Addressing Alternations in Spiritual Progress Over Time

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When milarepa approached marpa
requesting Liberation in one

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lifetime, he was haunted by the
misdeeds.

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He recognized in his own recent
past and the harm, he had caused

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many people, he had Justified
the harm based on the misdeeds

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of those individuals towards his
family.

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But eventually he understood
that his own fate was on the

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line instead of granting him the
teachings marpa set him to work

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with hard physical labor for an
extended period of time.

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What thoughts were going through
Miller up his mind as he carried

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out the seemingly.
Meaningless back-breaking work.

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He eventually broke down with a
fit of Despair and felt like

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there was no way he can go on
any longer and it was only after

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that occurred that the teachings
were granted to him.

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This illustrates just one of the
various potential causes for an

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apparently empty period for the
spiritual Seeker.

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When the youth, whose tale was
told in the upanishads was given

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several cattle and told by the
teacher to take them into the

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forest and create a massive herd
of cattle in order to get the

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teachings.
You did not despair despite an

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obviously long period of effort
and physical privation.

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And the need to overcome the
difficulties of living in the

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forest caring for and raising a
large herd of of cattle and

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learning how to deal with all
the external circumstances that

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could have sidetracked his
effort.

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Instead of meditation, he had to
herd cows for years.

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He clearly reached out for the
teacher initially due to some

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intense inward calling, which
Drew him away from family

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friends and the life in society.
While most speakers do not have

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such a pressure or such an
intense background, that

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motivates them to take up
spiritual practice, they

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nevertheless undergo periods of
time where nothing is seemingly

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taking place.
And if this occurs after a

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particularly fruitful time of
opening and growth of

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Consciousness, they feel the
lack very acutely.

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Spiritual Seekers who are
various experiences all find

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that at some point.
The headline experience,

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recedes, and they are left with
dealing with the difficulties

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and obstacles of their nature or
the pressures placed by the

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outer world with which they have
to interact.

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There are always significant
reasons why these alternations

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take place and SRI aurobindo
describes several of them and

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advises on the proper attitude
to work ones.

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Way through these difficult
periods of time SRI aurobindo

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observes, quote, the reason why
there are these alternations of

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which you complain is that the
nature of the Consciousness is

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like that.
After a spell of wakefulness it

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feels the need of a little sleep
very often in the beginning.

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The wakings our brief the sleeps
long afterwards, it becomes more

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equal and later on the Sleep
periods are shorter and shorter.

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Another cause of these
alternations when one is

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receiving is the Nature's need
of closing up to a simile.

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It can take perhaps a great
deal, but while the experience

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is going on, it cannot absorb
properly.

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What it brings so it closes down
for a simulation.

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A third cause comes in the
period of transformation.

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One part of the nature changes
and one feels for a time as if

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there had been a complete and
permanent change but one is

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disappointed to find it cease
and a period of baroness or

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lowered Consciousness follow
this is because another part of

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the Consciousness comes up for
Change and a period of

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preparation and veiled working
follows which seems to be one of

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unon latent or Worse.
These things alarm disappoint or

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perplex.
The eagerness and impatience of

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the Sadiq, but if one takes them
quietly and knows how to use

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them, or adopt, the right
attitude, one can make these

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unenlightened periods.
Also, a part of the conscious

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sadhna.
And quote, reference SRI

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aurobindo, and the mother
growing within the psychology of

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inner development.
Chapter 6 growth of

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Consciousness difficulties and
pitfalls page 121