Latest / Sri Aurobindo Studies / How to Change Human Nature
Transcript
- 0:01Many people are skeptical about the possibility of true change
- 0:05to human nature. The skepticism is supported by
- 0:09the long experience. Humanity has had in trying
- 0:13various ways of changing and overcoming habits atavisms and
- 0:18what are considered to be the natural forms of expression and
- 0:21action of the body, a life force and the mind humanity is tried
- 0:28suppression. Torture extreme pressure exerted
- 0:33from outside or inwardly as well as attempts at isolation and
- 0:39abandonment of active involvement in the external
- 0:41life. Humanity is tried development of
- 0:45moral codes, religious doctrines education, socialization and
- 0:51many other forms of developing, a civilizing effect on the
- 0:55individuals, nature and relationship to the world.
- 1:00All of these attempts have provided some amount of insight
- 1:04into the difficulty of the task, but at some point each of them
- 1:09has failed to effectuate. Radical change.
- 1:13Although some of the mechanisms were processes developed, May
- 1:17wind up, having a positive even necessary role in farther
- 1:22reaching attempts at human development.
- 1:26Some have wound up. Disguising the deeper Instinct
- 1:29shoe actions with a veneer of civilization, through a process
- 1:33that psychologists call sublimation suppression of the
- 1:38natural urges, and Pathways of expression lead to either
- 1:42various forms of internal breakdown or imbalance, or in
- 1:47some cases, explosive release that overwhelms, the inner
- 1:52control mechanisms Some deny it is even possible and recommend
- 1:58eat drink and be merry as the purpose of life.
- 2:04There are several common themes that can be gleaned from these
- 2:07past attempts and their noted results.
- 2:11Changing human nature is not something that occurs overnight.
- 2:15Countless Millennia were needed to develop the evolution of life
- 2:21and eventually the evolution of Mind into the physical world.
- 2:26During this time, span instincts habits and automatic reactions
- 2:32were developed, which underpin life today.
- 2:35Even for those who are most highly advanced in the mental
- 2:39Evolution, the first step is to become the witness of the nature
- 2:45so that one can observe and separate oneself from those
- 2:49actions and reactions that need to be changed as part of the
- 2:53development to the next evolutionary stage of
- 2:55consciousness. - beyond the mind, the next step is to
- 3:00recognize that everything moves, based on attention and energy.
- 3:05And thus, one should begin to shift the focus away from the
- 3:08obsessions goals and desires of the external being, and refocus
- 3:14the attention on the Soles aspiration, and the higher
- 3:18evolutionary principles. The more one is able to refocus
- 3:23and not support those older aims and objectives.
- 3:27The weaker they become it is not a matter of violently
- 3:31suppressing or actively fighting with these drives but more a
- 3:36matter of growing out of them by Shifting the attention just as a
- 3:40child grows out of playing with certain toys and takes up new
- 3:45interests. As he grows and develops, SRI,
- 3:49aurobindo observes quo, The difficulty is that in everyone.
- 3:54There are two people to say the least, one in the outer vital
- 3:58and physical clinging to the Past self and trying to get or
- 4:01retain the consent of the mind. And the inner being The other
- 4:06which is the sole asking for a new birth. that which has spoken
- 4:11in you and made the prayer is the psychic being expressing
- 4:14itself through the aid of the mind and the higher vital, and
- 4:18it is this which should always arise in you through prayer and
- 4:22through turning to the mother and give you the right idea and
- 4:26the right impulse It is true that if you refuse always the
- 4:31action suggested by the old Adam, it will be a great step
- 4:36forward. The struggle is then transferred
- 4:39to the psychological plane where it will be much easier to fight
- 4:44the matter out. I do not deny that, there will
- 4:47be difficulty for some time, but if there is the control of the
- 4:52action, the control of thought and feeling is bound to come, if
- 4:57there is yielding on the contrary, Terry a fresh lease is
- 5:01given to the old self and quote reference SRI aurobindo and the
- 5:07mother growing within the psychology of inner development.
- 5:11Chapter 6 growth of Consciousness difficulties and
- 5:15pitfalls Pages 112 2113.