Inner Attitudes Towards Life, Towards Oneself and Others, Towards Work and Towards Difficulties

We have previously explored the attitudes of the external, outer being in relation to these various issues. This is the opportunity to compare that view with the attitude of the inner being. At a certain point in an individual’s journey the development takes him beyond his initial fixation with the things that the external life can offer. Satisfaction of desires, family, fame, wealth, power, the sense of accomplishment all seem to be somewhat illusory and a point comes when these things simply do not satisfy any longer, do not provide a deeper meaning which the individual is seeking for why he is alive and what he is here to do.

In many cases, this turning away from the fulfillment of desires is accompanied with some kind of experience, either traumatic or revelatory or uplifting, that shows the individual that there is actually more to life, that there is actually a deeper meaning, that his life and life-experience has a purpose and that it fits into the wider purpose of the cosmic manifestation. This leads to the ‘reversal of consciousness’ that the Mother speaks about as being a primary characteristic of an individual shifting his standpoint inwards and taking up the spiritual quest. This reversal of consciousness leads to entirely new attitudes from those held when the individual was focused solely on the external world and his striving to succeed in that world.

Dr. Dalal notes: “Towards Life: Search for the purpose and meaning of life; pursuit of inner growth; life governed by what is felt to be the truth of one’s inner being.”

“Towards Oneself and Others: Looking upon oneself and others as more than a physical-vital-mental being — as a Person.”

“Towards Work: A means of inner growth, self-offering and self-consecration.”

“Towards Difficulties: Viewing difficulties with equanimity, as opportunities for inner growth.”

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Introduction by Dr. Dalal, pp. xi-xii