Jan. 23, 2025
Understanding Adverse Forces and the Evolutionary Response to Their Action
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter XX The Psychic, pp. 154-155
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/01/21/understanding-adverse-forces-and-the-evolutionary-response-to-their-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
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:05,960
How easy it is and how
comforting to look at someone
2
00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:10,360
who opposes us, or who is
creating some form of havoc in
3
00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:15,400
the world at large and simply
label that individual as pure
4
00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:23,160
evil, as a rakshesa, an asura, a
demon, or some other form of
5
00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:28,400
hostile being.
And yet those individuals are
6
00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:32,800
actually part of the creation
and apparently have some role to
7
00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:37,920
play, even if that role appears
to be highly destructive.
8
00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:43,680
In the economy of the Universal
Manifestation, there are forces
9
00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:48,080
that create and build, but also
forces that tear apart and
10
00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:52,840
destroy.
In some cases, stagnation and
11
00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:57,800
past fixed formations actually
need to be removed in order for
12
00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:02,360
progress to occur, and these
destructive forces are tasked
13
00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,920
with the role of breaking down
the fixed confining habits of
14
00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:09,440
the past.
There seem to be limits to each
15
00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:14,040
of them.
In a non dual universe, even the
16
00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:18,200
adverse powers must contain a
spark of the divine presence.
17
00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:23,640
The ancient Chinese symbol of
Yin Yang attempts to describe
18
00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:29,320
graphically this interconnection
and the deeper harmony that is
19
00:01:29,320 --> 00:01:33,640
implied.
The ancient stories embodied in
20
00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:38,520
the piranhas in India frequently
tell tales of demonic beings who
21
00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,840
seem to stride across the world
and seem invincible.
22
00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:46,400
In many cases they are said to
have received special boons from
23
00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:50,800
the Creator as a result of
austerities they have
24
00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:56,720
undertaken, and for a time they
seemed to be unconquerable.
25
00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:00,840
It should be noted that in each
case they appear to have
26
00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:06,560
requested immortality, but the
Creator denied but allowed them
27
00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,240
to determine the cause of their
eventual death.
28
00:02:10,479 --> 00:02:13,280
They were sometimes quite
creative in finding ways to
29
00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:19,480
exclude virtually every form of
death, and yet eventually death
30
00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:23,760
came to them in the form they
either failed to omit or which
31
00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:26,440
met all the conditions they had
set.
32
00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:32,560
In the end, the reign of Terror
was ended and the world moved on
33
00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:36,960
in its development.
In a number of these cases, the
34
00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,760
gods and the rishis prayed to
the Supreme to solve the issue
35
00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:45,480
and were told that it would be
taken care of when the sins of
36
00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:50,000
the offending party had reached
a state of fullness, indicating
37
00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:54,440
that somehow the atrocities were
part of the action sanctioned by
38
00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:58,760
the Supreme for a time, for
whatever larger universal
39
00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:03,520
purpose may have been under way,
but not forever.
40
00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:07,800
From our human standpoint,
acknowledgement of these
41
00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:11,160
uncomfortable facts is
difficult, if not impossible.
42
00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:16,560
Yet if we shift to a wider
viewpoint and look through the
43
00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:21,160
lens of history and time, we can
see that along with all the
44
00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:25,000
destruction and harm caused,
there is a removal of past
45
00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:29,480
limits and elements that could
hold back progress, and there is
46
00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:34,280
a countervailing force that
arises, grows, and eventually
47
00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:39,000
ends the disaster.
In that form, that newly arisen
48
00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,880
countervailing power continues
to exert its positive influence
49
00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:47,400
and helps the world progress.
It is almost as if the universal
50
00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:52,120
method is to raise up
unacceptable forces in order to
51
00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:55,680
provoke a new level of progress
to come into existence.
52
00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:01,360
It is generally true that
unchallenged, we do not tend to
53
00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:06,640
strive or grow as fast or as far
as when obstacles are placed in
54
00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:10,120
our path.
In some cases, this leads to the
55
00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,680
development of individuals who
take on the role of leaders of
56
00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:18,519
the evolutionary development,
who see the opposition, who
57
00:04:18,519 --> 00:04:23,160
understand its role and its
limitations, and who help guide
58
00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:27,640
humanity to the next stage of
its growth while confronting and
59
00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:33,120
overcoming these adverse forces.
For those who have to live
60
00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:36,680
through such times and events,
the circumstances are
61
00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:40,600
excruciatingly painful and much
suffering occurs.
62
00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:45,680
These are not all human caused
events, however, although
63
00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:48,960
nowadays human actions may
actually contribute to what
64
00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:52,440
formerly were purely natural
catastrophes.
65
00:04:53,320 --> 00:05:00,200
Volcanoes, cyclones, tornadoes,
droughts, floods, wildfires,
66
00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:04,760
heat waves and deep freeze
periods, as well as the
67
00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:10,360
potential for meteorite strikes
represent forces outside human
68
00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:14,440
control that create tremendous
destruction and suffering when
69
00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:19,200
they occur.
In the end, something new arises
70
00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:25,120
to replace what was destroyed,
the mother notes quote.
71
00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,960
And this presence becomes quite
obvious in the human being.
72
00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:34,440
Even the most rudimentary, even
in the most monstrous human
73
00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,600
being, in one who gives the
impression of being an
74
00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:42,280
incarnation of a devil or a
monster, there is something
75
00:05:42,280 --> 00:05:46,480
within exercising a sort of
irresistible control.
76
00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:51,040
Even in the worst, some things
are impossible.
77
00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,800
And without this presence, if
the being were controlled
78
00:05:55,800 --> 00:06:00,440
exclusively by the adverse
forces, the forces of the vital,
79
00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:03,480
this impossibility would not
exist.
80
00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,880
Each time a wave of these
monstrous adverse forces sweeps
81
00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:13,400
over the earth, one feels that
nothing can ever stop the
82
00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:15,760
disorder and horror from
spreading.
83
00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:23,440
And always, at a certain time,
unexpectedly and inexplicably, a
84
00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:27,200
control intervenes and the wave
is arrested.
85
00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:32,680
The catastrophe is not total.
And this is because of the
86
00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:36,280
presence, the supreme Presence
in matter.
87
00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:42,000
But only in a few exceptional
beings, and after a long, very
88
00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:46,000
long work of preparation
extending over many, many lives,
89
00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:51,560
does this presence change into a
conscious, independent, fully
90
00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:56,240
organized being, all powerful
master of his dwelling place.
91
00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:01,240
Conscious enough, powerful
enough to be able to control not
92
00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:05,840
only this dwelling, but what
surrounds it, and in a field of
93
00:07:05,840 --> 00:07:10,360
radiation and action that is
more and more extensive and
94
00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:14,480
effective.
End Quote reference.
95
00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:17,520
Shrioro Bindo and the Mother
Powers within.
96
00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:23,520
Chapter 20.
The Psychic, pages 154 to 155.
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:05,960
How easy it is and how
comforting to look at someone
2
00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:10,360
who opposes us, or who is
creating some form of havoc in
3
00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:15,400
the world at large and simply
label that individual as pure
4
00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:23,160
evil, as a rakshesa, an asura, a
demon, or some other form of
5
00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:28,400
hostile being.
And yet those individuals are
6
00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:32,800
actually part of the creation
and apparently have some role to
7
00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:37,920
play, even if that role appears
to be highly destructive.
8
00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:43,680
In the economy of the Universal
Manifestation, there are forces
9
00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:48,080
that create and build, but also
forces that tear apart and
10
00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:52,840
destroy.
In some cases, stagnation and
11
00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:57,800
past fixed formations actually
need to be removed in order for
12
00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:02,360
progress to occur, and these
destructive forces are tasked
13
00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,920
with the role of breaking down
the fixed confining habits of
14
00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:09,440
the past.
There seem to be limits to each
15
00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:14,040
of them.
In a non dual universe, even the
16
00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:18,200
adverse powers must contain a
spark of the divine presence.
17
00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:23,640
The ancient Chinese symbol of
Yin Yang attempts to describe
18
00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:29,320
graphically this interconnection
and the deeper harmony that is
19
00:01:29,320 --> 00:01:33,640
implied.
The ancient stories embodied in
20
00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:38,520
the piranhas in India frequently
tell tales of demonic beings who
21
00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,840
seem to stride across the world
and seem invincible.
22
00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:46,400
In many cases they are said to
have received special boons from
23
00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:50,800
the Creator as a result of
austerities they have
24
00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:56,720
undertaken, and for a time they
seemed to be unconquerable.
25
00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:00,840
It should be noted that in each
case they appear to have
26
00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:06,560
requested immortality, but the
Creator denied but allowed them
27
00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,240
to determine the cause of their
eventual death.
28
00:02:10,479 --> 00:02:13,280
They were sometimes quite
creative in finding ways to
29
00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:19,480
exclude virtually every form of
death, and yet eventually death
30
00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:23,760
came to them in the form they
either failed to omit or which
31
00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:26,440
met all the conditions they had
set.
32
00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:32,560
In the end, the reign of Terror
was ended and the world moved on
33
00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:36,960
in its development.
In a number of these cases, the
34
00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,760
gods and the rishis prayed to
the Supreme to solve the issue
35
00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:45,480
and were told that it would be
taken care of when the sins of
36
00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:50,000
the offending party had reached
a state of fullness, indicating
37
00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:54,440
that somehow the atrocities were
part of the action sanctioned by
38
00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:58,760
the Supreme for a time, for
whatever larger universal
39
00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:03,520
purpose may have been under way,
but not forever.
40
00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:07,800
From our human standpoint,
acknowledgement of these
41
00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:11,160
uncomfortable facts is
difficult, if not impossible.
42
00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:16,560
Yet if we shift to a wider
viewpoint and look through the
43
00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:21,160
lens of history and time, we can
see that along with all the
44
00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:25,000
destruction and harm caused,
there is a removal of past
45
00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:29,480
limits and elements that could
hold back progress, and there is
46
00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:34,280
a countervailing force that
arises, grows, and eventually
47
00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:39,000
ends the disaster.
In that form, that newly arisen
48
00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,880
countervailing power continues
to exert its positive influence
49
00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:47,400
and helps the world progress.
It is almost as if the universal
50
00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:52,120
method is to raise up
unacceptable forces in order to
51
00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:55,680
provoke a new level of progress
to come into existence.
52
00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:01,360
It is generally true that
unchallenged, we do not tend to
53
00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:06,640
strive or grow as fast or as far
as when obstacles are placed in
54
00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:10,120
our path.
In some cases, this leads to the
55
00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,680
development of individuals who
take on the role of leaders of
56
00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:18,519
the evolutionary development,
who see the opposition, who
57
00:04:18,519 --> 00:04:23,160
understand its role and its
limitations, and who help guide
58
00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:27,640
humanity to the next stage of
its growth while confronting and
59
00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:33,120
overcoming these adverse forces.
For those who have to live
60
00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:36,680
through such times and events,
the circumstances are
61
00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:40,600
excruciatingly painful and much
suffering occurs.
62
00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:45,680
These are not all human caused
events, however, although
63
00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:48,960
nowadays human actions may
actually contribute to what
64
00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:52,440
formerly were purely natural
catastrophes.
65
00:04:53,320 --> 00:05:00,200
Volcanoes, cyclones, tornadoes,
droughts, floods, wildfires,
66
00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:04,760
heat waves and deep freeze
periods, as well as the
67
00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:10,360
potential for meteorite strikes
represent forces outside human
68
00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:14,440
control that create tremendous
destruction and suffering when
69
00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:19,200
they occur.
In the end, something new arises
70
00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:25,120
to replace what was destroyed,
the mother notes quote.
71
00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,960
And this presence becomes quite
obvious in the human being.
72
00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:34,440
Even the most rudimentary, even
in the most monstrous human
73
00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,600
being, in one who gives the
impression of being an
74
00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:42,280
incarnation of a devil or a
monster, there is something
75
00:05:42,280 --> 00:05:46,480
within exercising a sort of
irresistible control.
76
00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:51,040
Even in the worst, some things
are impossible.
77
00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,800
And without this presence, if
the being were controlled
78
00:05:55,800 --> 00:06:00,440
exclusively by the adverse
forces, the forces of the vital,
79
00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:03,480
this impossibility would not
exist.
80
00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,880
Each time a wave of these
monstrous adverse forces sweeps
81
00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:13,400
over the earth, one feels that
nothing can ever stop the
82
00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:15,760
disorder and horror from
spreading.
83
00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:23,440
And always, at a certain time,
unexpectedly and inexplicably, a
84
00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:27,200
control intervenes and the wave
is arrested.
85
00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:32,680
The catastrophe is not total.
And this is because of the
86
00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:36,280
presence, the supreme Presence
in matter.
87
00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:42,000
But only in a few exceptional
beings, and after a long, very
88
00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:46,000
long work of preparation
extending over many, many lives,
89
00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:51,560
does this presence change into a
conscious, independent, fully
90
00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:56,240
organized being, all powerful
master of his dwelling place.
91
00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:01,240
Conscious enough, powerful
enough to be able to control not
92
00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:05,840
only this dwelling, but what
surrounds it, and in a field of
93
00:07:05,840 --> 00:07:10,360
radiation and action that is
more and more extensive and
94
00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:14,480
effective.
End Quote reference.
95
00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:17,520
Shrioro Bindo and the Mother
Powers within.
96
00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:23,520
Chapter 20.
The Psychic, pages 154 to 155.