A liberated man is he who has smashed the shackles of birth and death. Birth is a painful cry. Death is a fruitless sigh. A liberated man is he who does not suffer from self-created ignorance. Ignorance is the unreal in us. The unreal is the source of all our teeming maladies. But our own birthless and deathless aspiration-ascent is the panacea for all these maladies.
Aspiration is Heaven-power. Heaven-power continuously sings and dances with enlightenment. Desire is earth-strength. Earth-strength is afraid of enlightenment. Enlightenment is not a boon; it is not even a gift. Enlightenment is a supremely fulfilling unfoldment from deep within.
Illumination, liberation and realisation. These three are inseparable friends. These are the rungs in our aspiration-ladder, which reaches the highest Absolute. Illumination conquers darkness. Liberation conquers ignorance. Realisation transforms both darkness and ignorance so that we can become a perfect instrument which is used by the Absolute Supreme in His own way.
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SUNY at Oneonta, Oneonta, N.Y., 5 March 1978, 2:00 p.m.↩
From:Sri Chinmoy,AUM — Vol.II-5, No. 3, 27 March 1978, Vishma Press, 1978
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