Jan. 3, 2025
Understanding the Stage of Development of the Vital Man
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter XVII The Vital, pp. 135-137
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/01/01/understanding-the-stage-of-development-of-the-vital-man/
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
00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:05,320
Human beings are not all at the
same stage of evolutionary
2
00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:08,640
development.
We can see this clearly when we
3
00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:12,240
observe the different interests,
ways of responding and
4
00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:15,720
directions that people take as
they grow and begin to
5
00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:19,720
participate in the life of the
society and the world at large.
6
00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,840
We see some people are very
rooted in their physical nature
7
00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:29,600
and are concerned primarily with
food, drink, comfort, and
8
00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:33,560
physical satisfactions.
Others appear to be very
9
00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:37,320
reserved and thoughtful, as if
living in a world of mental
10
00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:41,840
development, possibly a realm of
science or mathematics.
11
00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:45,920
And yet others appear to be
challenging everything in the
12
00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:51,080
world, furthering ambitions,
taking on new enterprises, and
13
00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,360
working to achieve something
with their lives.
14
00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:58,600
Yet others appear to be gentle
souls, focused on devotion,
15
00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:04,840
goodwill, harmony, and peace.
Each of these can be seen as an
16
00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,480
archetypal formation,
representing one or more of the
17
00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:12,560
separate domains that make up
the totality of our human lives.
18
00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:17,920
There is the physical being, the
vital being, the mental being,
19
00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:22,560
and the psychic being.
These are generally mixed up in
20
00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:26,560
each one of us to some degree,
although we may tend to have a
21
00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:30,480
predominant development that
serves to characterize our stage
22
00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:33,800
of development and normal focus
for our lives.
23
00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:39,720
In this regard, Sri Aurobindo
distinguishes the various stages
24
00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,960
and relates them to human
personality as we observe and
25
00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:47,600
experience it.
In particular, he describes here
26
00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:51,040
the vital man, the individual
who is focused on the
27
00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:56,000
development, expression and
fulfilment of his vital being.
28
00:01:56,000 --> 00:02:00,000
Primarily Sri Oro Bindu observes
quote.
29
00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:05,520
This rule of different selves in
US is at the root of the stages
30
00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,680
of the development of human
personality.
31
00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:14,000
In some human beings it is the
physical Purusha, the being of
32
00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,520
body who dominates the mind will
in action.
33
00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:21,960
There is then created the
physical man, mainly occupied
34
00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:27,480
with his corporeal life and
habitual needs, impulses, life
35
00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:32,680
habits, mind habits, body
habits, looking very little or
36
00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:36,560
not at all beyond that,
subordinating and restricting
37
00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:40,880
all his other tendencies and
possibilities to that narrow
38
00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:44,440
formation.
But even in the physical man
39
00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:48,520
there are other elements, and he
cannot live all together as the
40
00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:53,400
human animal concerned with
birth and death and procreation
41
00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:58,240
and the satisfaction of common
impulses and desires and the
42
00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:00,400
maintenance of the life and the
body.
43
00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:05,920
This is his normal type of
personality, but it is crossed,
44
00:03:05,920 --> 00:03:10,960
however feebly, with influences
by which he can proceed, if they
45
00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:14,000
are developed, to a higher human
evolution.
46
00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:19,600
If the inner subtle physical
purusha insists, he can arrive
47
00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:23,680
at the idea of a finer, more
beautiful and perfect physical
48
00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:28,360
life and hope or attempt to
realize it in his own or in the
49
00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:31,960
collective or group existence in
others.
50
00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:37,120
It is the vital self, the being
of life, who dominates and rules
51
00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:42,120
the mind, the will.
The action then is created the
52
00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:46,320
vital man concerned with self
affirmation, self
53
00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:50,440
aggrandizement, life
enlargement, satisfaction of
54
00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:55,080
ambition and passion and impulse
and desire, the claims of his
55
00:03:55,080 --> 00:04:00,640
ego, domination, power,
excitement, battle and struggle,
56
00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:05,440
inner and outer adventure.
All else is incidental or
57
00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:08,760
subordinated to this movement
and building an expression of
58
00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:13,280
the vital ego.
But still, in the vital man too,
59
00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,480
there are or can be other
elements of a growing mental or
60
00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:21,120
spiritual character, even if
these happen to be less
61
00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,920
developed than his life
personality and life power.
62
00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:29,720
The nature of the vital man is
more active, stronger and more
63
00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:34,520
mobile, more turbulent and
chaotic, often to the point of
64
00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:39,480
being quite unregulated, than
that of the physical man who
65
00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:43,640
holds on to the soil and has a
certain material poise and
66
00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:46,560
balance.
But it is more kinetic and
67
00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:49,520
creative.
For the element of the vital
68
00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:54,080
being is not earth, but air.
It has more movement, less
69
00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:57,840
status.
A vigorous vital mind and will
70
00:04:57,840 --> 00:05:02,520
can grasp and govern the kinetic
vital energies, but it is more
71
00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:05,600
by a forceful compulsion and
constraint than by a
72
00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:10,640
harmonization of the being.
If, however, a strong vital
73
00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:15,640
personality, mind and will can
get the reasoning intelligence
74
00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:20,040
to give it a firm support and be
its minister, then a certain
75
00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:24,600
kind of forceful formation can
be made more or less balanced
76
00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:30,280
but always powerful, successful
and effective, which can impose
77
00:05:30,280 --> 00:05:34,160
itself on the nature and
environment and arrive at a
78
00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,920
strong self affirmation in life
and action.
79
00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:42,840
End Quote.
Reference Srioro Bindu and the
80
00:05:42,840 --> 00:05:50,080
Mother Powers within Chapter 17,
The Vital Pages, 1:35 to 1:37.
00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:05,320
Human beings are not all at the
same stage of evolutionary
2
00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:08,640
development.
We can see this clearly when we
3
00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:12,240
observe the different interests,
ways of responding and
4
00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:15,720
directions that people take as
they grow and begin to
5
00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:19,720
participate in the life of the
society and the world at large.
6
00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,840
We see some people are very
rooted in their physical nature
7
00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:29,600
and are concerned primarily with
food, drink, comfort, and
8
00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:33,560
physical satisfactions.
Others appear to be very
9
00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:37,320
reserved and thoughtful, as if
living in a world of mental
10
00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:41,840
development, possibly a realm of
science or mathematics.
11
00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:45,920
And yet others appear to be
challenging everything in the
12
00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:51,080
world, furthering ambitions,
taking on new enterprises, and
13
00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,360
working to achieve something
with their lives.
14
00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:58,600
Yet others appear to be gentle
souls, focused on devotion,
15
00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:04,840
goodwill, harmony, and peace.
Each of these can be seen as an
16
00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,480
archetypal formation,
representing one or more of the
17
00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:12,560
separate domains that make up
the totality of our human lives.
18
00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:17,920
There is the physical being, the
vital being, the mental being,
19
00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:22,560
and the psychic being.
These are generally mixed up in
20
00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:26,560
each one of us to some degree,
although we may tend to have a
21
00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:30,480
predominant development that
serves to characterize our stage
22
00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:33,800
of development and normal focus
for our lives.
23
00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:39,720
In this regard, Sri Aurobindo
distinguishes the various stages
24
00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,960
and relates them to human
personality as we observe and
25
00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:47,600
experience it.
In particular, he describes here
26
00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:51,040
the vital man, the individual
who is focused on the
27
00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:56,000
development, expression and
fulfilment of his vital being.
28
00:01:56,000 --> 00:02:00,000
Primarily Sri Oro Bindu observes
quote.
29
00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:05,520
This rule of different selves in
US is at the root of the stages
30
00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,680
of the development of human
personality.
31
00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:14,000
In some human beings it is the
physical Purusha, the being of
32
00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,520
body who dominates the mind will
in action.
33
00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:21,960
There is then created the
physical man, mainly occupied
34
00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:27,480
with his corporeal life and
habitual needs, impulses, life
35
00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:32,680
habits, mind habits, body
habits, looking very little or
36
00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:36,560
not at all beyond that,
subordinating and restricting
37
00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:40,880
all his other tendencies and
possibilities to that narrow
38
00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:44,440
formation.
But even in the physical man
39
00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:48,520
there are other elements, and he
cannot live all together as the
40
00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:53,400
human animal concerned with
birth and death and procreation
41
00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:58,240
and the satisfaction of common
impulses and desires and the
42
00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:00,400
maintenance of the life and the
body.
43
00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:05,920
This is his normal type of
personality, but it is crossed,
44
00:03:05,920 --> 00:03:10,960
however feebly, with influences
by which he can proceed, if they
45
00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:14,000
are developed, to a higher human
evolution.
46
00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:19,600
If the inner subtle physical
purusha insists, he can arrive
47
00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:23,680
at the idea of a finer, more
beautiful and perfect physical
48
00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:28,360
life and hope or attempt to
realize it in his own or in the
49
00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:31,960
collective or group existence in
others.
50
00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:37,120
It is the vital self, the being
of life, who dominates and rules
51
00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:42,120
the mind, the will.
The action then is created the
52
00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:46,320
vital man concerned with self
affirmation, self
53
00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:50,440
aggrandizement, life
enlargement, satisfaction of
54
00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:55,080
ambition and passion and impulse
and desire, the claims of his
55
00:03:55,080 --> 00:04:00,640
ego, domination, power,
excitement, battle and struggle,
56
00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:05,440
inner and outer adventure.
All else is incidental or
57
00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:08,760
subordinated to this movement
and building an expression of
58
00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:13,280
the vital ego.
But still, in the vital man too,
59
00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,480
there are or can be other
elements of a growing mental or
60
00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:21,120
spiritual character, even if
these happen to be less
61
00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,920
developed than his life
personality and life power.
62
00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:29,720
The nature of the vital man is
more active, stronger and more
63
00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:34,520
mobile, more turbulent and
chaotic, often to the point of
64
00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:39,480
being quite unregulated, than
that of the physical man who
65
00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:43,640
holds on to the soil and has a
certain material poise and
66
00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:46,560
balance.
But it is more kinetic and
67
00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:49,520
creative.
For the element of the vital
68
00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:54,080
being is not earth, but air.
It has more movement, less
69
00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:57,840
status.
A vigorous vital mind and will
70
00:04:57,840 --> 00:05:02,520
can grasp and govern the kinetic
vital energies, but it is more
71
00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:05,600
by a forceful compulsion and
constraint than by a
72
00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:10,640
harmonization of the being.
If, however, a strong vital
73
00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:15,640
personality, mind and will can
get the reasoning intelligence
74
00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:20,040
to give it a firm support and be
its minister, then a certain
75
00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:24,600
kind of forceful formation can
be made more or less balanced
76
00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:30,280
but always powerful, successful
and effective, which can impose
77
00:05:30,280 --> 00:05:34,160
itself on the nature and
environment and arrive at a
78
00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,920
strong self affirmation in life
and action.
79
00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:42,840
End Quote.
Reference Srioro Bindu and the
80
00:05:42,840 --> 00:05:50,080
Mother Powers within Chapter 17,
The Vital Pages, 1:35 to 1:37.