Difficulties in Sadhana

“Difficulties” and “Sadhana” are seemingly opposing virtues. While the Sadhak is doing his or her work, difficulties are inevitable. When one progresses into Sadhana it gives rise to myriads of experiences. The initial experiences are fast and often direct. These are motivating for the Sadhak pushing one to do more intense Sadhana in quest of more spiritual experiences. But then comes a phase when one enters a plateau. This long phase often deters the Sadhak and mediates boredom. Boredom triggers depression and depression attracts a cascade of difficulties and negativity hindering our progress.

As the Gita says, one has to stay away from difficulties and depression. Sri Aurobindo has stated that during moments of despair, one needs to focus more on the psychic rather than the physical and the mental. The psychic is closer to the Divine and somewhat resistant to difficulties.

Difficulties and depression shrink our consciousness. Rather than living in fear and anticipation, one should face these difficulties and go beyond them. We should analyse the difficulties and try to decode the underlying message from the Divine. These are nothing but the Divine’s way to test our grit and patience. Notably, Divine does not punish us as we often perceive. We are only tested by the Divine based so that we can derive the cheat code from the Divine and ascend to higher planes of consciousness.

Failure or difficulties are inevitable. You will often notice, when any famous personality is going through the best of times in his or her career, the personal life is going through a turmoil (personal, financial, marital, health, etc.). In short, our present is never one hundred percent perfect. It is our dharma to embrace this mixed pattern of the cosmos and rise up merging with the Divine. We should not be vexed by these dangers. This is the core of all forms of Yoga. 

The true remedy to conquer all forms of difficulties lies within ourselves. We need to cultivate the “I can do it” attitude and get rid of the “I am unable to do it” mode. Also, we have to remember that while we are progressing amongst the difficulties, the unhindered Mother’s Force is constantly acting upon us and everything will be resolved in due course. Certainly, we will appreciate this pattern if we look into our own lives going back by ten or twenty years. Our past problems don’t bother us anymore.

Difficulties in the path of Sadhana are unavoidable. They are presented to us in varieties of magnitude. It is our duty to continue the “Sadhana” and only then we will be able to walk on the sunlit path.

Om Namo Adyaye.

Victory to our Sweet Mother.

- Abhishek Ghosh (India)