 |
|
|
|
|
Vital
Vitality
means life-force—wherever there is life, in plant or
animal or man, there is life-force—without the vital
there can be no life in matter and no living action. The vital
is a necessary force and nothing can be done or created in
the bodily
existence, if the vital is not there as an instrument. Even
sadhana needs the vital force.
But
if the vital is unregenerated and enslaved to desire, passion
and ego, then it is as harmful as it can otherwise be helpful.
Even in ordinary life the vital has to be controlled by the
mind and mental will, otherwise it brings disorder or disaster.
When people speak of a vital man, they mean one under the
domination of vital force not controlled by the mind or the
spirit. The vital can be a good instrument, but it is a bad
master.
The vital has not to be killed or destroyed, but purified
and transformed by the psychic and spiritual control.
-
Sri Aurobindo
There
are four parts of the vital being—first, the mental vital
which gives a mental expression by thought, speech or otherwise
to the emotions, desires, passions, sensations and other movements
of the vital being; the emotional vital which is the seat
of various feelings, such as love, joy, sorrow, hatred, and
the rest; the central vital which is the seat of the stronger
vital longings and reactions, e.g. ambition, pride, fear,
love of fame, attractions and repulsions, desires and passions
of various kinds and the field of many vital energies; last,
the lower vital which is occupied with small desires and feelings,
such as make the greater part of daily life, e.g. food desire,
sexual desire, small likings, dislikings, vanity, quarrels,
love of praise, anger at blame, little wishes of all kinds—and
a numberless host of other things. Their respective seats
are:
1.
the region from the throat to the heart,
2. the
heart (it is a double centre, belonging in front to the emotional
and vital
and behind to the psychic),
3. from
the heart to the navel,
4. below
the navel.
-
Sri Aurobindo
|
