Nov. 3, 2025
The Secret of Success in Spiritual Sadhana Is to Maintain the Aspiration and Focus and Never Give Up
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 2, Faith — Aspiration — Surrender, pg. 31
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/11/01/the-secret-of-success-in-spiritual-sadhana-is-to-maintain-the-aspiration-and-focus-and-never-give-up/
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
00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:04,920
Failure turns out to be the
stepping stone to success.
2
00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:09,440
We tend to become obsessed with
being perfect in the spiritual
3
00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,640
sadhna.
We identify things we should be
4
00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:16,720
thinking, things we should be
doing, ways we should be acting
5
00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:21,000
and responding to situations,
and create for ourselves a set
6
00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:25,120
of rules or guidelines that we
believe act as the markers of
7
00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:29,840
our success in the sadhna.
The problem with this approach
8
00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:32,240
is that it is entirely based in
the ego.
9
00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:35,840
It focuses on the wrong metric
of progress.
10
00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:40,320
No human being can expect to
overcome the deeply embedded
11
00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:44,800
habits and reactions of human
nature or the socialization he
12
00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,160
has undergone from time of birth
forward.
13
00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:52,240
It is therefore obvious that any
standard that sets perfection as
14
00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:57,920
the marker from the outset is
doomed to either fail or wind up
15
00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:02,320
with self deception.
Some of the habits of human
16
00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:06,760
nature, having developed over
many millennia, are not so
17
00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,000
easily transformed in their
nature.
18
00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:13,920
Habits of mind, habits of
emotion, habits of vital
19
00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:18,440
reaction, habits of physical
response all need to be
20
00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:23,280
patiently viewed, understood and
systematically adjusted.
21
00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:27,960
This is not a work for days,
weeks or months.
22
00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:30,920
It is a work for a lifetime or
more.
23
00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:37,520
As long as the predilection
remains active in humanity, it
24
00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:41,400
is also possible for it to rise
again in the individual.
25
00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:45,800
Transformation of human nature
under the impulsion of the next
26
00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,920
phase of evolution of
consciousness is a more or less
27
00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:54,480
thankless job.
What is important is to be able
28
00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:58,960
to maintain the aspiration and
avoid discouragement as these
29
00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:02,240
things recur and try to reassert
themselves.
30
00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,600
Once the seeker relieves himself
of the burden of guilt and
31
00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:10,600
depression that arises based on
the false premises of the
32
00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:14,920
perfection standpoint, he will
find it much easier to go on
33
00:02:14,920 --> 00:02:20,320
with the work relentlessly,
patiently and with a strong will
34
00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:24,880
and focused aspiration,
Sriorobindo writes.
35
00:02:24,920 --> 00:02:30,000
Quote Whether by tapasya or
surrender does not matter.
36
00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:34,600
The one thing is to be firm in
settings one's face to the goal.
37
00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:39,280
Once one has set one's feet on
the way, how can one draw back
38
00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:44,840
from it to something inferior?
IF1 keeps firm, falls do not
39
00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,720
matter.
One rises up again and goes
40
00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,160
forward.
If one is firm towards the goal,
41
00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:56,000
there can be on the way to the
divine no eventual failure.
42
00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:00,880
And if there is something within
you that drives as surely there
43
00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:03,920
is.
Falterings or falls or failure
44
00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:06,920
of faith make no eventual
difference.
45
00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:11,200
One has to go on till the
struggle is over and there is
46
00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,680
the straight and open and
thornless way before us.
47
00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:21,760
End Quote reference Srioro
Bindo, Faces of Yoga Chapter 2
48
00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:26,320
Faith, Aspiration, Surrender
page 31.
00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:04,920
Failure turns out to be the
stepping stone to success.
2
00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:09,440
We tend to become obsessed with
being perfect in the spiritual
3
00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,640
sadhna.
We identify things we should be
4
00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:16,720
thinking, things we should be
doing, ways we should be acting
5
00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:21,000
and responding to situations,
and create for ourselves a set
6
00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:25,120
of rules or guidelines that we
believe act as the markers of
7
00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:29,840
our success in the sadhna.
The problem with this approach
8
00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:32,240
is that it is entirely based in
the ego.
9
00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:35,840
It focuses on the wrong metric
of progress.
10
00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:40,320
No human being can expect to
overcome the deeply embedded
11
00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:44,800
habits and reactions of human
nature or the socialization he
12
00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,160
has undergone from time of birth
forward.
13
00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:52,240
It is therefore obvious that any
standard that sets perfection as
14
00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:57,920
the marker from the outset is
doomed to either fail or wind up
15
00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:02,320
with self deception.
Some of the habits of human
16
00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:06,760
nature, having developed over
many millennia, are not so
17
00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,000
easily transformed in their
nature.
18
00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:13,920
Habits of mind, habits of
emotion, habits of vital
19
00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:18,440
reaction, habits of physical
response all need to be
20
00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:23,280
patiently viewed, understood and
systematically adjusted.
21
00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:27,960
This is not a work for days,
weeks or months.
22
00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:30,920
It is a work for a lifetime or
more.
23
00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:37,520
As long as the predilection
remains active in humanity, it
24
00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:41,400
is also possible for it to rise
again in the individual.
25
00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:45,800
Transformation of human nature
under the impulsion of the next
26
00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,920
phase of evolution of
consciousness is a more or less
27
00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:54,480
thankless job.
What is important is to be able
28
00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:58,960
to maintain the aspiration and
avoid discouragement as these
29
00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:02,240
things recur and try to reassert
themselves.
30
00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,600
Once the seeker relieves himself
of the burden of guilt and
31
00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:10,600
depression that arises based on
the false premises of the
32
00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:14,920
perfection standpoint, he will
find it much easier to go on
33
00:02:14,920 --> 00:02:20,320
with the work relentlessly,
patiently and with a strong will
34
00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:24,880
and focused aspiration,
Sriorobindo writes.
35
00:02:24,920 --> 00:02:30,000
Quote Whether by tapasya or
surrender does not matter.
36
00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:34,600
The one thing is to be firm in
settings one's face to the goal.
37
00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:39,280
Once one has set one's feet on
the way, how can one draw back
38
00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:44,840
from it to something inferior?
IF1 keeps firm, falls do not
39
00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,720
matter.
One rises up again and goes
40
00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,160
forward.
If one is firm towards the goal,
41
00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:56,000
there can be on the way to the
divine no eventual failure.
42
00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:00,880
And if there is something within
you that drives as surely there
43
00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:03,920
is.
Falterings or falls or failure
44
00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:06,920
of faith make no eventual
difference.
45
00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:11,200
One has to go on till the
struggle is over and there is
46
00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,680
the straight and open and
thornless way before us.
47
00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:21,760
End Quote reference Srioro
Bindo, Faces of Yoga Chapter 2
48
00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:26,320
Faith, Aspiration, Surrender
page 31.
