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Vice and Virtue

Vice and virtue have nothing to do with darkness or light, truth and falsehood. The spiritual man rises above vice and virtue, he does not rise above truth and light, unless you mean by truth and light, human truth and mental light. They have to be transcended, just as virtue and vice have to be transcended.

Are you in a position to make a judgment as to what will or will not help God’s work? You seem to have very elementary ideas in these matters. What is your idea of divinisation,—to be a virtuous man, a good husband, son, father, a good citizen etc.? In that case I myself am most undivine,—for I have never been these things. Men like X or Y would then be the great Transformed Divine Men.

Many sinners are people who are preparing to turn to the Divine and many virtuous people have a long run of lives yet to go through before they will think of it.

Vices are simply an overflow of energy in unregulated channels.

  • Sri Aurobindo


Source: CWSA Vol. 28: Letters on Yoga – I: Book I > Problems of Philosophy, Science, Religion and Society > Religion, Idealism, Morality and Yoga > Morality and Yoga > Vice and Virtue

Link: https://incarnateword.in/cwsa/28/morality-and-yoga#p15

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