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Finding the Poise of the Consciousness Needed for the Practice of the Integral Yoga · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  The spiritual seeker, starting from the ego consciousness,
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  wants to identify progress and success in the sadhana, the
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  operation of the three gunas. The qualities of nature impact
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  the seeker's view and orientation towards this
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  process. There is a distinct difference
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  between a psychic aspiration and the consequent receptivity and
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  acceptance of what the Divine grace brings to the seeker and
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  the working of any form of vital desire or ambition.
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  Desire and ambition arise primarily through the operation
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  of rajas. The secret strives, makes
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  effort, strains for results, tries to storm the gates of
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  heaven, so to speak. The results of a rajasic effort
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  are rarely satisfactory for the long term.
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  Progress. Spiritual growth is not intended
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  to be carried out as a means of gratifying the ego, nor can it
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  be seen as a short term effort. The changes required at all
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  levels of human nature, the mental being, the vital being,
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  the physical being, are so far reaching and profound that they
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  cannot reasonably be encompassed in some kind of Sprint to a
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  goal. There is a considerable amount
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  of preparation needed, and each change involves unraveling the
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  knots of human nature and essentially rewiring the entire
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  human psychology. Short term straining efforts are
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  more likely to create obstacles and setbacks than to actually
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  further the real progress needed.
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  The first obstacle is the rising up of rajas and its distortion
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  of the focus and intent of the process.
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  When the emphasis is placed on palpable experiences and
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  results, much of the real work gets minimized or pushed aside.
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  Rajas creates ripples that disturb the needed calm, peace
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  and equality. When it is rebuffed, it tends to
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  fall into a state of Thomas, which leads to depression or
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  dissatisfaction. Expressed in a variety of ways,
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  Rajasic energy also can easily bring in all manner of passions,
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  demands and aggressive forces that are not helpful for the
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  Sadhna. One of the early practices for
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  the spiritual seeker is to achieve a state of calm and
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  inner peace and from there to aspire without impatience.
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  Such a balanced state eventually provides support for the long
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  term objectives involved in tackling the distortions of the
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  physical, vital and mental energies that need to be brought
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  into balance and harmony, Sriorabindo writes.
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  Quote. As for working, it depends on
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  what you mean by the word. Desire often leads either to
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  excessive effort, meaning often much labour and a limited fruit,
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  with strain, exhaustion, and in case of difficulty or failure,
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  despondence, disbelief or revolt, or else it leads to
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  pulling down the force. That can be done, but except for
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  the yogically strong and experienced, it is not always
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  safe, though it may be often very effective.
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  Not safe first, because it may lead to violent reactions, or it
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  brings down contrary or wrong or mixed forces which this sodic is
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  not experienced enough to distinguish from the true ones,
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  or else that may substitute the sodic's own limited power of
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  experience or his mental and vital constructions for the free
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  gift and true leading of the divine.
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  Cases differ. Each has his own way of sadhna.
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  But for you, what I would recommend is constant openness,
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  a quiet steady aspiration, no over eagerness, A cheerful trust
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  and patience. End Quote Reference Sri
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  Aurobindo Faces of Yoga Chapter 2.
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  Faith, Aspiration, Surrender, page 35.