Jan. 14, 2023
The Western Mind and the Relationship to the Guru
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2023/01/12/the-western-mind-and-the-relationship-to-the-guru/
1
00:00:01,500 --> 00:00:05,300
The cultural background of the
West clearly differs from the
2
00:00:05,300 --> 00:00:10,200
background found in India, which
has a history of Spiritual
3
00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:14,600
Development, stretching back,
thousands of years, westerners
4
00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:18,300
tend to have difficulty with the
concept of surrender to the
5
00:00:18,300 --> 00:00:22,700
grooves guidance, whereas, in
India, this is an accepted
6
00:00:22,700 --> 00:00:27,500
concept and thus, fits more
perfectly into the psychological
7
00:00:27,500 --> 00:00:31,700
framework of the people.
When a Westerner attempts to
8
00:00:31,700 --> 00:00:35,200
surrender to the guru, he does
not have the needed.
9
00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,800
Cultural framework to
distinguish the truth of the
10
00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:44,000
Guru from the individuals who
come to pray upon Him due to his
11
00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:49,200
basic ignorance and thus is more
subject to being manipulated by
12
00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:54,200
a con man, posing as a guru,
whose actual goals are
13
00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:58,500
achievement of power, wealth,
sex and fame.
14
00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,000
The history of communities, such
as Jonestown, where hundreds of
15
00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,400
devotees were poisoned or
provoked, a violent against.
16
00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:12,900
Others is a cautionary, Tale.
But there are also instances of
17
00:01:12,900 --> 00:01:17,800
pseudo gurus who represent
themselves as Divine guides and
18
00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:21,500
who use the innocence and lack
of background in spiritual
19
00:01:21,500 --> 00:01:26,400
matters to entrap young people
The tale of Miller epis laborers
20
00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:30,200
at the behest of his Guru.
Marpa is frequently used by
21
00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:34,200
these con artists to illustrate
the type of unquestioning
22
00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:39,800
surrender that they are seeking.
Of course, there are true,
23
00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:45,400
relationships and sincere gurus
as well for the Westerner,
24
00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:50,200
however, particularly in early
stages, it is difficult to
25
00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:54,200
distinguish the difference and
it requires a strong Ang
26
00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:58,700
aspiration and orientation
toward the deeper spiritual
27
00:01:58,700 --> 00:02:02,800
Truth for the Seeker from the
West to find and benefit from
28
00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:06,700
the guru relationship in many
cases.
29
00:02:07,100 --> 00:02:11,800
A sincere Guru will recognize
the limitations imposed by the
30
00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:15,900
cultural background of the
Westerner and find ways to work
31
00:02:15,900 --> 00:02:19,400
around the issues.
Until there is a true trust, and
32
00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:24,400
comfort level established.
This is not to imply that people
33
00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:28,200
of India, or any other land are
immune from this type of
34
00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:32,400
manipulation and deception.
They also have to address the
35
00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:36,500
concerns but have at least the
cultural background to
36
00:02:36,500 --> 00:02:40,400
understand more fully how to
navigate The Dangers that can
37
00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:44,400
arise.
The Westerner then has the added
38
00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:49,000
difficulty of overcoming, all
the social mental and emotional
39
00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:53,900
conditioning that values and
emphasizes the ego personality.
40
00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,700
And thus conflicts with the
psychics, need to subordinate
41
00:02:58,700 --> 00:03:02,900
the ego to the higher Guidance.
The inner guidance of the
42
00:03:02,900 --> 00:03:06,800
psychic presence eventually is
required for anyone to
43
00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:11,500
distinguish truth from falsehood
and be able then to undertake
44
00:03:11,500 --> 00:03:16,100
the aboard nation of the ego to
the Divine guidance, as
45
00:03:16,100 --> 00:03:20,300
channeled through the guru.
The mother, right?
46
00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:24,700
Quote, the Western mind.
Always finds it difficult to
47
00:03:24,700 --> 00:03:28,100
submit.
Totally to a guru and without
48
00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:32,100
total and unquestioning
surrender to the guru, his help
49
00:03:32,100 --> 00:03:36,500
to you as paralyzed.
That is why generally I advise
50
00:03:36,500 --> 00:03:39,500
westerners to find the guidance
and the presence within
51
00:03:39,500 --> 00:03:43,500
themselves.
It is true that this process is
52
00:03:43,500 --> 00:03:47,300
very often open to uncertainty
and self-deception.
53
00:03:48,500 --> 00:03:52,700
Getting some voice of the ego in
Disguise for the divine's
54
00:03:52,700 --> 00:03:59,100
guidance, in both cases, it is
only an absolute sincerity and
55
00:03:59,100 --> 00:04:05,200
an unmixed humility that can be
your Safeguard and quote
56
00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:10,700
reference SRI aurobindo in the
mother growing within the
57
00:04:10,700 --> 00:04:14,900
psychology of inner development.
Chapter 3 growth of
58
00:04:14,900 --> 00:04:18,200
Consciousness basic requisites
page 55.
00:00:01,500 --> 00:00:05,300
The cultural background of the
West clearly differs from the
2
00:00:05,300 --> 00:00:10,200
background found in India, which
has a history of Spiritual
3
00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:14,600
Development, stretching back,
thousands of years, westerners
4
00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:18,300
tend to have difficulty with the
concept of surrender to the
5
00:00:18,300 --> 00:00:22,700
grooves guidance, whereas, in
India, this is an accepted
6
00:00:22,700 --> 00:00:27,500
concept and thus, fits more
perfectly into the psychological
7
00:00:27,500 --> 00:00:31,700
framework of the people.
When a Westerner attempts to
8
00:00:31,700 --> 00:00:35,200
surrender to the guru, he does
not have the needed.
9
00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,800
Cultural framework to
distinguish the truth of the
10
00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:44,000
Guru from the individuals who
come to pray upon Him due to his
11
00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:49,200
basic ignorance and thus is more
subject to being manipulated by
12
00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:54,200
a con man, posing as a guru,
whose actual goals are
13
00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:58,500
achievement of power, wealth,
sex and fame.
14
00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,000
The history of communities, such
as Jonestown, where hundreds of
15
00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,400
devotees were poisoned or
provoked, a violent against.
16
00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:12,900
Others is a cautionary, Tale.
But there are also instances of
17
00:01:12,900 --> 00:01:17,800
pseudo gurus who represent
themselves as Divine guides and
18
00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:21,500
who use the innocence and lack
of background in spiritual
19
00:01:21,500 --> 00:01:26,400
matters to entrap young people
The tale of Miller epis laborers
20
00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:30,200
at the behest of his Guru.
Marpa is frequently used by
21
00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:34,200
these con artists to illustrate
the type of unquestioning
22
00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:39,800
surrender that they are seeking.
Of course, there are true,
23
00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:45,400
relationships and sincere gurus
as well for the Westerner,
24
00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:50,200
however, particularly in early
stages, it is difficult to
25
00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:54,200
distinguish the difference and
it requires a strong Ang
26
00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:58,700
aspiration and orientation
toward the deeper spiritual
27
00:01:58,700 --> 00:02:02,800
Truth for the Seeker from the
West to find and benefit from
28
00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:06,700
the guru relationship in many
cases.
29
00:02:07,100 --> 00:02:11,800
A sincere Guru will recognize
the limitations imposed by the
30
00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:15,900
cultural background of the
Westerner and find ways to work
31
00:02:15,900 --> 00:02:19,400
around the issues.
Until there is a true trust, and
32
00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:24,400
comfort level established.
This is not to imply that people
33
00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:28,200
of India, or any other land are
immune from this type of
34
00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:32,400
manipulation and deception.
They also have to address the
35
00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:36,500
concerns but have at least the
cultural background to
36
00:02:36,500 --> 00:02:40,400
understand more fully how to
navigate The Dangers that can
37
00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:44,400
arise.
The Westerner then has the added
38
00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:49,000
difficulty of overcoming, all
the social mental and emotional
39
00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:53,900
conditioning that values and
emphasizes the ego personality.
40
00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,700
And thus conflicts with the
psychics, need to subordinate
41
00:02:58,700 --> 00:03:02,900
the ego to the higher Guidance.
The inner guidance of the
42
00:03:02,900 --> 00:03:06,800
psychic presence eventually is
required for anyone to
43
00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:11,500
distinguish truth from falsehood
and be able then to undertake
44
00:03:11,500 --> 00:03:16,100
the aboard nation of the ego to
the Divine guidance, as
45
00:03:16,100 --> 00:03:20,300
channeled through the guru.
The mother, right?
46
00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:24,700
Quote, the Western mind.
Always finds it difficult to
47
00:03:24,700 --> 00:03:28,100
submit.
Totally to a guru and without
48
00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:32,100
total and unquestioning
surrender to the guru, his help
49
00:03:32,100 --> 00:03:36,500
to you as paralyzed.
That is why generally I advise
50
00:03:36,500 --> 00:03:39,500
westerners to find the guidance
and the presence within
51
00:03:39,500 --> 00:03:43,500
themselves.
It is true that this process is
52
00:03:43,500 --> 00:03:47,300
very often open to uncertainty
and self-deception.
53
00:03:48,500 --> 00:03:52,700
Getting some voice of the ego in
Disguise for the divine's
54
00:03:52,700 --> 00:03:59,100
guidance, in both cases, it is
only an absolute sincerity and
55
00:03:59,100 --> 00:04:05,200
an unmixed humility that can be
your Safeguard and quote
56
00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:10,700
reference SRI aurobindo in the
mother growing within the
57
00:04:10,700 --> 00:04:14,900
psychology of inner development.
Chapter 3 growth of
58
00:04:14,900 --> 00:04:18,200
Consciousness basic requisites
page 55.
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Amazon Music
RSS Feed
Castro
RadioPublic
PocketCasts
YouTube