July 3, 2025
Understanding Hypocrisy in the Context of Spiritual Life
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 5, Attitudes on the Path, pg. 118This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/07/01/understanding-hypocrisy-in-the-context-of-spiritual-life/
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
00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:04,520
In the legendary novel by
Alexander Dumas, The Count of
2
00:00:04,520 --> 00:00:08,880
Monte Cristo, an interesting
anecdote is woven into the text
3
00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,640
as the underlying cause of the
great fortune Edmund Dantes
4
00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:16,840
eventually recovered is related
as due to the actions of a
5
00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:21,280
corrupt Pope who coveted money
and who sold positions of
6
00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:26,280
cardinal in the Roman Church to
wealthy men and then contrived
7
00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:29,600
to have them killed so he could
resell the position.
8
00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:34,040
One of these men, understanding
the risk he was undergoing,
9
00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:38,000
secreted his fortune on the Isle
of Monte Cristo.
10
00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:42,360
The story of the corrupt Pope in
this instance, who lived the
11
00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:47,040
life of a power hungry libertine
with a lust for control of great
12
00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:51,320
wealth to indulge his desires,
including a number of affairs
13
00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:55,480
with various mistresses, is
based on an actual Pope,
14
00:00:55,560 --> 00:01:01,000
Alexander the 6th, who came from
the infamous Borgia family and
15
00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:04,879
who used his holy robes as a
means of indulging in behavior
16
00:01:05,239 --> 00:01:09,160
that remains shocking and
infamous to this day.
17
00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:14,040
Modern day society has seen
various individuals rise to
18
00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:18,440
great prominence as religious
leaders and thereby accumulate
19
00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:23,040
enormous amounts of money which
they use to fuel a lavish
20
00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:27,520
lifestyle and to enhance their
power and prestige.
21
00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:33,400
What they preach and how they
live their lives wind up in
22
00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:37,840
opposition to each other.
In whatever form someone can
23
00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:41,920
acquire power and influence and
use it for personal self
24
00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:45,920
aggrandizement, it is certain
that some individuals have
25
00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:50,600
abused that power and influence
and thereby besmirched the
26
00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:54,120
dignity that they have assumed
under false pretences.
27
00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,400
This occurs throughout the world
and is not limited to a
28
00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:02,680
particular religion or teaching.
It is one of the misuses of
29
00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:07,800
power that the vital nature
utilizes in some case to fulfill
30
00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,360
its desire.
While we pay attention to
31
00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:15,960
headline cases, the same dynamic
takes place at every level of
32
00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:20,080
human activity.
The Dhammapada makes this point
33
00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:22,680
clear as we see in the below
reference.
34
00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:28,320
Quote he who puts on the yellow
robe while he is yet impure,
35
00:02:28,920 --> 00:02:32,440
lacking in self-control and
lacking in loyalty.
36
00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:36,960
Truly he is unworthy to wear the
yellow robe of the monk.
37
00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:42,160
End Quote.
The damaputa, the mother
38
00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:46,320
observes quote.
It is noteworthy that the two
39
00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:50,440
defects insisted upon here are
lack of self-control and lack of
40
00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:54,120
loyalty.
Loyalty means here sincerity,
41
00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:58,360
honesty.
What the Damapada censures most
42
00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:02,920
severely is hypocrisy.
To pretend that you want to live
43
00:03:02,920 --> 00:03:05,200
the spiritual life and not to do
it.
44
00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,040
To pretend that you want to seek
the truth and not to do it.
45
00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:14,280
To display the external signs of
consecration to the divine life,
46
00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:19,280
here symbolized by the yellow
robe, but within to be concerned
47
00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:23,600
only with oneself, one's
selfishness, and one's own
48
00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:25,560
needs.
End Quote.
49
00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:30,520
Reference through your window
and the Mother looking from
50
00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:32,440
within.
Chapter 5.
51
00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:35,920
Attitudes on the Path, page 118.
00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:04,520
In the legendary novel by
Alexander Dumas, The Count of
2
00:00:04,520 --> 00:00:08,880
Monte Cristo, an interesting
anecdote is woven into the text
3
00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,640
as the underlying cause of the
great fortune Edmund Dantes
4
00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:16,840
eventually recovered is related
as due to the actions of a
5
00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:21,280
corrupt Pope who coveted money
and who sold positions of
6
00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:26,280
cardinal in the Roman Church to
wealthy men and then contrived
7
00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:29,600
to have them killed so he could
resell the position.
8
00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:34,040
One of these men, understanding
the risk he was undergoing,
9
00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:38,000
secreted his fortune on the Isle
of Monte Cristo.
10
00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:42,360
The story of the corrupt Pope in
this instance, who lived the
11
00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:47,040
life of a power hungry libertine
with a lust for control of great
12
00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:51,320
wealth to indulge his desires,
including a number of affairs
13
00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:55,480
with various mistresses, is
based on an actual Pope,
14
00:00:55,560 --> 00:01:01,000
Alexander the 6th, who came from
the infamous Borgia family and
15
00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:04,879
who used his holy robes as a
means of indulging in behavior
16
00:01:05,239 --> 00:01:09,160
that remains shocking and
infamous to this day.
17
00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:14,040
Modern day society has seen
various individuals rise to
18
00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:18,440
great prominence as religious
leaders and thereby accumulate
19
00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:23,040
enormous amounts of money which
they use to fuel a lavish
20
00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:27,520
lifestyle and to enhance their
power and prestige.
21
00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:33,400
What they preach and how they
live their lives wind up in
22
00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:37,840
opposition to each other.
In whatever form someone can
23
00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:41,920
acquire power and influence and
use it for personal self
24
00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:45,920
aggrandizement, it is certain
that some individuals have
25
00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:50,600
abused that power and influence
and thereby besmirched the
26
00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:54,120
dignity that they have assumed
under false pretences.
27
00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,400
This occurs throughout the world
and is not limited to a
28
00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:02,680
particular religion or teaching.
It is one of the misuses of
29
00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:07,800
power that the vital nature
utilizes in some case to fulfill
30
00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,360
its desire.
While we pay attention to
31
00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:15,960
headline cases, the same dynamic
takes place at every level of
32
00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:20,080
human activity.
The Dhammapada makes this point
33
00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:22,680
clear as we see in the below
reference.
34
00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:28,320
Quote he who puts on the yellow
robe while he is yet impure,
35
00:02:28,920 --> 00:02:32,440
lacking in self-control and
lacking in loyalty.
36
00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:36,960
Truly he is unworthy to wear the
yellow robe of the monk.
37
00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:42,160
End Quote.
The damaputa, the mother
38
00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:46,320
observes quote.
It is noteworthy that the two
39
00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:50,440
defects insisted upon here are
lack of self-control and lack of
40
00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:54,120
loyalty.
Loyalty means here sincerity,
41
00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:58,360
honesty.
What the Damapada censures most
42
00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:02,920
severely is hypocrisy.
To pretend that you want to live
43
00:03:02,920 --> 00:03:05,200
the spiritual life and not to do
it.
44
00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,040
To pretend that you want to seek
the truth and not to do it.
45
00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:14,280
To display the external signs of
consecration to the divine life,
46
00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:19,280
here symbolized by the yellow
robe, but within to be concerned
47
00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:23,600
only with oneself, one's
selfishness, and one's own
48
00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:25,560
needs.
End Quote.
49
00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:30,520
Reference through your window
and the Mother looking from
50
00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:32,440
within.
Chapter 5.
51
00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:35,920
Attitudes on the Path, page 118.