Faithfulness to the Divine Light and the Divine Call

Spiritual seekers face a long and difficult road trying to sort out what thoughts, emotions, feelings, movements, actions and responses are expressive of and related to their spiritual calling, and which ones are part of the old ways of the exte
al nature and the vital ego. They frequently experience doubt, and during periods of difficulty when the old ways seem to overwhelm them, they may experience depression, despair or intense internal suffering. The ‘dark night of the soul’ is something that spiritual aspirants everywhere can relate to at some point along the way.

The spiritual seeker must arm himself with extreme patience, intense faith and unflagging perseverance in order to face down all these difficulties. Sri Aurobindo outlines a number of affirmations that the seeker can utilize when such doubts or fears arise along the way.

Sri Aurobindo notes: “When i spoke of being faithful to the light of the soul and the divine Call, I was not referring to anything in the past or to any lapse on your part. I was simply affirming the great need in all crises and attacks, — to refuse to listen to any suggestions, impulses, lures and to oppose to them all the call of the Truth, the imperative beckoning of the Light. In all doubt and depression, to say, ‘I belong to the Divine, I cannot fail’; to all suggestions of ipurity and unfitness, to reply, ‘I am a child of Immortality chosen by the Divine; I have but to be true to myself and to Him — the victory is sure; even if I fell, I would rise again’; to all impulses to depart and serve some smaller ideal, to reply, ‘This is the greatest, this is the Truth that alone can satisfy the soul within me; I will endure through all tests and tribulations to the very end of the divine journey.’ This is what I mean by faithfulness to the Light and the Call.”

Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 3, In Difficulty, pp. 59-60