Part I

Transformation¹

What is transformation? From the spiritual point of view, transformation means the fire-pure change in our consciousness. This consciousness of ours which is impure has to be purified totally. If there is no purification, there can be no transformation. Again, when we see impurity or obscurity around us and within us, we must not be scared, because our nature’s transformation is what God wants. And God can never remain a failure.

For transformation, what we need is patience and perseverance. Here I wish to give you an example. Today we have inaugurated our Chinmoy Publishing Company. Two weeks ago, this building was imperfection itself: ugly, dirty in every way. But now these rooms are practically transformed into perfection. How? Through human patience, perseverance, zeal and dedicated service. Quite a few individuals were the instruments who transformed the Chinmoy Publishing Company with their inner, sincere effort. Fifteen days ago if you had seen it, and if you did not have the vision of the future, immediately you would have been surprised at how this could have been achieved today.

Always you have to have the inner vision. If you feel that you don’t have the inner vision and that somebody else will give it to you, then you are making a serious mistake. A few months ago, the youngest son of one of the disciples was talking with me and I asked him if he knew how to spell his name. He said yes, but he was making mistakes. He was so surprised when he saw that I knew how to spell his name, for all the time he thought it was a top secret. It was so difficult for him, but I spelled it with such ease! Here is a child who does not see the future with his inner light; he sees only the present and in the present he is caught. He does not know how to form the word. In the case of spiritual people, it is not like that. A sincere seeker always feels that there is an inner light inside. Either he has to enter into this inner light or the inner light has to come to the fore. So when these human instruments, these sincere seekers, looked at these rooms, they had inner vision. They saw the future with their own inner capacity and today they have proved the reality of their vision.

Transformation is something which has to come from within and from above. But for that, along with our aspiration what we need is patience. If we think we can realise God overnight, then we are fooling ourselves. God-realisation takes time. Those who tell you that they will be able to give you realisation in four hours or six hours, if you give them a large fee, are badly deceiving you. Money cannot give you realisation and you cannot get realisation in a few hours’ time. Realisation is a life-long process; it takes a good many incarnations. If one has a spiritual Master of the highest calibre, a Master who is in constant touch with the Supreme, then he can change the fate of the individual. He can transform night into day. He can do anything, because his will and God’s Will are absolutely one.

Please enter into the spiritual life with hope, and feel that this hope is not an idle hope but something solid. Enter into the spiritual life with aspiration and try to feel that this aspiration is coming from within, from the highest. Only you have to be aware of it. Self-dedication is also of paramount importance. Everyone without exception will realise God, but what you need is patience. Since you are spiritual seekers you have aspiration, but most of you do not have the necessary patience. But if you have patience, then your aspiration and patience will bring you to your destined Goal. If you have aspiration and patience, you don’t have to run towards your Goal; your Goal will come to you.

Those who consciously feel that they have imperfections must not feel that they are doomed. There are quite a few of you who do feel that way. Although you feel that spirituality is the answer, you feel that it is not for you because you are all imperfection. But I always say, only pay attention to the thing that you need. What you need is perfection. If you are angry and feel you are a victim to anger, then try to feel that the other side of anger you also have. If you have fear, please feel that you also have courage within you. If you have doubt, then feel that you also have faith in yourself. What you call ignorance is only for today. Today’s ignorance and imperfection you can easily transform into knowledge and perfection. Everything that you don’t want, you can throw aside; and everything that you want, you can claim as your very own.