Latest / Sri Aurobindo Studies / Peace and Faith in the Divine Action Through a Shift in Standpoint from the Ego-Standpoint to the Divine Standpoint
Transcript
- 0:00The individual in the surface ego personality measures
- 0:05everything that happens from his own unique individual
- 0:08perspective. This includes judgments based on
- 0:12perceived benefit to the individual.
- 0:15He wants to achieve certain results, obtain positive
- 0:19responses, and minimize or eliminate pain, suffering,
- 0:24disappointment, and other signs that the ego is not getting what
- 0:28it needs or expects. The divine standpoint may be
- 0:33operating from an entirely different perspective.
- 0:36If, for instance, the longer range goal of the manifestation
- 0:40is to bring forth a new level of consciousness and thereby change
- 0:45the way things operate in the world over time, there may be a
- 0:49divine intention to confront the current status quo, face the
- 0:53difficulties that come up with that existing level of
- 0:56consciousness in action, and systematically work out the
- 1:00solutions. This could involve considerable
- 1:04suffering for the individual along the way, particularly if
- 1:09the person is very attached to the external personality and its
- 1:13expectations rather than to the divine viewpoint and the time
- 1:18frames involved in the divine action.
- 1:23The gap between the ego personality and the divine
- 1:26intention then needs to be appreciated, understood and
- 1:31taken into account. We cannot expect to succeed
- 1:35immediately in addressing movements of the being that are
- 1:38part of a millennial, long habitual pattern.
- 1:42We will inevitably face obstacles, setbacks,
- 1:46distractions, and with them doubts, anxiety, and in some
- 1:52cases despair about the possibility of success.
- 1:58Once we have understood that the ego is not a good judge of
- 2:01spiritual progress and timing and have shifted our viewpoint
- 2:05to more or less align with the Divine standpoint, we can
- 2:09experience peace knowing that beyond our limited view, the
- 2:14larger change is taking place, that we are participating in
- 2:19that change, and that all the issues that arise are actually
- 2:23opportunities for us to assist in that change.
- 2:28This brings a measure of peace as well, Shrioro Bindo notes
- 2:33quote. We have to have the faith that
- 2:37in spite of our ignorance and errors and weaknesses, and in
- 2:40spite of the attacks of hostile forces and in spite of any
- 2:45immediate appearance of failure, the Divine will is leading us
- 2:49through every circumstance towards the final realization.
- 2:55This faith will give us equanimity.
- 2:57It is a faith that accepts what happens not definitively, but as
- 3:02something that has to be gone through on the way.
- 3:06End Quote Reference. Srioro Bindu and the Mother
- 3:11Looking from Within, Chapter 5. Attitudes on the Path, page 130.