Robert Frost⁶

```

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

```

I would like to say a few words on these immortal lines by Robert Frost. These soulful lines come directly from the inmost recesses of the poet. The woods, from the spiritual point of view, in the inner life, signify aspiration. The spiritual significance of a lovely, dark wood is intense aspiration. What is aspiration? Aspiration is the mounting flame deep within us that leads us to the Highest Absolute. And when we say intense aspiration, we have to feel that the intensity of aspiration is something that will lead us faster to our destined Goal and at the same time, it will bring our destination closer. When intensity looms large in our aspiration, realisation can no longer remain a far cry. Nay, realisation will soon be within our easy reach.

The poet further says, "And miles to go before I sleep." Here aspiration is the journey's dawn, and realisation is the journey's close. When we launch into the inner path, we come to realise that the destined Goal is far, very far. The poet unmistakably and soulfully tells us that the Goal of the Beyond is extremely far. And once he reaches the Goal, he will be able to sleep.

Now, from the ordinary human point of view, this statement is absolutely correct. We enjoy the fruit of our realisation only when we reach our destination. But from the strict spiritual point of view, we notice something else. Here realisation is something that constantly transcends itself. Today's aspiration transforms itself into tomorrow's realisation. Again, tomorrow's realisation is the pathfinder of a higher and deeper Goal. There is no end to our realisation. God is eternal. Our journey is eternal, and the road that we are marching on is also eternal. We are eternal, divine soldiers marching towards the Beyond that is constantly transcending its own boundary.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Philosopher-thinkers: The power-towers of the mind and Poet-seers: the fragrance-hours of the heart in the West, Agni Press, 1998
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/ptp