of Sachchidananda, the elimination of suffering must first proceed by the substitution of titikṣā, the facing, enduring and conquest of all shocks of existence for jugupsā, the shrinking and contraction
How does one know which situations need to be endured, whom to endure and how much to endure? Because endurance is only a substitution to recoil in life, the final one is to taste the Delight in all phenomena of life, good or bad. I was wondering where lies the boundary of endurance.
Sri Aurobindo describes this in much greater detail in The Synthesis of Yoga. At physical level it implies endurance of physical pleasure and pain and the sense of discomfort that follows. Emotionally it implies enduring hurts and insults, losses and gains without giving the usual response of anger and hate, remorse and pride. Mentally it implies enduring the victory and defeat of different ideas and ideologies especially when things happen that are not according to our views and opinions and ideas and wishes.
There is no limit to this endurance. It does not of course mean becoming a martyr at the altar of other people’s ego nor remaining indifferent to things that, in one’s view, stand in the way of the Divine march. In fact endurance equips us much better to fight the great battle of life, to stand firm upon our choices, and to go forward regardless of defeats and failures.
This endurance should be supplemented with philosophical indifference, inner detachment and surrender to the Divine. Offering all to Her and receiving it all as Her Prasad is the simpler and happier way. What helps most is to remember the goal and know that this is a passage towards Her and not an end in itself.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
