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Factors That Impede Progress on the Spiritual Path · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  Our human lives are not developed in a straight line of
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  progress. We see forward movement toward
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  whatever goal we have in front of us, and then various
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  retrogressive movements that set back the progress.
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  That is the experience of those who have a focus or objective in
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  life. For those who are not motivated
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  by some specific overarching goal, there is simply a series
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  of events, activities, relationships, enjoyments and
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  sufferings that make up the mixed lives they lead.
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  There are multiple and complex interactions that 'cause this
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  oscillation to occur. First, there are the conflicting
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  needs, desires and demands of the various parts of the being.
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  These are modified by the stage of life development along with
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  the training, education, traumas and societal expectations to
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  which the individual has been exposed.
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  Additionally, there's the action of the three gunas of nature
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  which are always moving and changing their predominance and
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  balance in all parts of the nature.
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  The combination of the different intentions of the various parts
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  of the being and the developmental stage of the
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  individual, with the varying response due to the alternation
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  of the gunas, leads to a complex, sometimes seemingly
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  inexplicable difference in reaction.
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  For the spiritual seeker, there's an added factor of the
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  opening of the psychic being and its more direct influence.
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  This influence, however, has to work through the various parts
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  of the being, the development of the instruments and the
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  pressures working on the external nature and the life
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  activities. We thus see that there are
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  movements and moments when the spiritual aspiration is in front
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  and the being is lit up with a spiritual glow, when friends or
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  family enter that space, or when work or financial circumstances
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  create added pressures, or when some past tendency arises based
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  on a new situation triggering its action.
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  The aspiration, the consecration, the feeling of
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  oneness or bliss can easily recede into the background as
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  the external nature takes over for a time.
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  The seeker carries with him all of the tendencies in seed form
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  until they are fully and completely rejected from the
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  being, and they can lie latent and dormant until the right
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  circumstance arises for them to sprout up suddenly.
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  The changing predominance of the gunas often provides such an
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  opportunity as he responds differently when Sattva is in
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  the ascendant with its more calm and insightful demeanour than
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  when Rajas with its desires, passions and more aggressive
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  pattern dominates, or when Tamas with its darkness, fear and
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  weakness, dullness and torpor takes its dominant position for
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  a time. The mother advises that by
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  placing the psychic being at the core and referring each movement
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  to it, the seeker, as a witness of the nature, can immediately
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  see what forces are in control at the moment and thereby choose
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  to support those that advance the spiritual growth and reject
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  those that oppose or weaken that development.
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  The mother observes. Quote You can be a different
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  person at different moments in your life.
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  I know people who took decisions, had a strong will,
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  know what they wanted and prepared to do it.
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  Then there was a little reversal in the being.
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  Another part came up and spoiled all the work in 10 minutes.
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  What had been accomplished in two months was all undone.
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  When the first part comes back, it is in disarray.
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  It says what then? The whole work has to be started
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  again slowly. Hence it is evident that it is
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  very important to become aware of the psychic being.
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  One must have a kind of signpost or a mirror in which all things
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  are reflected and show themselves as they truly are.
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  And then according to what they are, one puts them in one place
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  or another. One begins to explore, to
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  organize. That takes time.
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  The part comes back three or four times and every part that
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  comes up says put me in the 1st place.
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  What the others do is not important, not at all important.
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  It is I who will decide, for I am the most important.
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  I am sure that if you look at yourself, you will see that
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  there's not one among you who has not had the experience.
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  You want to become conscious, to have goodwill.
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  You have understood, your aspiration is shining, all is
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  brilliant, illuminated. But all of a sudden something
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  happens, a useless conversation, some unfortunate reading, and
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  that upsets everything. Then one thinks that it was an
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  illusion one lived in, that all things were seen from a certain
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  angle. This is life 1 stumbles and
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  falls at the first occasion one tells oneself 01 can't always be
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  so serious. And when the other part returns
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  once again, one repents bitterly.
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  I was a fool. I have wasted my time.
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  Now I must begin again. At times there is one part
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  that's ill humored in revolt, full of worries, and another
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  which is progressive, full of surrender.
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  All that one after the other. End Quote Reference Sri
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  Aurobindo and the Mother, the psychic being soul, its nature,
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  mission and evolution. Section 2.
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  Role, function and Action of the Psychic.
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  Pages 68 to 69.