Living Within
The Yoga Approach to Psychological Health and Growth
— Selections from the Works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother
| Price: Rs 90 Pages: 197 Dimensions (in cms): 12x18 ISBN: 978-81-7058-992-1 | Soft Cover |
| Publisher: Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry | |
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About Living Within
A state of positive mental health is more than the absence of marked psychological disturbances such as fear, anxiety, depression, insecurity, restlessness, anger, or jealousy. It connotes the presence of certain positive characteristics which impart a sense of psychological well-being, such as peace, inner security, confidence, and a sense of self-mastery. This book presents some of the principles and methods of Sri Aurobindo's integral yoga for overcoming psychological disturbances and for attaining positive mental health.
Extract
Well, there is a static power. How to explain it to you? Look, there is the same difference between static power and dynamic power as between a game of defence and a game of attack; you understand? It is the same thing. Static power is something which can withstand everything, nothing can shake it – it is immobile, but it is invincible. Dynamic power is something in action, which at times goes forth and may at times receive blows. That is to say, if you want your dynamic power to be always victorious, it must be supported by a considerable static power, an unshakeable base.
I know what you want to say... that a human being becomes aware of power only when it is dynamic; a human being doesn't consider it a power except when it acts; if it doesn't act he does not even notice it, he does not realise the tremendous force which is behind this inaction - at times, even frequently, a force more formidable than the power which acts. But you may try it out in yourself, you will see, it is much difficult to remain calm, immobile, unshakeable before something very unpleasant – whether it be words or acts levelled against you – infinitely more difficult than to answer with the same violence. Suppose someone insults you; if in the face of these insults you can remain immobile (not only outwardly, I mean integrally), without being shaken or touched in any way; you are there like a force against which one can do nothing and you do not say a word, all the insults thrown at you leave you absolutely untouched, within and without; you can keep your heart-beats absolutely quiet, you can keep the thoughts in your head quite immobile and calm without their being in the least disturbed, that is, your head does not answer immediately by similar vibrations and your nerves don't feel clenched with the need to return a few blows to relieve themselves; if you can be like that, you have a static power, and it is infinitely more powerful than if you had that kind of force which makes you answer insult by insult, blow by blow and agitation by agitation.
– The Mother
Extract
Well, there is a static power. How to explain it to you? Look, there is the same difference between static power and dynamic power as between a game of defence and a game of attack; you understand? It is the same thing. Static power is something which can withstand everything, nothing can shake it – it is immobile, but it is invincible. Dynamic power is something in action, which at times goes forth and may at times receive blows. That is to say, if you want your dynamic power to be always victorious, it must be supported by a considerable static power, an unshakeable base.
I know what you want to say... that a human being becomes aware of power only when it is dynamic; a human being doesn't consider it a power except when it acts; if it doesn't act he does not even notice it, he does not realise the tremendous force which is behind this inaction - at times, even frequently, a force more formidable than the power which acts. But you may try it out in yourself, you will see, it is much difficult to remain calm, immobile, unshakeable before something very unpleasant – whether it be words or acts levelled against you – infinitely more difficult than to answer with the same violence. Suppose someone insults you; if in the face of these insults you can remain immobile (not only outwardly, I mean integrally), without being shaken or touched in any way; you are there like a force against which one can do nothing and you do not say a word, all the insults thrown at you leave you absolutely untouched, within and without; you can keep your heart-beats absolutely quiet, you can keep the thoughts in your head quite immobile and calm without their being in the least disturbed, that is, your head does not answer immediately by similar vibrations and your nerves don't feel clenched with the need to return a few blows to relieve themselves; if you can be like that, you have a static power, and it is infinitely more powerful than if you had that kind of force which makes you answer insult by insult, blow by blow and agitation by agitation.
– The Mother
