Oct. 14, 2024
To Learn How to Will
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter V Will-Power, pp. 49-50
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/10/11/to-learn-how-to-will/
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
00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:04,760
If one looks deeply at one's
attempts to utilize willpower to
2
00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:08,880
accomplish any task, to bring
about some change in one's
3
00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:13,840
being, or to develop in some
direction, it quickly becomes
4
00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,320
apparent that there are elements
within our own being that are
5
00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:22,200
not supporting the focus,
intensity, and direction that
6
00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:27,040
one is trying to bring about.
The will is in the mind, but the
7
00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:31,960
vital nature or the physical
being are resistant or simply
8
00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,320
not interested.
They want to continue along
9
00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:40,600
their habitual lines of activity
and do not see the necessity or
10
00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:44,680
urgency in accomplishing the
change that is desired by the
11
00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,680
mind.
Or there are different aspects
12
00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:52,240
of the mind itself that may hold
opposing and quite contradictory
13
00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:55,560
ideas.
One may at the same time have a
14
00:00:55,560 --> 00:01:00,680
great aspiration for spiritual
growth and be tied down by ideas
15
00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,319
of success in a career, or in
developing a romantic
16
00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:08,160
relationship, or in simply
enjoying oneself without
17
00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:12,000
concern.
In some cases we see a spiritual
18
00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,280
aspiration dulled and
restrained, but by the idea that
19
00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:19,840
one should not make any efforts
at all, that everything is
20
00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:24,520
preordained and one simply needs
to let happen whatever is
21
00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:29,120
intended to happen.
The mother makes it clear that
22
00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,640
the issue is primarily 1 of
harmonizing and unifying the
23
00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,440
different parts of the being so
that they are all aligned to the
24
00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:41,880
same goal, purpose and effort.
She even goes so far as to point
25
00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:46,080
out that until 1 is able to
shape oneself around a will that
26
00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:50,000
there is nothing stable that can
make any clear and definitive
27
00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:55,040
decisions and carry them out in
the normal external life.
28
00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:59,360
This generally takes place by
unification around the ego
29
00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:04,000
personality as an individual
takes up a focus on spiritual
30
00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,000
growth.
The organization and unification
31
00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:11,520
takes place through the psychic
being coming forward and taking
32
00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,760
up a central role in the
individual's life.
33
00:02:15,920 --> 00:02:19,920
The mother writes.
Quote To learn how to will is a
34
00:02:19,920 --> 00:02:24,800
very important thing, and to
will truly you must unify your
35
00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,880
being.
In fact, to be a being one must
36
00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:33,160
first unify oneself.
If one is pulled by absolutely
37
00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:37,880
opposite tendencies, if one
spends 3/4 of his life without
38
00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:42,080
being conscious of himself and
the reasons why he does things,
39
00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,960
is 1A real being?
1 does not exist.
40
00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:51,160
One is a mass of influences,
movements, forces, actions,
41
00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,280
reactions, but one is not a
being.
42
00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:59,120
One begins to become a being
when he begins to have a will,
43
00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,080
and one can't have a will unless
he is unified.
44
00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:08,360
And when you have a will, you
will be able to say, save to the
45
00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:14,280
divine, I want what you want,
but not before that, because in
46
00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:17,920
order to want what the divine
wants, you must have a will.
47
00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:20,560
Otherwise you can will nothing
at all.
48
00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:24,240
You would like to.
You would like it very much.
49
00:03:24,920 --> 00:03:28,440
You would very much like to want
what the divine wants to do.
50
00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:33,320
You don't possess a will to give
to him and to put at his
51
00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:37,720
service.
Something like that, gelatinous
52
00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:43,160
like jellyfish.
There a mass of goodwills and I
53
00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,360
am considering the better side
of things and forgetting the bad
54
00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,680
wills.
A mass of goodwills, half
55
00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:53,320
conscious and fluctuating.
End Quote.
56
00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:59,440
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother Powers within, Chapter 5,
57
00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:02,840
Willpower, pages 49 to 50.
00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:04,760
If one looks deeply at one's
attempts to utilize willpower to
2
00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:08,880
accomplish any task, to bring
about some change in one's
3
00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:13,840
being, or to develop in some
direction, it quickly becomes
4
00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,320
apparent that there are elements
within our own being that are
5
00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:22,200
not supporting the focus,
intensity, and direction that
6
00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:27,040
one is trying to bring about.
The will is in the mind, but the
7
00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:31,960
vital nature or the physical
being are resistant or simply
8
00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,320
not interested.
They want to continue along
9
00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:40,600
their habitual lines of activity
and do not see the necessity or
10
00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:44,680
urgency in accomplishing the
change that is desired by the
11
00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,680
mind.
Or there are different aspects
12
00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:52,240
of the mind itself that may hold
opposing and quite contradictory
13
00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:55,560
ideas.
One may at the same time have a
14
00:00:55,560 --> 00:01:00,680
great aspiration for spiritual
growth and be tied down by ideas
15
00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,319
of success in a career, or in
developing a romantic
16
00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:08,160
relationship, or in simply
enjoying oneself without
17
00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:12,000
concern.
In some cases we see a spiritual
18
00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,280
aspiration dulled and
restrained, but by the idea that
19
00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:19,840
one should not make any efforts
at all, that everything is
20
00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:24,520
preordained and one simply needs
to let happen whatever is
21
00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:29,120
intended to happen.
The mother makes it clear that
22
00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,640
the issue is primarily 1 of
harmonizing and unifying the
23
00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,440
different parts of the being so
that they are all aligned to the
24
00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:41,880
same goal, purpose and effort.
She even goes so far as to point
25
00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:46,080
out that until 1 is able to
shape oneself around a will that
26
00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:50,000
there is nothing stable that can
make any clear and definitive
27
00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:55,040
decisions and carry them out in
the normal external life.
28
00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:59,360
This generally takes place by
unification around the ego
29
00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:04,000
personality as an individual
takes up a focus on spiritual
30
00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,000
growth.
The organization and unification
31
00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:11,520
takes place through the psychic
being coming forward and taking
32
00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,760
up a central role in the
individual's life.
33
00:02:15,920 --> 00:02:19,920
The mother writes.
Quote To learn how to will is a
34
00:02:19,920 --> 00:02:24,800
very important thing, and to
will truly you must unify your
35
00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,880
being.
In fact, to be a being one must
36
00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:33,160
first unify oneself.
If one is pulled by absolutely
37
00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:37,880
opposite tendencies, if one
spends 3/4 of his life without
38
00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:42,080
being conscious of himself and
the reasons why he does things,
39
00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,960
is 1A real being?
1 does not exist.
40
00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:51,160
One is a mass of influences,
movements, forces, actions,
41
00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,280
reactions, but one is not a
being.
42
00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:59,120
One begins to become a being
when he begins to have a will,
43
00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,080
and one can't have a will unless
he is unified.
44
00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:08,360
And when you have a will, you
will be able to say, save to the
45
00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:14,280
divine, I want what you want,
but not before that, because in
46
00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:17,920
order to want what the divine
wants, you must have a will.
47
00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:20,560
Otherwise you can will nothing
at all.
48
00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:24,240
You would like to.
You would like it very much.
49
00:03:24,920 --> 00:03:28,440
You would very much like to want
what the divine wants to do.
50
00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:33,320
You don't possess a will to give
to him and to put at his
51
00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:37,720
service.
Something like that, gelatinous
52
00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:43,160
like jellyfish.
There a mass of goodwills and I
53
00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,360
am considering the better side
of things and forgetting the bad
54
00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,680
wills.
A mass of goodwills, half
55
00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:53,320
conscious and fluctuating.
End Quote.
56
00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:59,440
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother Powers within, Chapter 5,
57
00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:02,840
Willpower, pages 49 to 50.