Aspirants Guide

Author(s): Atmanandji Maharaj
Publisher: Shrimad Rajchandra Sadhna Kendra Koba

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ASPIRANT'S GUIDE
examples of conventional tolerance. Such activities inspired by personal motives are common.
Noble tolerance having higher human values dawns in life only when a person endures hardship for others, even at the cost of his own personal gains and works. During the practice of tolerance, one has to cultivate a spirit of equanimity and develop virtues like patience, calmness and forbear ance. Again, here it is a matter of voluntary endurance, because one engages oneself in it only for his own spiritual welfare.
When poor people or animals endure inconveniences such as hunger and thirst, cold and heat, insults and abuses, it is not out of volition but out of helplessness. The tolerance of this type of afflictions is merely through helplessness, dependence and compulsion. This is certainly not the real or noble tolerance.
External Forces Testing Tolerance
The spirit of tolerance of a Sadhaka is tested by a variety of distressing circumstances induced by worldly people, animal life, natural calamities and so on. Ordinary people are bereft of faith in super sensuous bliss and therefore, have no faith in the activities of doing good deeds to others.
In the elementary and intermediate stages, a Sadhaka may experience non-cooperation even from his relatives and it may sometimes amount to clear opposition. An advancing Sadhaka is ironically referred to as a "bookworm" and is even insulted and banished from society. Some cruel and heartless persons may deprive Sadhaka even of food and drink. Very often he finds that his path is obstructed by stones and thorns. He might even be physically mishandled by kicks, blows, sticks and other destructive attacks.
When Sadhana is practiced outside the house in lonely places such as a holy place, a forest or a garden; here also a Sadhak may have to endure harassment from ants, flies, mosquitoes and other small insects. Occasionally, rats, squirrels, or even big animals may torture him. Apart from causing physical suffering, they can also disrupt the meditation by producing harsh sounds or frightening movements. Natural forces can also act as sources of disturbance to a Sadhaka. These are excessive cold, unbearable heat, heavy rains and so on.
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SADHAK-SATHI