Feb. 21, 2025
Understanding the Stage of Striving and the Role of Instincts in Response to External Events
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Introduction by Dr. Dalal, pp. x-xi
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/02/19/understanding-the-stage-of-striving-and-the-role-of-instincts-in-response-to-external-events/
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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
00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:05,320
Beyond the stage of flight or
fight, we see in panic and the
2
00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:09,320
eventual recoil into inertia
where we see the initial
3
00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:14,640
reactions of instinct at play.
The stage of striving begins to
4
00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:19,280
harness energy of response by
the vital being, albeit still
5
00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:23,760
very much under the influence
and control of the power of
6
00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,920
instinctive behaviour.
Striving, however, implies
7
00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:32,080
marshaling of the vital forces
to try to address and overcome
8
00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:36,160
the perceived threat or obstacle
in the way of the being's desire
9
00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:40,960
and thus goes beyond pure
instinct to a type of vital
10
00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:45,760
focus or attention characterized
by the guna of rajas.
11
00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:51,760
Dr. Dalal writes quote in this
stage striving.
12
00:00:52,480 --> 00:00:55,240
An individual still living
primarily in the vital
13
00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:59,320
consciousness struggles against
difficulties with the reactions
14
00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:04,080
of the vital consciousness,
namely instincts and impulses.
15
00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:09,200
But instinctive reactions which
serve the animal marvelously
16
00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:13,440
well in its struggle for
existence are inadequate guides
17
00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:18,120
for a human being, because in
the 1st place, instincts in man
18
00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:20,640
are far inferior to those in the
animal.
19
00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:24,920
And secondly, because the
problems which a human being has
20
00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:29,480
to tackle are far more complex
than those faced by an animal
21
00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,600
calling for an intelligence
which can see beyond a limited
22
00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:38,120
sphere where instincts are
proverbially regarded as blind.
23
00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:42,840
Moreover, instincts in
themselves pose a problem to the
24
00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:46,920
human being because of the
perpetual conflict between one
25
00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:51,560
instinct and another, and
between instinct and reason.
26
00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:56,800
Thus, besides being inadequate
for helping man and mastering
27
00:01:56,800 --> 00:02:01,000
the problems of life, instincts
create an additional problem for
28
00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:04,760
the human being.
The problem of self mastery,
29
00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:10,479
feelings and emotions which,
like instincts also pertain to
30
00:02:10,479 --> 00:02:14,320
the vital consciousness, are
indeed much more highly
31
00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:18,440
developed in the human being
than even in the highest species
32
00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:22,280
of animal, but they have the
same essential drawbacks as
33
00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:25,560
instincts.
They operate within too narrow a
34
00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:30,640
sphere, primarily that of
interpersonal relations, and
35
00:02:30,640 --> 00:02:36,160
like instincts they are fraught
with conflict in the stage of
36
00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:39,960
striving during which human
beings try to come to grips with
37
00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:44,760
the problems of life mastery and
self mastery while still living
38
00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,080
predominantly in the vital
consciousness.
39
00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:52,920
Life is more or less a blind
struggle, a groping towards I'll
40
00:02:52,920 --> 00:02:55,600
perceived and ever eluding
goals.
41
00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:00,160
The course of life is determined
mostly by forces other than
42
00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:03,400
one's conscious choices and
deliberate decisions.
43
00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:08,360
Therefore, 1's internal state is
characterized by feelings of
44
00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:14,960
uncertainty, insecurity,
conflict, anxiety and tension.
45
00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:21,040
End Quote reference Srioro Vindo
and the Mother looking from
46
00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:26,000
Within Introduction by Doctor
Dalal Pages Roman 10 to Roman
47
00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:26,400
11.
00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:05,320
Beyond the stage of flight or
fight, we see in panic and the
2
00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:09,320
eventual recoil into inertia
where we see the initial
3
00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:14,640
reactions of instinct at play.
The stage of striving begins to
4
00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:19,280
harness energy of response by
the vital being, albeit still
5
00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:23,760
very much under the influence
and control of the power of
6
00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,920
instinctive behaviour.
Striving, however, implies
7
00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:32,080
marshaling of the vital forces
to try to address and overcome
8
00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:36,160
the perceived threat or obstacle
in the way of the being's desire
9
00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:40,960
and thus goes beyond pure
instinct to a type of vital
10
00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:45,760
focus or attention characterized
by the guna of rajas.
11
00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:51,760
Dr. Dalal writes quote in this
stage striving.
12
00:00:52,480 --> 00:00:55,240
An individual still living
primarily in the vital
13
00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:59,320
consciousness struggles against
difficulties with the reactions
14
00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:04,080
of the vital consciousness,
namely instincts and impulses.
15
00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:09,200
But instinctive reactions which
serve the animal marvelously
16
00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:13,440
well in its struggle for
existence are inadequate guides
17
00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:18,120
for a human being, because in
the 1st place, instincts in man
18
00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:20,640
are far inferior to those in the
animal.
19
00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:24,920
And secondly, because the
problems which a human being has
20
00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:29,480
to tackle are far more complex
than those faced by an animal
21
00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,600
calling for an intelligence
which can see beyond a limited
22
00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:38,120
sphere where instincts are
proverbially regarded as blind.
23
00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:42,840
Moreover, instincts in
themselves pose a problem to the
24
00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:46,920
human being because of the
perpetual conflict between one
25
00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:51,560
instinct and another, and
between instinct and reason.
26
00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:56,800
Thus, besides being inadequate
for helping man and mastering
27
00:01:56,800 --> 00:02:01,000
the problems of life, instincts
create an additional problem for
28
00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:04,760
the human being.
The problem of self mastery,
29
00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:10,479
feelings and emotions which,
like instincts also pertain to
30
00:02:10,479 --> 00:02:14,320
the vital consciousness, are
indeed much more highly
31
00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:18,440
developed in the human being
than even in the highest species
32
00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:22,280
of animal, but they have the
same essential drawbacks as
33
00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:25,560
instincts.
They operate within too narrow a
34
00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:30,640
sphere, primarily that of
interpersonal relations, and
35
00:02:30,640 --> 00:02:36,160
like instincts they are fraught
with conflict in the stage of
36
00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:39,960
striving during which human
beings try to come to grips with
37
00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:44,760
the problems of life mastery and
self mastery while still living
38
00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,080
predominantly in the vital
consciousness.
39
00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:52,920
Life is more or less a blind
struggle, a groping towards I'll
40
00:02:52,920 --> 00:02:55,600
perceived and ever eluding
goals.
41
00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:00,160
The course of life is determined
mostly by forces other than
42
00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:03,400
one's conscious choices and
deliberate decisions.
43
00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:08,360
Therefore, 1's internal state is
characterized by feelings of
44
00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:14,960
uncertainty, insecurity,
conflict, anxiety and tension.
45
00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:21,040
End Quote reference Srioro Vindo
and the Mother looking from
46
00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:26,000
Within Introduction by Doctor
Dalal Pages Roman 10 to Roman
47
00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:26,400
11.