287. Question: How can one have a disciplined life?

Sri Chinmoy: A disciplined life can come from only one thing, and that is aspiration, inner cry. When we cry for outer things, sometimes we get them, sometimes we don’t. But if our inner cry is sincere, we see that fulfilment always dawns. A child cries for milk. He is crying in his cradle in the living room. The mother may be in the kitchen, but wherever she is, the mother comes running to feed the child with milk. Now why? The mother feels the cry of the child is genuine and sincere. Similarly, in the spiritual life we have an inner cry. If we have that inner cry, then it does not matter when we cry. It may be at noon, in the morning, or in the evening. At any hour, that inner cry reaches God and God is bound to fulfil that inner cry. If one wants to discipline oneself, if one is dissatisfied with his loose life and if one feels that from a disciplined life he can have real fulfilment, perfection and satisfaction, then God is bound to help that particular sincere seeker. If there is an inner cry, then nothing on earth can be denied. No fruit can be denied an individual who has an inner cry.

We cry as human beings for name and fame, for many things. But we do not cry for one thing which is of paramount importance, and that is God’s inner Wealth. What is His inner Wealth? His inner Wealth is divine fulfilment, divine perfection. No human being is perfect. But our aim is to be perfectly perfect. This perfect Perfection can only come from self-discipline. Self-discipline is the precursor of self-discovery. Self-discovery is the harbinger of God-manifestation.

God is all ready. He is more than eager to offer His perfect Perfection. But for that perfect Perfection we have to grow into a mounting cry which we call aspiration, constant aspiration. When this flame of aspiration rises towards the Highest, it illumines everything around it which is dark. The higher it goes, the greater and more fulfilling is our manifestation.