Facing One's Difficulties

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In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna
asked Sri Krishna to place him

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between the two armies, ready to
engage in a civil war with

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massive numbers of troops on
each side, so that he could view

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the scene before the actual
fighting started.

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At that moment, he was struck by
the magnitude of what was about

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to take place and indicated that
he would not participate, that

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it was morally unsupportable,
and it would be better if he

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were killed than if he would
engage in killing respected

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elders, teachers and relatives.
He was prepared to avoid the

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moral problem that he now saw
rising before him.

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In very graphic terms, it is
instructive to note that Sri

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Krishna did not accept the idea
of Arjuna's sudden qualms about

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the morality and correctness of
the action.

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An action for which he had been
preparing for many years, for

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which he had undergone extreme
austerities and training, for

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which he had acquired special
weaponry, and which was intended

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to obtain recompense from those
who had tried to harm himself

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and his brothers and wife for
many years.

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Including a humiliating scene
before the assembly where his

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wife Dropity was brought in to
embarrass them all.

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Rather, Sri Krishna pointed out
that this was a reaction of the

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guna of Thomas, not fitting for
one of Arjuna's position,

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training, experience and role,
and that he should face the

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situation directly and not try
to avoid it or run away.

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The reactions that the spiritual
seeker has when faced with what

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appear to be failures, moral
lapses, uprising of desires and

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fear that somehow the spiritual
progress is lacking are quite

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normal Temasek responses that
want to avoid rather than face

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the difficulties.
Just as Arjuna was educated

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about this process and
encouraged to throw off the

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Temasek energy that had moved to
the forefront, so spiritual

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seekers are encouraged to act
with courage, fortitude,

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perseverance and trust in the
Divine and the process.

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Fioro Bindo notes quote
Difficulty cannot be overcome by

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your running away from it.
It is not by tormenting yourself

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with remorse and harassing
thoughts that you can overcome.

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It is by looking straight at
yourself very quietly, with a

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quiet and firm resolution, and
then going on cheerfully and

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bravely, in full confidence and
reliance, trusting in the grace,

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serenely and vigilantly
anchoring yourself on your

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psychic being.
That is the true way, and there

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is no other.
End Quote reference.

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Sri Rovindo and the Mother
looking from within.

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Chapter 4.
Ordeals and Difficulties, page

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98.