Addressing Alternations in Spiritual Progress Over Time

0:01 When milarepa approached marpa requesting Liberation in one lifetime, he was haunted by the misdeeds. He recognized in his own recent past and the harm, he had caused many people, he had Justified the harm based on the misdeeds of those individuals towards his family. But eventually he understood that his own fate was on the line instead of granting him the teachings marpa set him to work with hard physical labor for an extended period of time. What thoughts were going through Miller up his mind as he carried out the seemingly. Meaningless back-breaking work.

0:47 He eventually broke down with a fit of Despair and felt like there was no way he can go on any longer and it was only after that occurred that the teachings were granted to him. This illustrates just one of the various potential causes for an apparently empty period for the spiritual Seeker. When the youth, whose tale was told in the upanishads was given several cattle and told by the teacher to take them into the forest and create a massive herd of cattle in order to get the teachings. You did not despair despite an obviously long period of effort and physical privation.

1:33 And the need to overcome the difficulties of living in the forest caring for and raising a large herd of of cattle and learning how to deal with all the external circumstances that could have sidetracked his effort. Instead of meditation, he had to herd cows for years. He clearly reached out for the teacher initially due to some intense inward calling, which Drew him away from family friends and the life in society. While most speakers do not have such a pressure or such an intense background, that motivates them to take up spiritual practice, they nevertheless undergo periods of time where nothing is seemingly taking place. And if this occurs after a particularly fruitful time of opening and growth of Consciousness, they feel the lack very acutely.

2:35 Spiritual Seekers who are various experiences all find that at some point. The headline experience, recedes, and they are left with dealing with the difficulties and obstacles of their nature or the pressures placed by the outer world with which they have to interact. There are always significant reasons why these alternations take place and SRI aurobindo describes several of them and advises on the proper attitude to work ones. Way through these difficult periods of time SRI aurobindo observes, quote, the reason why there are these alternations of which you complain is that the nature of the Consciousness is like that. After a spell of wakefulness it feels the need of a little sleep very often in the beginning.

3:29 The wakings our brief the sleeps long afterwards, it becomes more equal and later on the Sleep periods are shorter and shorter. Another cause of these alternations when one is receiving is the Nature's need of closing up to a simile. It can take perhaps a great deal, but while the experience is going on, it cannot absorb properly. What it brings so it closes down for a simulation. A third cause comes in the period of transformation. One part of the nature changes and one feels for a time as if there had been a complete and permanent change but one is disappointed to find it cease and a period of baroness or lowered Consciousness follow this is because another part of the Consciousness comes up for Change and a period of preparation and veiled working follows which seems to be one of unon latent or Worse. These things alarm disappoint or perplex. The eagerness and impatience of the Sadiq, but if one takes them quietly and knows how to use them, or adopt, the right attitude, one can make these unenlightened periods. Also, a part of the conscious sadhna. And quote, reference SRI

5:00 aurobindo, and the mother growing within the psychology of inner development. Chapter 6 growth of Consciousness difficulties and pitfalls page 121