to
5
00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:22,480
education, career, family,
etcetera.
6
00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,360
They focus their attention on
all of the external obstacles
7
00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:32,600
and use that as an excuse to
avoid the focus on their inner
8
00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:36,840
spiritual life.
If only I could find the time in
9
00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:39,800
a quiet place, I would meditate.
Every day.
10
00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:46,120
We hear this refrain repeated in
one form or another regularly.
11
00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:51,880
If only we could create the
ideal external circumstances.
12
00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:57,720
Those who take up a spiritual
practice in all earnestness soon
13
00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:02,320
discover that there are no
perfect surroundings nor any
14
00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:06,160
perfect times to focus on their
spiritual life.
15
00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:11,480
They therefore have to create
the space internally needed to
16
00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,760
remain connected regardless of
what they have in front of them
17
00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:19,760
in their external lives.
It is interesting to note that
18
00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:24,040
Sri Krishna chose to provide the
spiritual teaching encompassed
19
00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:28,360
with the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna
while they were on the
20
00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:33,360
battlefield and awaiting A
cataclysmic clash in the great
21
00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:36,880
Civil War described in the
Mahabharata.
22
00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:41,840
Anecdotes abound about
individuals who complained that
23
00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:45,960
people were talking outside the
meditation hall while they were
24
00:01:45,960 --> 00:01:49,720
trying to meditate.
Their meditation failure is
25
00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:51,960
blamed on what other people were
doing.
26
00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:57,520
The teacher's response in one
case was essentially why are you
27
00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:00,680
letting the talking of others
interfere with your meditation?
28
00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:05,800
They did not complain that your
meditation was disturbing their
29
00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:10,039
discussion.
People try to go on retreats to
30
00:02:10,039 --> 00:02:12,880
achieve the perfect
circumstances for spiritual
31
00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:16,680
progress.
In some instances, of course, a
32
00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:20,120
period of time away from the
daily routine can be very
33
00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:25,240
helpful, but they invariably
find out that first, they carry
34
00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:29,920
their issues with them into the
retreat, and second, they have
35
00:02:29,920 --> 00:02:34,080
not actually succeeded in
resolving these issues when they
36
00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:40,080
return to their normal duties,
Srioro Bindu observes quote.
37
00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,640
The inner spiritual progress
does not depend on outer
38
00:02:44,640 --> 00:02:49,320
conditions so much as on the way
we react to them from within.
39
00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,640
That has always been the
ultimate verdict of spiritual
40
00:02:53,640 --> 00:02:57,360
experience.
It is why we insist on taking
41
00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:00,920
the right attitude and
persisting in it on an inner
42
00:03:00,920 --> 00:03:04,360
state not dependent on outer
circumstances.
43
00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:09,800
A state of equality and calm if
it cannot be done at once.
44
00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:15,120
Of inner happiness on going more
and more within and looking from
45
00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:20,080
within outwards, instead of
living in the surface mind which
46
00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:23,280
is always at the mercy of the
shocks and blows of life.
47
00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:28,240
It is only from that inner state
that one can be stronger than
48
00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:34,840
life and its disturbing forces
and hope to conquer, to remain
49
00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:39,920
quiet within, firm in the will
to go through, refusing to be
50
00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:43,720
disturbed or discouraged by
difficulties or fluctuations.
51
00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:47,680
That is one of the first things
to be learned in the path.
52
00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:52,120
To do otherwise is to encourage
the instability of
53
00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:56,280
consciousness, the difficulty of
keeping experience of which you
54
00:03:56,280 --> 00:04:00,520
complain.
It is only if you keep quiet and
55
00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:04,840
steady within that the lines of
experience can go on with some
56
00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:08,880
steadiness, though there are
never without periods of
57
00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:14,760
interruptions and fluctuations.
But these, if properly treated,
58
00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:19,480
can then become periods of
assimilation and exhaustion of
59
00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:23,160
difficulty rather than denials
of sadhna.
60
00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:28,480
A spiritual atmosphere is more
important than outer conditions.
61
00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,840
If one can get that and also
create one's own spiritual air
62
00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:38,160
to breathe in and live in it,
that is the true condition of
63
00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:40,760
progress.
End Quote.
64
00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,440
Reference Trioro bindo bases of
yoga.
65
00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:49,000
Calm, Peace and Equality, page
14.
