How To Deal With Hostile Forces

Forces at work in the world try to effectuate themselves and perpetuate their action. They seek for receptive vessels to manifest and carry out their line of action. As these waves of energy, these vibrations move out into the world, they naturally come across elements and beings that are not subject to vibration within that range, and thus, do not react. They also come across those that are able to vibrate to the force that is moving, and this sets up a ‘sympathetic’ vibratory pattern, or, if passed along, a ‘repeater’ or ‘signal booster’ that enhances the impact of that vibration as it contnues to move.

If we look within ourselves, we can see what occurs. Someone comes and starts shouting in anger about something we may (or may not) have done that they are upset about. Or someone has their feelings hurt and a conversation gets out of hand. Soon there is a shouting match, or even blows can be exchanged. We have responded to the vibration of anger with a ‘sympathetic’ vibration of anger! Similarly, most people have been in situations where fear is being systematically promulgated, perhaps through the news media reporting, or through armed confrontations. In the early 1970’s there were protests against the Vietnam War that took place in Washington D.C. The response of the government was to send highly armed and shielded police into the area to break up the crowds, arrest people and put an end to the peaceful protests. The same thing took place in the late 1960’s in other parts of the country. Many of the participants, who were peaceful, law abiding and concerned citizens trying to let their government know about their concerns about the war, experienced extreme instances of fear, as the intimidation factor raised up the fear vibration within them.

Various vital beings provoke responses in order to feed off the energy released. Pandemic diseases tend to send out a wave of fear across broad swaths of the population. Similarly, an accident in a venue such as a stadium or club tends to spark a panic rush for the exits and many people are injured in the ensuing crush.

It is a quite common experience that is illlustrated by these extreme examples, but which occurs daily in most lives. We can observe ourselves vibrating along with the energy that is coming at us, seen or unseen! We are however, not meant to be puppets, playthings or victims to every force that moves in the world. We have certain capacities we can cultivate to reduce or even eliminate the corresponding ‘sympathetic vibration’ within ourselves. This is the cultivation of equanimity which the Mother speaks about, the development of calm, peace and equality which Sri Aurobindo often references. As long as we are capable of receiving the vibration and allow ourselves to be captured by that vibration, we can recognise that we harbour that energy within ourselves. Otherwise, we would be unshakable and the vibration would simply pass us by. It is not by our human strength that we can overcome all these powerful forces. We need to be able to shift our focus and energy to a higher force that will vibrate within us at a level that neutralizes, rejects and, in some cases, even transforms the vibration as it reaches us.

A disciple asks: “How is one to meet adverse forces — forces that are invisible and yet quite living and tangible?”

The Mother writes: “A great deal depends on the stage of development of your consciousness. At the beginning, if you have no special occult knowledge and power, the best you can do is to keep as quiet and peaceful as possible. If the attack takes the form of adverse suggestions try quietly to push them away, as you would some material object. The quieter you are, the stronger you become. The firm basis of all spiritual power is equanimity. You must not allow anything to disturb your poise: you can then resist every kind of attack. If, besides, you possess sufficient discernment and can see and catch the evil suggestions as they come to you, it becomes all the more easy for you to push them away; but sometimes they come unnoticed, and then it is more difficult to fight them. When that happens, you must sit quiet and call down peace and a deep inner quietness. Hold yourself firm and call with confidence and faith: if you aspiration is pure and steady, you are sure to receive help.”

“Attacks from adverse forces are inevitable; you have to take them as tests on your way and go courageously through the ordeal. The struggle may be hard, but when you come out of it you have gained something, you have advanced a step. There is even a necessity for the existence of the hostile forces. They make your determination stronger, your aspiration clearer.”

“It is true, however, that they exist because you gave them reason to exist. So long as there is something in you which answers to them, their intervention is perfectly legitimate. If nothing in you responded, if they had no hold upon any part of your nature, they would retire and leave you. In any case, they need not stop or hamper your spiritual progress.”

“The only way to fail in your battle with the hostile forces is not to have a true confidence in the divine help. Sincerity in the aspiration always brings down the required succour. A quiet call, a conviction that in this ascensioin towards the realisation you are never walking all alone and a faith that whenever help is needed it is there, will lead you through easily and securely.”

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 4, Ordeals and Difficulties, pp.91-92