March 5, 2025
The Way Out of the Existential Dread That Accompanies Lack of Knowing Oneself and One's Purpose in Life
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 1, Looking at Life and Circumstances, pp. 11-12This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/03/03/the-way-out-of-the-existential-dread-that-accompanies-lack-of-knowing-oneself-and-ones-purpose-in-life/
Video presentations,interviews and podcast episodes are all available 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
00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:02,840
The development of
existentialism as a
2
00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:06,840
philosophical viewpoint on human
existence in the world took
3
00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:10,080
place primarily during the 19th
and 20th centuries.
4
00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:14,520
It focused on the apparent lack
of meaning in the universe, and
5
00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:19,160
thus human significance had to
be developed from an individual
6
00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:24,240
standpoint of freedom rather
than from participation in a
7
00:00:24,240 --> 00:00:28,760
larger universal purpose.
One of the essential feelings or
8
00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:33,800
experiences in existentialism is
the recognition that there is
9
00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:38,080
essentially no meaning to our
existence per SE, and the
10
00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:41,960
development of what some of the
existentialist called a sense of
11
00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:45,280
nausea.
As a result of being thrown into
12
00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:50,280
an incomprehensible, absurd
existence with no real purpose
13
00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:56,000
or guidance to follow to figure
out how to live our lives, there
14
00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,000
arises a state of anxiety, or
what is called by many
15
00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:03,320
existentialists, existential
angst.
16
00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:09,400
It may be fair to say that the
ordinary human being living in
17
00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:13,840
ordinary existence without any
true sense of his own purpose or
18
00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:18,760
the meaning of existence, has at
least a part of the experiences
19
00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:23,480
declared by the existentialists.
The mother describes this as a
20
00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:27,880
kind of uncertainty or fog of
the being, a feeling of
21
00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:31,280
unpleasantness.
Her prescription to come out of
22
00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:37,120
this state of existential angst
is to learn to become clear and
23
00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,960
to dedicate oneself to the
larger purpose which one can
24
00:01:40,960 --> 00:01:44,960
discover if one does not get too
tightly restricted by the
25
00:01:44,960 --> 00:01:49,440
artificial mental blinders that
leads the individuals with
26
00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:54,600
strong mental development into
existentialism as a philosophy
27
00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:58,680
of living, the mother writes
Quote.
28
00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:04,840
You must have a great deal of
sincerity, a little courage and
29
00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:08,919
perseverance, and then a sort of
mental curiosity.
30
00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:15,800
You understand, curious, seeking
to know, interested, wanting to
31
00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:21,960
learn, to love, to learn that
one must have in one's nature
32
00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:27,760
not to be able to bear standing
before something grey, all hazy,
33
00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:32,400
in which nothing is seen clearly
and which gives you quite an
34
00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:36,160
unpleasant feeling.
For you do not know where you
35
00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:41,560
begin and where you end, what is
yours and what is not yours and
36
00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,120
what is settled and what is not
settled.
37
00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,960
What is this pulp like thing you
call yourself in which things
38
00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:52,880
get intermingled and act upon
one another without even your
39
00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:57,880
being aware of it?
You ask yourself, but why have I
40
00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:01,200
done this?
You know nothing about it.
41
00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:06,120
And why have I felt that you
don't know that either?
42
00:03:06,920 --> 00:03:11,680
And then you are thrown into a
world outside that is only fog,
43
00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:16,640
and you are thrown into a world
inside that is also for you
44
00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:24,120
another kind of fog, still more
impenetrable, which you live
45
00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:29,160
like a cork thrown upon the
waters, and the waves carry it
46
00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:35,120
away or cast it into the air,
and it drops and rolls on.
47
00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,440
That is quite an unpleasant
state.
48
00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:44,400
I do not know, but to me it
appears unpleasant to see
49
00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:49,920
clearly, to see one's way, where
1 is going, why 1 is going
50
00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:54,560
there, how one is to go there,
and what 1 is going to do, and
51
00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:56,920
what is the kind of relation
with others.
52
00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:01,440
But that is a problem so
wonderfully interesting.
53
00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:06,840
It is interesting, and you can
always discover things every
54
00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:09,840
minute.
You can never have finished your
55
00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:14,600
work.
There is a time, there is a
56
00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:18,640
certain state of consciousness,
when you have the feeling that
57
00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,839
you are in that condition, with
all the weight of the world
58
00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:25,560
lying heavy upon you.
And besides, you are going in
59
00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,160
blinkers and do not know where
you are going.
60
00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:33,840
But there is something which is
pushing you, and that is truly a
61
00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:39,120
very unpleasant condition.
And there is another moment when
62
00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:44,160
1 draws oneself up and is able
to see what is there above, and
63
00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:47,680
one becomes it.
Then one looks at the world as
64
00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:52,720
though from the top of a very,
very high mountain, and one sees
65
00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:58,040
all that is happening below.
Then one can choose one's way
66
00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:01,080
and follow it.
That is a more pleasant
67
00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:05,120
condition.
This, then, is truly the truth.
68
00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:12,520
You are upon earth for that.
Surely all individual beings and
69
00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:16,200
all the little concentrations of
consciousness were created to do
70
00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:19,880
this work.
Is the very reason for existence
71
00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:24,320
to be able to become fully
conscious of a certain sum of
72
00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:28,480
vibrations representing an
individual being and put order
73
00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:33,200
therein and find one's way and
follow the Way.
74
00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:38,760
End Quote.
Reference Srioro Bindu and the
75
00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:43,760
Mother, Looking from Within,
Chapter 1 Looking at Life and
76
00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:47,120
Circumstances, pages 11:00 to
12:00.
00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:02,840
The development of
existentialism as a
2
00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:06,840
philosophical viewpoint on human
existence in the world took
3
00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:10,080
place primarily during the 19th
and 20th centuries.
4
00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:14,520
It focused on the apparent lack
of meaning in the universe, and
5
00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:19,160
thus human significance had to
be developed from an individual
6
00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:24,240
standpoint of freedom rather
than from participation in a
7
00:00:24,240 --> 00:00:28,760
larger universal purpose.
One of the essential feelings or
8
00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:33,800
experiences in existentialism is
the recognition that there is
9
00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:38,080
essentially no meaning to our
existence per SE, and the
10
00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:41,960
development of what some of the
existentialist called a sense of
11
00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:45,280
nausea.
As a result of being thrown into
12
00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:50,280
an incomprehensible, absurd
existence with no real purpose
13
00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:56,000
or guidance to follow to figure
out how to live our lives, there
14
00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,000
arises a state of anxiety, or
what is called by many
15
00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:03,320
existentialists, existential
angst.
16
00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:09,400
It may be fair to say that the
ordinary human being living in
17
00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:13,840
ordinary existence without any
true sense of his own purpose or
18
00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:18,760
the meaning of existence, has at
least a part of the experiences
19
00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:23,480
declared by the existentialists.
The mother describes this as a
20
00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:27,880
kind of uncertainty or fog of
the being, a feeling of
21
00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:31,280
unpleasantness.
Her prescription to come out of
22
00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:37,120
this state of existential angst
is to learn to become clear and
23
00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,960
to dedicate oneself to the
larger purpose which one can
24
00:01:40,960 --> 00:01:44,960
discover if one does not get too
tightly restricted by the
25
00:01:44,960 --> 00:01:49,440
artificial mental blinders that
leads the individuals with
26
00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:54,600
strong mental development into
existentialism as a philosophy
27
00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:58,680
of living, the mother writes
Quote.
28
00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:04,840
You must have a great deal of
sincerity, a little courage and
29
00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:08,919
perseverance, and then a sort of
mental curiosity.
30
00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:15,800
You understand, curious, seeking
to know, interested, wanting to
31
00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:21,960
learn, to love, to learn that
one must have in one's nature
32
00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:27,760
not to be able to bear standing
before something grey, all hazy,
33
00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:32,400
in which nothing is seen clearly
and which gives you quite an
34
00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:36,160
unpleasant feeling.
For you do not know where you
35
00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:41,560
begin and where you end, what is
yours and what is not yours and
36
00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,120
what is settled and what is not
settled.
37
00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,960
What is this pulp like thing you
call yourself in which things
38
00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:52,880
get intermingled and act upon
one another without even your
39
00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:57,880
being aware of it?
You ask yourself, but why have I
40
00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:01,200
done this?
You know nothing about it.
41
00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:06,120
And why have I felt that you
don't know that either?
42
00:03:06,920 --> 00:03:11,680
And then you are thrown into a
world outside that is only fog,
43
00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:16,640
and you are thrown into a world
inside that is also for you
44
00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:24,120
another kind of fog, still more
impenetrable, which you live
45
00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:29,160
like a cork thrown upon the
waters, and the waves carry it
46
00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:35,120
away or cast it into the air,
and it drops and rolls on.
47
00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,440
That is quite an unpleasant
state.
48
00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:44,400
I do not know, but to me it
appears unpleasant to see
49
00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:49,920
clearly, to see one's way, where
1 is going, why 1 is going
50
00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:54,560
there, how one is to go there,
and what 1 is going to do, and
51
00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:56,920
what is the kind of relation
with others.
52
00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:01,440
But that is a problem so
wonderfully interesting.
53
00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:06,840
It is interesting, and you can
always discover things every
54
00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:09,840
minute.
You can never have finished your
55
00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:14,600
work.
There is a time, there is a
56
00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:18,640
certain state of consciousness,
when you have the feeling that
57
00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,839
you are in that condition, with
all the weight of the world
58
00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:25,560
lying heavy upon you.
And besides, you are going in
59
00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,160
blinkers and do not know where
you are going.
60
00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:33,840
But there is something which is
pushing you, and that is truly a
61
00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:39,120
very unpleasant condition.
And there is another moment when
62
00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:44,160
1 draws oneself up and is able
to see what is there above, and
63
00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:47,680
one becomes it.
Then one looks at the world as
64
00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:52,720
though from the top of a very,
very high mountain, and one sees
65
00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:58,040
all that is happening below.
Then one can choose one's way
66
00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:01,080
and follow it.
That is a more pleasant
67
00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:05,120
condition.
This, then, is truly the truth.
68
00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:12,520
You are upon earth for that.
Surely all individual beings and
69
00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:16,200
all the little concentrations of
consciousness were created to do
70
00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:19,880
this work.
Is the very reason for existence
71
00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:24,320
to be able to become fully
conscious of a certain sum of
72
00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:28,480
vibrations representing an
individual being and put order
73
00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:33,200
therein and find one's way and
follow the Way.
74
00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:38,760
End Quote.
Reference Srioro Bindu and the
75
00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:43,760
Mother, Looking from Within,
Chapter 1 Looking at Life and
76
00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:47,120
Circumstances, pages 11:00 to
12:00.