The 3 Gunas, qualities of Nature, are active in all beings, including those who are undertaking an active process of spiritual development. The physical being is very much subject to the action of Tamas, generally, because of its dense and somewhat inert material characteristics. It thus may fall into a kind of torpor or inertia. This helps create the sense of dryness or dullness the being experiences during assimilation periods for the spiritual force. This quality must eventually be transformed into a peaceful, serene form of quietude that helps maintain the tone of the physical being for the transformational work taking place behind the scenes.

The vital being tends to respond easily to the Guna of Rajas. In doing so, it may try to prod or force the physical nature to respond artificially. The intrusion of rajasic energy into the process can create imbalances and distort the results. Instead of the needed quietude there can be volatile efforts to spur something visible even if it is not the time for that to occur.

A sattwic approach can aid the process by maintaining the faith, the basic quiet aspiration and the patience needed for the process to work out.

In the end, it is the ego-personality that has all of these disruptions and issues. With a shift to the witness-consciousness and a focus that brings the psychic being to the fore, many of these concerns can be limited or minimized. Even though the nature may still undergo these reactions, the seeker can remain unaffected and observant as the process continues.

Sri Aurobindo writes: “The physical consciousness is always in everybody in its own nature a little inert and in it a constant strong aspiration is not natural, it has to be created. But first there must be an opening, a purification, a fixed quietude, otherwise the physical vital will turn the strong aspiration into over-eagerness and impatience or rather it will try to give it that turn. Do not therefore be troubled if the state of the nature seems to you to be too neutral and quiet, not enough aspiration and movement in it. This is a passage necessary for the progress and the rest will come.”

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 4, Ordeals and Difficulties, pg..104

Author's Bio: 

Santosh has been studying Sri Aurobindo's writings since 1971 and has a daily blog at http://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com and podcast located at https://anchor.fm/santosh-krinsky
He is author of 21 books and is editor-in-chief at Lotus Press. He is president of Institute for Wholistic Education, a non-profit focused on integrating spirituality into daily life.
Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are all available on the YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@santoshkrinsky871
More information about Sri Aurobindo can be found at www.aurobindo.net
The US editions and links to e-book editions of Sri Aurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com