Jan. 10, 2026
Vital Forces and Spiritual Forces and the Evolution of Consciousness
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 4, Desire — Food — Sex, pp. 71-72This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/01/08/vital-forces-and-spiritual-forces-and-the-evolution-of-consciousness/
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
#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #spirituality #sexual energy #vital beings #psychic being #vital forces
1
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,400
Most people do not recognize the
active role and intention of
2
00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:08,000
conscious vital forces in their
lives.
3
00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:12,640
First, the physical body tends
to shield them from direct
4
00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:16,480
perception of these forces.
While they may experience
5
00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:21,120
emotions, feelings, thoughts,
cravings, reactions, and
6
00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:25,680
responses, they do not
necessarily attribute them to
7
00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:29,800
the action of conscious forces
or entities that they cannot
8
00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:33,920
easily perceive.
Those who have the experience of
9
00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:38,320
conscious awareness outside the
physical body, however, report
10
00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:41,440
interaction with these vital
forces and formations.
11
00:00:42,160 --> 00:00:46,240
Additionally, as an individual
attains the standpoint of the
12
00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:51,320
witness and observes closely how
thoughts, feelings, perceptions
13
00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:56,280
come to him, it becomes clear
that universal forces bring them
14
00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:00,200
to the being, which then accepts
and internalizes them.
15
00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:05,519
In most cases, these forces are
not acting with directed
16
00:01:05,519 --> 00:01:09,040
conscious attention on the
individual, but are simply
17
00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,440
manifesting the force that they
carry generally, but in other
18
00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:17,560
cases the intention can be felt
and understood.
19
00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:23,240
Opening up the lower chakras
more subject to the influence of
20
00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:27,880
vital forces can therefore lead
to an individual facing serious
21
00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:33,640
disturbances, disruptions and
imbalances to the extent he
22
00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:37,760
vibrates in sympathy with the
vibrational pattern set up by
23
00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:40,880
these forces and then
rebroadcast them.
24
00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,960
These forces gain an influence
on others in the surrounding
25
00:01:44,960 --> 00:01:48,720
environment.
The experience of fear is a good
26
00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:52,440
example of this.
An individual recounted A
27
00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:55,400
confrontation where law
enforcement was attempting to
28
00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:59,160
shut down a protest
demonstration some time ago in
29
00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:03,680
Washington, DC The protesters
were surrounded by police with
30
00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:08,120
Shields, Billy clubs, protective
vests, and guns.
31
00:02:08,759 --> 00:02:12,160
A sense of great fear for safety
arose within the crowd.
32
00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:15,920
When confronted with this
situation, there was a clearly
33
00:02:15,920 --> 00:02:19,480
communicated energy.
Then something happened to
34
00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:23,360
change that mood.
Some people took up chanting OM
35
00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,200
and brought a calming energy
which then circulated in the
36
00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:30,640
group and calmed the original
reaction of fear.
37
00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:36,240
We see here how the vital forces
work to raise up in energy and
38
00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:40,200
disseminate it.
In this case, both a hostile
39
00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:45,000
energy that brought fear and a
supportive, calming energy that
40
00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:48,880
brought peace.
Turning our attention then to
41
00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:52,960
the sexual energy, the opening
up of receptivity of the first
42
00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:57,960
chakra, which occurs with the
focus on the sexual force, also
43
00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,880
opens up the being to the
influence of vital forces that
44
00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:07,600
feed upon these energies or that
actively oppose the spiritual
45
00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:12,920
evolution that is taking place.
Spiritual forces are active just
46
00:03:12,920 --> 00:03:16,880
as vital or mental forces are
active, and they come to those
47
00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:20,720
who have tuned their focus to
their action and who are openly
48
00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:24,120
receptive to them.
The action of these higher
49
00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:28,040
forces, however, is very much
conditioned on the overall
50
00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:32,120
receptivity of the being.
They are unwilling to be
51
00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:37,040
diverted to the fulfilment of
vital desires if that is how
52
00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:39,560
they are being utilized by the
individual.
53
00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:44,200
They simply withdraw until they
have a clear field within which
54
00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:51,320
to act, Shrioro Bindu observes.
Quote It is an error to imagine
55
00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:54,400
that although the physical
sexual action is to be
56
00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:59,280
abandoned, yet some inward
reproduction of it is part of
57
00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:03,840
the transformation of the sex
center, the action of the animal
58
00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:07,120
sex.
Energy in nature is a device for
59
00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:10,760
a particular purpose in the
economy of the material creation
60
00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:15,120
in the ignorance, but the vital
excitement that accompanies it
61
00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:19,079
makes the most favorable
opportunity and vibration in the
62
00:04:19,079 --> 00:04:23,280
atmosphere for the inrush of
those very vital forces and
63
00:04:23,280 --> 00:04:28,360
beings whose whole business is
to prevent the descent of the
64
00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:32,360
supermental light.
The pleasure attached to it is a
65
00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:36,600
degradation and not a true form
of the Divine Ananda.
66
00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:41,840
The true Divine Ananda in the
physical has a different quality
67
00:04:41,840 --> 00:04:46,320
and movement and substance.
Self existent in its essence,
68
00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:50,640
its manifestation is dependent
only on an inner union with the
69
00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:54,440
Divine.
You have spoken of Divine Love,
70
00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:59,360
but Divine Love, when it touches
the physical, does not awaken
71
00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:01,600
the gross, lower vital
propensities.
72
00:05:02,280 --> 00:05:06,360
Indulgence of them would only
repel it and make it withdraw
73
00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:09,720
again to the heights from which
it is already difficult enough
74
00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,040
to draw it down into the
coarseness of the material
75
00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:16,280
creation which it alone can
transform.
76
00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:21,120
Seek the Divine Love through the
only gate through which it will
77
00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:27,640
consent to enter the gate of the
psychic being, and castaway the
78
00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:30,600
lower vital error.
End Quote.
79
00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:38,760
Reference Sri Aurobindo, Bases
of Yoga, Chapter 4 Desire Food
80
00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:42,480
Sex, pages 71 to 72.
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,400
Most people do not recognize the
active role and intention of
2
00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:08,000
conscious vital forces in their
lives.
3
00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:12,640
First, the physical body tends
to shield them from direct
4
00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:16,480
perception of these forces.
While they may experience
5
00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:21,120
emotions, feelings, thoughts,
cravings, reactions, and
6
00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:25,680
responses, they do not
necessarily attribute them to
7
00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:29,800
the action of conscious forces
or entities that they cannot
8
00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:33,920
easily perceive.
Those who have the experience of
9
00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:38,320
conscious awareness outside the
physical body, however, report
10
00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:41,440
interaction with these vital
forces and formations.
11
00:00:42,160 --> 00:00:46,240
Additionally, as an individual
attains the standpoint of the
12
00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:51,320
witness and observes closely how
thoughts, feelings, perceptions
13
00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:56,280
come to him, it becomes clear
that universal forces bring them
14
00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:00,200
to the being, which then accepts
and internalizes them.
15
00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:05,519
In most cases, these forces are
not acting with directed
16
00:01:05,519 --> 00:01:09,040
conscious attention on the
individual, but are simply
17
00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,440
manifesting the force that they
carry generally, but in other
18
00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:17,560
cases the intention can be felt
and understood.
19
00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:23,240
Opening up the lower chakras
more subject to the influence of
20
00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:27,880
vital forces can therefore lead
to an individual facing serious
21
00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:33,640
disturbances, disruptions and
imbalances to the extent he
22
00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:37,760
vibrates in sympathy with the
vibrational pattern set up by
23
00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:40,880
these forces and then
rebroadcast them.
24
00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,960
These forces gain an influence
on others in the surrounding
25
00:01:44,960 --> 00:01:48,720
environment.
The experience of fear is a good
26
00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:52,440
example of this.
An individual recounted A
27
00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:55,400
confrontation where law
enforcement was attempting to
28
00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:59,160
shut down a protest
demonstration some time ago in
29
00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:03,680
Washington, DC The protesters
were surrounded by police with
30
00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:08,120
Shields, Billy clubs, protective
vests, and guns.
31
00:02:08,759 --> 00:02:12,160
A sense of great fear for safety
arose within the crowd.
32
00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:15,920
When confronted with this
situation, there was a clearly
33
00:02:15,920 --> 00:02:19,480
communicated energy.
Then something happened to
34
00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:23,360
change that mood.
Some people took up chanting OM
35
00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,200
and brought a calming energy
which then circulated in the
36
00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:30,640
group and calmed the original
reaction of fear.
37
00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:36,240
We see here how the vital forces
work to raise up in energy and
38
00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:40,200
disseminate it.
In this case, both a hostile
39
00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:45,000
energy that brought fear and a
supportive, calming energy that
40
00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:48,880
brought peace.
Turning our attention then to
41
00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:52,960
the sexual energy, the opening
up of receptivity of the first
42
00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:57,960
chakra, which occurs with the
focus on the sexual force, also
43
00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,880
opens up the being to the
influence of vital forces that
44
00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:07,600
feed upon these energies or that
actively oppose the spiritual
45
00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:12,920
evolution that is taking place.
Spiritual forces are active just
46
00:03:12,920 --> 00:03:16,880
as vital or mental forces are
active, and they come to those
47
00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:20,720
who have tuned their focus to
their action and who are openly
48
00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:24,120
receptive to them.
The action of these higher
49
00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:28,040
forces, however, is very much
conditioned on the overall
50
00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:32,120
receptivity of the being.
They are unwilling to be
51
00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:37,040
diverted to the fulfilment of
vital desires if that is how
52
00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:39,560
they are being utilized by the
individual.
53
00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:44,200
They simply withdraw until they
have a clear field within which
54
00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:51,320
to act, Shrioro Bindu observes.
Quote It is an error to imagine
55
00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:54,400
that although the physical
sexual action is to be
56
00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:59,280
abandoned, yet some inward
reproduction of it is part of
57
00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:03,840
the transformation of the sex
center, the action of the animal
58
00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:07,120
sex.
Energy in nature is a device for
59
00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:10,760
a particular purpose in the
economy of the material creation
60
00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:15,120
in the ignorance, but the vital
excitement that accompanies it
61
00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:19,079
makes the most favorable
opportunity and vibration in the
62
00:04:19,079 --> 00:04:23,280
atmosphere for the inrush of
those very vital forces and
63
00:04:23,280 --> 00:04:28,360
beings whose whole business is
to prevent the descent of the
64
00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:32,360
supermental light.
The pleasure attached to it is a
65
00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:36,600
degradation and not a true form
of the Divine Ananda.
66
00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:41,840
The true Divine Ananda in the
physical has a different quality
67
00:04:41,840 --> 00:04:46,320
and movement and substance.
Self existent in its essence,
68
00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:50,640
its manifestation is dependent
only on an inner union with the
69
00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:54,440
Divine.
You have spoken of Divine Love,
70
00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:59,360
but Divine Love, when it touches
the physical, does not awaken
71
00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:01,600
the gross, lower vital
propensities.
72
00:05:02,280 --> 00:05:06,360
Indulgence of them would only
repel it and make it withdraw
73
00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:09,720
again to the heights from which
it is already difficult enough
74
00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,040
to draw it down into the
coarseness of the material
75
00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:16,280
creation which it alone can
transform.
76
00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:21,120
Seek the Divine Love through the
only gate through which it will
77
00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:27,640
consent to enter the gate of the
psychic being, and castaway the
78
00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:30,600
lower vital error.
End Quote.
79
00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:38,760
Reference Sri Aurobindo, Bases
of Yoga, Chapter 4 Desire Food
80
00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:42,480
Sex, pages 71 to 72.
