Keep Hold On Your Aspiration Through All Difficulties and Circumstances

The flame of aspiration is the force that keeps the sadhak moving forward in his spiritual practice, regardless of the forces that threaten or oppose that progress, whether from outside or which rise up internally. Everyone goes through changes of mood and energy as the three Gunas fluctuate. Even in the darkest of periods when Tamas takes hold of the being, there is that flame, hidden deep within the secret heart, that is oriented towards the Divine. If all else seems to fail, it is that flame which needs to be kept lit and be the anchor of the sadhak’s efforts.

The spiritual path is long and arduous. There will always be ups and downs along the way. Sometimes the seeker comes across a particularly difficult set of challenges, health challenges, vital desires rising up, ambitions, mental cloudiness, doubt, fear, hesitation and impatience. It may not be possible to avoid facing any or all of these issues. What is possible is that one keep the flame of aspiration at the core of the being and from there, develop the resolution to continue the journey, come what may. Starting from aspiration, one then adds patience and perserverance as the watchwords for eventual progress and success in the endeavour.

Sri Aurobindo writes: “Do not allow any discouragement to come upon you and have no distrust of the Divine Grace. Whatever difficulties are outside you, whatever weaknesses are inside you, if you keep firm hold on your faith and your aspiration, the secret Power will carry you through…. Even if you are oppressed with opposition and difficulties, even if you stumble, even if the way seems closed to you, keep hold on your aspiration… keep firm on the way — then in the end things open out of themselves and circumstances yield to the inner spirit.”

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 4, Ordeals and Difficulties, pg..94