Practical Applications of the Power of Immobility

The Mother provides a practical example of the ‘power of immobility’, albeit as applied in the external world and society. There is an apocryphal story from the time of the Mahabharata. Drona, the preceptor of the sons of Dhritarashtra and the sons of Pandu, princes and future king of the Kaurava kingdom, was teaching the lesson of the day to them. All 100 of the Kaurava princes were asked, one by one, if they had learned the lesson of the day, which was ‘not to become angry’. They each replied affirmatively. He then asked the Pandava princes and four of them answered affirmatively, but when he came to the eldest of the Pandavas, Yudhisthira, the answer was in the negative! He repeated this day after day and after some days, he became frustrated with Yudhishthira’s inability to learn this lesson. He slapped Yudhishtira across the face, which under normal circumstances could be a death sentence for anyone striking the heir apparent to the kingdom. At that moment, however, Yudhisthira indicated that he had now learned the lesson! He needed the practical application of his immovability to provocation to ensure that he was master of his reaction. Drona provided that opportunity and he then saw that he had, indeed, learned ‘how not to become angry’.

A modern businessman reported a somewhat analogous situation. He was in negotiations to buy a product brand . The seller was pushing the businessman very hard. Eventually a deal was worked out that included royalty payments for ten years. The seller starting bullying, harassing and repeatedly threatening lawsuit. The buyer did not react! He did not become angry, nor did he counter harsh words and threats with his own harsh words and threats. Rather, he pointed out, at each instance, with patience, that he was abiding by the agreement and that the seller should do whatever he felt he needed or wanted to do! Eventually, the ten year period was finished, the deal was concluded and they each went their separate ways. No litigation. No further contact. The deal was concluded successfully They parted amicably, each having obtained the bargained for results. His non-reaction was his way of navigating through a difficult situation..

The Mother notes: “And there is a very small superficial application of this which perhaps you will understand. Someone comes and insults you or says unpleasant things to you; and if you begin to vibrate in unison with this anger or this ill-will, you feel quite weak and powerless and usually you make a fool of yourself. But if you manage to keep within yourself, especially in your head, a complete immobility which refuses to receive these vibrations, then at the same time you feel a great strength, and the other person cannot disturb you. If you remain very quiet, even physically, and when violence is directed at you, you are able to remain very quiet, very silent, very still, well, that has a power not only over you but over the other person also. If you don’t have all these vibrations of inner response, if you can remain absolutely immobile within yourself, everywhere, this has an almost immediate effect upon the other person.”

“That gives you an idea of the power of immobility. And it is a very common fact which can occur every day; it is not a great event of spiritual life, it is something of the outer, material life.”

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter XII Power of Immobility, pg. 100