May 1, 2024
Understanding the Meaning of Vital Formations and Beings That Arise During Meditation
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Hidden Forces of Life, Ch. 3 Hidden Forces Around, pp. 71-72 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/04/29/understanding-the-meaning-of-vital-formations-and-beings-that-arise-during-meditation/
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
00:00:01,319 --> 00:00:05,180
When people take up the
practice of meditation, they
2
00:00:05,180 --> 00:00:08,440
generally do not know much
about it. They
3
00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:12,040
follow a set of guidelines
on how to meditate and
4
00:00:12,040 --> 00:00:15,820
just let things happen. The
result is very much
5
00:00:15,820 --> 00:00:19,260
dependent then on their
state of conscious awareness
6
00:00:19,260 --> 00:00:23,540
and their focus of
attention. Meditation
7
00:00:23,540 --> 00:00:26,340
is not a state that just
allows anything to come
8
00:00:26,340 --> 00:00:30,000
with no form or purpose,
rather, for it to
9
00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:33,180
accomplish its purpose,
meditation needs a
10
00:00:33,180 --> 00:00:37,160
concentration, an object of
meditation. This
11
00:00:37,160 --> 00:00:39,980
object of meditation need
not be something specific
12
00:00:39,980 --> 00:00:43,460
in terms of a result. It
can be a concentrated
13
00:00:43,460 --> 00:00:48,460
silence, or it can be an
aspiration or prayer. It
14
00:00:48,460 --> 00:00:51,700
can be a specific issue
that the seeker wishes to
15
00:00:51,700 --> 00:00:55,340
resolve. Without
an object of meditation,
16
00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:58,960
the seeker will frequently
find that either all kinds
17
00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:03,500
of thoughts and disturbances
intrude, or else, that the
18
00:01:03,500 --> 00:01:06,700
various vital forces within
one take advantage of the
19
00:01:06,700 --> 00:01:09,820
void and use the
opportunity to come to the
20
00:01:09,820 --> 00:01:13,540
forefront and move the
individual into association
21
00:01:13,540 --> 00:01:17,920
with the vital world or
domain where these forces
22
00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:22,420
have their native seat, or
create vital formations that
23
00:01:22,420 --> 00:01:26,700
express the vital state of
the seeker. Many
24
00:01:26,700 --> 00:01:29,640
people fail to realize that
there are these other vital
25
00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:33,520
domains that have their own
existence. The
26
00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:36,680
forces that reside there
invade and influence our
27
00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,900
lives in the physical
world, but their influence
28
00:01:39,900 --> 00:01:43,340
is somewhat watered down
due to the density of the
29
00:01:43,340 --> 00:01:46,580
physical world and the
action of the mental forces
30
00:01:46,580 --> 00:01:49,180
that also are at work.
When
31
00:01:49,180 --> 00:01:51,900
one moves into the vital
world at the prompting of
32
00:01:51,900 --> 00:01:56,020
one of these vital forces,
however, the protections of
33
00:01:56,020 --> 00:01:58,340
the physical and mental
action are essentially
34
00:01:58,340 --> 00:02:02,300
removed, and one is faced
with forces that can
35
00:02:02,300 --> 00:02:06,320
exercise power in their own
right and which take forms
36
00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:11,120
that can be scary or
intimidating. These
37
00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,580
forces can appear before an
individual in an unformed
38
00:02:14,580 --> 00:02:18,740
meditative state if there
is the least receptivity in
39
00:02:18,740 --> 00:02:22,020
the being to their
vibratory pattern. The
40
00:02:22,020 --> 00:02:25,620
seeker may actively create
these formations if the
41
00:02:25,620 --> 00:02:28,980
meditation is simply passive
and allows the vital
42
00:02:28,980 --> 00:02:32,640
energies free reign to form
themselves. The
43
00:02:32,640 --> 00:02:36,240
seeker may be influenced by
them, or may reject them,
44
00:02:36,580 --> 00:02:39,420
or may find that they
highlight weaknesses within
45
00:02:39,420 --> 00:02:43,200
himself that need to be
addressed. The
46
00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:45,860
result depends very much on
the strength of the
47
00:02:45,860 --> 00:02:49,060
aspiration and the awareness
of the seeker in
48
00:02:49,060 --> 00:02:54,720
confronting these forces. A
disciple asks, when one
49
00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,100
meditates there are moments
when one sees very
50
00:02:57,100 --> 00:02:59,940
unpleasant forms in front
of himself for some days.
51
00:03:01,020 --> 00:03:03,580
It
begins and later ends. What
52
00:03:03,580 --> 00:03:08,720
does it mean? The
mother notes, quote, Yes,
53
00:03:08,860 --> 00:03:11,520
it means probably that
instead of meditating in a
54
00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,540
silent concentration, one
has opened one's
55
00:03:14,540 --> 00:03:18,140
consciousness either in a
vital domain or in a not
56
00:03:18,140 --> 00:03:20,940
very pleasant mental domain.
That's
57
00:03:20,940 --> 00:03:23,980
what it means. It
can also mean it depends
58
00:03:23,980 --> 00:03:26,140
on the degree of
development one has reached.
59
00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:28,440
It
can mean in certain cases
60
00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:32,600
when one is master of
one's concentration and
61
00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:35,240
knows where one goes.
Still,
62
00:03:35,380 --> 00:03:38,980
this already requires a
fairly great discipline. It
63
00:03:38,980 --> 00:03:41,720
may be that it is a
particular attack of adverse
64
00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:45,920
forces, of bad wills,
coming either from certain
65
00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,620
beings or from certain
domains. But
66
00:03:49,620 --> 00:03:52,580
it is not necessarily
attacks. It
67
00:03:52,580 --> 00:03:55,320
can simply be that one has
opened one's consciousness
68
00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:59,520
in a place that's not very
desirable, or else
69
00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:04,180
sometimes, often, that one
had in himself a number of
70
00:04:04,180 --> 00:04:07,280
movements of the vital and
the mind which were not
71
00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:11,200
very desirable. And
when one enters the silence
72
00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:15,000
of meditation, or that kind
of passive attitude of
73
00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:17,600
expectation of something
which is going to happen,
74
00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,860
all these vibrations which
have gone out of him come
75
00:04:21,860 --> 00:04:25,140
back to him in their real
appearance, which is not
76
00:04:25,140 --> 00:04:29,140
very pleasant. This
happens often. One
77
00:04:29,140 --> 00:04:32,280
had bad feelings, not
positively wicked, but still
78
00:04:32,280 --> 00:04:35,020
things which are not
desirable. Bad
79
00:04:35,020 --> 00:04:39,040
thoughts, movements of
dissatisfaction, revolt or
80
00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:43,960
impatience, or a lack of
contentment, or, you see,
81
00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,260
one may be angry with
somebody, even in thought,
82
00:04:47,780 --> 00:04:51,680
no need of speaking, things
like that. When
83
00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,840
one is quiet and tries to
be still so as to have an
84
00:04:54,840 --> 00:04:58,520
experience, all these things
come back to him in their
85
00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:03,100
true form, that is, not
very pleasant forms, very
86
00:05:03,100 --> 00:05:08,020
ugly forms, which are at
times very ugly. I
87
00:05:08,020 --> 00:05:10,100
think that I have already
told you this several
88
00:05:10,100 --> 00:05:11,940
times. It's
something that happens
89
00:05:11,940 --> 00:05:15,120
frequently if you don't
control your thoughts and
90
00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:18,480
your vital reactions, and
if someone has displeased
91
00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:21,560
you for some reason or
other, if that person has
92
00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:25,680
done or said something
which you do not like, and
93
00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:28,960
you consider him hostile,
and so the spontaneous
94
00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:31,700
reaction is to want to
punish him in some way or
95
00:05:31,700 --> 00:05:35,040
other, or if one is still
more primitive, if I may
96
00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:38,780
say so, to want to take
vengeance or hope that
97
00:05:38,780 --> 00:05:42,220
something bad will happen
to him. However,
98
00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:46,840
it may even come very
spontaneously, a violent
99
00:05:46,840 --> 00:05:50,680
reaction like that, then
you don't think about it
100
00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:53,720
anymore. But
now at night, when you are
101
00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:58,000
asleep, ninety -tine times
out of a hundred, in a
102
00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,540
case like this, the person
in question comes to you
103
00:06:01,540 --> 00:06:04,400
with an extreme violence,
either to kill you or to
104
00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:07,820
make you ill, as though he
wished you as much harm as
105
00:06:07,820 --> 00:06:11,600
possible, and then in your
ignorance you say, well, I
106
00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:14,800
was quite right to be
angry with him. But
107
00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,860
it is quite simply your
own formation which returns
108
00:06:17,860 --> 00:06:20,860
to you, nothing else but
that. The
109
00:06:20,860 --> 00:06:23,300
person has nothing to do
with it. He
110
00:06:23,300 --> 00:06:26,120
is quite innocent in the
affair. This
111
00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:29,480
is a phenomenon which
occurs very often. I
112
00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,400
mean, for people who have
movements of rancor or
113
00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:36,380
anger or violence, and they
always see in a dream of
114
00:06:36,380 --> 00:06:40,740
this kind the justification
of their movements, whereas
115
00:06:40,740 --> 00:06:44,180
it is only a very striking
image of their own
116
00:06:44,180 --> 00:06:48,340
feelings, for the formation
returns upon one in this
117
00:06:48,340 --> 00:06:53,920
way. Reference,
Sri Aurobindo and the
118
00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:58,380
Mother, The Hidden Forces
of Life, Chapter 3, Hidden
119
00:06:58,380 --> 00:07:01,940
Forces Around, pages 71 to
72.
00:00:01,319 --> 00:00:05,180
When people take up the
practice of meditation, they
2
00:00:05,180 --> 00:00:08,440
generally do not know much
about it. They
3
00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:12,040
follow a set of guidelines
on how to meditate and
4
00:00:12,040 --> 00:00:15,820
just let things happen. The
result is very much
5
00:00:15,820 --> 00:00:19,260
dependent then on their
state of conscious awareness
6
00:00:19,260 --> 00:00:23,540
and their focus of
attention. Meditation
7
00:00:23,540 --> 00:00:26,340
is not a state that just
allows anything to come
8
00:00:26,340 --> 00:00:30,000
with no form or purpose,
rather, for it to
9
00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:33,180
accomplish its purpose,
meditation needs a
10
00:00:33,180 --> 00:00:37,160
concentration, an object of
meditation. This
11
00:00:37,160 --> 00:00:39,980
object of meditation need
not be something specific
12
00:00:39,980 --> 00:00:43,460
in terms of a result. It
can be a concentrated
13
00:00:43,460 --> 00:00:48,460
silence, or it can be an
aspiration or prayer. It
14
00:00:48,460 --> 00:00:51,700
can be a specific issue
that the seeker wishes to
15
00:00:51,700 --> 00:00:55,340
resolve. Without
an object of meditation,
16
00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:58,960
the seeker will frequently
find that either all kinds
17
00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:03,500
of thoughts and disturbances
intrude, or else, that the
18
00:01:03,500 --> 00:01:06,700
various vital forces within
one take advantage of the
19
00:01:06,700 --> 00:01:09,820
void and use the
opportunity to come to the
20
00:01:09,820 --> 00:01:13,540
forefront and move the
individual into association
21
00:01:13,540 --> 00:01:17,920
with the vital world or
domain where these forces
22
00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:22,420
have their native seat, or
create vital formations that
23
00:01:22,420 --> 00:01:26,700
express the vital state of
the seeker. Many
24
00:01:26,700 --> 00:01:29,640
people fail to realize that
there are these other vital
25
00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:33,520
domains that have their own
existence. The
26
00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:36,680
forces that reside there
invade and influence our
27
00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,900
lives in the physical
world, but their influence
28
00:01:39,900 --> 00:01:43,340
is somewhat watered down
due to the density of the
29
00:01:43,340 --> 00:01:46,580
physical world and the
action of the mental forces
30
00:01:46,580 --> 00:01:49,180
that also are at work.
When
31
00:01:49,180 --> 00:01:51,900
one moves into the vital
world at the prompting of
32
00:01:51,900 --> 00:01:56,020
one of these vital forces,
however, the protections of
33
00:01:56,020 --> 00:01:58,340
the physical and mental
action are essentially
34
00:01:58,340 --> 00:02:02,300
removed, and one is faced
with forces that can
35
00:02:02,300 --> 00:02:06,320
exercise power in their own
right and which take forms
36
00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:11,120
that can be scary or
intimidating. These
37
00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,580
forces can appear before an
individual in an unformed
38
00:02:14,580 --> 00:02:18,740
meditative state if there
is the least receptivity in
39
00:02:18,740 --> 00:02:22,020
the being to their
vibratory pattern. The
40
00:02:22,020 --> 00:02:25,620
seeker may actively create
these formations if the
41
00:02:25,620 --> 00:02:28,980
meditation is simply passive
and allows the vital
42
00:02:28,980 --> 00:02:32,640
energies free reign to form
themselves. The
43
00:02:32,640 --> 00:02:36,240
seeker may be influenced by
them, or may reject them,
44
00:02:36,580 --> 00:02:39,420
or may find that they
highlight weaknesses within
45
00:02:39,420 --> 00:02:43,200
himself that need to be
addressed. The
46
00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:45,860
result depends very much on
the strength of the
47
00:02:45,860 --> 00:02:49,060
aspiration and the awareness
of the seeker in
48
00:02:49,060 --> 00:02:54,720
confronting these forces. A
disciple asks, when one
49
00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,100
meditates there are moments
when one sees very
50
00:02:57,100 --> 00:02:59,940
unpleasant forms in front
of himself for some days.
51
00:03:01,020 --> 00:03:03,580
It
begins and later ends. What
52
00:03:03,580 --> 00:03:08,720
does it mean? The
mother notes, quote, Yes,
53
00:03:08,860 --> 00:03:11,520
it means probably that
instead of meditating in a
54
00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,540
silent concentration, one
has opened one's
55
00:03:14,540 --> 00:03:18,140
consciousness either in a
vital domain or in a not
56
00:03:18,140 --> 00:03:20,940
very pleasant mental domain.
That's
57
00:03:20,940 --> 00:03:23,980
what it means. It
can also mean it depends
58
00:03:23,980 --> 00:03:26,140
on the degree of
development one has reached.
59
00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:28,440
It
can mean in certain cases
60
00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:32,600
when one is master of
one's concentration and
61
00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:35,240
knows where one goes.
Still,
62
00:03:35,380 --> 00:03:38,980
this already requires a
fairly great discipline. It
63
00:03:38,980 --> 00:03:41,720
may be that it is a
particular attack of adverse
64
00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:45,920
forces, of bad wills,
coming either from certain
65
00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,620
beings or from certain
domains. But
66
00:03:49,620 --> 00:03:52,580
it is not necessarily
attacks. It
67
00:03:52,580 --> 00:03:55,320
can simply be that one has
opened one's consciousness
68
00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:59,520
in a place that's not very
desirable, or else
69
00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:04,180
sometimes, often, that one
had in himself a number of
70
00:04:04,180 --> 00:04:07,280
movements of the vital and
the mind which were not
71
00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:11,200
very desirable. And
when one enters the silence
72
00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:15,000
of meditation, or that kind
of passive attitude of
73
00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:17,600
expectation of something
which is going to happen,
74
00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,860
all these vibrations which
have gone out of him come
75
00:04:21,860 --> 00:04:25,140
back to him in their real
appearance, which is not
76
00:04:25,140 --> 00:04:29,140
very pleasant. This
happens often. One
77
00:04:29,140 --> 00:04:32,280
had bad feelings, not
positively wicked, but still
78
00:04:32,280 --> 00:04:35,020
things which are not
desirable. Bad
79
00:04:35,020 --> 00:04:39,040
thoughts, movements of
dissatisfaction, revolt or
80
00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:43,960
impatience, or a lack of
contentment, or, you see,
81
00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,260
one may be angry with
somebody, even in thought,
82
00:04:47,780 --> 00:04:51,680
no need of speaking, things
like that. When
83
00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,840
one is quiet and tries to
be still so as to have an
84
00:04:54,840 --> 00:04:58,520
experience, all these things
come back to him in their
85
00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:03,100
true form, that is, not
very pleasant forms, very
86
00:05:03,100 --> 00:05:08,020
ugly forms, which are at
times very ugly. I
87
00:05:08,020 --> 00:05:10,100
think that I have already
told you this several
88
00:05:10,100 --> 00:05:11,940
times. It's
something that happens
89
00:05:11,940 --> 00:05:15,120
frequently if you don't
control your thoughts and
90
00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:18,480
your vital reactions, and
if someone has displeased
91
00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:21,560
you for some reason or
other, if that person has
92
00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:25,680
done or said something
which you do not like, and
93
00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:28,960
you consider him hostile,
and so the spontaneous
94
00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:31,700
reaction is to want to
punish him in some way or
95
00:05:31,700 --> 00:05:35,040
other, or if one is still
more primitive, if I may
96
00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:38,780
say so, to want to take
vengeance or hope that
97
00:05:38,780 --> 00:05:42,220
something bad will happen
to him. However,
98
00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:46,840
it may even come very
spontaneously, a violent
99
00:05:46,840 --> 00:05:50,680
reaction like that, then
you don't think about it
100
00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:53,720
anymore. But
now at night, when you are
101
00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:58,000
asleep, ninety -tine times
out of a hundred, in a
102
00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,540
case like this, the person
in question comes to you
103
00:06:01,540 --> 00:06:04,400
with an extreme violence,
either to kill you or to
104
00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:07,820
make you ill, as though he
wished you as much harm as
105
00:06:07,820 --> 00:06:11,600
possible, and then in your
ignorance you say, well, I
106
00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:14,800
was quite right to be
angry with him. But
107
00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,860
it is quite simply your
own formation which returns
108
00:06:17,860 --> 00:06:20,860
to you, nothing else but
that. The
109
00:06:20,860 --> 00:06:23,300
person has nothing to do
with it. He
110
00:06:23,300 --> 00:06:26,120
is quite innocent in the
affair. This
111
00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:29,480
is a phenomenon which
occurs very often. I
112
00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,400
mean, for people who have
movements of rancor or
113
00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:36,380
anger or violence, and they
always see in a dream of
114
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this kind the justification
of their movements, whereas
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it is only a very striking
image of their own
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feelings, for the formation
returns upon one in this
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way. Reference,
Sri Aurobindo and the
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00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:58,380
Mother, The Hidden Forces
of Life, Chapter 3, Hidden
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Forces Around, pages 71 to
72.