Part II — Questions and answers

Question: I need aspiration. How can I get it?

Sri Chinmoy: Aspiration you have, but you need more. How can you have more aspiration? You can have more aspiration if you sincerely feel the need for it. When we lead an ordinary life, we want to increase our material possessions, our earthly possessions. Because we cry for earthly possessions in the outer life, eventually we do get them. Similarly, if we want to increase our aspiration, we have to cry inwardly. If we have the inner hunger, the inner cry, then it is bound to be fulfilled.

Look at a flower. When you look at a flower and appreciate the flower, what is it that you are appreciating? You are appreciating the beauty of the flower. The beauty of the flower is carrying God’s Aspiration, God’s Vision, God’s Compassion — many, many good qualities — and that is why you are soulfully appreciating it. But the same beauty that you are appreciating in the flower is also inside you. So when you start appreciating the beauty that you have within, when you start appreciating the aspiration that you have within, at that time your aspiration is bound to increase.

Another thing you can do is imagine that you have a small flame, a tiny flame, inside your heart. Just visualise it. What is this flame doing? It is trying to climb up. It is trying to illumine the unlit part of you. If you can appreciate that flame, then your aspiration will increase.

If you give me something, and immediately I appreciate it and appreciate you, then the capacity of your gift increases, and your own capacity to give also increases. The other day your daughter garlanded me, and I appreciated the garland. I thanked her and bowed to the Supreme in her. Each time we appreciate something, we expand it and increase its capacity. If you can imagine that inside you a flame is burning, and if you can appreciate it, then that flame will increase, and its capacity will also increase. Eventually it will become big enough to illumine your heart and finally your entire being. So, in order to increase your aspiration, please appreciate the burning flame inside you. While you are appreciating it, you will see that your inner cry is increasing.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Sound and silence, part 1, Agni Press, 1982
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