The Law of Attraction and Spiritual Practice

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In recent years there has been a
lot of focus on what is called

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the Law of Attraction.
It has been mainly used to act

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as some kind of a wish
fulfilling action that one

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undertakes by focusing on
specific affirmations or

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visualizing results which then
are attracted to your focus and

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create the result you are
seeking.

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This is, however, a very limited
application of a much more

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general action of the universal
consciousness of Oneness.

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What we frequently fail to
appreciate, however, is that

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this Law of Attraction operates
mostly without our conscious

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intervention, through the
vibratory patterns that we

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radiate out and the
corresponding response we

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receive from the external
creation.

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People frequently remark how
they suddenly thought of someone

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they had not heard from in a
long time, and then contact took

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place shortly thereafter.
Or they find out that they had a

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dream about some relative dying
and later determine that the

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individual died just at that
time.

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We hear people speak about
inexplicable synchronicity

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between what they were thinking
about and what came into their

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presence.
Of particular note is the role

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of a strong emotion, such as
fear to bring the feared object

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or event upon one.
For the spiritual seeker, this

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synchronicity or law of
attraction works to highlight

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the higher aspiration that
brings forth the aid and in many

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cases manifests the teacher at
the time the student needs that

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help.
Paramahamsa Yogananda describes

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in his Autobiography of a Yogi
the spiritual aid and solace he

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received at various times of
crisis as well as the appearance

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of his guru at the right stage
to further his spiritual

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progress.
This same function of attraction

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also brings the spiritual seeker
very clear indications of needed

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progress by placing in front of
him circumstances, events and

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situations that highlight the
ongoing operation of the old

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external being and its
reactions.

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This provides the seeker the
opportunity, if he takes these

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things in the right spirit, to
recognize the weakness and the

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limitation that he is called
upon to address at that time to

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make the next stage of progress
in his spiritual path.

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Srioro Bindo writes quote.
What we have within us creates

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the circumstances outside us.
When one does sadhna, it is

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constantly seen that so long as
there is an important defect

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somewhere, circumstances so
happen that the occasion comes

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for the defect to rise until it
is thrown out of the being.

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If one can take the coming of
these circumstances

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clairvoyantly as a call and an
opportunity for conquering the

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defect, then one can progress
very quickly.

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When the soul is meant to go
forward and there is an external

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weakness, circumstances do come
to help the external being

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against itself.
There must be a truly sincere

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aspiration behind.
Otherwise it does not happen.

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When someone is destined for the
path, all circumstances, through

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all the deviations of mind and
life, help in one way or another

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to lead him to it.
It is his own psychic being

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within him and divine power
above that used to that end.

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The vicissitudes both of mind
and outward circumstance.

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End Quote.
The Mother notes quote Always

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circumstances come to reveal the
hidden weaknesses that have to

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be overcome.
End Quote Reference Srioro Bindu

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and the Mother, Looking from
Within, Chapter 1 Looking at

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Life and Circumstances, pages 20
to 21.