Latest / Sri Aurobindo Studies / Practical Applications of the Power of Immobility

Transcript

Practical Applications of the Power of Immobility · Sri Aurobindo Studies

• 0:02
  The mother provides a practical example of the power of
• 0:05
  immobility, albeit as applied in the external world and society.
• 0:11
  There is an apocryphal story from the time of the
• 0:14
  Mahabharata. Drona, the preceptor of the sons
• 0:18
  of Tritharashtra and the sons of Pandu, Princess and future king
• 0:23
  of the Korova Kingdom, was teaching the lesson of the day
• 0:27
  to them. All 100 of the Korova Princess
• 0:30
  were asked one by one if they had learned the lesson of the
• 0:34
  day, which was not to become angry.
• 0:37
  They each replied affirmatively. He then asked the Pandava
• 0:42
  Princess and four of them answered affirmatively.
• 0:44
  But when he came to the eldest of the Pandavas, Yudhishtira,
• 0:49
  the answer was in the negative. He repeated this day after day,
• 0:54
  and after some days he became frustrated with Yudhishtira's
• 0:58
  inability to learn this lesson. He slapped Yudhishtira across
• 1:03
  the face, which under normal circumstances could be a death
• 1:08
  sentence for anyone striking the heir apparent to the Kingdom.
• 1:12
  At that moment, however, Yudhishtira indicated that he
• 1:18
  had now learned the lesson. He needed the practical
• 1:22
  application of his immovability to provocation to ensure that he
• 1:28
  was master of his reaction. Drona provided that opportunity,
• 1:34
  and he then saw that he had indeed learned how not to become
• 1:39
  angry. A modern business man reported a
• 1:43
  somewhat analogous situation. He was in negotiations to buy a
• 1:47
  product brand. The seller was pushing the
• 1:50
  businessman very hard. Eventually a deal was worked out
• 1:54
  that included royalty payments for 10 years.
• 1:57
  The seller started bullying, harassing and repeatedly
• 2:01
  threatening lawsuit. The buyer did not react.
• 2:06
  He did not become angry, nor did he counter harsh words and
• 2:10
  threats with his own harsh words and threats.
• 2:13
  Rather, he pointed out at each instance with patience that he
• 2:17
  was abiding by the agreement and that the seller should do
• 2:21
  whatever he felt he needed or wanted to do.
• 2:25
  Eventually, the 10 year period was finished, the deal was
• 2:29
  concluded and they each went their separate ways.
• 2:33
  No litigation, no further contact.
• 2:37
  The deal was concluded successfully.
• 2:40
  They parted amicably, each having obtained the bargained
• 2:44
  for results. His non reaction was his way of
• 2:48
  navigating through a difficult situation, the mother notes
• 2:55
  quote. And there is a very small
• 2:58
  superficial application of this which perhaps you will
• 3:01
  understand. Someone comes and insults you or
• 3:04
  says unpleasant things to you, and if you begin to vibrate in
• 3:08
  unison with this anger or this I'll, will, you feel quite weak
• 3:13
  and powerless, And usually you make a fool of yourself.
• 3:17
  But if you manage to keep within yourself, especially in your
• 3:21
  head, a complete immobility which refuses to receive these
• 3:26
  vibrations, then at the same time you feel a great strength
• 3:31
  and the other person cannot disturb you.
• 3:34
  If you remain very quiet, even physically, and when violence is
• 3:39
  directed at you, you are able to remain very quiet, very silent,
• 3:45
  very still. Well, that has a power not only
• 3:49
  over you, but over the other person also.
• 3:52
  If you don't have all these vibrations of inner response, if
• 3:57
  you can remain absolutely immobile within yourself
• 4:01
  everywhere, this has an almost immediate effect upon the other
• 4:05
  person. That gives you an idea of the
• 4:08
  power of immobility, and it is a very common fact which can occur
• 4:13
  every day. It is not a great event of
• 4:16
  spiritual life. It is something of the outer
• 4:20
  material life. End Quote.
• 4:23
  Reference Sri Aurobindo and the Mother Powers within, Chapter
• 4:28
  12. Power of Immobility, page 100.