Editor's introduction to the first edition

As part of an unceasing search for new mediums to carry his spiritual wisdom and light into the hearts of aspiring humanity, the world-renowned spiritual Master Sri Chinmoy has now offered us this delightful collection of plays. This volume represents the first publication of the more than one hundred plays the Master has written, and as such is a highly significant milestone in the evolution of the world’s spiritual literature. Sri Chinmoy’s exalted and inspiring poetry, lectures and essays, and his instructive and amusing short stories are already familiar to seekers world-wide. Now, with the addition of the visual imagery and dramatic impact of these plays, the Master further manifests spiritual truths ranging from the simple to the subtle in a manner suitable for seekers of all paths and persuasions.

Primarily set in the India of the historical Upanishads and Mahabharata, each of these productions develops a particular spiritual concept which is as relevant in the Western world of today as it would have been in the India of the classics. The use of the dramatic media introduces a visual element which facilitates the perception and assimilation of each of these light-blossoms of wisdom for both the adept and the beginner on the spiritual path.

The concept, frequently encountered in classical Indian scriptures, of life as a lila, or a great cosmic drama performed for the audience of One, is of course echoed in Western thought by such familiar lines as Shakespeare’s “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”

Because this cosmic performance is actually visible to a God-realised Yogi of Sri Chinmoy’s height, he is able to isolate and reveal in each of these deceptively simple plays microcosms of what to us is an ineffable mystery. Thus, in reading these plays, the sincere seeker has an unparalleled opportunity to obtain insight into the truths that all mankind is consciously or unconsciously searching for. With the reading of this and subsequent volumes of the Master’s plays, we finally may comprehend the quintessence of an oft-quoted line from Hamlet, “The play’s the thing.”