Question: How can we get rid of our undivine qualities?

Sri Chinmoy: If you can feel that you are not thirty or forty or fifty years old, but only seven years old, you will be able to discard so many of your bad qualities in the twinkling of an eye. Depression, frustration, doubt, idleness, lethargy and, especially, disobedience, you will be able to cast aside like old, torn clothes.

Disobedience is the worst of the disciples’ undivine qualities. For a little girl or a little boy of seven to love the father and obey the father is not an impossible task. Up to the age of fourteen or fifteen, obedience is natural and spontaneous. Disobedience usually starts at the age of seventeen or eighteen. Once people reach the age of twenty, forget about obedience! Then, when they reach forty or fifty, they lead their own life! Only some very lucky disciples have maintained their obedience after they have reached the age of twenty. I am lucky and they are lucky.

Of all the divine qualities, obedience is supremely important. If you have real inner and outer obedience to your soul, to your highest part, then you will love God, you will devote yourself to God and you will surrender unconditionally to God. All the disciples’ good qualities come from one source and that is obedience. Obedience is like the root of the tree; from the root there comes a tender plant, and eventually a most beautiful tree with countless flowers and fruits. But if there is no root, nothing will grow.

I have observed that old age has entered into the minds of many of my disciples. They are constantly thinking in an old way. You have to challenge your old ideas, old thoughts and old habits. Discard your old way of life! If you can feel sincerely that you are a seven-year-old girl or boy, so much poison that is inside your mind will disappear and easily you will be able to escape from your mind-jungle. Such enthusiasm and joy will enter into your life, and such love you will have for God and for your spiritual Master! Every day you will see your life in a new way and your sweet, sweeter, sweetest qualities you will be able to bring forward once again. At that time, you will blossom like a flower, petal by petal. But if you continue to think that you are thirty or forty or fifty or sixty or seventy, you will see that all the flowers in your heart-garden are withered; you will be nothing but a completely dead flower. For a seven-year-old child there is no doubt, no depression, no frustration, no negativity. The child is just jumping with joy and playing and playing in his heart-garden.