The Vital Nature: Transformation Not Suppression

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The vital has a natural tendency
to seek for the fulfillment of

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its being in some form of
enjoyment in the external

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surface being.
This enjoyment takes the form of

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a seeking after pleasure.
With this seeking after

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pleasure, however, comes also
the experience of pain.

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Pleasure and pain alternate and
eventually the seeker

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understands the transitory
pleasures and pains.

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The operation of the dualities
of the life of the senses is not

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actual fulfillment, nor does it
solve the significance of

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purpose of one's life.
Many ideas arise as to the best

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way to solve the issue of
fulfillment of the vital without

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the unfulfilling alternation of
the dualities.

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Many believe that it is not
possible to overcome these

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dualities, and they will
indicate that any seeking after

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pleasure necessarily involves
the experience of its opposite

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pain, and that this is the
natural condition of life on

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earth.
In other words, just accept the

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conditions and don't complain
about it.

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There are others who believe
that the solution lies in not

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seeking after pleasure at all by
suppression of the vital

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impulsions entirely.
This approach is particularly

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attractive to those who are
focused on trying to attain the

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Divine status through
meditation, concentration, deep

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spiritual experiences of
samadhi, the inward spiritual

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trance state.
This approach, however, does not

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solve the issue, but simply
hides it from the seeker for

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some period of time.
Eventually, the larger purpose

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of the universal creation and
the individual's role in it

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needs to be addressed.
The issue comes down to how to

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maintain the motivation of the
vital nature while redirecting

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its fulfillment away from the
seeking of pleasure.

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This eventually can yield the
result of achieving the state of

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ananda, bliss, delight of
existence unconditioned by

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specific causative factors that
bring pleasure to the external

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nature.
The Mother observes, quote, One

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must refuse pleasure if one
wants to open to the delight of

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existence in a total beauty and
harmony.

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This brings us quite naturally
to vital austerity, the

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austerity of the sensations, the
tapasia of power.

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For the vital being is the seed
of power, of effective

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enthusiasm.
It is in the vital that thought

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is transformed into will and
becomes a dynamism for action.

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It is also true that the vital
is the seat of desires and

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passions, of violent impulses
and equally violent reactions,

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of revolt and depression.
The normal remedy is to strangle

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and starve the vital by
depriving it of all sensation.

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Sensations are indeed its main
sustenance and without them it

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falls asleep, grows sluggish and
starves to death.

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End Quote Reference Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother Our

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Many Selves.
Practical Yogic Psychology,

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Chapter 2, Planes and Parts of
the Being, pages 28 to 29.