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Obstacles and Difficulties
The vital does not like the state of vastness where there is no movement of thought. It wants movement, any move- ment whether of knowledge or of ignorance. A serene condition without any restlessness seems dry to it. * * * Nobody can ever progress in sadhana through pain, i despair, and lack of enthusiasm. It is better not to have them. * * * Not only the experience of the higher but also the-transformation of the lower nature is necessary. Pleasure, sadness, despair and sorrow are the ordinary play of the vital, impediments to progress—one has to go beyond them and bring down the vast unity and equality from above into the vital and in all the being. * * * As long as desire and subjection to the mercy of any whir demand and imagination are strong, the vital will dominate All this is nourishment to the vital, and when you give nourishment why should it not become huge and powerful? Page-376 If you entertain a desire, become impatient for the fruits of sadhana, then how will you remain peaceful and silent? A great work like the transformation of human nature, can it be done in a moment? Remain quiet, let the force of the Mother work in you, then in time everything will be accomplished. If you remain peaceful within, in a state of surrender, then obstacles and difficulties will not be able to disturb you. Unhappiness and anxiety and "Why is this not happening? When will it happen?", if you allow these feelings to enter into you, then obstacles and difficulties will find strength. Why do you pay so much attention to them? Concentrate on the Mother. Remain peaceful and surrendered within. The petty defects of the lower nature cannot be got rid of so easily. It is useless to be agitated over them. When the Mother’s Force fully occupies the entire being down to the subconscient, they will go. The length of time necessary for that does not matter. The complete transformation requires time.
* * * We have neither moved away from you nor abandoned you. When your mind and vital become disturbed, then these; false ideas enter into your mind. Even if the ego rises and the difficulties come you must not lose faith in the Mother. Keep on calling her quietly and remain calm, the difficulties and the ego will leave you.
* * * The truth is that you must not be subject to the ego or the external nature in your work. If you are, the work cannot Page-377 form a part of the sadhana; instead, it becomes equivalent to trivial and ordinary work. Even the work must be done from within in a spirit of surrender.
* * * The external consciousness is full of ignorance, and seems to make a false transcription, a wrong imitation or translation of what comes from above, to remould that in its own way; as if trying to turn that to some imaginary enjoyment, or some outward selfish interest or the pleasure of the ego. This is the weakness of human nature. One should want the Divine for the sake of the Divine and not for one’s own satisfaction. When the psychic being inside becomes strong, then the defects of the external nature begin to lessen till finally one becomes pure.
Any average man reacts like this—to be pleased when praised and offended when blamed. There is nothing strange about that. But it is absolutely essential for a sadhak to get over this weakness; he must remain unshaken by praise or criticism, honour or insult. But it cannot be easily done, it will take time. * * * This is the state and outlook of the true consciousness. If you can have this attitude when you go deep inside or come out in the external consciousness, then everything will rightly Page-378 move towards the divine purpose.
* * * Falsehood is a great barrier in the path of this yoga. Falsehood of any kind must not be given a place in thought, speech or action.
* * * There is no connection between the tamasic surrender and the tamasic ego. The tamasic ego seems to think: "I am a sinner, I am weak, there will be no progress for me, the sadhana is impossible for me, I am unfortunate, the Divine does not accept me, death is my only salvation, the Mother does not love me but she loves all others," etc., etc. The vital nature likes to hurt itself by demonstrating its own smallness. It wants to satisfy its ego-sense in a negative way, by showing itself as the worst person, the most unhappy, wicked and tortured of all. The rajasic ego is exactly the opposite. By saying, "I am great," etc., it likes to exaggerate about itself. * * * Ignorance, ego and desire are hindrances. If the mind, life and body become instruments of the Higher Consciousness, this divine light can descend into the body.
* * * The human mind itself is full of sceptical imaginations, Page-379 wrong ideas, distrust, ignorance and unhappiness. This ignorance is the cause of distrust, the source of anguish. The human intelligence is an instrument of ignorance. Very often wrong thoughts and false ideas come to it, yet it believes that its ideas alone are true. The mind is not even inclined to consider whether there is any mistake in its thought or, if so, where lies the mistake. When the mistake is pointed out, it does not like to own it and becomes angry and unhappy, yet it derives great pleasure from finding fault with others. When it hears any criticism of others, it immediately accepts that as true without even considering how far it might be true. It is difficult for faith and trust to grow in this type of mind. That is why you must not listen to ordinary human beings or accept their influence within you. If you want to hear the truth, you have to go within you and awaken the psychic being and from there true intelligence will grow in the mind, true emotion and feeling will come to the heart, true inspiration will rise in the vital; the psychic light will bring a new vision of man, objects, circumstances and the world; ignorance of the mind, wrong seeing, incorrect thinking, disbelief and mistrust will cease for ever.
* * * There is probably some resistance to meditation in the body, that is why it does not want to sit down. But it also happens with many that their sadhana goes on automatically. There is no need to force oneself to sit for meditation. Whether one is sitting, walking or lying down or even ^sleeping, the sadhana goes on * * * Page-380 All this has happened probably because of some external contact. These vital disturbances are now occurring repeatedly in some people. Like a disease they go from one person to another; especially the feeling, "I want to die, I do not wish to keep this body, it is not possible to do yoga and sadhana in this body," is strong. However, the idea, "By leaving the body I shall attain the realisation in yoga without any difficulty in another body," is extremely erroneous. If you give up the body in this way, there will be still greater difficulties in the next birth and you will not have any relation with the Mother. All this is an attack of the hostile forces. Their aim is to break the sadhana of the sadhak, break the health of the Mother, break the Ashram and our work. You must be on your guard. Do not allow them to enter into you.
* * * "An outsider scolds me. I am very much hurt. I wish to die"—these are words of the vital ego, not of a sadhak. I am giving you a fair warning—"Do not give any place to the ego." If anybody says anything to you, remain undisturbed, in a peaceful state of mind, free from any egoism and united with the Mother.
* * * Merely dying does not solve anything. How do you think the difficulties you have not overcome in this life will leave you in your next birth? You have to clear them up in this very life. * * * Page-381 If you allow these futile lamentations of the vital to rise, how will the true experience come? Even if it comes, how can it endure or bear fruit ? This weeping of the vital can only be a bar. * * *
These words of moaning and bewailing are obstacles to progress on the path of yoga and nothing else but that—only a kind of tamasic play of the vital. If you can give them all up and quietly pursue your sadhana, there will be a rapid progress. What you have seen is true—but what you call an evil force is only the ordinary nature. This nature makes man do almost anything—in the sadhana one has to overcome its influence, but it cannot be easily done. By quiet and determined effort, in the end it is entirely overcome.
* * * When the sadhak begins to live in the true consciousness, the other parts still continue to exist; only in proportion as the power of the true consciousness increases, does it gradually weaken the others. * * * What else but an evil force can pull you down so low, make you so weak and agitated? Many forces of this nature Page-382 are moving about in the atmosphere because the sadhaks give them shelter. If they come to you, call the Mother and send them away. They will not be able to do anything; they will not be able to endure. Obstacles cannot be fully got rid of so easily. By it constant opening and a heightening of consciousness the physical consciousness is transformed, the difficulties will there completely disappear. Before that. they will decrease, go out and remain outside you. Instead of getting upset by these difficulties, detach yourself from them. Do not accept the difficulties as your own, because if you do your power will diminish. * * * Every one has to go through difficulties, even those who do not work are subject to their violent attacks. Difficulties are there because the outer nature does not leave you. They will no longer remain when the outer nature has a new life. * * * I have repeatedly told you about this that difficulties do not go in a moment. Difficulties are the results of the outer nature of human beings. This nature does not change in a day or in a few days, not even in great sadhaks. But if you can entirely depend on the Mother and aspire to her in silence and calm and go on without anxiety, then the Page-383 difficulties can do nothing, even if they come in your way. In time their force will diminish, perish and no longer exist.
* * * Every one has this kind of diffficulty. Identification with the Mother at every moment cannot easily be done. It is done by a steady spiritual practice. ]
* * * Difficulties matter little. They are nothing but what exists in the outer nature of human beings. Gradually they will be driven out by the Force of the Mother. So there is no cause for anxiety or depression. * * * Always remember the Mother. Call upon her. Then the difficulties will go away. Do not be afraid, do not be perturbed by the difficulties. Call upon the Mother steadily. * * * However infinite the difficulties may seem to be, this appearance is not real. It is merely the demoniac illusion. Treading the way of truth the path becomes clear at last. * * * Page-384 It is something like that. But difficulty does not leave any one so easily, even a very great Yogi. It is a bit easier to get ¦ rid of the mental difficulty than of the vital and the physical. It takes time to be free from the vital and physical difficulties. What does it matter? Even great sadhaks are open to difficulties. If one can live in the psychic state, if one is united with the Mother, then these attacks must go in vain.
* * * A sadhak has often these two difficulties. The first from the vital, the second from the physical consciousness. If one remains aloof from them, they decrease and finally diminish. * * * These difficulties come to everybody. If it were not so, then the perfection in Yoga would take place within a few days.
* * * Human nature, as a rule, cannot always remain inside. But when one can feel the Mother in every condition, within and without, this difficulty lingers no more. Try to have this state. Page-385 It is the impurities in nature that create difficulties for a I sadhak. Sex-desire, ignorance and so on are among the1 impurities in human nature. These are in everybody. When they appear, one should calmly detach oneself from them and reject them without being perturbed. If you say, "I am a sinner" and so on, that adds to your weakness. You ought to say, "This is man’s impure nature. If it remains part of his ordinary life, it may remain there. I don’t want all this. I want God alone. I want the Divine Mother. These are not things of my true consciousness. As long as they come I will steadily reject them. I will not allow myself to be agitated."
* * * Sex-force is in every human being. This impulse is one of nature’s main instruments by which it drives man, creates family, society and world. The life of creatures depends much on it. That is why the sex-impulse .is there in every- body. Nobody is an exception. Even. in spite of sadhana it, does not easily cease to cling on. It recurs in the body and the vital till the nature is transformed. But then the sadhak should keep on his guard, control, reject and drive it out as many times as it comes. In this way it vanishes in the end.
* * * Go on quietly with your sadhana. Slowly and steadily all the things of the old nature that still exist in you will go. Page-386 Every one has difficulties. There is no sadhak without them. Remain calm within. You will get help even in difficulties. True consciousness will develop on all the planes. * * * It is a great obstacle on your part always to think that you are bad, you are bad.
* * * The only way to transform nature is to depend on the Mother and quietly reject the ordinary nature and conquer it by degrees.
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All difficulties are not the products of hostile forces—they are the products of ordinary impure nature which exists in everybody. " * * * One has to keep this kind of feeling and unquestioning faith. For this is a belief and conviction in a sadhak greatly help the Mother’s Force to act.
* * * Spiritual practice must be done with a firm and calm mind and with an unshakable faith and reliance on the Mother. Page-387 Depression must find no place there. If it comes, it must be refused and cast aside. "I am low and mean, nothing can be done by me. The Mother has driven me off. I shall go away." When these ideas come in, then you must know that they are the suggestions of the lower nature and are quite contrary to the truth of Yoga. Give no quarter to such ideas.
* * * Why do you feel sorry ? If one depends on the Mother and remains unperturbed in all circumstances, there can be no question of sorrow. Vainly does man expect happiness and peace from his fellow beings.
* * * Once an inner union with the Mother has been formed, instead of this thought and fear one has to keep this certitude and the faith in the Mother that Her victory is inevitable, in spite of thousands of difficulties, innumerable mistakes and all obscurity in the outer nature.
* * * Always one has to keep absolute faith in the Mother that one is in her hands, that everything will be done through her power. And therefore the obstacle can create no sorrow and despair. * * * Page-388 Don’t worry on that account. It is not easy always to remember the presence of the Mother. When the whole being is filled with the Mother’s presence, then you will remember her automatically, and you can by no means forget her. * * * Go on with your sadhana in a quiet manner. Sorrow or despair will no longer remain in you. All darkness will disappear in the long run.
* * * It happens to everybody. It is very difficult to remain always in a good condition. It takes much time—go on steadily with your meditation. Don’t be perturbed. Everything will we done in time.
* * * Sadhana means to feel the Mother near and within, to feel that the Mother is doing everything and to receive everything of the Mother in oneself. Having this state if one pays attention to studies, then there can be no harm. * * * Yes, if one weeps like that one becomes weak. At every moment, in each condition, steadily and silently depend on the Mother and aspire for her. Then the good conditions reappear. Page-389 |