Question: When you scold us, how can we accept it cheerfully?
Sri Chinmoy: Recently I gave one prayer: “If You really love me, then prove it by scolding me.” Even if we are not doing anything wrong, this prayer can be applicable because God knows that the next moment we may do something wrong. We may not have the vision to see it, but God does. Therefore, we can pray to God, “Please scold me. In the next moment I may do something wrong. So the best thing is if You scold me now so that I do not make that mistake.”When I scold you, seventy per cent of the disciples, if not more, do not take it properly. Outwardly they may say, “Oh, I am so grateful to you.” Then they go home and say, “I have done so many good things in my life! Only one thing I have done wrong, and he is scolding me so mercilessly!” The other thirty per cent will be sincerely grateful to me because I pointed out their weakness or their shortcoming.
Recently I was scolding one of my main guards. You know how much I love him. On that day I barked at him like anything. Finally he said, “Guru, this time I am not the culprit, but I am sure I have done many, many other things wrong. Therefore I deserve your scolding.” This was his divine attitude. Then, just a few days ago, another disciple did something wrong and he was challenging me. He was arguing with me face to face. There was no end to it. I was scolding him, and he was justifying his actions. But did he do the right thing? Look at the first one’s divine attitude. He did not do it. Somebody else gave me the wrong information. Then he said, “I am not the culprit, but I am sure I have done many other wrong things or I am going to do something wrong.” This was his divinity speaking. The other one got so angry! It is our divine attitude that will save us.
When a disciple becomes angry with me, it is the outer expression of inner arrogance. This arrogance comes when you lead an undivine, vital life. First it starts with disobedience. Then it becomes defiance. After defiance comes arrogance, insolence and betrayal. Disobedience ends only with betrayal. The whole thing starts with disobedience. Disciples who are unspiritual will argue with the Master. They will find fault with the Master. Everything that the Master is saying is not correct according to them. Those who are spiritual will not see anything wrong in the Master’s advice, even when it applies to something in the outer life which they know far better than he does. They see that there is something very high, very deep that he is expressing in this way to test their faith in him. In hundreds of ways the Master tests the oneness of the disciples.
You all know the famous story of Lord Krishna and Arjuna. Lord Krishna said, “This fruit is not black; it is white.” Then, the next moment, he changed the colour. Each time Lord Krishna said that the fruit was another colour, Arjuna agreed with him. Others were saying that Arjuna was either an idiot, a rogue or a flatterer number one. Yudhishthira and others, once they said the colour of the fruit, were not going to change their opinion. But each time Krishna changed, Arjuna changed. That is why others were saying that Arjuna was a flatterer of the first water or a rogue. But Arjuna was right. He said, “If I see the reality, whatever it is, in my Lord Krishna’s own way, through his heart, through his eyes, then only will I realise God. For me, morality or reality is on this level. Who cares whether it is black or white or green or any other colour? If he wants me to see it as red, I will see it as red. Then only will I become inseparably one with him. Otherwise, what kind of inseparable existence do I have with my Master?” That is why Arjuna became the dearest disciple of Sri Krishna — because of his inseparable oneness.
If the Master says, “This is cold water,” even if it is hot water, if you are wise, you will say, “Who cares if it is hot or cold? I want to be one with him inseparably. I will take it as cold water.” Ordinary people will laugh at this approach. They will say that you are either a flatterer or a rogue. Those who say that it is impossible are in the mind. But our philosophy is to go beyond the mind. If you go beyond the mind, then you can establish your oneness with God’s Will. If you want to be one with God’s Will, then do not keep your own will. After all, what do you want — His Will or your own will? If you want your own will, then why did you accept the spiritual life? Who forced you? Who bound you? Who went to your house and dragged you? Who put chains around your legs and then brought you? You have your freedom. With your freedom you can say, “No, it is hot water.” Then see how far you can go.
If the Master says it is cold water, it may be to examine how much inseparable oneness you have with his will. You may tell the Master, “I love you only. I want to fulfil you only in your own way. Let my will be your will.” Then the Master may say, “My will says it is cold water.” Then you may say, “Oh, he is an idiot. I am seeing that it is hot water!” Then you go your own way. Yes, it is hot water, true. But at that time do not say that you want to have inseparable oneness with your Master’s will.
Here is the problem. The Master says one thing. You say the opposite because your mind is saying you are one hundred per cent right. On which level? On the level of the mind. But you have to go infinitely higher than that level. Otherwise, it is better not to accept spirituality. If you accept spirituality, only pray to God, “I want to see through Your Eyes. I want to feel through Your Heart.” Everything has to be experienced in His own Way.
We pray to God, “I want to please You in Your own Way.” Then, when God’s representative comes, we say, “I want to please you in your own way only by not listening to what you say because my mind is saying you are wrong.” If that is the case, then you stay with your great mind. But why torture your outer life by being in the Master’s boat? Go your own way.
At every moment we are being examined. The way Arjuna had to change his mind, we have to change our minds. Each of us is a lump of clay. The Potter is constantly changing us. You may say, “Oh no, no, no! Why is He doing this?” But He has the liberty to change us because afterwards He is the one who will make us into something beautiful. So the real disciples are the ones who have the determination or the will to see things the way the Master sees them. These disciples are the ones who will pass the examination. Otherwise, if you choose to exercise your own freedom, you may be right in your own way. But I wish to say that if the Master has reached the Highest, if he embodies the Highest, and if the disciple does not try to see everything in the Master’s own way, then that disciple is in trouble.
The message of the Saviour Jesus Christ was “Let Thy Will be done.” He could easily have said, “I am suffering so much! The torture that I am going through in the crucifixion — how can it be Your Will?” But instead he said, “Let Thy Will be done.” He became one with God’s Will. That is why he became the Christ.
If your Master pinches you, you will say, “Oh, I thought you were a most kind-hearted person. How could you pinch me?” We judge the Master with our very limited mind. Forget about the Master. Your own highest divinity you are judging with your lower than the lowest intelligence or knowledge. Knowledge cannot go beyond a certain level. We can read thousands of books. A book can only prepare us a little to go to the Highest. A book can never take us to the Highest. A book can inspire us, like a guide. A guide shows us the way, but he is not the goal. So book knowledge shows us the way, but knowledge is not the goal. It is wisdom that can go higher than the highest, farther than the farthest, deeper than the deepest. Our wisdom will say that our highest divinity is always right.
