The Spiritual Aspirant Marches to the Beat of a Different Drummer Than Those Who Focus on the External Life

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The spiritual aspirant
necessarily has to change the

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way things have been
historically and habitually done

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in the world if he is to make
progress and move beyond the

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limitations imposed by the body,
life, mind, complex and all the

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traditions, rituals, habits,
fixed ideas and vital emotional

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responses that make up the
current state of human life and

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society.
While much of what he

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experiences, thinks and
expresses may not seem

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threatening to others, there is
no doubt that at some point the

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world will respond, and to the
extent humanity tries to

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maintain the status quo, it will
pass negative judgement on him.

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Thus we see the long history of
visionary leaders around the

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world subjected to torture,
death, crucifixion,

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excommunication, and ostracism.
Rare are those individuals or

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those societies that embrace the
vision and support the changes

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that are required.
Many such visionaries are

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appreciated and honored only
after they are long gone and the

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changes for which they were
advocates have begun to seep

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into the wider mind and heart of
humanity.

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On a more personal level, the
spiritual aspirant frequently

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finds that his friends, family,
peers simply do not understand

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the experience that is moving
him in a direction other than

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their expected and anticipated.
1 He may shun the normal career

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paths, the normal relationship
paths, as he follows the deeper

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aspiration that has awakened in
him.

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They may treat him as
psychologically unhinged and

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suggest he get counselling from
a psychiatrist.

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They may try to exert peer
pressure and let him know with

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all their tried and true
arguments and emotional bonds

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that he is making a mistake,
throwing away his life, wasting

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his time.
It is said that day for those

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living the ordinary life is
night for the Yogi and vice

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versa.
Thus, those who are not actively

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pursuing spiritual practice do
not have either the knowledge or

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the experience to judge or
comment on the experience of the

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yogic aspirant.
Uninformed opinion is generally

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not a reliable basis upon which
to make decisions.

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It must also be noted that the
goals and objectives of the

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ordinary external life are
necessarily focused on short

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term results, success, fame,
wealth, pleasure and enjoyment,

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while the goals and objectives
of the spiritual secret

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transcend these short term aims.
And thus the opinions of those

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who live for near term results
are not likely to have much, if

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any relevance for the spiritual
aspirant.

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The spiritual aspirant can see
and understand, if he even

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chooses to attend to them, the
ways of the world.

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He recognizes that these ways
are based in a very limited

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understanding of the deeper
significance of existence and

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are mainly developed through the
habitual, vital and mental

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habits, instincts and native
reactions that have created the

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current stage of development.
He need not be too concerned

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about any particular set of
circumstances or events as he

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sets his sights on the spiritual
evolutionary movement that will

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inevitably carry himself and
humanity beyond the limitations

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of the present mode of
existence.

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The Mother notes Quote For one
who aspires to the divine life,

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what can the actions of a blind
and ignorant humanity matter to

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him?
End Quote Reference Sri Orobindo

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and the Mother Looking from
Within, Chapter 4, Ordeals and

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Difficulties, page 76.