The Right Attitude Turns Difficulties Into Opportunities for the Spiritual Aspirant

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Particularly, but not
exclusively in the beginning of

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the spiritual sadhna, the seeker
has to find a way to navigate

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through the countless obstacles,
resistances, and difficulties

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that arise as he tries to
transition from a focus on the

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external responses of the ego,
personality and the embedded

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habits, instincts, and trained
responses that make up what he

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experiences on a day-to-day
basis, to a new standpoint that

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can cut through the inevitable
confusion and keep him focused

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on his spiritual practice.
Unless the seeker is able to

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establish the independent
standpoint of the witness

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consciousness or to shift his
awareness to the psychic being

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and from there evaluate the
meaning of the obstacles and the

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methods for working through
them, he may find himself

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surrounded by misunderstanding,
confusion and doubt about the

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way forward.
Traditionally, it was recognized

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that the guidance of an
experienced teacher, a guru, was

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needed to aid the seeker along
the way.

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In the synthesis of Yoga, Sri
Aurobindo identifies the true

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guru as the inner guide secret
within us.

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He reminds us that quote.
It shall also be a sign of the

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teacher of the Integral Yoga
that he does not arrogate to

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himself Guru Hood in a humanly
vain and self exalting spirit.

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His work, if he has 1, is a
trust from above.

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He himself a channel, a vessel
or a representative.

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He is a man helping his
brothers, a child leading

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children, a light kindling,
other lights, an awakened soul

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awakening other souls at highest
a power or presence of the

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Divine calling to him other
powers of the Divine.

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End Quote.
When the soul is ready and the

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aspiration is strong, the inner
Guide awakens and thereby can

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find whatever external guidance
or aid, any teacher or just

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various situations or
circumstances to advance the

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sadhna.
Whether or not there is an

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external guru in the traditional
sense, the seeker who is in

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contact with the inner guide and
who steadfastly adheres to the

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guidance so provided, will be
able to face and overcome the

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various difficulties along the
way.

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In the course of time.
It is the objective of the

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Integral Yoga to undertake a
radical transformation of human

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life.
Our thoughts, our vital

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motivations, our responses and
reactions, our very physical

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existence, all of the past
formations turn out to be the

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opportunities for working out
the details of these changes.

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And thus, instead of bemoaning
failures or difficulties, the

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seeker can look upon them as the
very essence of the work of

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transformation that may take
lifetimes and the efforts of

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many individuals, each working
on certain aspects to fulfill.

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Srioro Bindo notes quote.
The attitude you have taken is

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the right one.
It is this feeling and attitude

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which help you to overcome so
rapidly the attacks that

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sometimes fall upon you and
throw you out of the right

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consciousness.
As you say, difficulties so

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taken become opportunities.
The difficulty faced in the

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right spirit and conquered.
One finds that an obstacle has

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disappeared.
A first step forward has been

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taken to question, to resist in
some part of the being increases

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trouble and difficulties.
That is why an unquestioning

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acceptance and unfailing
obedience to the directions of

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the Guru was laid down as
indispensable in the old Indian

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yogas.
It was demanded not for the sake

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of the Guru but for the sake of
the shishya.

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End Quote.
Reference Sri Orabindo, Faces of

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Yoga, Chapter 3 in difficulty,
page 52.