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Sustaining the Yogic Endeavour in the Unique Challenges Posed by the Integral Yoga · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  For those individuals called to take up the integral Yoga, there
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  is a unique opportunity and a unique set of concerns that
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  arise. Those paths of yoga which aim at
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  liberation have their own difficulties.
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  It is not simple to escape the lures of the external life or
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  even to undertake 1 pointed concentration to the exclusion
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  of anything else. Yet there are methods and there
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  are defined results, and at the end, with sufficient
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  determination and practice, the seeker in the traditional paths
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  of yoga can reach his objective. The integral yoga, however, does
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  not seek escape from the external world, but rather the
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  integration of new powers of consciousness that are involved
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  but not yet expressed in order to uplift and transform the
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  outer existence. This implies that escape from
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  that existence, avoidance of its various pressures, is not the
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  method for this yoga. When an individual chooses the
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  solitary path of focusing on liberation from the world, he
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  does not present a risk or challenge to the established
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  order, the powers that be, in terms of the physical, vital and
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  mental forces and their objectives at work in the world.
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  Things go on as normal. When an individual accepts the
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  idea that the entire current existence needs to be observed,
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  changed, and infused with a new force that will change the
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  status quo, he is suddenly confronted with the opposition,
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  internally and externally to everything he is attempting to
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  do. Even without active opposition,
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  any attempt to address embedded instincts, habits, and trained
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  responses is a complex and extraordinarily difficult
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  endeavour. When the conscious forces behind
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  the existing organization of life are brought into the
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  picture, they add active opposition to the issues.
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  They raise up desires. They push to expose flaws.
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  They raise up doubts about the objective, the path, the
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  guidance and the individual's own capacity.
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  The integral Yoga is this one that requires an extraordinary
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  measure of persistence, an incredible amount of patience,
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  and an immovable faith and willingness to work for long
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  periods of time without even in many cases any clear sign of
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  forward movement and a devotion to the long term objective that
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  will only be fully realized by humanity many generations in the
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  future, Sri Aurobindo observes. Quote Whatever method is used,
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  persistence and perseverance are essential.
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  For whatever method is used, the complexity of the natural
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  resistance will be there to combat it.
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  The difficulties have to be faced, and the more cheerfully
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  they are faced, the sooner they will be overcome.
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  The one thing to do is to keep the mantra of success, the
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  determination of victory, the fixed resolve.
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  Have it I must, and have it I will.
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  Impossible. There is no such thing as
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  impossibility. There are difficulties and
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  things of Long Alain, but no impossibilities.
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  What 1 is determined fixedly to do will get done now or later.
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  It becomes possible. Drive out dark despair and go
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  bravely on with your yoga. As the darkness disappears, the
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  inner doors will open. End Quote Reference.
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  Srioro Bindu and the Mother looking from within, Chapter 5.
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  Attitudes on the Path, page 137.