Conversation — part III

Sri Chinmoy: Muhammad has taught us two courses, the lower course and the higher course. The lower course says that the sword is the answer to the world’s problem-question. Conquest is the answer to the world’s difference-opinion. No compromise, no compromise! Declare war and conquer once and for all. And if you really want to keep the world-citizens at your feet, under your feet, and grant them your own illumination in your own way, then fight, fight. Victory’s dawn, satisfaction-sun, are for the brave. This message is for people who are on the lower course.

But the higher course tells us to conquer the pleasure-life in ourselves, conquer the sense-world in ourselves, and replace them with purity’s beauty. There is one God and He is great. Worship the one true God — nothing more, nothing less. He is everything in everything, and everything of everything.

Herbert Muhammad: That’s right, that’s right.

Sri Chinmoy: I am so grateful to you, Mr. Herbert Muhammad. In Ali’s book I have read about you, how many times you advised Ali, encouraged him and inspired him to pray with you before the fight.

Muhammad Ali: You’ve read the book?

Sri Chinmoy: I have read the book. I have read it from cover to cover.

Muhammad Ali: Some of those things were made up. The religious matter, spiritual matter, that happened, you understand. But all of those other things didn’t happen. The writer took liberties and made some things happen just to make it more interesting.

Herbert Muhammad: They wanted to make a movie out of it. They wanted to make an exciting movie, but some of this didn’t happen. They did it without his knowledge.

Sri Chinmoy: They make it exciting.

Muhammad Ali: Hazrat Inayat Khan — I have read his lectures, poems. A man like this, who has this much wisdom, was he a man inspired by God also?

Sri Chinmoy: Yes, certainly.

Herbert Muhammad: No doubt about it.

Muhammad Ali: Did he have a big following, a man like that?

Herbert Muhammad: It doesn’t make any difference, you know, how many people follow you. If you really understand the world, you’ll see there are more people being led the wrong way than people being led the right way. But that doesn’t show that God-Power is weak; it shows that God-Power is independent. There is a time for a person to sleep. And when it’s time to wake up, you wake up. And it’s not meant for everybody to wake up, so a lot of people enjoy sleep. So let them sleep. Don’t worry them; don’t try.

Sri Chinmoy: You are telling my exact philosophy. These are my own exact words. That time is called God’s Hour. At God’s choice Hour for you, you are awakened. At God’s choice Hour for him, he is awakened. If somebody is fast asleep, he will definitely sleep until God’s Hour has dawned. I always say, “Sleep, baby, sleep. The hour has not yet struck for you.”

Herbert Muhammad: That’s right, that’s right.

Sri Chinmoy: His hour is not yet struck, so why should the poor fellow be bothered right now?

Herbert Muhammad: It is a hard thing sometimes when they do. But I don’t try to teach anybody but him, because I know he is awake. I don’t try to force a man not to sleep. If he enjoys sleep, then let him sleep. He is enjoying it; let him sleep. Don’t try to wake him up against his will, or he will fall right back to sleep just as quickly.

Sri Chinmoy: And you will become his enemy unnecessarily. You think you are doing him a big favour, but he won’t take it as a favour. He will be annoyed.

Herbert Muhammad: That’s why a man must seek. You know, you shouldn’t seek to give it; people should seek you to get it. Just like if you have money, you don’t go out and look for people to give it to. That’s not your job. They have to seek you out, and in the end they do.