Dec. 22, 2025
Where Do Desires Come From?
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 4, Desire — Food — Sex, pg. 61This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/12/20/where-do-desires-come-from/
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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
#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #desires #spirituality
1
00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,040
We feel a desire and try to
fulfill it.
2
00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:07,880
It may be a desire or craving
for some type of food or drink,
3
00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:11,600
or for a particular object of
material enjoyment.
4
00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:16,960
Or it may be a sexual desire or
a desire for companionship,
5
00:00:17,240 --> 00:00:21,480
excitement, or any other vital
Dr. that wells up in us.
6
00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:25,560
In some cases we try to satisfy
that desire.
7
00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,800
In other cases we determine we
would like to rid ourselves of
8
00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:34,920
that desire, not fulfill it, and
be at peace without whatever it
9
00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:39,040
is that we crave.
Most people do not think twice
10
00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:43,120
about it and simply try to
satisfy the desire if they have
11
00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:48,760
the capacity and opportunity to
do so, or harbour a feeling of
12
00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:54,040
lack or regret or insufficiency
if they do not find a way to do
13
00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,360
so.
Many times we struggle with the
14
00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:03,240
desires, such as when we make
resolutions, go on a diet, or
15
00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:07,120
attempt to change some aspect of
our response to the rising of
16
00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,160
desire.
The struggle is generally
17
00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:15,560
intense as we feel like the
desire belongs to us and we feel
18
00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:20,520
like it is part of who we are.
We identify with our external
19
00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:25,520
ego personality and believe we
are exercising free will in the
20
00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:30,160
choices we make, and we blame
ourselves for lacking the
21
00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:34,200
willpower needed to overcome the
force of desire when we
22
00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:38,920
determine it is contrary to
something else we want to have
23
00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:43,120
or achieve.
If we shift our standpoint,
24
00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:47,000
however, it becomes much easier
to deal with the force of
25
00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,400
desire.
The ego personality is like a
26
00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:54,000
water glass submerged in the
ocean of existence.
27
00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:58,280
We believe that the unique
contents of our water glass
28
00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,920
means we are separate and
distinct from the rest of the
29
00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:07,160
ocean, when in reality the same
ocean exists both outside the
30
00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:11,480
perimeter of the glass and
inside, with ocean water
31
00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,720
constantly flowing in and out of
the glass.
32
00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:18,840
If we look at our ego
personality with a similar
33
00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:23,160
viewpoint, we begin to see that
what we believe are desires
34
00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:27,320
created within ourselves are
really a response by our
35
00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:31,800
receiving apparatus to waves
that move through the universal
36
00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:34,960
nature.
The response to desire then
37
00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,520
becomes a matter of how we
respond to these external
38
00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,920
promptings.
Once we recognize that they do
39
00:02:41,920 --> 00:02:46,560
not belong to us, it becomes
easier to simply turn the
40
00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:51,120
attention elsewhere and focus on
something other than that
41
00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:55,960
particular wave of force that is
creating a reaction within our
42
00:02:55,960 --> 00:03:00,360
awareness, Sriora Bindo writes
quote.
43
00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:05,160
All the ordinary vital movements
are foreign to the true being
44
00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:09,560
and come from outside.
They do not belong to the soul,
45
00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:14,560
nor do they originate in it, but
are waves from the general
46
00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:19,480
nature procrity.
The desires come from outside
47
00:03:19,920 --> 00:03:23,840
and to the subconscious vital
and rise to the surface.
48
00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:28,440
It is only when they rise to the
surface and the mind becomes
49
00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:32,160
aware of them that we become
conscious of the desire.
50
00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:37,360
It seems to us to be our own,
because we feel it thus rising
51
00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,520
from the vital into the mind,
and do not know that it came
52
00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:45,840
from outside.
What belongs to the vital, to
53
00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:50,680
the being, what makes it
responsible, is not the desire
54
00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:54,760
itself, but the habit of
responding to the waves or the
55
00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:59,480
currents of suggestion that come
into it from the universal
56
00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:01,760
procrity.
End Quote.
57
00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,400
Reference.
Sri Aurobindo, Faces of Yoga,
58
00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:11,800
Chapter 4.
Desire Food Sex page 61.
00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,040
We feel a desire and try to
fulfill it.
2
00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:07,880
It may be a desire or craving
for some type of food or drink,
3
00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:11,600
or for a particular object of
material enjoyment.
4
00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:16,960
Or it may be a sexual desire or
a desire for companionship,
5
00:00:17,240 --> 00:00:21,480
excitement, or any other vital
Dr. that wells up in us.
6
00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:25,560
In some cases we try to satisfy
that desire.
7
00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,800
In other cases we determine we
would like to rid ourselves of
8
00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:34,920
that desire, not fulfill it, and
be at peace without whatever it
9
00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:39,040
is that we crave.
Most people do not think twice
10
00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:43,120
about it and simply try to
satisfy the desire if they have
11
00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:48,760
the capacity and opportunity to
do so, or harbour a feeling of
12
00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:54,040
lack or regret or insufficiency
if they do not find a way to do
13
00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,360
so.
Many times we struggle with the
14
00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:03,240
desires, such as when we make
resolutions, go on a diet, or
15
00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:07,120
attempt to change some aspect of
our response to the rising of
16
00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,160
desire.
The struggle is generally
17
00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:15,560
intense as we feel like the
desire belongs to us and we feel
18
00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:20,520
like it is part of who we are.
We identify with our external
19
00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:25,520
ego personality and believe we
are exercising free will in the
20
00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:30,160
choices we make, and we blame
ourselves for lacking the
21
00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:34,200
willpower needed to overcome the
force of desire when we
22
00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:38,920
determine it is contrary to
something else we want to have
23
00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:43,120
or achieve.
If we shift our standpoint,
24
00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:47,000
however, it becomes much easier
to deal with the force of
25
00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,400
desire.
The ego personality is like a
26
00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:54,000
water glass submerged in the
ocean of existence.
27
00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:58,280
We believe that the unique
contents of our water glass
28
00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,920
means we are separate and
distinct from the rest of the
29
00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:07,160
ocean, when in reality the same
ocean exists both outside the
30
00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:11,480
perimeter of the glass and
inside, with ocean water
31
00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,720
constantly flowing in and out of
the glass.
32
00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:18,840
If we look at our ego
personality with a similar
33
00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:23,160
viewpoint, we begin to see that
what we believe are desires
34
00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:27,320
created within ourselves are
really a response by our
35
00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:31,800
receiving apparatus to waves
that move through the universal
36
00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:34,960
nature.
The response to desire then
37
00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,520
becomes a matter of how we
respond to these external
38
00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,920
promptings.
Once we recognize that they do
39
00:02:41,920 --> 00:02:46,560
not belong to us, it becomes
easier to simply turn the
40
00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:51,120
attention elsewhere and focus on
something other than that
41
00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:55,960
particular wave of force that is
creating a reaction within our
42
00:02:55,960 --> 00:03:00,360
awareness, Sriora Bindo writes
quote.
43
00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:05,160
All the ordinary vital movements
are foreign to the true being
44
00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:09,560
and come from outside.
They do not belong to the soul,
45
00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:14,560
nor do they originate in it, but
are waves from the general
46
00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:19,480
nature procrity.
The desires come from outside
47
00:03:19,920 --> 00:03:23,840
and to the subconscious vital
and rise to the surface.
48
00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:28,440
It is only when they rise to the
surface and the mind becomes
49
00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:32,160
aware of them that we become
conscious of the desire.
50
00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:37,360
It seems to us to be our own,
because we feel it thus rising
51
00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,520
from the vital into the mind,
and do not know that it came
52
00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:45,840
from outside.
What belongs to the vital, to
53
00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:50,680
the being, what makes it
responsible, is not the desire
54
00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:54,760
itself, but the habit of
responding to the waves or the
55
00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:59,480
currents of suggestion that come
into it from the universal
56
00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:01,760
procrity.
End Quote.
57
00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,400
Reference.
Sri Aurobindo, Faces of Yoga,
58
00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:11,800
Chapter 4.
Desire Food Sex page 61.
