Sri Karmayogi in an article says -when there is an idling or levelling off in an otherwise progressive life or even persistent problems is the reflection of persistent old consciousness rooted in us. He mentions this as characteristic suffering of Nala and Harichandra.

(Sri Karmayogi  defines progressive life as -we should keep on progressing, a month or two is allowed to remain in the same level as life may take time for consolidation of that level but more than that is to be introspected).

I could not understand exactly – how to relate this – in the periods where I seem to be levelling off or idling at same level for quite some time, in-spite of applying the tools of life response as far as I know. There is no other reference about this in any other article as far as I searched.

I started reading extensively the Nala -Damayanti story to find out how it fits. I assume that majority of readers know the story and so I am just adding my inference.

Nala got a very prospective and prosperous life, very intelligent wife, good advisors and admiring citizens. But he has not used any of those facility (faculties?) when his brother called for dice game which is not his forte. He pawned everything in the name of keeping his word, not able to say “no” to his brother in right time, ego of not withdrawing when advised by others etc., Similarly, he left his wife in forest in the name of good will that at least she gets rid of the suffering. Even in the forest he helps an ailing venomous snake in the name of humanitarian. Though at the outset all seems to be good – in actuality it is not for the level he is in. it is all ego consciousness of what he thought as good virtue or even we can say misconstrued virtues.

But this is actually not acceding to higher knowledge, ego consciousness of accepting unnecessary challenges and keeping the word for that is only cowardice, leaving wife is not taking the responsibility of changing the situation etc. He even pleads the snake (instrument of Kali / Sani which is waiting to implement his karma)) to tell the way for “vimosana”. The snake “Karkotaka” says, – “Don’t think. Just take all happenings for perfection, and when you attain a perfection, my poison and the clutch of karma will leave you.” He walks without any thinking or planning and enters the nearest Kingdom ‘Ritupura’ and joins as a worker in palace, shows perfection in horse keeping, stable organizing, chariot riding, gardening and in cooking. But he still a ‘dwarf bahuka’. Only when after some time the King of Ritupura teaches him the attitude and intricacies needed for gambling and when Nala perfects the art of dicing (which is the biggest mistake he made previously and 100% reversal of that), he gets the information that another ‘swayanvara’ is arranged that lead to “happily lived after” end.

So what I understood is unless we make a 100% reversal in the areas where we made mistakes in the name of good virtues – not of Spirits value -but of ego ‘s values – we

stay put after some time.

Till certain level, ego gives the energy and mind gives the direction of values. This is good as long as life and mind are in the same plane or in successive planes. When mind moves higher to higher consciousness, say Mother’s consciousness but life depends on the ego consciousness this levelling off or suffering comes. Now mind should give the energy and Spirit should give the direction of the values .

Higher Mind of the Muni, Illumined Mind of the Rishi, Intuitive Mind of the yogi, Overmind of the Gods, Supermind in Time, Supermind in timelessness are different levels which has different set of rules and values.

As we call Mother and practice consecration consciously or unconsciously – and when Mother is eager to respond at that level, our lower consciousness at that level prevents Her from entering that point and so – life takes the charge from that level to make us part of our swabahava and karma and its related life responses – which we call as problems.

We need to attain consciousness in proportion to the elevated level – evolution in consciousness – to make Life- Divine.