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Notebooks of Paul Brunton> Category 2: Overview of Practicies Involved> Chapter : !ncertainties of Progress

!ncertainties of Progress

Understanding the pace of development

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If the purpose of life on earth be a wide and deep spiritual growth# and if one attends

above all else to that purpose# then whatever the future $ay bring it could only bring

fresh $aterial for such growth% Its own uncertainty cannot dissipate this certainty% One&s

growth is guaranteed# whether the future be pleasant or unpleasant# so long as one lives

in the present strictly according to his dedicated ideal%

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'ife is a struggle and $an is frail% (indrances are around hi$ on every side and

li$itations are within hi$ on every occasion% )herefore# what is essential is that right

direction should always be present# and what is i$portant is that the idealof the *uestshould never be abandoned%

)he direction in which we are to $ove and the purpose which is to engage our striving

are $ore valuable# $ore i$portant# than progra$ and plan% )hey are $ore fle+ible#

leave one freer%

,

-uch ai$s are not going to be achieved in a single day% )hey will take years# nay an

entire lifeti$e# even to approach% )he defects inside hi$self and the hindrances outside

hi$self $ay in the end prove too $uch for a $an% .hat then is he to do/ -hall he showhis hu$ility and realis$ by renouncing these lofty aspirations altogether and give up

trying to i$prove hi$self/ Or shall he carry on with a hopeless fight# one foredoo$ed

to unbroken defeat/ (e should do neither% (e should inwardly hold to his aspirations as

fir$ly as ever but he should outwardly defer his atte$pts to pro$ote the$ until the ne+t

birth% (e $ust fi+ the$ before his eyes as so$ething to work for one day or he will not

get nearer the$ at all% 0 sound ai$# a right intention# is of the first i$portance% 'et

personal li$itations and e+ternal circu$stances create what delays they will# he will

know at least that his feet are planted on the right path# his $ove$ent headed in the

right direction%

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In $ost cases this *uest re*uires a change in the way of life# both $ental and physical%

But the aspirant $ay set his own pace if he is unwilling or unable to $ake the change

$ore drastically or $ore rapidly% )he essential point is that he knows and accepts the

direction and the idealboth%

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)he aspirant who gets discouraged because no light falls upon his path# no 4li$pse

flashes into his $ind# no $ystical e+perience co$es to delight his heart# no revelation

opens secret doors# $ay $ake a last atte$pt to secure one by threatening to leave the

*uest altogether unless it is received *uickly5 0 neophyte I knew practised a certain

e+ercise for about a year# then gave it up# folded his tent# and left6 another delivered a

challenge to the higher power# giving It two $onths in which to appear% Otherwise he#

too# would abandon the *uest# which he did when the ti$e passed% .hat was this second

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$an doing but dictating to the Overself and de$anding that It confor$ to his little ego&s

re*uire$ents/ )he correct attitude would have been to declare that even if he died

before any encouraging e+perience occurred# he would still be faithful to the *uest% It is

still worthwhile for its own sake# *uite apart fro$ its rewards% If these i$patient

aspirants really understood its preciousness# they would then understand that it is not the

distance travelled but the direction taken which really $atters5

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(e $ay believe that# with the $aterial he is born with# his *uest is unlikely to co$e

anywhere near success% But that is not the point% )hat is where grace enters the picture%

.hat he is concerned with is the atte$pt itself%

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.hy beco$e $iserable because you have not reali9ed any or all of the hopes for your

inner life# or e+perienced the oys of its successful fruition/ Is it nothing that you have

learnt the truths# found the direction# and taken the first steps on the road to such

reali9ation/

;

)he intuition cannot be co$pletely cultivated in a few weeks# the passions cannot be

overco$e successfully in a few $onths# the thoughts cannot be brought to a standstill

finally in a few years# the ego&s deeply rooted point of view cannot be changed

per$anently in $any years% )he disciple&s growth needs ti$e and therefore needs

patience% If he cannot shake the old 0da$ forever out of his $ind and heart as *uickly

as he would like to# there will be other births in which he can take up the work again

and continue it%

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