Never give up, and why is it important.
We often tend to blame and reproach ourselves when we fail to do something. It is determined by our culture and upbringing. But on the spiritual path another approach is required: choose the ideal and move towards it. If you stumble – stand up, look at your ideal, and keep on going towards it.
Our current condition makes us unable to practice some of the elements of the teaching. We need to go some distance and to come to the point, where we are able to genuinely accept and love a particular practice, not just intellectually, but wholeheartedly; and get established in it.
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I can tell about myself. Maybe somebody thinks, "Dada Sadananda is really great.Нe must perfectly perform all the practices." Nothing of the kind. I do what I can. But I try to do my best. And I have sincerity, faith and understanding thatI have to make effort despite everything. I have consciously ignored some elements of the practice for 20 years, then I tried to accept them, and I failed again. I tried to justify myself, and I kept on attempting. And the moment came when something changed within me and I accepted and loved them.
For example, the person is giving up smoking. But he is not ready yet. He is just trying - gave up and failed, held for a week and again started smoking. He feels ashamed of his smoking, he realizes that it is bad and wrong, but he can do nothing about it. He quitted once again, held for three days and started again. He is trying again and again, again and again.
At some point he gets mature, something switches within him. He says, "I do not need it anymore".
At some point he gets mature, something switches within him. He says, "I do not need it anymore".
A newly born baby needs time to grow up to certain actions. No matter how strong your desire is, no matter how much milk the baby eats and how accurately it is swaddled, the baby is not going to start walking before it grows up. Thus all happens in due time.
The same happens when a child learns to walk. He takes a few steps and falls.The parent at this moment is not blaming the child, but is looking and smiling. He does not say: “Oh, you are so-and-so, why are you falling? You must go! Come on, go! You are a soldier, march forward!" No, the parent understands that weak, unstable legs still fail the child, he stumbles, falls down, then gets up. And after a while he will definitely go.
The same thing is with us. Our spiritual willpower muscle is very poorly developed when we set out on our path. We try doing something, and then give it up. We try again and roll back. We start to think that we are unable to stay on the path, we feel guilty. But you are to think: “This is not true! You can do it! You will succeed! It just takes time to grow up".
The same happens when a child learns to walk. He takes a few steps and falls.The parent at this moment is not blaming the child, but is looking and smiling. He does not say: “Oh, you are so-and-so, why are you falling? You must go! Come on, go! You are a soldier, march forward!" No, the parent understands that weak, unstable legs still fail the child, he stumbles, falls down, then gets up. And after a while he will definitely go.
The same thing is with us. Our spiritual willpower muscle is very poorly developed when we set out on our path. We try doing something, and then give it up. We try again and roll back. We start to think that we are unable to stay on the path, we feel guilty. But you are to think: “This is not true! You can do it! You will succeed! It just takes time to grow up".
We start to think that we are unable to stay on the path, we feel guilty. But you are to think: “This is not true! You can do it! You will succeed! It just takes time to grow up".
Spiritual teaching is our ideal, and you make an effort to establish yourself in this or that practice. If you failed once, you try again. And then again and again! Until you get completely established in the practice. And at some point you will become an ideal man. Therefore, our main weapon is never give up! To-and-fro, to-and-fro...
The same is true not only in relation to the spiritual practice.
The same is true not only in relation to the spiritual practice.
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At school, at the labor lessons, I learnt to cut the thread. You put a die on a metal rod and twist it to make thread. How should you twist? Make two forward turns and one backward. Two - forward, one - backward. This makes a nice thread. If you twist forward all the time, you will damage the thread with your own swarf.
On the spiritual path, it is important to feel the middle way: I am able to manage some things, but not yet strong enough to manage others. It is necessary to enter the "I am not able" area, and then return to the "I am able" area. Again and again. Then the spiritual muscle will be getting stronger, and “I am able” area will expand. Remember this.
Don't blame or judge yourself. It does not make any good for your spirituality. On the contrary, cheer yourself up, encourage yourself! Say, “Today I did not succeeded, but tomorrow I will do! If not tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow I will definitely be a success! "
Don't blame or judge yourself. It does not make any good for your spirituality. On the contrary, cheer yourself up, encourage yourself! Say, “Today I did not succeeded, but tomorrow I will do! If not tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow I will definitely be a success! "
Do not go to the other extreme – avoid overindulgence, do not give up, justifying your failure saying, “That’s okay. That’ll do this way.”
Everyone who follows the spiritual path has clear inner understanding: “I need to work”, “I need to climb the mountain”. At the same time, it is important not to lose inspiration. Otherwise, you might lose incentive and work yourself to the point where you would want to give up everything. Sometimes people are influenced by pride, which does not allow them to realize the fact that they are developing personalities and their spiritual muscle needs to be trained by long-term spiritual practices. The positive result will definitely come, but it takes time. That is it.
Everyone who follows the spiritual path has clear inner understanding: “I need to work”, “I need to climb the mountain”. At the same time, it is important not to lose inspiration. Otherwise, you might lose incentive and work yourself to the point where you would want to give up everything. Sometimes people are influenced by pride, which does not allow them to realize the fact that they are developing personalities and their spiritual muscle needs to be trained by long-term spiritual practices. The positive result will definitely come, but it takes time. That is it.
It is necessary to enter the "I am not able" area, and then return to the "I am able" area. Again and again. Then the spiritual muscle will be getting stronger, and “I am able” area will expand.
Read also:
- If you are staying together with a spiritually oriented person, you are in a Satsauṋga. " Satsauṋga " means a "good company". This is a very powerful practice, which gives a strong impulse to development at the beginning of the spiritual path.
- How to maintain vitality despite fatigue, stress and lack of sleep. What yoga suggests when a person feels exhausted.
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