Question: You spoke of a Guru as someone to kind of make a shortcut in the search for realisation. I find it hard in myself to channel myself in the search. Could you recommend or direct me somehow in a channelling of my energies toward self-realisation, because I find it hard to direct myself in that way.

Sri Chinmoy: Have you studied spiritual books? No? Then to start with, I wish you to study some sacred spiritual books. Please do this and then ask Sarama and Aditya about the inner life. They will help you and guide you. Only one thing: right now, do not think of realisation, liberation and salvation and all that. Those who, at the very beginning of their journey, use the terms "self-realisation", "liberation", "transformation" all the time are just fooling themselves, to be very frank with you. Please do not think I am criticising you or blaming you, but I wish to say in front of you all that these are big words. Some spiritual masters say that one should not utter these words at all at the beginning, words like "realisation", "divinisation", etc. These are all big, big words. Only when one is on the threshold of true liberation, one can use them, or when one is far advanced in the spiritual life. Otherwise people just entering into the spiritual life, who have not learned the ABC of the spiritual life, say "I want God-Realisation", say "I want liberation." Very often I hear this from people and I feel so sorry. Before they have actually started climbing the tree, they want the fruit from the topmost branch. So please launch into the spiritual path, learn the ABC of the inner life. For that, discipline is required. Just as you take exercises every day or almost every day, to develop your muscles, you should likewise meditate regularly without fail, for five minutes, ten minutes, according to your capacity and according to the instructions given to you by some teacher. Then you have to know the necessity of feeding the child within you. When the child cries, immediately the mother runs to feed the child. Similarly we have, all of us, a child within us, a divine child, the soul. This soul has to be fed, developed, if we want spiritual fulfilment, if we want the manifestation of God here on earth. So if we feed our outer body thrice a day, it is only sensible that we feed the inner child within us at least once a day. If we do that, we shall eventually feel the Divine and realise God.

From:Sri Chinmoy,AUM — Vol. 4, No. 7, 27 Feb. 1969, AUM Centre Press, 1969
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