July 17, 2025
The Need for the Persistence of Faith to Succeed in the Yogic Endeavour
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 5, Attitudes on the Path, pg. 129This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/07/15/the-need-for-the-persistence-of-faith-to-succeed-in-the-yogic-endeavour/
Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are allavailable on the YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@santoshkrinsky871
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 --> 00:00:04,320
We often do not recognize that
there are different parts of our
2
00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:08,400
being that may be at different
stages in terms of the spiritual
3
00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:12,640
focus, the dedication, the
faith, and the commitment.
4
00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:18,760
Thus, when our mind gets
distracted or concerned, or when
5
00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:22,920
our vital nature goes off in
another direction, we may tend
6
00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:26,720
to feel like we are failing in
the spiritual practice and we
7
00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:29,360
entertain considerations of
giving up.
8
00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,760
The great Tibetan Yogi Milarepa
reached a point in his spiritual
9
00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,800
focus that made him believe that
he had no chance at acquiring
10
00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:42,280
the teaching and obtaining
liberation in his lifetime.
11
00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:47,120
After some periods of years when
he was made to undertake back
12
00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:51,160
breaking work while his guru
gave the teachings to other
13
00:00:51,160 --> 00:00:55,880
disciples who came to learn, he
actually reached the point of
14
00:00:55,880 --> 00:01:00,360
considering suicide when he felt
like he was a complete failure.
15
00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:05,360
It was only after that that his
guru Marpa gave him the
16
00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,040
teachings and instruction needed
to succeed.
17
00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:14,240
He eventually attained success.
What carried him through despite
18
00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:18,880
his doubts, fears and
insecurities was his ultimate
19
00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:23,520
spiritual faith.
The main thing is to persevere
20
00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:28,160
and not let any of the external
aspects of the being interfere
21
00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:31,800
with the soul's faith in its
spiritual destiny.
22
00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:38,000
As Shri Aurobindo has pointed
out, quote he who chooses the
23
00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:41,240
infinite has been chosen by the
infinite.
24
00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:45,840
End Quote.
From the divine standpoint, the
25
00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:51,240
success is assured as long as
the seeker persists, even if
26
00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,920
along the way the seeker needs
to confront and overcome
27
00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:59,800
numerous issues, obstacles and
distractions.
28
00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:05,360
In the Bhagwad Gita, Sri Krishna
assures Arjuna that no efforts
29
00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:10,560
of faith, no efforts of
dedicated effort are ever lost.
30
00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:14,920
Even if the seeker does not
realize fully in one lifetime,
31
00:02:14,920 --> 00:02:17,680
the progress continues to carry
him forward.
32
00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:23,000
Apropos this point, there is a
famous story of the divine
33
00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,600
singer Narod who met a Yogi who
was practising severe
34
00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:28,760
austerities to achieve
liberation.
35
00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,080
The Yogi asked Narod when he
would achieve the sought after
36
00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:37,120
liberation.
Narod indicated that it would be
37
00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:42,000
within four more lifetimes.
The process from the side of the
38
00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:48,040
divine is continuous beyond
birth, death and rebirth.
39
00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,760
There is thus from that
viewpoint, no cause for anxiety,
40
00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:56,760
despair or depression.
These are all reactions of the
41
00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,720
ego personality that wants to
see the progress and have
42
00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:04,120
instant success as defined by
the ego.
43
00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:10,440
But if the issue is the change
of human nature, clearly we have
44
00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:15,960
to redefine what constitutes
success and what constitutes A
45
00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:20,880
realistic time frame, Sri
Aurobindo writes Quote.
46
00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:26,160
Even a faltering faith and a
slow and partial surrender have
47
00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,160
their force and their result.
Otherwise only the rare few
48
00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:34,640
could do sadhna at all.
What I mean by the central faith
49
00:03:34,640 --> 00:03:39,360
is a faith in the soul or the
central being behind a faith
50
00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,400
which is there even when the
mind doubts and the vital
51
00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:46,640
despairs and the physical wants
to collapse, and after the
52
00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:51,840
attack is over, reappears and
pushes on the path again.
53
00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:57,400
It may be strong and bright, it
may be pale and in appearance
54
00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:03,360
weak, but if it persists each
time and going on, it is the
55
00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:05,880
real thing.
End Quote.
56
00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:10,880
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother looking from within,
57
00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:16,079
Chapter 5.
Attitudes on the Path, page 129.
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,320
We often do not recognize that
there are different parts of our
2
00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:08,400
being that may be at different
stages in terms of the spiritual
3
00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:12,640
focus, the dedication, the
faith, and the commitment.
4
00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:18,760
Thus, when our mind gets
distracted or concerned, or when
5
00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:22,920
our vital nature goes off in
another direction, we may tend
6
00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:26,720
to feel like we are failing in
the spiritual practice and we
7
00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:29,360
entertain considerations of
giving up.
8
00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,760
The great Tibetan Yogi Milarepa
reached a point in his spiritual
9
00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,800
focus that made him believe that
he had no chance at acquiring
10
00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:42,280
the teaching and obtaining
liberation in his lifetime.
11
00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:47,120
After some periods of years when
he was made to undertake back
12
00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:51,160
breaking work while his guru
gave the teachings to other
13
00:00:51,160 --> 00:00:55,880
disciples who came to learn, he
actually reached the point of
14
00:00:55,880 --> 00:01:00,360
considering suicide when he felt
like he was a complete failure.
15
00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:05,360
It was only after that that his
guru Marpa gave him the
16
00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,040
teachings and instruction needed
to succeed.
17
00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:14,240
He eventually attained success.
What carried him through despite
18
00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:18,880
his doubts, fears and
insecurities was his ultimate
19
00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:23,520
spiritual faith.
The main thing is to persevere
20
00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:28,160
and not let any of the external
aspects of the being interfere
21
00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:31,800
with the soul's faith in its
spiritual destiny.
22
00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:38,000
As Shri Aurobindo has pointed
out, quote he who chooses the
23
00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:41,240
infinite has been chosen by the
infinite.
24
00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:45,840
End Quote.
From the divine standpoint, the
25
00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:51,240
success is assured as long as
the seeker persists, even if
26
00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,920
along the way the seeker needs
to confront and overcome
27
00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:59,800
numerous issues, obstacles and
distractions.
28
00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:05,360
In the Bhagwad Gita, Sri Krishna
assures Arjuna that no efforts
29
00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:10,560
of faith, no efforts of
dedicated effort are ever lost.
30
00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:14,920
Even if the seeker does not
realize fully in one lifetime,
31
00:02:14,920 --> 00:02:17,680
the progress continues to carry
him forward.
32
00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:23,000
Apropos this point, there is a
famous story of the divine
33
00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,600
singer Narod who met a Yogi who
was practising severe
34
00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:28,760
austerities to achieve
liberation.
35
00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,080
The Yogi asked Narod when he
would achieve the sought after
36
00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:37,120
liberation.
Narod indicated that it would be
37
00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:42,000
within four more lifetimes.
The process from the side of the
38
00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:48,040
divine is continuous beyond
birth, death and rebirth.
39
00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,760
There is thus from that
viewpoint, no cause for anxiety,
40
00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:56,760
despair or depression.
These are all reactions of the
41
00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,720
ego personality that wants to
see the progress and have
42
00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:04,120
instant success as defined by
the ego.
43
00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:10,440
But if the issue is the change
of human nature, clearly we have
44
00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:15,960
to redefine what constitutes
success and what constitutes A
45
00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:20,880
realistic time frame, Sri
Aurobindo writes Quote.
46
00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:26,160
Even a faltering faith and a
slow and partial surrender have
47
00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,160
their force and their result.
Otherwise only the rare few
48
00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:34,640
could do sadhna at all.
What I mean by the central faith
49
00:03:34,640 --> 00:03:39,360
is a faith in the soul or the
central being behind a faith
50
00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,400
which is there even when the
mind doubts and the vital
51
00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:46,640
despairs and the physical wants
to collapse, and after the
52
00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:51,840
attack is over, reappears and
pushes on the path again.
53
00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:57,400
It may be strong and bright, it
may be pale and in appearance
54
00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:03,360
weak, but if it persists each
time and going on, it is the
55
00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:05,880
real thing.
End Quote.
56
00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:10,880
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother looking from within,
57
00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:16,079
Chapter 5.
Attitudes on the Path, page 129.