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Balancing the Spiritual Practice Between Positive Focus and Addressing Faults and Weaknesses · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  There is a tendency among human beings to react with extremes.
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  Something is either yes or no, black or white, positive or
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  negative. This occurs due to the linear
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  nature of the mental consciousness, aided by a vital
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  nature that wants to assert itself by being right.
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  For the spiritual seeker, however, a much more nuanced
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  approach is generally required. First, it should be recognized
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  that the focus and attention needs to shift to the spiritual
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  realization that the seeker sees before him.
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  It is through this shift of attention and the receptivity
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  that is developed that the change of consciousness actually
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  takes place. At the same time, the
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  receptivity can be blocked or mitigated by the limited focus
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  and activities of the physical, vital and mental parts of the
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  being. This is where the need to be
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  observant and to address and change weaknesses, faults,
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  defects comes in. A balanced approach that
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  recognizes the need for both a new object of focus and an
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  increasing ability to receive and incorporate the new
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  consciousness turns out to be the best way for most to make
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  actual progress in their spiritual pursuits.
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  In his book The Mother, Sri Orbinda describes the role of
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  the practitioner of yoga as aspiration, rejection,
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  surrender. Aspiration is the turning of the
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  focus to the Divine. Rejection is the observation and
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  removal of those habits or activities of the lower nature
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  that interfere with the higher force as it responds to the
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  aspiration. Surrender implies acceptance of
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  the response from the spiritual focus and implementation of that
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  force in the mental, vital and physical aspects of the external
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  being. Sri Orbindo notes quote.
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  It is necessary to observe and know the wrong movements in you,
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  for they are the source of your trouble and have to be
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  persistently rejected if you are to be free.
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  But do not be always thinking of your defects and wrong
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  movements. Concentrate more upon what you
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  are to be on the ideal, with the faith that since it is the goal
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  before you, it must and will come to be.
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  Always. Observing faults and wrong
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  movements brings depression and discourages the faith.
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  Turn your eyes more to the coming light and less to any
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  immediate darkness. Faith, cheerfulness, confidence
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  in the ultimate victory are the things that help.
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  They make the progress easier and swifter.
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  End Quote. Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
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  Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 2.
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  Looking at Oneself and Others, page 39.