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Namah Vol. 29, Issue 1, 24th April 2021

lack of receptivity, and it can come from see that within them is a divine soul that is
mental, vital or physical sources. developing its ability to express itself through
the experiences of their outer personality?
Therefore, we should be clear in our mind that Every day we should strive to become more
the Divine Force is there waiting to support conscious of our motives in our interactions
our efforts or carry them out for us, and then with others, and to become more conscious
we should practise aspiring, calling, praying of their motives with us.
to the Divine for whatever object may be
needed in our spiritual growth, such as in Another thing to become conscious of when
this case the overcoming of desire. The more trying to overcome desire is to be aware
often we do this, the more intensely we do of our own self-deception. Desire is very
this, the more we will see the effects of the tricky and can take deceptive forms. But it
working of the Divine Force in us. Even a also clouds our mind so that it is not seen
weak aspiration or prayer will have its effect, and can continue. In our relationships with
but if we can make it strong and steady it others, if we look carefully, we are likely to
will have tremendous effects. It is a simple find that we continuously justify our wrong
technique but very effective. This method movements, such as using others to satisfy
can also be combined with the previous one our desires as well as wrong reactions to their
of standing back in the Witness Purussa, such behaviour, such as anger, jealousy, hurt pride,
that from that silent inner poise we call on disappointment, sadness, and the like. We
the Divine to quieten and then silence the say to ourselves, they did this to me so I am
outer turmoil of desire, or whatever else we entitled to feel this way. But we must take
might aspire for. ownership of our feelings and actions. It is
not inevitable that we respond to slights or
A third method is to become more and more insults with outrage. It is also possible to be
conscious, aware, watchful, sensitive in our unaffected if we are not dependent on others
interactions with others. We must learn to for our self-worth, or if we are poised in our
detect when and where desire is entering, inner being. An attitude of constant self-
and keep up a will that it should not be justification for wrong actions or thoughts or
allowed to enter and distort the interaction. feelings makes it very difficult to overcome
Am I trying to get something from the other them.
person? Am I trying to get the other person
to do something? Is the other person trying to And finally, we can use another method that
get something from me? Is the other person involves making a slight twist to a practical
trying to get me to do something? This kind advice that was given by Sri Aurobindo. He
of vital exchange goes on all the time. It leads said:
to a constant exchange of vital energies with
other people which may be harmless or may “Always behave as if the Mother were looking
be harmful. How is it affecting me personally? at you, because she is, indeed, always present
How is it affecting my spiritual growth? How (26).”
does it seem to be affecting the other person?
Do we accept the person as they are? Can we We can slightly change this advice to say,

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