Page 262 - Complete Works of Dr. KCV Volume 1

Difficulties in Yoga
Though most writers on Yoga speak abut its efficacies, not enough has been written on the difficulties and tribulations met with by the sadhakas. There are undoubtedly some lucky souls who have been able to devote themselves to one kind of Yoga, and never had the misfortune of having to grapple with problems of belief. Nothing succeeds like success.
A large number of men in the modern world are not so lucky. All of us are born into traditions built up into a kind of system, steel-frame or otherwise equally strong, and find that Yoga itself is an attempt to get out of the social systems and frames, or to use the expressive language of the vedanta, sheaths - kosas, or wealths. All religions are such kosas, treasuries, and bind man to them firmly. In this world where freedom is the one thing that matters in social and political life, it becomes doubly necessary to enlarge the freedom eternal, and to enlarge the goal of all religions and spiritual endeavour. Therefore, in the disciplines of religions, social life seem to be perplexing and self-defeating. Paradoxically, though, everyone insists on conformity or obedience to the dictates of systems of 'freedom'.
Further, there are indeed quite a number of competitive systems, some of them promising the freedom which the traditional religion or cult seems to curtail, or does not deliver. Thus, in the context of converting religions, the conscience of man is no longer at peace with his religious heritage or tradition form. Either he is forced to question the foundations of his traditions, their whys and wherefores, and seek to verify in his own life and experience their validity or claims, or he is made to consider and discuss or have a dialogue with the other claimants to his heart and mind. Therefore with a world that has begun shrinking in size and limits, the challenges are much more than the mere exchange of information, or comparison of coherencies, or degrees of acceptabilities. A scientific decision demands the attainment of goals which man has been fixing as ultimate and necessary to his own perfection and realisation or fulfilment.
However much, then, we are free in our educational life in respect of accessibility of contemporary and ancient material from all over the world,