Nov. 30, 2025
Understanding Fluctuations in the Force of the Spiritual Sadhana
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 3, In Difficulty, pp. 48-49
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/11/28/understanding-fluctuations-in-the-force-of-the-spiritual-sadhana/
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#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #sadhana #sadhak #gunas #consciousness #spirituality
1
00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:03,760
The spiritual seeker tends to
struggle with the constant
2
00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:08,480
recurrence of old thoughts,
feelings, reactions and desires.
3
00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:13,320
He is also constantly confronted
by changes in his energy levels
4
00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,560
and focus.
Much of this is due to the
5
00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:20,480
underlying and deeply embedded
energies that he has inherited
6
00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:24,520
as part of human nature as it
has been developed and
7
00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:27,280
manifested.
Some of this is due to
8
00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:31,840
education, expectations and
societal pressures that have
9
00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:34,120
helped shape his being in this
lifetime.
10
00:00:35,160 --> 00:00:39,000
Another portion are due to the
constant changing of the three
11
00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,960
gunas as they adjust their
predominance from one moment to
12
00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:46,640
the next.
And then there is a portion that
13
00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:50,120
is based in the complex
interaction between the
14
00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:54,880
different parts of the being and
their characteristic and varying
15
00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:59,040
from one another ways and modes
of acting and reacting.
16
00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,560
As the seeker starts from the
ego consciousness and the
17
00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:08,560
external personality, he may be
somewhat overwhelmed and not
18
00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:12,000
truly appreciate either what is
taking place within his
19
00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,480
psychological make up nor the
way to resolve the issues.
20
00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:22,120
Thus, he may become confused,
despondent, and dissatisfied
21
00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:26,080
with what he perceives to be a
lack of progress or focus.
22
00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:31,880
As these constant variations
arise within him, endless
23
00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:33,800
amounts of patience are
required.
24
00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:37,040
As the seeker begins to
appreciate the enormity of the
25
00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:42,520
work of transformation of human
nature and the time frames and
26
00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:47,560
complexity involved in the
process, he also needs to gain
27
00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:52,680
both an appreciation for and a
continual focus on shifting the
28
00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:57,680
standpoint away from the
external personality so that he
29
00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,920
can more and more shift the
focus of the being away from
30
00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:05,200
external considerations.
Stay in contact with the psychic
31
00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:10,000
being and thereby create and
maintain the conscious link to
32
00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,480
the higher forces of
consciousness that actually
33
00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:17,480
carry out the transformative
changes that are required,
34
00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:24,440
Triorobindo writes Quote.
These fluctuations in the force
35
00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:28,160
of the aspiration and the power
of the sadhna are unavoidable
36
00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:32,560
and common to all Sadaks until
the whole being has been made
37
00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:37,040
ready for the transformation.
When the psychic is in front or
38
00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:40,200
active and the mind and vital
consent.
39
00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:45,400
Then there is the intensity when
the psychic is less prominent
40
00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:50,000
and the lower vital has its
ordinary movements or the mind
41
00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:54,400
its ignorant action, then the
opposing forces can come in,
42
00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:56,720
unless the sodic is very
vigilant.
43
00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:01,520
Inertia comes usually from the
ordinary physical consciousness,
44
00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:06,000
especially when the vital is not
actively supporting the sadhna.
45
00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,760
These things can only be cured
by a persistent bringing down of
46
00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:14,760
the higher spiritual
consciousness into all the parts
47
00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:19,480
of the being.
End Quote Reference Sri
48
00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:24,800
Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga,
Chapter 3 in difficulty, pages
49
00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:26,480
48 to 49.
00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:03,760
The spiritual seeker tends to
struggle with the constant
2
00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:08,480
recurrence of old thoughts,
feelings, reactions and desires.
3
00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:13,320
He is also constantly confronted
by changes in his energy levels
4
00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,560
and focus.
Much of this is due to the
5
00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:20,480
underlying and deeply embedded
energies that he has inherited
6
00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:24,520
as part of human nature as it
has been developed and
7
00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:27,280
manifested.
Some of this is due to
8
00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:31,840
education, expectations and
societal pressures that have
9
00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:34,120
helped shape his being in this
lifetime.
10
00:00:35,160 --> 00:00:39,000
Another portion are due to the
constant changing of the three
11
00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,960
gunas as they adjust their
predominance from one moment to
12
00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:46,640
the next.
And then there is a portion that
13
00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:50,120
is based in the complex
interaction between the
14
00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:54,880
different parts of the being and
their characteristic and varying
15
00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:59,040
from one another ways and modes
of acting and reacting.
16
00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,560
As the seeker starts from the
ego consciousness and the
17
00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:08,560
external personality, he may be
somewhat overwhelmed and not
18
00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:12,000
truly appreciate either what is
taking place within his
19
00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,480
psychological make up nor the
way to resolve the issues.
20
00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:22,120
Thus, he may become confused,
despondent, and dissatisfied
21
00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:26,080
with what he perceives to be a
lack of progress or focus.
22
00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:31,880
As these constant variations
arise within him, endless
23
00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:33,800
amounts of patience are
required.
24
00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:37,040
As the seeker begins to
appreciate the enormity of the
25
00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:42,520
work of transformation of human
nature and the time frames and
26
00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:47,560
complexity involved in the
process, he also needs to gain
27
00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:52,680
both an appreciation for and a
continual focus on shifting the
28
00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:57,680
standpoint away from the
external personality so that he
29
00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,920
can more and more shift the
focus of the being away from
30
00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:05,200
external considerations.
Stay in contact with the psychic
31
00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:10,000
being and thereby create and
maintain the conscious link to
32
00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,480
the higher forces of
consciousness that actually
33
00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:17,480
carry out the transformative
changes that are required,
34
00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:24,440
Triorobindo writes Quote.
These fluctuations in the force
35
00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:28,160
of the aspiration and the power
of the sadhna are unavoidable
36
00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:32,560
and common to all Sadaks until
the whole being has been made
37
00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:37,040
ready for the transformation.
When the psychic is in front or
38
00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:40,200
active and the mind and vital
consent.
39
00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:45,400
Then there is the intensity when
the psychic is less prominent
40
00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:50,000
and the lower vital has its
ordinary movements or the mind
41
00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:54,400
its ignorant action, then the
opposing forces can come in,
42
00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:56,720
unless the sodic is very
vigilant.
43
00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:01,520
Inertia comes usually from the
ordinary physical consciousness,
44
00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:06,000
especially when the vital is not
actively supporting the sadhna.
45
00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,760
These things can only be cured
by a persistent bringing down of
46
00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:14,760
the higher spiritual
consciousness into all the parts
47
00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:19,480
of the being.
End Quote Reference Sri
48
00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:24,800
Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga,
Chapter 3 in difficulty, pages
49
00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:26,480
48 to 49.
