Dec. 15, 2025
Strength and Courage Are Needed to Face the Difficulties of the Spiritual Path
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 3, In Difficulty, pg. 57This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/12/13/strength-and-courage-are-needed-to-face-the-difficulties-of-the-spiritual-path/
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More information about Sri Aurobindo can be found at www.aurobindo.net
The US editions and links to e-book editions of SriAurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,200
When an individual withdraws
from most external activities to
2
00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:09,600
focus on spiritual sadhna,
people tend to interpret this as
3
00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,640
a sign of weakness or failure in
the outer life.
4
00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:17,440
They believe the seeker could
not make it in the competition
5
00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:21,920
in the external world and
therefore retreated from it so
6
00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:25,760
he did not have to face it.
This view, however, is
7
00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:28,720
inaccurate.
While it is true that some
8
00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:31,760
individuals retreat from the
difficulties they face in the
9
00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:36,800
world, they soon find that
spiritual practice requires far
10
00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:39,560
more strength than they could
have imagined.
11
00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,800
The spiritual path is not for
those weak in spirit or afraid
12
00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:49,440
of tackling the powers of life.
A strong, vital nature is
13
00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:53,640
essential when one enters the
inner realms of consciousness.
14
00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:59,480
In his epic poem Savitri, a
Legend and a Symbol, Sri
15
00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,720
Aurobindo expresses the inner
struggle in a number of
16
00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:08,080
passages, but perhaps none so
poignantly as in Book 6.
17
00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:14,720
Canto 2 Quote Exempt and
unafflicted by Earth's fate.
18
00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:18,480
How shall he cure the ills he
never felt?
19
00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:24,480
He covers the world's agony with
his calm, but though to the
20
00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:30,200
outward eye no sign appears, and
peace is given to our torn human
21
00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:35,600
hearts, the struggle is there
and paid the unseen price.
22
00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:39,800
The fire, the strife, the
wrestle are within.
23
00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,560
He carries the suffering world
in his own breast.
24
00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:47,600
Its sins weigh on his thoughts.
Its grief is his.
25
00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:51,240
Earth's ancient load lies heavy
on his soul.
26
00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:54,920
Night and its powers beleaguer
his tardy steps.
27
00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:58,080
The Titan adversary's clutch he
bears.
28
00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:01,160
His March is a battle in a
pilgrimage.
29
00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:05,840
Life's evil smites.
He is stricken with the world's
30
00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:09,720
pain. 1,000,000 wounds gape in
his secret heart.
31
00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:14,640
He journeys sleepless through an
unending night.
32
00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:18,680
Antagonist forces crowd across
his path.
33
00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:23,040
A siege, a combat, is his inner
life.
34
00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:28,040
Even worse may be the cost direr
the pain.
35
00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,960
His large identity and all
harbouring love shall bring the
36
00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:37,960
cosmic anguish into his depths.
The sorrow of all living things
37
00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,480
shall come and knock at his
doors and live within his house.
38
00:02:41,920 --> 00:02:46,760
A dreadful cord of sympathy can
tie all suffering into his
39
00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:53,120
single grief, and make all agony
in all the world's his own.
40
00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:59,200
End Quote.
Sri Aurobindo notes quote.
41
00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:04,360
One who has not the courage to
face patiently and firmly life
42
00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:08,440
and its difficulties will never
be able to go through the still
43
00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,000
greater inner difficulties of
the sadhna.
44
00:03:11,920 --> 00:03:15,720
The very first lesson in this
yoga is to face life and its
45
00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:21,840
trials with a quiet mind of firm
courage and an entire reliance
46
00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:29,520
on the divine shakti.
End Quote reference Srioro Bindo
47
00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:35,120
Basis of Yoga, Chapter 3 in
difficulty, page 57.
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,200
When an individual withdraws
from most external activities to
2
00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:09,600
focus on spiritual sadhna,
people tend to interpret this as
3
00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,640
a sign of weakness or failure in
the outer life.
4
00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:17,440
They believe the seeker could
not make it in the competition
5
00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:21,920
in the external world and
therefore retreated from it so
6
00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:25,760
he did not have to face it.
This view, however, is
7
00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:28,720
inaccurate.
While it is true that some
8
00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:31,760
individuals retreat from the
difficulties they face in the
9
00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:36,800
world, they soon find that
spiritual practice requires far
10
00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:39,560
more strength than they could
have imagined.
11
00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,800
The spiritual path is not for
those weak in spirit or afraid
12
00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:49,440
of tackling the powers of life.
A strong, vital nature is
13
00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:53,640
essential when one enters the
inner realms of consciousness.
14
00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:59,480
In his epic poem Savitri, a
Legend and a Symbol, Sri
15
00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,720
Aurobindo expresses the inner
struggle in a number of
16
00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:08,080
passages, but perhaps none so
poignantly as in Book 6.
17
00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:14,720
Canto 2 Quote Exempt and
unafflicted by Earth's fate.
18
00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:18,480
How shall he cure the ills he
never felt?
19
00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:24,480
He covers the world's agony with
his calm, but though to the
20
00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:30,200
outward eye no sign appears, and
peace is given to our torn human
21
00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:35,600
hearts, the struggle is there
and paid the unseen price.
22
00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:39,800
The fire, the strife, the
wrestle are within.
23
00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,560
He carries the suffering world
in his own breast.
24
00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:47,600
Its sins weigh on his thoughts.
Its grief is his.
25
00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:51,240
Earth's ancient load lies heavy
on his soul.
26
00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:54,920
Night and its powers beleaguer
his tardy steps.
27
00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:58,080
The Titan adversary's clutch he
bears.
28
00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:01,160
His March is a battle in a
pilgrimage.
29
00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:05,840
Life's evil smites.
He is stricken with the world's
30
00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:09,720
pain. 1,000,000 wounds gape in
his secret heart.
31
00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:14,640
He journeys sleepless through an
unending night.
32
00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:18,680
Antagonist forces crowd across
his path.
33
00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:23,040
A siege, a combat, is his inner
life.
34
00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:28,040
Even worse may be the cost direr
the pain.
35
00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,960
His large identity and all
harbouring love shall bring the
36
00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:37,960
cosmic anguish into his depths.
The sorrow of all living things
37
00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,480
shall come and knock at his
doors and live within his house.
38
00:02:41,920 --> 00:02:46,760
A dreadful cord of sympathy can
tie all suffering into his
39
00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:53,120
single grief, and make all agony
in all the world's his own.
40
00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:59,200
End Quote.
Sri Aurobindo notes quote.
41
00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:04,360
One who has not the courage to
face patiently and firmly life
42
00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:08,440
and its difficulties will never
be able to go through the still
43
00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,000
greater inner difficulties of
the sadhna.
44
00:03:11,920 --> 00:03:15,720
The very first lesson in this
yoga is to face life and its
45
00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:21,840
trials with a quiet mind of firm
courage and an entire reliance
46
00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:29,520
on the divine shakti.
End Quote reference Srioro Bindo
47
00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:35,120
Basis of Yoga, Chapter 3 in
difficulty, page 57.
