The Spiritual Path and Ascetic Practices

The vital nature craves excitement. It also craves recognition and acknowledgement, in the form of vanity, aggrandisement of the ego, and seeking for fame. The vital nature is also quite impatient and wants to see results right away. When the vital nature enters into the spiritual realm, it brings the seeker to the idea that by suppressing the impulses, by torturing the body, by crippling the mental functions, it can achieve the result, ‘storming the gates of heaven’, so to speak.

These methods, however have their serious drawbacks. While providing the illusion of progress, and while puffing up the ego of the seeker for the speed and power of that progress, they do not provide long-term lasting results. We know that energies that are suppressed tend to gather a latent force which eventually breaks out with sometimes devastating power. This is the principle of the compression of a spring, applied to human drives and actions. We also know that these methods tend to break down, destroy or set back the development of the external instrument which is needed for the transformational direction of the divine intention in the manifestation. In this sense, “cutting the knot” of the problem leaves the seeker over time with even greater issues. It is best to “untie” the knot, with patience, perseverance and insight to the nature of the forces at work.

These things tend not to be purely “black and white”; they do not exist only at the extremes. Rather, there are strategies and tactics that can be employed by the spiritual seeker that avoid outright suppression of the nature while at the same time avoiding outright indulgence of every impulse that arises.

A disciple asks: ”Mother, for self-mastery are not the ascetic methods useful sometimes?”

The Mother observes: ”No! You cure nothing. You only give yourself the illusion that you have progressed, but you cure nothing. The proof is that if you stop your ascetic methods, the thing is even stronger than before; it comes back with a vengeance. It depends upon what you call ascetic methods. If it is not to indulge in satisfying all your desires, this indeed is not asceticism, it is common sense. It is something else. Ascetic methods are things repeated fasting, compelling yourself to endure the cold… in fact, to torture your body a little. This indeed gives you only a spiritual pride, nothing more. It masters nothing at all. It is infinitely easier. People do it because it is very easy, it is simple. Just because the pride is quite satisfied and the vanity can get puffed up, it becomes very easy. One makes a great demonstration of his ascetic virtues, and so considers himself an extremely important personage, and that helps him to endure many things.”

“It is much more difficult to master one’s impulses quietly, composedly, and to prevent them from showing themselves — much more! — without taking ascetic measures. It is much more difficult not to be attached to the things you possess than to possess nothing. This is something that has been known for centuries. it requires a much greater quality not to be attached to the things one possesses than to be without any possessions or to reduce one’s possessions to a strict minimum. It is much more difficult. It is a much higher degree of moral worth. Simply this attitude: when a thing comes to you, to take it, use it; when for one reason or another it goes away, to let it go and not regret it. Not to refuse it when it comes, to know how to adapt yourself and not to regret it when it goes.”

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Our Many Selves: Practical Yogic Psychology, Chapter 6, Some Answers and Explanations, pp. 175-176