Question: How can we live in reality all the time?

Sri Chinmoy: If we feel that we are living in reality, then our problem is how we can continue to live in reality. We have to feel that reality is constantly living in us. Unfortunately, either we are not conscious of reality or we are not allowing it to come to the fore. And what is reality? Reality is the feeling of oneness, inseparable oneness. If we have the feeling of inseparable oneness with our brother and sister disciples and with all of humanity, then we have to know that reality has come to the fore in us. We have become part and parcel of reality.

We do not have this feeling of inseparable oneness with others because very often we do not have a feeling of oneness in our own being. The mind wants to think of something in its own peculiar way; the vital does not agree with it. The body keeps its doors shut. The heart and soul want to realise the truth in still other ways. Our own body, vital, mind, heart and soul don’t go together. We do not have a feeling of oneness even in our own existence, so how are we going to have a feeling of oneness with others? It seems almost impossible.

What shall we do? First we have to know who really has a feeling of oneness. What part of our being has the most capacity? The immediate answer is the soul! The soul always lives in reality and, at the same time, the soul wants the other members of its family to live in reality.

The heart wants to live in reality, but at times it still feels that reality is too vast. The heart will live in the soul only through our self-effacement. Since the heart is not totally and supremely illumined, the heart is fearful, even scared to death.

The mind at first will try in a clever way to discourage reality. And if it finds it difficult to discourage reality, then the mind will try to break reality into tiny pieces and then hold on to them.

The vital does not want to have reality. It is simply stupid. In one stroke it breaks the world of reality. It feels that there is an obstruction between reality and its own existence. It tries to break asunder the house of reality because it feels that only in this way can its supremacy be established. Unfortunately, it does not realise that this house of reality is protection itself.

The physical is so blind that it does not see reality at all. It can stand right in front of the house of reality and still not recognise it.

What we need is to remain as much as possible in the soul, because the soul lives in reality and also wants the other members of the family to remain in reality. When we soulfully work for the divine manifestation, we should feel that it is the greatest opportunity we have to live in reality. When someone has done something for the Supreme, my inner Being immediately offers him my deepest Gratitude. Our part is simply to play our role through self-effacement by becoming a perfect instrument of God. In this way, we achieve a feeling of oneness and true satisfaction. When one works selflessly for the divine manifestation, my heart and vital will commend him; but my soul merely says that he has established the feeling of oneness. We have recognised God’s work as our own work; His Mission is our mission.

Each time we do something, if we have the feeling of our total oneness with our Master and with the Mission of the Supreme, then we are living in reality. We are constantly going into high, higher, highest Reality. What some would call sacrifice is only the real recognition of our inseparable oneness with the Highest inside us, inside everyone. Let us try to feel that reality is already inside our breath. Each time we breathe in, we should feel that reality is inside us. To live in reality is to extend one’s outer consciousness and allow the inner light of oneness to reign supreme. In oneness is reality, and this oneness comes only when we consciously spread our wings. There is one Reality and that is our conscious cry for inner realisation and God-manifestation. If we work for the manifestation of God, then we are bound to live in Reality; and at the same time, Reality is bound to live in us.