Latest / Sri Aurobindo Studies / An Unwavering Trust and Faith in the Divine Without Any Admixture of Egoistic Demands or Self-Dealing Is the Attitude to Be Cultivated by the Spiritual Aspirant

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An Unwavering Trust and Faith in the Divine Without Any Admixture of Egoistic Demands or Self-Dealing Is the Attitude to Be Cultivated by the Spiritual Aspirant · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  Without even thinking about it, we are programmed to bargain
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  with the Divine. We carry expectations.
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  We want our desires to be fulfilled.
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  We care about immediate and positive feedback for the
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  efforts we are making in the sacrifices we are undergoing for
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  the Divine. We will agree to devote
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  ourselves to the Divine as long as the Divine is giving us back
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  what we want. We want experiences, we want
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  progress, we want support, we want consolation.
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  We want to see noticeable results.
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  When these disappear. Our faith also may disappear.
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  This is the bargaining of the ego with the Divine.
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  Much of it's subtle, but nevertheless it diminishes and
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  waters down the self. Giving and the surrender.
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  And then we wonder why we get less than optimal results.
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  A pure self giving without bargaining implies a total
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  faith, a total trust, a total absence of desire, a total
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  acceptance of whatever comes, and a total and complete
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  patience for however long things take.
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  A complete perseverance to keep going without expectations, and
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  a complete confidence that the Divine is not only in charge,
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  but has a complete knowledge of what needs to be done, when it
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  needs to be done, and how it needs to be done.
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  What if there are no visible results?
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  What if there is only struggle and effort and obstacles
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  arising? What if there are no signs along
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  the way? Can we hold our commitment?
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  Can we continue unabated and unflagging in our devotion and
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  consecration if we do not get any confirmation in a concrete
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  form? This is something that is not
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  perfected in the seeker overnight, but it is a status to
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  which the seeker can aspire. The more complete the trust,
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  faith and confidence, the less the seeker needs to struggle
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  with self doubt, anxiety or fear of failure.
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  Milarepa, even with his extraordinary devotion, became
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  discouraged at one point and he began to doubt the teaching.
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  He eventually succeeded, but only after much tribulation and
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  inner suffering. Eventually he learned that there
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  was a reason for the time, the difficulties, the obstacles, the
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  delays and the anxiety as he had to burn off the karmic
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  consequences of his prior history as a black magician who
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  had committed grievous harm on others as an act of revenge,
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  Srioro Bindo writes quote. Even if there is much darkness
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  and this world is full of it, and the physical nature of man
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  also, yet a ray of the true light can prevail eventually
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  against a tenfold darkness. Believe that and cleave to it
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  always. The core of the inner surrender
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  is trust and confidence in the Divine. 1 takes the attitude.
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  I want the Divine and nothing else.
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  I want to give myself entirely to Him, and since my soul wants
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  that it cannot be but that I shall meet and realize Him, I
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  ask nothing but that and His action in me to bring me to Him,
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  His action secret or open, veiled or manifest.
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  I do not insist on my own time and way.
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  Let Him do all in His own time and way.
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  I shall believe in Him, accept His will, aspire steadily for
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  His light and presence and joy, go through all difficulties and
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  delays, relying on Him and never giving up.
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  Let my mind be quiet and trust Him and let Him open it to His
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  light. Let my vital be quiet and turn
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  to Him alone and let Him open it to His calm and joy.
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  All for him and myself for Him. Whatever happens, I will keep to
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  this aspiration and self giving and go on in perfect reliance
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  that it will be done. That is the attitude into which
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  one must grow, for certainly it cannot be made perfect at once.
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  Mental and vital movements come across, but if one keeps the
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  will to it, it will grow in the being for those who have within
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  them a sincere call for the Divine.
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  However, the mind or vital may present difficulties or attacks
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  come, or the progress be slow and painful, even if they fall
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  back or fall away from the path for a time.
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  The psychic always prevails in the end and the divine help
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  proves effective. Trust in that and persevere,
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  then the goal is sure. End Quote.
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  Reference. Srioro Bindu and the Mother
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  looking from within. Chapter 5.
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  Attitudes on the Path, pages 132 to 133.