A Positive Focus Is More Productive Than a Negative Fixation for Spiritual Growth

We go wherever we focus our attention. If we focus our attention on difficulties, we wallow in those difficulties. If we focus our attention on growth and development, then we draw to ourselves those opportunities that support that growth. There are examples. Certain traditions make the rooting out of what they consider to be ‘sins of the flesh’ through extremes of discipline or even self-punishment through use of whips, hair shirts and the cilice. We can observe the results in history as some of these same groups turned their attention on others and undertook radical means of action to dominate and control others, including, as an example, things like the ‘Holy Inquisition” where anyone not adhering to the specific faith was hunted down, tortured and in many cases burned to death. Clearly the individuals carrying out these actions were so fixated on the negative side of finding and rooting out sin that they had little time or mind to try to make life better through positive growth and efforts. While this represents only a small fraction of the religious or spiritual tradition or practice, it highlights for us the difference between a fixation on the negative versus a focus on the positive. Blaming oneself, and by extension, others, does not move the evolutionary effort forward as much as simply turning the attention to the truth and result we aspire for.

There is, of course, a place for self-examination and an effort to remove weaknesses or focuses that hold one back from achieving the evolutionary step forward. This should not, however, become an obsession in lieu of the turning of attention upwards towards the light, harmony, truth and love that emanates from that higher consciousness. In many cases, as we see in a normal growth process of the exte
al being, the shift of focus automatically results in past habits or activities falling away naturally. When we grow out of childhood, we leave our childish pursuits behind for the most part..

A disciple asks: “Is blaming oneself a good method of progressing?”

The Mother replies: “…No, not necessarily. It may be useful, it is indeed useful from time to time in order to get out of the illusion of one’s own perfection. But one wastes much energy in self-criticism. It is much better to use this same energy in making progress, a concrete progress, something more useful. For example, if you have thoughts which are unpleasant, ugly, vulgar and disturbing, and you say, ‘Ah, ah, how intolerable I am, I still have such thoughts, what a nuisance it is!’, it would be much better to use this very energy simply to do this (gesture) and drive away the thoughts.”

“And this is only the first step. The second is to try to have other thoughts, to take interest in something else: either read or reflect, but in any case try to fill your mind with something more interesting, to use your energy in constructing rather than in destroying.”

“It is of course necessary from time to time to recognise one’s faults; it is altogether indispensable. But to dwell too much upon them is not necessary. What is necessary is to use all one’s energy in order to build up the qualities one wants to have and do what one wants to do. This is much more important.”

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 2, Looking at Oneself and Others, pp. 40-41