Feb. 5, 2025
Transcending the Fear of the Unlimited Spiritual Consciousness
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter XXII Spirit, pp. 165-166 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/02/03/transcending-the-fear-of-the-unlimited-spiritual-consciousness/
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
00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:05,080
A relatively frequent occurrence
for the spiritual aspirant is to
2
00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:09,080
reach the boundary wall of
consciousness and get a glimpse
3
00:00:09,120 --> 00:00:13,360
or experience of the spiritual
consciousness without limits.
4
00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:18,600
This experience, when it comes,
may raise up tremendous fear in
5
00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:22,880
the individual and he reacts
almost automatically and
6
00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:27,840
spontaneously, drawing himself
away from that unlimited field
7
00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:32,080
and back into his own
comfortable ego self.
8
00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:36,640
The reaction is one of the ego
consciousness that fears its
9
00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:40,320
dissolution.
The individual is not yet ready
10
00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,960
to accept and receive the
limitless spiritual
11
00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:49,240
consciousness and rebounds into
the small limited human
12
00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:53,040
existence.
A somewhat similar thing occurs
13
00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:57,120
when an individual has in a
conscious state what is called
14
00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:02,120
an out of body experience.
Note as opposed to those that
15
00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:05,720
may be rated related to a near
death experience, which may be
16
00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:09,640
involuntary and not under any
kind of active conscious
17
00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:14,160
awareness or control.
The individual reports seeing a
18
00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,800
silver thread or line from his
awareness back to the physical
19
00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:21,240
body.
As he moves farther away, he can
20
00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:26,400
experience vast realms of space,
visit other places, see other
21
00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:29,600
things, all without known
limits.
22
00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:34,560
But the moment he worries about
what will happen if this thread
23
00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:40,560
snaps, or how far can I go
without the thread snapping, he
24
00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:45,000
is immediately plunged back into
the limited human body and the
25
00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:51,280
experience ends.
The poet Khalil Gibran expressed
26
00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:54,520
this feeling in his poem Fear
Quote.
27
00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:59,440
It is said that before entering
the sea, a river trembles with
28
00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,600
fear.
She looks back at the path she
29
00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:07,200
has travelled from the peaks of
the mountains, the long winding
30
00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:11,480
Rd. crossing forests and
villages, and in front of her
31
00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:16,760
she sees an ocean so vast that
to enter there seems nothing
32
00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:22,160
more than to disappear forever.
But there is no other way.
33
00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:26,920
The river cannot go back.
Nobody can go back.
34
00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:30,400
To go back is impossible in
existence.
35
00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:35,640
The river needs to take the risk
of entering the ocean, because
36
00:02:35,640 --> 00:02:40,560
only then will fear disappear,
because that's where the river
37
00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:44,080
will know.
It's not about disappearing into
38
00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:47,240
the ocean, but of becoming the
ocean.
39
00:02:48,640 --> 00:02:52,600
End Quote.
As long as the individual
40
00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:57,160
remains within the confines of
the human ego personality and
41
00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:02,400
the individual mind, life, body
complex, he is limited in the
42
00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:04,400
consciousness he identifies
with.
43
00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:10,000
It is only when he can go beyond
the boundary, overcome the fear
44
00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,240
of dissolution that is the
offspring of the ego
45
00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:18,200
consciousness, that he can be
born into the spirit and live in
46
00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,240
that vast, untrammeled
consciousness.
47
00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:28,240
The mother notes quote.
In fact, the vast majority of
48
00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:32,920
men are like prisoners with all
the doors and windows closed, so
49
00:03:32,920 --> 00:03:37,600
they suffocate, which is quite
natural, but they have with them
50
00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:41,400
the key that opens the doors and
windows, and they do not use it.
51
00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:45,520
Certainly there is a time when
they don't know they have the
52
00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:51,680
key, but long after they have
come to know of it, long after
53
00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:56,240
they have been told about it,
they hesitate to use it and
54
00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,880
doubt whether it has the power
to open the doors and windows,
55
00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:03,640
or even that it is a good thing
to open them.
56
00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:08,240
And even when they feel that
after all it might be good,
57
00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,800
there remains some fear.
What will happen when these
58
00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,680
doors and windows are opened and
they are afraid.
59
00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:20,640
They are afraid of being lost in
that light and freedom.
60
00:04:21,399 --> 00:04:24,360
They want to remain what they
call themselves.
61
00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:27,560
They like their falsehood and
their bondage.
62
00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:32,120
Something in them likes it and
goes on clinging to it.
63
00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:37,320
They still have the impression
that without their limits they
64
00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:42,360
would no longer exist.
That is why the journey is so
65
00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:45,440
long.
That is why it is difficult.
66
00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:50,880
For if, when truly consented, to
cease to exist, everything would
67
00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:56,240
become so easy, so swift, so
luminous, so joyful.
68
00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:00,920
But perhaps not in the way men
understand joy and ease.
69
00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:05,360
In truth, there are very few
people who do not enjoy
70
00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:08,760
fighting.
There are very few who could
71
00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:14,080
accept the absence of night.
Few can conceive of light except
72
00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:19,280
as the opposite of darkness.
Without shadows there would be
73
00:05:19,280 --> 00:05:23,120
no picture.
Without struggle there would be
74
00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:26,280
no victory.
Without suffering there would be
75
00:05:26,280 --> 00:05:28,840
no joy.
That is what they think.
76
00:05:29,840 --> 00:05:34,640
And so long as one thinks in
this way, one is not yet born
77
00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:37,440
into the spirit.
End Quote.
78
00:05:38,840 --> 00:05:42,520
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother powers within.
79
00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:48,680
Chapter 22.
Spirit, pages 165 to 166.
00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:05,080
A relatively frequent occurrence
for the spiritual aspirant is to
2
00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:09,080
reach the boundary wall of
consciousness and get a glimpse
3
00:00:09,120 --> 00:00:13,360
or experience of the spiritual
consciousness without limits.
4
00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:18,600
This experience, when it comes,
may raise up tremendous fear in
5
00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:22,880
the individual and he reacts
almost automatically and
6
00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:27,840
spontaneously, drawing himself
away from that unlimited field
7
00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:32,080
and back into his own
comfortable ego self.
8
00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:36,640
The reaction is one of the ego
consciousness that fears its
9
00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:40,320
dissolution.
The individual is not yet ready
10
00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,960
to accept and receive the
limitless spiritual
11
00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:49,240
consciousness and rebounds into
the small limited human
12
00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:53,040
existence.
A somewhat similar thing occurs
13
00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:57,120
when an individual has in a
conscious state what is called
14
00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:02,120
an out of body experience.
Note as opposed to those that
15
00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:05,720
may be rated related to a near
death experience, which may be
16
00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:09,640
involuntary and not under any
kind of active conscious
17
00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:14,160
awareness or control.
The individual reports seeing a
18
00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,800
silver thread or line from his
awareness back to the physical
19
00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:21,240
body.
As he moves farther away, he can
20
00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:26,400
experience vast realms of space,
visit other places, see other
21
00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:29,600
things, all without known
limits.
22
00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:34,560
But the moment he worries about
what will happen if this thread
23
00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:40,560
snaps, or how far can I go
without the thread snapping, he
24
00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:45,000
is immediately plunged back into
the limited human body and the
25
00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:51,280
experience ends.
The poet Khalil Gibran expressed
26
00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:54,520
this feeling in his poem Fear
Quote.
27
00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:59,440
It is said that before entering
the sea, a river trembles with
28
00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,600
fear.
She looks back at the path she
29
00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:07,200
has travelled from the peaks of
the mountains, the long winding
30
00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:11,480
Rd. crossing forests and
villages, and in front of her
31
00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:16,760
she sees an ocean so vast that
to enter there seems nothing
32
00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:22,160
more than to disappear forever.
But there is no other way.
33
00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:26,920
The river cannot go back.
Nobody can go back.
34
00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:30,400
To go back is impossible in
existence.
35
00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:35,640
The river needs to take the risk
of entering the ocean, because
36
00:02:35,640 --> 00:02:40,560
only then will fear disappear,
because that's where the river
37
00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:44,080
will know.
It's not about disappearing into
38
00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:47,240
the ocean, but of becoming the
ocean.
39
00:02:48,640 --> 00:02:52,600
End Quote.
As long as the individual
40
00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:57,160
remains within the confines of
the human ego personality and
41
00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:02,400
the individual mind, life, body
complex, he is limited in the
42
00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:04,400
consciousness he identifies
with.
43
00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:10,000
It is only when he can go beyond
the boundary, overcome the fear
44
00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,240
of dissolution that is the
offspring of the ego
45
00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:18,200
consciousness, that he can be
born into the spirit and live in
46
00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,240
that vast, untrammeled
consciousness.
47
00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:28,240
The mother notes quote.
In fact, the vast majority of
48
00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:32,920
men are like prisoners with all
the doors and windows closed, so
49
00:03:32,920 --> 00:03:37,600
they suffocate, which is quite
natural, but they have with them
50
00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:41,400
the key that opens the doors and
windows, and they do not use it.
51
00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:45,520
Certainly there is a time when
they don't know they have the
52
00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:51,680
key, but long after they have
come to know of it, long after
53
00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:56,240
they have been told about it,
they hesitate to use it and
54
00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,880
doubt whether it has the power
to open the doors and windows,
55
00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:03,640
or even that it is a good thing
to open them.
56
00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:08,240
And even when they feel that
after all it might be good,
57
00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,800
there remains some fear.
What will happen when these
58
00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,680
doors and windows are opened and
they are afraid.
59
00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:20,640
They are afraid of being lost in
that light and freedom.
60
00:04:21,399 --> 00:04:24,360
They want to remain what they
call themselves.
61
00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:27,560
They like their falsehood and
their bondage.
62
00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:32,120
Something in them likes it and
goes on clinging to it.
63
00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:37,320
They still have the impression
that without their limits they
64
00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:42,360
would no longer exist.
That is why the journey is so
65
00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:45,440
long.
That is why it is difficult.
66
00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:50,880
For if, when truly consented, to
cease to exist, everything would
67
00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:56,240
become so easy, so swift, so
luminous, so joyful.
68
00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:00,920
But perhaps not in the way men
understand joy and ease.
69
00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:05,360
In truth, there are very few
people who do not enjoy
70
00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:08,760
fighting.
There are very few who could
71
00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:14,080
accept the absence of night.
Few can conceive of light except
72
00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:19,280
as the opposite of darkness.
Without shadows there would be
73
00:05:19,280 --> 00:05:23,120
no picture.
Without struggle there would be
74
00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:26,280
no victory.
Without suffering there would be
75
00:05:26,280 --> 00:05:28,840
no joy.
That is what they think.
76
00:05:29,840 --> 00:05:34,640
And so long as one thinks in
this way, one is not yet born
77
00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:37,440
into the spirit.
End Quote.
78
00:05:38,840 --> 00:05:42,520
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother powers within.
79
00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:48,680
Chapter 22.
Spirit, pages 165 to 166.