Jan. 26, 2025
To Become a Conscious Instrument of the Divine Action
reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter XX The Psychic, pp. 156-157 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/01/24/to-become-a-conscious-instrument-of-the-divine-action/
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 Sri Aurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:05,040
In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri
Krishna explains to Arjuna at
2
00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:10,120
some length the process of the
Universal Manifestation and how
3
00:00:10,120 --> 00:00:13,120
individuals are essentially
driven by their nature in
4
00:00:13,120 --> 00:00:17,960
relation to the larger forces of
the manifestation itself to act
5
00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:21,880
in certain ways.
For most of these individuals,
6
00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:25,360
the action takes place as a
result of the forces of the
7
00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:29,320
external vital nature.
They are essentially subject to
8
00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:32,840
the machinery of nature through
the operation of the three
9
00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:36,960
gunas.
At a certain stage, as the power
10
00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:41,280
of reflection and self-awareness
develops, the individual begins
11
00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:45,160
to refine his action in closer
alignment to the pressure of the
12
00:00:45,160 --> 00:00:50,240
divine Force, yet still very
much without conscious awareness
13
00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:53,880
of his role and how the Force is
working upon him.
14
00:00:55,240 --> 00:01:00,000
Sri Krishna reveals deeper
truths to Arjuna so that Arjuna
15
00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,080
can become a willing, conscious,
and active instrument in the
16
00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:06,240
work that Sri Krishna puts
before him.
17
00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:11,080
He points out that all of the
warriors are already destined to
18
00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:16,480
die regardless of Arjuna's
action, and he reveals to Arjuna
19
00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:19,880
a view of the Universal Being
that is directing this action.
20
00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:24,480
He explains to Arjuna that now
that he knows the truth of
21
00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:28,240
things, he should undertake to
do what he feels is right.
22
00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:33,120
He thus solicits Arjuna's
conscious, willing adherence to
23
00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:37,200
the action, rather than simply
pressing him into action
24
00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:41,680
unconsciously.
As the spiritual sadhana
25
00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:45,640
progresses, the seeker may go
through various stages of
26
00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:49,280
increasing consciousness of the
purpose of the Universal
27
00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:51,720
Creation and his role in that
process.
28
00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:57,160
In his book The Mother, Sri
Aurobindo outlines various
29
00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:01,400
relations that the seeker may
successively gain as he becomes
30
00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:05,160
more conscious of his psychic
being and his connection to the
31
00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:07,240
spiritual truth of his
existence.
32
00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:12,680
Chapter 5 is dedicated to the
question of a seeker becoming a
33
00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:16,920
true doer of divine works with
an ever increasing inner
34
00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:22,440
awareness and consciousness.
The Mother notes quote.
35
00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:27,680
It seems to me impossible to
escape from this necessity of
36
00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:32,200
organizing the being around the
Central Presence if one wants to
37
00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:37,200
be and is to be a conscious
instrument of the Divine Force.
38
00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:43,400
You may be moved, pushed into
action and used as unconscious
39
00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:47,840
instruments by the Divine Force
if you have a minimum of
40
00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:52,240
goodwill and sincerity.
But to become a conscious
41
00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:57,000
instrument capable of
identification and conscious
42
00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:01,280
willed movements, you must have
this inner organization.
43
00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:06,480
Otherwise you will always be
running into a chaos somewhere,
44
00:03:06,920 --> 00:03:11,840
a confusion somewhere, or an
obscurity, an unconsciousness
45
00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:15,760
somewhere.
And naturally your action, even
46
00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:19,800
though guided exclusively by the
Divine, will not have the
47
00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:23,720
perfection of expression it has
when one has acquired a
48
00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:27,600
conscious organization around
this divine center.
49
00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:33,960
It is an assiduous task which
may be done at any time and
50
00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:39,320
under any circumstances, for you
carry within yourself all the
51
00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:43,400
elements of the problem.
You don't need anything from
52
00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:49,480
outside, no outer aid to do this
work, but it requires great
53
00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,440
perseverance, a sort of
tenacity.
54
00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:56,400
For very often it happens that
there are bad creases in the
55
00:03:56,400 --> 00:04:01,440
being, habits which come from
all sorts of causes, which may
56
00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:05,600
come from atavistic
malformation, or also from
57
00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:09,440
education, or from the
environment you have lived in,
58
00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:14,880
or from many other causes.
And these bad creases you try to
59
00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:19,640
smooth out, but they wrinkle up
again, and then you must begin
60
00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:26,080
the work over again many, many,
many a time without getting
61
00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:29,920
discouraged before the final
result is obtained.
62
00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:35,080
But nothing and nobody can
prevent you from doing it, nor
63
00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:40,760
any circumstance for you carry
within yourself the problem and
64
00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:46,040
the solution.
End Quote Reference Sri
65
00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:51,120
Aurobindo and the Mother Powers
within, Chapter 20, The Psychic,
66
00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,440
pages 156 to 157.
00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:05,040
In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri
Krishna explains to Arjuna at
2
00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:10,120
some length the process of the
Universal Manifestation and how
3
00:00:10,120 --> 00:00:13,120
individuals are essentially
driven by their nature in
4
00:00:13,120 --> 00:00:17,960
relation to the larger forces of
the manifestation itself to act
5
00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:21,880
in certain ways.
For most of these individuals,
6
00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:25,360
the action takes place as a
result of the forces of the
7
00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:29,320
external vital nature.
They are essentially subject to
8
00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:32,840
the machinery of nature through
the operation of the three
9
00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:36,960
gunas.
At a certain stage, as the power
10
00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:41,280
of reflection and self-awareness
develops, the individual begins
11
00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:45,160
to refine his action in closer
alignment to the pressure of the
12
00:00:45,160 --> 00:00:50,240
divine Force, yet still very
much without conscious awareness
13
00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:53,880
of his role and how the Force is
working upon him.
14
00:00:55,240 --> 00:01:00,000
Sri Krishna reveals deeper
truths to Arjuna so that Arjuna
15
00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,080
can become a willing, conscious,
and active instrument in the
16
00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:06,240
work that Sri Krishna puts
before him.
17
00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:11,080
He points out that all of the
warriors are already destined to
18
00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:16,480
die regardless of Arjuna's
action, and he reveals to Arjuna
19
00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:19,880
a view of the Universal Being
that is directing this action.
20
00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:24,480
He explains to Arjuna that now
that he knows the truth of
21
00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:28,240
things, he should undertake to
do what he feels is right.
22
00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:33,120
He thus solicits Arjuna's
conscious, willing adherence to
23
00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:37,200
the action, rather than simply
pressing him into action
24
00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:41,680
unconsciously.
As the spiritual sadhana
25
00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:45,640
progresses, the seeker may go
through various stages of
26
00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:49,280
increasing consciousness of the
purpose of the Universal
27
00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:51,720
Creation and his role in that
process.
28
00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:57,160
In his book The Mother, Sri
Aurobindo outlines various
29
00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:01,400
relations that the seeker may
successively gain as he becomes
30
00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:05,160
more conscious of his psychic
being and his connection to the
31
00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:07,240
spiritual truth of his
existence.
32
00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:12,680
Chapter 5 is dedicated to the
question of a seeker becoming a
33
00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:16,920
true doer of divine works with
an ever increasing inner
34
00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:22,440
awareness and consciousness.
The Mother notes quote.
35
00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:27,680
It seems to me impossible to
escape from this necessity of
36
00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:32,200
organizing the being around the
Central Presence if one wants to
37
00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:37,200
be and is to be a conscious
instrument of the Divine Force.
38
00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:43,400
You may be moved, pushed into
action and used as unconscious
39
00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:47,840
instruments by the Divine Force
if you have a minimum of
40
00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:52,240
goodwill and sincerity.
But to become a conscious
41
00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:57,000
instrument capable of
identification and conscious
42
00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:01,280
willed movements, you must have
this inner organization.
43
00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:06,480
Otherwise you will always be
running into a chaos somewhere,
44
00:03:06,920 --> 00:03:11,840
a confusion somewhere, or an
obscurity, an unconsciousness
45
00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:15,760
somewhere.
And naturally your action, even
46
00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:19,800
though guided exclusively by the
Divine, will not have the
47
00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:23,720
perfection of expression it has
when one has acquired a
48
00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:27,600
conscious organization around
this divine center.
49
00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:33,960
It is an assiduous task which
may be done at any time and
50
00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:39,320
under any circumstances, for you
carry within yourself all the
51
00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:43,400
elements of the problem.
You don't need anything from
52
00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:49,480
outside, no outer aid to do this
work, but it requires great
53
00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,440
perseverance, a sort of
tenacity.
54
00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:56,400
For very often it happens that
there are bad creases in the
55
00:03:56,400 --> 00:04:01,440
being, habits which come from
all sorts of causes, which may
56
00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:05,600
come from atavistic
malformation, or also from
57
00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:09,440
education, or from the
environment you have lived in,
58
00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:14,880
or from many other causes.
And these bad creases you try to
59
00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:19,640
smooth out, but they wrinkle up
again, and then you must begin
60
00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:26,080
the work over again many, many,
many a time without getting
61
00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:29,920
discouraged before the final
result is obtained.
62
00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:35,080
But nothing and nobody can
prevent you from doing it, nor
63
00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:40,760
any circumstance for you carry
within yourself the problem and
64
00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:46,040
the solution.
End Quote Reference Sri
65
00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:51,120
Aurobindo and the Mother Powers
within, Chapter 20, The Psychic,
66
00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,440
pages 156 to 157.
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