Inertia is mental, vital, physical, subconscient. Physical inertia can produce mental inertia, mental inertia can produce physical inertia, vital inertia almost always makes the physical lifeless and lustreless and dull, and that is inertia. Vital inertia can also infect the mind, unless the mind is very strong and clear. I have always said that the physical consciousness is the main seat and source of inertia.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga: CWSA, Vol. 31, p539
It [the nature of the obstruction of the physical consciousness] depends on the weak points of the individual and the stage of his progress. In a general way, the obstruction creates an inertia which impedes the working of the higher Powers. In the early stage it can obstruct progress altogether. Afterwards it works to slow it down or else impede it by intervals of stationary inertia. The main difficulty of the physical consciousness is that it is incapable, before it is transformed, of maintaining any tension of tapasya—it wants periods of assimilation, sinking back into the ordinary consciousness to rest,—also there is a constant forgetfulness of what has been done etc.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga: CWSA, Vol. 31, p390
The first means [of changing inertia into peace] is not to get upset when it comes or when it stays. The second is to detach yourself, not only yourself above but yourself below and not identify. The third is to reject everything that is raised by the inertia and not regard it as your own or accept it at all.
If you can do these things then there will be something in you that remains perfectly quiet even in the pits of inertia. Through that quiet part you can bring down peace, force, even light and knowledge into the inertia itself.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga: CWSA, Vol. 31, p396
There should be no yielding to the tamas. In spite of it one should always go on quietly and persistently with the sadhana—otherwise one may be overweighed by the inertia of the physical consciousness from which the tamas comes.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga: CWSA, Vol. 31, p398
If the physical being has felt and assimilated the silence and peace, then inertia ought not to rise up.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga: CWSA, Vol. 31, p394
Sweet Mother,
You have said in Your New Year message for this year: “Salute to the advent of Truth.” Is it therefore very near? What must we do during 1965 to prepare ourselves to recognise it and receive it?
The best thing to do is to distinguish in oneself the origin of all one’s movements—those that come from the light of truth and those that come from the old inertia and falsehood—in order to accept the first and to refuse or reject the others.
With practice one learns to distinguish more and more clearly, but one can establish as a general rule that all that tends towards disharmony, disorder and inertia comes from the falsehood and all that favours union, harmony, order and consciousness comes from the Truth.
The Mother – Some Answers from the Mother: CWM, Vol. 16, p311
The difficulty of the physical nature comes inevitably in the course of the development of the sadhana. Its obstruction, its inertia, its absence of aspiration or movement have to show themselves before they can be got rid of—otherwise it will always remain undetected, hampering even the best sadhana and preventing its completeness. This coming up of the physical nature lasts longer or less according to the circumstances, but there is none who does not go through it. What is necessary is not to get troubled or anxious or impatient, for that only makes it last more, but to put entire confidence in the Mother and quietly persist in faith, patience and steady will for the complete change. It is so that the Mother’s force can best work in the being.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga: CWSA, Vol. 31, pp389-90
The sense of helplessness, of impossibility of removal [of obscurity] is like the obscurity itself a characteristic of the physical consciousness which is inert and mechanical and accustomed to be moved inertly by whatever forces take hold of it. But this sense of helplessness or impossibility is unreal and not to yield to it, not to accept it, to remove it is quite possible and very necessary for overcoming this physical obstacle which would otherwise greatly delay the progress.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga: CWSA, Vol. 31, p390
What you describe—dullness, uneasiness, weakness, feeling old and worn out or ill, are the reactions that come when the inertia of the physical Nature is resisting the Light—the others about sense of feeling, dignity, self-respect (of the ego) are the reactions of the vital. Both must be refused acceptance. There is only one aim to be followed, the increase of the Peace, Light, Power and the growth of a new consciousness in the being. With that new consciousness the true knowledge, understanding, strength, feeling will come, creating harmony instead of revolt and struggle and union with the Divine consciousness and will.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga: CWSA, Vol. 31, p392
….The physical consciousness is full of inertia—it wants not to move but to be moved by whatever forces and that is its habit. This inertia has to be cured by putting it into contact with the right forces from above. That is why I asked you to aspire for the higher wideness, purity and peace, so that that may occupy the physical and the true Force work instead of these invading ideas and impulses.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga: CWSA, Vol. 31, p393
Passivity must not lead to inactivity—otherwise it will encourage inertia in the being. It is only an inner passivity to what comes from above that is needed—inert passivity is the wrong kind of passivity.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga: CWSA, Vol. 31, p393
If the calm and silence are perfectly established in the physical, then if inertia comes it is itself something quiet and unaggressive, not bringing such disturbances. But to get rid of inertia altogether a strong dynamic calm is needed.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga: CWSA, Vol. 31, p394
There is always more chance of inertia at night because of the large part taken by the subconscient in sleep—but, apart from that, there should be a reaction (internal) against the rising of inertia. A quietness in the cells of the body, even a sense of immobility (so that the body seems to be moved rather than to move) is a different thing and easily distinguishable from the inertia. The downflow of peace usually brings much of the static Brahman into the consciousness down to the physical, so that one feels the Upanishadic “unmoving it moves”.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga: CWSA, Vol. 31, p395
From what you describe it looks as if you had come down into the physical consciousness and were feeling the inertia that belongs to it. When that happens, the one way out is to open there so that the light and force may come down into the physical and replace the inertia. We shall try to get that done.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga: CWSA, Vol. 31, p395
The normal tendency of the physical nature is to be inert and in its inertia to respond only to the ordinary vital forces, not to the higher forces. If one has a perfect equality and peace then one can be unaffected by the spreading of the inertia and bring down into it gradually or quickly the same peace with a force of the higher consciousness which can alter it. When that is there there can be no longer the difficulty and fluctuations with a preponderance of inertia such as you are now having.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga: CWSA, Vol. 31, p396
When the mind and the vital take hold of the physical and make it an instrument, then there is no inertia. But here the physical consciousness has been dealt with. If it could have received the peace of the self into itself without covering it over with inertia, then it would have been all right. But the vital has intervened somehow with its demand and dissatisfaction, so there has been this obstruction and inability to progress. This thing often happens in the sadhana and one must have the power either to reject it dynamically or else to remain detached until it has exhausted itself. Then the true movement begins again.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga: CWSA, Vol. 31, p397
The inertia of the physical consciousness is always a difficult thing to eliminate—it is that, more even than any vital resistance, which keeps all the movements of the ignorance recurring even when the knowledge is there and the will to change. But this difficulty has to be faced and overcome by an equal perseverance in the will of the sadhak. It is a steady flame that must burn, as steady as the obstruction is obstinate. Do not therefore be discouraged by the persistence of the obstruction of the ignorance. The persistence of your own will to conquer with the Mother’s force supporting it will come to the end of the resistance.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga: CWSA, Vol. 31, pp397-98
The physical always is more tamasic than the rest of the being and does not respond easily. Moreover this is a time of struggle between the higher forces and the resisting forces on the material plane, it is therefore a time when intense attacks on that plane are possible. One has to be on one’s guard and keep the true Force always round one as a protecting Power.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga: CWSA, Vol. 31, p398
About every ten days I have an attack of fatigue and exhaustion which has a tendency to turn into inertia and discouragement.
Take no notice of it and go on with your programme as usual. It is the quickest way of getting rid of it.
***
If I work I feel all right, but the fatigue comes after that. Why? What to do?
It is because you are receptive to the force when you work and that sustains you. But when you are not under the strain of the work you are less receptive. You must learn to be receptive in all circumstances and always―especially when you take rest―it must not be the “rest” of inertia but a true rest of receptivity.
The Mother – Words of the Mother: CWM, Vol. 14, p249
I have been feeling uneasy, tired and depressed since this morning. I spend a lot of time in a state of inertia, I am not sincere and I am restless.
The outer nature is always full of imperfections until it is transformed by the divine Presence. But it is wrong to let these things depress you.
The Mother – More Answers from the Mother: CWM, Vol.17, p34
