April 9, 2026
The Vital Desire-Soul and the True Soul
reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Psychic Being — Soul: Its Nature, Mission and Evolution, Section 1 Meaning and Nature of the Psychic Being, pp. 25-26This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/04/07/the-vital-desire-soul-and-the-true-soul/
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
#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #spirituality #soul #desire-soul
1
00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:04,440
We generally confuse the vital
nature with the soul.
2
00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:08,840
We look at the external life of
the body and recognize that when
3
00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:13,640
the life force departs, the body
dies and the lifetime and
4
00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:17,200
personality associated with that
existence comes to an end.
5
00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:21,160
Some scientists decided that
they could identify the
6
00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:24,200
existence of the soul by
actually weighing the body just
7
00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:29,400
before and just after the time
of death with a highly sensitive
8
00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:33,040
scale, and the difference in
weight between the living and
9
00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:36,280
the dead body would represent
the presence and the departure
10
00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:40,560
of the soul.
This idea, however, is very much
11
00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:44,880
a product of the confusion
between the vital nature and its
12
00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:49,200
external manifestation in what
Sri Robindo calls the desire
13
00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:53,600
soul and the actual soul, which
is not actually part of the
14
00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,400
mechanism of the external
existence.
15
00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:01,040
This confusion leads to some
notable consequences.
16
00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:07,240
An example not purely fictional
is provided by John Steinbeck in
17
00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:11,720
his novel The Grapes of Wrath.
A very short section early in
18
00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:14,880
the book provides insight to a
man who had been a preacher of
19
00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:17,680
the Christian gospel in the
Oklahoma Territory.
20
00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:23,000
He eventually discontinued his
role as a preacher and described
21
00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,400
for his listener exactly what
caused him to give up this work.
22
00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:31,480
He had a strong calling to rouse
people to the faith, and he was
23
00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:35,320
good at it.
He motivated crowds and raised
24
00:01:35,320 --> 00:01:37,600
the emotional, vital force of
the people.
25
00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:42,160
People would speak in tongues
and roll on the ground, all
26
00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:46,080
manifestations of the kind of
extreme vital pitch to which
27
00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:49,000
preachers of certain backgrounds
could bring their flock.
28
00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:55,080
He noted, however, that however
strong his own spiritual calling
29
00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:59,040
and the energy he was able to
elicit in others, he found that
30
00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,000
his own sexual drive was
awakened strongly, and he
31
00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:06,720
invariably had sexual relations
with young women after the
32
00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:10,960
sessions, as they were more or
less intoxicated with the energy
33
00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:14,880
that arose.
This preacher, however, seemed
34
00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:18,880
to have a true calling in his
being and experienced tension
35
00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:23,360
for the obvious misuse of the
force of his spiritual calling.
36
00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:28,160
So he gave up preaching to avoid
the connection, which he found
37
00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:33,160
he could not deny, between the
emotional force and the sexual
38
00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,480
energy.
He then began a period of
39
00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:40,240
serious introspection that moved
him toward a much more grounded
40
00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:42,720
and focused spiritual
development.
41
00:02:43,640 --> 00:02:47,600
This experience, while recounted
as a fictional character,
42
00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:52,800
actually mirrors that.
Many have found that if they
43
00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:57,080
mistake the desire soul of the
vital for the true soul, they
44
00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:01,840
wind up fulfilling the desires
of the vital and losing touch
45
00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:04,680
with the deeper spiritual
calling within.
46
00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:11,320
In his famous book Faust, Goethe
recounts the story of a seeker
47
00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:15,640
after truth and power who calls
forth various powers and
48
00:03:15,640 --> 00:03:19,640
eventually is entangled with
mephistophiles who tempt him
49
00:03:19,640 --> 00:03:23,480
with vital fulfillments,
including power, wealth,
50
00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:30,800
success, fame, sex, et cetera.
In his deepest being, however,
51
00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:35,520
he maintained some spark of a
deeper dedication and continue
52
00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,600
striving for evermore knowledge
and fulfillment.
53
00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:43,320
Eventually he is saved from
eternal suffering by his
54
00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,720
connection to the Divine through
his true soul.
55
00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:52,040
Hermann Hesse wrote extensively
across a number of his books on
56
00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:56,440
seekers who became entangled in
the desire Soul as they sought
57
00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:58,560
for some deeper meaning for
their lives.
58
00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:03,760
They eventually in many cases
grew to recognize the soul and
59
00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:07,720
were able to be liberated from
the entrapping forces of the
60
00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:12,120
external life as presented to
them by the desire soul.
61
00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:17,680
This was a theme worked out in
detail in his book Sidarta, but
62
00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:22,000
also in much more complex life
context that encompassed also
63
00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,000
intellectual focus and
discipline.
64
00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:30,920
In Magister Ludi or the Glass
Bead Game, Sri Orbindo notes
65
00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:35,920
quote the soul and the life are
two quite different powers.
66
00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:40,040
The soul is a spark of the
Divine Spirit which supports the
67
00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:44,080
individual nature.
Mind, life, body are the
68
00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,240
instruments for the
manifestation of the nature.
69
00:04:48,280 --> 00:04:53,080
In most men the soul is hidden
and covered over by the action
70
00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:57,120
of the external nature.
They mistake the vital being for
71
00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,280
the soul, because it is the
vital which animates and moves
72
00:05:00,280 --> 00:05:03,400
the body.
But this vital being is a thing
73
00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:07,520
made-up of desires and executive
forces, good and bad.
74
00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:11,280
It is the desire soul, not the
true thing.
75
00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:17,160
It is when the true soul psyche
comes forward and begins first
76
00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:21,000
to influence and then govern the
actions of the instrumental
77
00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:26,440
nature that man begins to
overcome vital desire and grow
78
00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,160
towards a divine nature.
End Quote.
79
00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:36,000
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother, the psychic being soul,
80
00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:38,280
its nature, mission and
evolution.
81
00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:41,600
Section 1.
Meaning and Nature of the
82
00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:45,200
Psychic Being, pages 25 to 26.
00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:04,440
We generally confuse the vital
nature with the soul.
2
00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:08,840
We look at the external life of
the body and recognize that when
3
00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:13,640
the life force departs, the body
dies and the lifetime and
4
00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:17,200
personality associated with that
existence comes to an end.
5
00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:21,160
Some scientists decided that
they could identify the
6
00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:24,200
existence of the soul by
actually weighing the body just
7
00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:29,400
before and just after the time
of death with a highly sensitive
8
00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:33,040
scale, and the difference in
weight between the living and
9
00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:36,280
the dead body would represent
the presence and the departure
10
00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:40,560
of the soul.
This idea, however, is very much
11
00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:44,880
a product of the confusion
between the vital nature and its
12
00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:49,200
external manifestation in what
Sri Robindo calls the desire
13
00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:53,600
soul and the actual soul, which
is not actually part of the
14
00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,400
mechanism of the external
existence.
15
00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:01,040
This confusion leads to some
notable consequences.
16
00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:07,240
An example not purely fictional
is provided by John Steinbeck in
17
00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:11,720
his novel The Grapes of Wrath.
A very short section early in
18
00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:14,880
the book provides insight to a
man who had been a preacher of
19
00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:17,680
the Christian gospel in the
Oklahoma Territory.
20
00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:23,000
He eventually discontinued his
role as a preacher and described
21
00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,400
for his listener exactly what
caused him to give up this work.
22
00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:31,480
He had a strong calling to rouse
people to the faith, and he was
23
00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:35,320
good at it.
He motivated crowds and raised
24
00:01:35,320 --> 00:01:37,600
the emotional, vital force of
the people.
25
00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:42,160
People would speak in tongues
and roll on the ground, all
26
00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:46,080
manifestations of the kind of
extreme vital pitch to which
27
00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:49,000
preachers of certain backgrounds
could bring their flock.
28
00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:55,080
He noted, however, that however
strong his own spiritual calling
29
00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:59,040
and the energy he was able to
elicit in others, he found that
30
00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,000
his own sexual drive was
awakened strongly, and he
31
00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:06,720
invariably had sexual relations
with young women after the
32
00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:10,960
sessions, as they were more or
less intoxicated with the energy
33
00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:14,880
that arose.
This preacher, however, seemed
34
00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:18,880
to have a true calling in his
being and experienced tension
35
00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:23,360
for the obvious misuse of the
force of his spiritual calling.
36
00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:28,160
So he gave up preaching to avoid
the connection, which he found
37
00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:33,160
he could not deny, between the
emotional force and the sexual
38
00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,480
energy.
He then began a period of
39
00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:40,240
serious introspection that moved
him toward a much more grounded
40
00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:42,720
and focused spiritual
development.
41
00:02:43,640 --> 00:02:47,600
This experience, while recounted
as a fictional character,
42
00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:52,800
actually mirrors that.
Many have found that if they
43
00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:57,080
mistake the desire soul of the
vital for the true soul, they
44
00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:01,840
wind up fulfilling the desires
of the vital and losing touch
45
00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:04,680
with the deeper spiritual
calling within.
46
00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:11,320
In his famous book Faust, Goethe
recounts the story of a seeker
47
00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:15,640
after truth and power who calls
forth various powers and
48
00:03:15,640 --> 00:03:19,640
eventually is entangled with
mephistophiles who tempt him
49
00:03:19,640 --> 00:03:23,480
with vital fulfillments,
including power, wealth,
50
00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:30,800
success, fame, sex, et cetera.
In his deepest being, however,
51
00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:35,520
he maintained some spark of a
deeper dedication and continue
52
00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,600
striving for evermore knowledge
and fulfillment.
53
00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:43,320
Eventually he is saved from
eternal suffering by his
54
00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,720
connection to the Divine through
his true soul.
55
00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:52,040
Hermann Hesse wrote extensively
across a number of his books on
56
00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:56,440
seekers who became entangled in
the desire Soul as they sought
57
00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:58,560
for some deeper meaning for
their lives.
58
00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:03,760
They eventually in many cases
grew to recognize the soul and
59
00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:07,720
were able to be liberated from
the entrapping forces of the
60
00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:12,120
external life as presented to
them by the desire soul.
61
00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:17,680
This was a theme worked out in
detail in his book Sidarta, but
62
00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:22,000
also in much more complex life
context that encompassed also
63
00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,000
intellectual focus and
discipline.
64
00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:30,920
In Magister Ludi or the Glass
Bead Game, Sri Orbindo notes
65
00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:35,920
quote the soul and the life are
two quite different powers.
66
00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:40,040
The soul is a spark of the
Divine Spirit which supports the
67
00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:44,080
individual nature.
Mind, life, body are the
68
00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,240
instruments for the
manifestation of the nature.
69
00:04:48,280 --> 00:04:53,080
In most men the soul is hidden
and covered over by the action
70
00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:57,120
of the external nature.
They mistake the vital being for
71
00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,280
the soul, because it is the
vital which animates and moves
72
00:05:00,280 --> 00:05:03,400
the body.
But this vital being is a thing
73
00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:07,520
made-up of desires and executive
forces, good and bad.
74
00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:11,280
It is the desire soul, not the
true thing.
75
00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:17,160
It is when the true soul psyche
comes forward and begins first
76
00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:21,000
to influence and then govern the
actions of the instrumental
77
00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:26,440
nature that man begins to
overcome vital desire and grow
78
00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,160
towards a divine nature.
End Quote.
79
00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:36,000
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother, the psychic being soul,
80
00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:38,280
its nature, mission and
evolution.
81
00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:41,600
Section 1.
Meaning and Nature of the
82
00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:45,200
Psychic Being, pages 25 to 26.
