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XII
DIFFICULTIES AND PROGRESS Q: How long the difficulties and obstacles remain in sadhana? A: It depends on the sadhaks.
Q: In what sense does it depend on them? Does it mean that the difficulty remains so long as they wish to keep it? A: Yes, or so long as something in them gives cause for the difficulties.
Q: How is it that the more sincerely we try to face and overcome the difficulties of our nature- the more they tend to increase? A: It is the opposing or adverse forces that attack because they are afraid of their control over men being taken from them by the success of the sadhana.
Q: Whenever I find myself inwardly in a good condition and make a sincere effort to progress I find that the difficulties tend to increase. Why does it happen like this? A: It is not you alone who feel that; everybody has that experience.
Q: Does this prove that I am incapable of doing Toga? A: In that case it would prove that everybody is incapable—for everybody has the same experience.
Q: If a sadhak finds it difficult to make any progress in his sadhana and is constantly faced with difficulties, how will he be able to stay in the Ashram? A: I don’t understand the question. Those who want to stay and are sincere in the sadhana, can always stay whatever the difficulties.
Q: Is it a fact that the sadhaks, so long as they do not overcome the defects of their nature, have to undergo various tests imposed by the Divine? A: It is not a test, it is only the natural law that they have to overcome these things before they can realise the aim of Yoga. Q: Is it true that the hostile forces attack and create disturbances in sadhana in order to test the strength of the sadhaks? A: The hostile forces make it their function to attack and disturb the sadhaks, but if there were no wrong movement and no imperfection and weakness, they would not be disturbed.
Q: How can I know whether I am progressing in sadhana and the transformation of my being by the Mother’s Force and Grace? A: If it is being done, you will be conscious of it.
Q: Some sadhaks in the Ashram say that they do not know if they are making any progress at all because they do not get any feeling indicating progress. What is the reason of this? A: It simply shows that they are unconscious.
Q,: But can it be said that they are really progressing even though they are not feeling any indications of it? A: One may have experiences without fully understanding them; but if they feel nothing, then they cannot be said to be progressing.
Q: When a sadhak begins to get experiences, does it mean that he is progressing? A: It shows that he is progressing.
Q: If a sadhak thinks constantly about his weaknesses and remains unhappy, is it a hindrance in his progress ? A: Yes. He has to think more of the Divine and less of himself.
Q: Nowadays all kinds of memories of my past life are pressing upon my mind. What is the reason? A: They must be coming up from the subconscient in order to be got rid of.
Q : What is the way to get rid of the pressure of these memories? A: Clear them out as they come and let nothing in the being accept or interest itself in them any more.
Q: Most of the difficulties and depressions in my sadhana come from the fact that I have a narrow and undeveloped mind. What u the best thing to do to remove this defect? A: It is through the psychic that the Yoga develops; the mind is not the chief thing.
Q: Is it not a fact that difficulties and depressions come because of the narrow and undeveloped mind? A: More through the vital’s dissatisfaction or the physical consciousness and its ignorance and tamas.
Q: What is the swiftest and most effective way to remove "tamas" or inertia from all the parts of the system ? A: To call down the Divine Force to act there.
Q: Why do I feel my body so inert and dull ? A: It depends on whether it is in tune with the vital or not. The nature of the body is tāmasic— it is the vital which makes it move and uses it as an instrument. If the vital is enlightened then the Divine Force can act throughout in the body.
Q; When can the vital be said to be enlightened? A: The vital must not only reject all lower movements, but open and receive the light from above so that it may receive and know the Divine Will and its impulsion—it can then be called enlightened.
Q: In "Conversations", the Mother says: "The true vital movement is the most beautiful and magnificent of movements." What is this true vital movement? A: A movement of the vital in its original divine nature, not full of egoism and selfish passion and desire as it is usually in man.
Q: How can I get rid of the difficulties that arise in action and in contact with others? A: By rejecting ego and desire and living and working for the Divine alone.
Q,: When a sadhak is trying to rise to the higher consciousness, how can he prevent the influences of his surroundings from pulling him down? A: By indifference to the surroundings and concentration on what is above. Q: Do our thoughts (good or bad) about others affect them in any way? A: Yes, there is an influence.
Q: Is it possible that the desires, doubts, etc, of one person can pass on to another? A: Anything can pass from one to another. It is happening all the time throughout the world.
Q: How can one know that the desire or doubt he is having has come from another person? A: You have to become conscious.
Q: Is it not very harmful to observe the faults of others and criticise them? Does not this habit become a great obstacle in the progress of sadhana ? A: Yes, all that is true. The lower vital takes a mean and petty pleasure in picking out the faults of others and thereby one hampers both one’s own progress and that of the subject of the criticism.
Q: Is gossiping an obstacle in sadhana? A: It can be and very often is. A gossiping spirit is always an obstacle.
Q: Is it true that if a sadhak does anything wrong inwardly or outwardly, others in the Ashram have to suffer for it? A: It creates a wrong influence in the atmosphere of the Ashram and opens the gates to the hostile Powers.
Q: Is it true that when the sadhaks feel uneasiness or disturbance, it is due to their having acted contrary to the Divine’s Will ? A: It comes from that or it comes from imperfections in their nature.
Q: When the sadhaks have overcome all the difficulties and obstacles, why do they not go away from the world also for ever? A: Why should they? If the sadhaks really overcome all the difficulties, then the higher consciousness gets partly established on the earth—but what of the rest of the world and their imperfect evolution? Q: How can a sadhak remain free from illness? A: It is only by the conquest of the material nature that illness can cease altogether to come.
Q: If a sadhak gets illnesses for one reason or another, how can he throw them away swiftly? A: Most of them can be got rid of almost at once by faith and calling in the Force. Those that are chronic are more difficult but they too can be got rid of by the same means if persistently used.
Q: When a sadhak gets an illness, can he make use of physical means like medicines to get over it? A: Physical means can be used wherever necessary; but behind the physical means there must be the Divine Force. The physical means are to be used with discrimination and in case of necessity.
Q: Is it true that illnesses can come to a sadhak because of want of faith in the Divine? A: They come from various causes—what you speak of is a condition that helps them to come and stands in the way of cure. |