May 25, 2025
Transitioning From Mental Consciousness to Spiritual Consciousness While Controlling the Vital Nature
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within , Chapter 4, Ordeals and Difficulties, pp.87-88
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/05/23/transitioning-from-mental-consciousness-to-spiritual-consciousness-while-controlling-the-vital-nature/
Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are allavailable 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
00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:05,200
The mind provides a filter to
manage and control the vital
2
00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:10,000
forces to a certain degree.
While it is not perfect, without
3
00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,920
it, an individual can become
subject to whatever vital energy
4
00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:16,040
is active and rising up within
him.
5
00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:21,600
At the same time, the mind acts
as a limitation on the ability
6
00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:24,880
of the individual to shift the
standpoint to the spiritual
7
00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:28,600
level of existence.
Those who take up spiritual
8
00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:33,800
practices thus have to navigate
the issue of how to move beyond
9
00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,720
the mind while not
simultaneously becoming a victim
10
00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,240
of the resurgence of vital
energies.
11
00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:45,800
No longer restrained by the
mental control, the spiritual
12
00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:48,920
consciousness operates from an
entirely different standpoint
13
00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:53,520
than the mental consciousness.
It is capable in its own yet
14
00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:56,520
different way to manage the
vital forces.
15
00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:02,000
So the real issue becomes one of
how to make the transition from
16
00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,600
the mental level to the
spiritual level without being
17
00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:10,240
overwhelmed.
In Questions and Answers 1929,
18
00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:14,280
the mother writes quote.
The first effect of yoga,
19
00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:18,960
however, is to take away the
mental control, and the hungers
20
00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,640
that lie dormant are suddenly
set free.
21
00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:24,320
They rush up and invade the
being.
22
00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,040
What you should do is to keep
the thing away from you, to
23
00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:32,360
disassociate from it, take as
little notice of it as possible,
24
00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:38,160
and even if you happen to think
of it, to remain indifferent and
25
00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:40,440
unconcerned.
End Quote.
26
00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:46,280
The mother adds, Quote.
This is much more difficult than
27
00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:50,000
to sit upon a difficulty.
It is much more difficult to
28
00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:54,040
stand back from the difficulty
than to sit upon it, to look at
29
00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,400
it as something which does not
concern you, which does not
30
00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:01,960
interest you, does not belong to
you, which belongs to the world
31
00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,680
and not to you.
But it is only by doing this
32
00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:09,360
that you can succeed.
This demands a kind of
33
00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:13,600
liberation of spirit and a
confidence in your inner being.
34
00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:18,440
You must believe that if you
take the right attitude, it is
35
00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:20,040
the best that will happen to
you.
36
00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,280
But if you are afraid when
something unpleasant happens to
37
00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:28,920
you, then you can do nothing.
You must have this confidence
38
00:02:28,920 --> 00:02:30,840
within you.
Whatever the difficulty,
39
00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:35,440
whatever the obstacle, most of
the time when something
40
00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:39,840
unpleasant happens, you say, is
it going to increase?
41
00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:42,640
What other accident is yet going
to happen?
42
00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:47,120
And so on.
You must tell yourself these
43
00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:51,160
things are not mine, they belong
to the subconscious world.
44
00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:55,120
To be sure, I have nothing to do
with them, and if they come
45
00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:57,800
again to seize me, I am going to
give a fight.
46
00:02:58,920 --> 00:03:03,280
Naturally, you will answer that
this is easy to say, but
47
00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,800
difficult to do.
But if you truly take this
48
00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:10,880
attitude of confidence, there is
no difficulty that you will not
49
00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,880
be able to conquer.
Anxiety makes the difficulty
50
00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:20,080
greater.
End Quote Reference Srioro Bindu
51
00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:25,280
and the Mother Looking from
Within, Chapter 4, Ordeals and
52
00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:28,640
Difficulties, pages 87 to 88.
00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:05,200
The mind provides a filter to
manage and control the vital
2
00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:10,000
forces to a certain degree.
While it is not perfect, without
3
00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,920
it, an individual can become
subject to whatever vital energy
4
00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:16,040
is active and rising up within
him.
5
00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:21,600
At the same time, the mind acts
as a limitation on the ability
6
00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:24,880
of the individual to shift the
standpoint to the spiritual
7
00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:28,600
level of existence.
Those who take up spiritual
8
00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:33,800
practices thus have to navigate
the issue of how to move beyond
9
00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,720
the mind while not
simultaneously becoming a victim
10
00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,240
of the resurgence of vital
energies.
11
00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:45,800
No longer restrained by the
mental control, the spiritual
12
00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:48,920
consciousness operates from an
entirely different standpoint
13
00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:53,520
than the mental consciousness.
It is capable in its own yet
14
00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:56,520
different way to manage the
vital forces.
15
00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:02,000
So the real issue becomes one of
how to make the transition from
16
00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,600
the mental level to the
spiritual level without being
17
00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:10,240
overwhelmed.
In Questions and Answers 1929,
18
00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:14,280
the mother writes quote.
The first effect of yoga,
19
00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:18,960
however, is to take away the
mental control, and the hungers
20
00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,640
that lie dormant are suddenly
set free.
21
00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:24,320
They rush up and invade the
being.
22
00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,040
What you should do is to keep
the thing away from you, to
23
00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:32,360
disassociate from it, take as
little notice of it as possible,
24
00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:38,160
and even if you happen to think
of it, to remain indifferent and
25
00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:40,440
unconcerned.
End Quote.
26
00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:46,280
The mother adds, Quote.
This is much more difficult than
27
00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:50,000
to sit upon a difficulty.
It is much more difficult to
28
00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:54,040
stand back from the difficulty
than to sit upon it, to look at
29
00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,400
it as something which does not
concern you, which does not
30
00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:01,960
interest you, does not belong to
you, which belongs to the world
31
00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,680
and not to you.
But it is only by doing this
32
00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:09,360
that you can succeed.
This demands a kind of
33
00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:13,600
liberation of spirit and a
confidence in your inner being.
34
00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:18,440
You must believe that if you
take the right attitude, it is
35
00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:20,040
the best that will happen to
you.
36
00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,280
But if you are afraid when
something unpleasant happens to
37
00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:28,920
you, then you can do nothing.
You must have this confidence
38
00:02:28,920 --> 00:02:30,840
within you.
Whatever the difficulty,
39
00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:35,440
whatever the obstacle, most of
the time when something
40
00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:39,840
unpleasant happens, you say, is
it going to increase?
41
00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:42,640
What other accident is yet going
to happen?
42
00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:47,120
And so on.
You must tell yourself these
43
00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:51,160
things are not mine, they belong
to the subconscious world.
44
00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:55,120
To be sure, I have nothing to do
with them, and if they come
45
00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:57,800
again to seize me, I am going to
give a fight.
46
00:02:58,920 --> 00:03:03,280
Naturally, you will answer that
this is easy to say, but
47
00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,800
difficult to do.
But if you truly take this
48
00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:10,880
attitude of confidence, there is
no difficulty that you will not
49
00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,880
be able to conquer.
Anxiety makes the difficulty
50
00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:20,080
greater.
End Quote Reference Srioro Bindu
51
00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:25,280
and the Mother Looking from
Within, Chapter 4, Ordeals and
52
00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:28,640
Difficulties, pages 87 to 88.