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The Right Attitude Turns Difficulties Into Opportunities for the Spiritual Aspirant · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  Particularly, but not exclusively in the beginning of
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  the spiritual sadhna, the seeker has to find a way to navigate
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  through the countless obstacles, resistances, and difficulties
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  that arise as he tries to transition from a focus on the
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  external responses of the ego, personality and the embedded
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  habits, instincts, and trained responses that make up what he
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  experiences on a day-to-day basis, to a new standpoint that
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  can cut through the inevitable confusion and keep him focused
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  on his spiritual practice. Unless the seeker is able to
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  establish the independent standpoint of the witness
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  consciousness or to shift his awareness to the psychic being
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  and from there evaluate the meaning of the obstacles and the
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  methods for working through them, he may find himself
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  surrounded by misunderstanding, confusion and doubt about the
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  way forward. Traditionally, it was recognized
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  that the guidance of an experienced teacher, a guru, was
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  needed to aid the seeker along the way.
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  In the synthesis of Yoga, Sri Aurobindo identifies the true
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  guru as the inner guide secret within us.
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  He reminds us that quote. It shall also be a sign of the
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  teacher of the Integral Yoga that he does not arrogate to
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  himself Guru Hood in a humanly vain and self exalting spirit.
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  His work, if he has 1, is a trust from above.
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  He himself a channel, a vessel or a representative.
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  He is a man helping his brothers, a child leading
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  children, a light kindling, other lights, an awakened soul
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  awakening other souls at highest a power or presence of the
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  Divine calling to him other powers of the Divine.
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  End Quote. When the soul is ready and the
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  aspiration is strong, the inner Guide awakens and thereby can
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  find whatever external guidance or aid, any teacher or just
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  various situations or circumstances to advance the
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  sadhna. Whether or not there is an
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  external guru in the traditional sense, the seeker who is in
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  contact with the inner guide and who steadfastly adheres to the
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  guidance so provided, will be able to face and overcome the
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  various difficulties along the way.
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  In the course of time. It is the objective of the
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  Integral Yoga to undertake a radical transformation of human
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  life. Our thoughts, our vital
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  motivations, our responses and reactions, our very physical
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  existence, all of the past formations turn out to be the
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  opportunities for working out the details of these changes.
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  And thus, instead of bemoaning failures or difficulties, the
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  seeker can look upon them as the very essence of the work of
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  transformation that may take lifetimes and the efforts of
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  many individuals, each working on certain aspects to fulfill.
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  Srioro Bindo notes quote. The attitude you have taken is
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  the right one. It is this feeling and attitude
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  which help you to overcome so rapidly the attacks that
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  sometimes fall upon you and throw you out of the right
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  consciousness. As you say, difficulties so
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  taken become opportunities. The difficulty faced in the
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  right spirit and conquered. One finds that an obstacle has
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  disappeared. A first step forward has been
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  taken to question, to resist in some part of the being increases
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  trouble and difficulties. That is why an unquestioning
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  acceptance and unfailing obedience to the directions of
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  the Guru was laid down as indispensable in the old Indian
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  yogas. It was demanded not for the sake
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  of the Guru but for the sake of the shishya.
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  End Quote. Reference Sri Orabindo, Faces of
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  Yoga, Chapter 3 in difficulty, page 52.