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Eternity, I am in you.
Infinity, I am with you.
Immortality, I am of you.

—photo by Bhashwar

New year's message

In 1981 the Supreme Lord will utilise the soul-­beauty, the heart-purity and the life-sincerity of His seeker-children for the manifestation of His perfect Perfection.

A higher and better life¹

My dear friends, my dear seeker-friends, let us all try to live a higher and better life. A higher and better life is a life of inspiration, a life of aspiration, a life of dedication and a life of realisation.

Inspiration makes our lives surprisingly great. Aspiration makes our lives astonishingly good. Dedication makes our lives unquestionably divine. Realisation makes our lives supremely perfect.

A great man deserves appreciation. A good man deserves admiration. A divine man deserves adoration. A realised man deserves love.

Let us appreciate our own good qualities: simplicity and sincerity. Let us admire our own good qualities: humility and purity. Let us adore our own good qualities: our love of truth and our respect for justice-light. Let us love our own good qualities: our oneness with man in God for God-manifestation, our oneness with God in man for God-satisfaction.

Let us try, let us try. We shall without fail succeed.

Aurora-Flora

1.

Choose to serve. The world will start loving you immediately.

2.

Our insincerity thinks that it always speaks with sincerity. What it actually does is whisper to itself.

3.

No human organisation can give us satisfaction. It is our sleepless self-dedication that can give us abiding satisfaction.

4.

I offer my insecurity-problem to my Beloved Supreme. I offer my impurity-problem to my Beloved Supreme. He, out of His infinite Bounty, accepts my insecurity-problem and my impurity­problem immediately.

And then what do I do? I ask Him for another favour, a deplorable and ridiculous favour. I ask Him to solve my problems in my own way. At that moment my Beloved Supreme says to me:

"Thank you. Take back your problems. I don't need them."

Every day He accepts my problems and every day He returns them to me precisely because I ask Him to solve my problems in my own way.

5.

I pray. I meditate. I pray for God's Power. I meditate for God's Love.

6.

I pray to God to make me obedient. I meditate on God to make me perfect.

7.

When I pray, God expresses His willingness to show me His Home. When I meditate, God expresses His eagerness to see my home.

8.

My prayer tells me how far my Lord Supreme is. My meditation tells me how near my Beloved Supreme is.

9.

My prayer is my continuously powerful intensity for my Lord's Compassion. My meditation is my constantly soulful intimacy with my Lord's Satisfaction.

10.

I pray because the human in me needs a prayerful life for its satisfaction. I meditate because the divine in me needs a soulful heart for God's Satisfaction.

11.

I most sincerely pray to see the Face of God. I most soulfully meditate to become the Heart of God.

12.

When I do not blame humanity for what it has said or done against me, I immediately reclaim a very, very large portion of my own divinity.

13.

Someday, somewhere, someone will value the beauty of meditation, the purity of meditation, the reality of meditation, the perfection of meditation and the satisfaction in meditation. My Beloved Supreme is eagerly waiting for that day and for that place and for that person here on earth.

14.

Try to be a person who every day asks himself why he is on earth: to be a slave of man, to be a slave of oneself or to be a chosen child of God. Make the correct choice, and then remain absolutely faithful to that choice.

15.

If I accept my earthly responsibilities, then God will give me His heavenly opportunities.

16.

If I am not what I thought I was, then today is the opportunity for me to become what I want to be. This opportunity is something that gives me the capacity to have implicit faith in my Inner Pilot and the capacity to offer my sleepless cry to my Inner Pilot.

Questions and answers

Question: Why do you say that the Guru is the disciple's best friend?

Sri Chinmoy: The Guru is your best friend on the strength of his conscious and constant confidence in you. Even you are not your best friend, because at this moment you may think that you will become something very great and very good — a perfect instrument of the Supreme. But the next moment you may think that this is simply impossible; but you can be the best instrument of the hostile forces. You can cherish that kind of thinking.

But the Master will always consciously and constantly have confidence in you because he knows that you are representing the Supreme, you are part and parcel of the Supreme. The Guru has the same job that you are doing, but he is doing it better than you because he is already conscious of the truth that you are a portion of the Supreme. You are not conscious of who you are. That is why at times you may do something totally wrong, undivine. But the Guru knows that the ultimate Goal, which he has realised, is your ultimate Goal.

In the spiritual life I am a better swimmer than you are. I swam much faster than you, and I reached the opposite shore. Now I have turned around, and I am seeing that you are also swimming toward the self-same shore, the Golden Shore of the Beyond. I will definitely have confidence in you, because I know that it is possible to reach the destination. In your case it is only a matter of time. You will take a few years or a few centuries more than I did.

We can be best friends because your goal and my goal are the same. The Guru has reached the goal, and he is now going back to help those who are trying to reach the same goal. He who is behind, he who has not yet reached the goal, will be able to have confidence in someone who has gone ahead of him and reached the goal. He will feel that since that person has already reached the goal, it is only a matter of time before he can also reach it.

But I also say that my disciples should feel that I am their only friend. Why? Because I will not tempt you or deceive you or fool you in any way to delay your progress. An earthly guide or mentor, out of jealousy or by becoming a victim to wrong forces, may not help you to run the fastest towards your goal, which he has already attained. Your earthly friends may help you ten times, twenty times, a hundred times. But when human jealousy enters into them, they will tell you something wrong, and try to convince you that this is the way to go the fastest. But they know in the heart of their hearts that they are actually taking you a bit farther; they are showing you some side streets which you have not seen, and which you do not need to see in order to reach your goal. They are wasting your time. But your Guru will not do that. He knows the fastest way, and he will try to take you the fastest way.

A true Guru will show you the way, and will also give you the capacity to reach the destination that he has reached. Others you may call your friends, but once they misguide you or tempt you or delay your progress, then you will see what kind of friendship they have. The Guru is your only true friend, because he will not even unconsciously instigate you to do something which will delay your progress. If one does that, then he cannot be your real friend. The only friend is the one who will eternally remind you of your ultimate Goal and, at the same time, help you to reach that Goal.

Question: Is there such a thing as deep and lasting sadness, or are we just cherishing these things?

Sri Chinmoy: We are cherishing sadness. We are fond of it. We feel that ultimately from this sadness something very good will emerge. But there is something called psychic sadness. Psychic sadness is not like ordinary sadness. Psychic sadness is the realisation that once upon a time you had a home in Heaven, where your Beloved Supreme and you lived together. Now you are swimming in the sea of ignorance, and where He is you do not know. You do not know how many millions of years it will take for you to go back to that abode where the Supreme and you lived together and drank ambrosia.

If you have that kind of psychic sorrow, then it helps. Psychic sorrow has strength in it which is transformed, after a few days or a few months, into positive will. You will think, "I was with my Beloved Supreme before, so that means I can be with Him again, tomorrow or in ten years or twenty years." Then you have to long for Him. You have to feel that you need Him desperately.

That kind of sadness will help us. But our usual sadness is in the vital plane. We create this vital sadness, which takes the form of frustration and depression. That sadness says, "Oh, I have not achieved anything on earth. Everybody is making progress; only I am useless. He is great, she is great, and I am nothing." That kind of sadness we cherish, and from that sadness nothing good will ever come.

Question: What is the best way to develop inner vigilance?

Sri Chinmoy: Inner vigilance for human beings is the vigilance of thought. Then comes the vigilance of will. While we are in the physical mind, earthbound mind, we have to watch each thought during our waking hours. Is it progressive, or is it regressive? Is it creative, or is it destructive?

If you can get one progressive thought each day, then soon you will be surrounded by a family of progressive thoughts. Today if you have got one progressive thought, that progressive thought will keep you alert. It will not allow you to bring in a negative thought. Tomorrow you try to get another progressive thought. Like that you collect twenty progressive thoughts. These progressive thoughts have the inner urge to push you forward or to pull you forward. And while they are pulling and pushing you forward toward the goal, you cannot remain asleep. You have to be alert, because something is pushing you or pulling you. Something that is good, something that is progressive, is urging you toward your goal.

Now you are usually in the mental plane. But there is also a psychic plane. In the psychic plane, the heart plane, there is something called will. In the psychic plane every day we have to strengthen our will. We have to imagine that we have sown a seed inside our heart, where there is fertile soil. Now we are watering it. How? With our purity. By every day increasing our purity in thought and our purity in action, we are watering it. Then we are watching to see if anything is happening. In a few days or a few weeks or a few months it germinates. We continue to watch it, and we see a tiny plant. With tremendous fondness we are watching the progress of a tiny seed, how it is becoming a strong young plant, and then a huge tree. While we are watching, our soul is strengthening our inner adamantine will.

So how can you be vigilant? First sow the seed, and then watch it constantly and lovingly. If your duty is to watch, then automatically you must be vigilant. This is done in the heart plane. The other method is in the mental plane — every day to have one new progressive thought which will pull you forward and forward and forward.

Question: How can I accept my own capacities or incapacities without being angry or upset?

Sri Chinmoy: Why do you have to accept defeat, or let us say, failure-life? No, you can be more disciplined, more active, more dynamic, more sincere to reach your goal. And today's goal you will transcend tomorrow. You do not have to accept your limited capacities or your incapacities. Accepting your fate means that you will have no inspiration, no aspiration. Then you will become a perfect friend of lethargy.

But if, in spite of your sincere efforts, you find that your capacity is very limited in some areas, then you have to be wise. Look around, and you will see that there are many others with even less capacity than you have. Then you will think, "Oh, God is really kind to me. Why should I be upset when He has given me so much more capacity than all these others? I should be grateful to Him instead of being upset."

Then ask yourself, "Has God given me any good qualities?" Immediately you will have to say, "Yes, He has given me many good qualities. He has made me an excellent artist; He has given me a willing mind to do many things for my Guru. I can easily do selfless service for hours and hours. Day in and day out I go on, month after month." Try to think of all your good qualities. This is not boosting your ego; it is only providing your own antidote to your frustration-poison. When you are upset or depressed try to see how many good qualities and capacities you have, and how many good things you have done over the years.

If the human in you wants to be happy by being better than others, then you will see that there are many who have less capacity than you, so you can be happy. Again, if the divine in you wants to be happy, then you will see how many divine qualities and good capacities God has given you out of His infinite Compassion and Love, and you will be happy. If you are happy and grateful for what you are already, then God will give you more capacity; He will give you more good qualities to transcend yourself. In this way you can get rid of your irritation, anger and frustration with yourself.

Question: Many times you say that if we do something bad, God will forgive us and the world will forgive us, but our souls will never forgive us. Is there any way that our souls will forgive us?

Sri Chinmoy: If you have totally given up doing the wrong thing, and if you have done something very good to please the Supreme, then your soul can forgive you. You have been walking toward the south in spite of knowing that your goal is toward the north, so your soul is very displeased with you because you are creating serious problems for yourself and for others by walking in that direction. Your soul has repeatedly asked you not to do this, but you are not listening. You are going on consciously and deliberately with your wrong action. Then all of a sudden you change your direction and begin running toward the north. The moment you change your direction, and prove your sincerity by running very fast, all the bad movements that you embodied while you were walking toward the south will leave you.

Now you are running toward the north. In that direction, fortunately, are all good forces and right actions. You are once more walking toward truth, obedience and perfection. The bad qualities that you embraced and cherished when you were not going in your soul's direction were like a filthy t-shirt. You just threw it away when you turned in the other direction, and now you have put on a fresh, absolutely new shirt. Now will you think of the dirty t-shirt that you discarded yesterday? No, you will only be appreciative of the new shirt that you are now wearing. You will not even think, "Yesterday I was wearing a very dirty, filthy shirt." No, the past is dust, and today you have a shirt which you and everybody can appreciate."

Your soul will forgive you when you once again accept the soul's advice, and sincerely turn toward your goal. Once you change your undivine lifestyle and wholeheartedly accept the new, divine lifestyle, your soul will definitely be pleased, and it will forgive you.

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The loser and the winner

1.

The Loser knows what to say.

The Winner knows what to do and also how to do.

2.

The Loser thinks that the entire world is ruthlessly against him.

The Winner surprisingly feels that the entire world is for him.

3.

The Loser loves the ecstasy of success.

The Winner enjoys the confidence of success.

4.

The Loser is confusion-frustration.

The Winner is concentration-penetration.

5.

The Loser is hesitation-mind.

The Winner is determination-soul.

6.

The Loser feels that God is not Compassion-Light.

The Winner knows that God is Justice-Light.

7.

The Loser is ready to kill himself.

The Winner is eager to better himself.

8.

The Loser thinks that merit can be discarded.

The Winner knows that merit has to be rewarded.

9.

The Loser does not want to remember if and when he has blamed others for his own sad losses.

The Winner wants to know when and where he has deeply appreciated his well-wishers.

10.

The Loser thinks that his fate is unchangeable.

The Winner knows that he is his own fate-maker.

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Stories

The king's two advisors: Ranjan and Bhanjan

There was once a King who had many good qualities, but he also had one glaring bad quality, and that was his undying greed for flattery. If anybody flattered him, then that person could get anything from the King for the asking.

This King had two advisors: Ranjan and Bhanjan. Ranjan was very wise and just. He would only tell the right thing to the King. He was humble and devoted to the King, but he would not flatter the King, because he was not of a flattering nature. Bhanjan, on the other hand, was a cruel person and a rogue. He used to flatter the King whenever he got an opportunity; therefore, the King appreciated him more than he appreciated Ranjan. Even so, Bhanjan was very jealous of Ranjan, because the King's subjects all appreciated Ranjan for his good qualities.

Using all his flattery, Bhanjan would often advise the King to be more strict with his subjects. To him strictness meant cruelty. He would tell the King that since his subjects were not extremely devoted to him, he should punish them and also raise the taxes on everything so he could get more revenue. In every way Bhanjan encouraged the King to be unkind to his subjects.

But nothing remains secret. In a palace there are many servants who are eager to eavesdrop on private conversations, and then to increase their own importance by telling others what they have overheard. So the subjects knew that the King's unkind actions were actually instigated by Bhanjan. They were very disgusted with him, and they wanted to punish him, but since he was the King's favourite advisor, due to his ceaseless flattery, what could they do? They only inwardly cursed him and waited for the day when they would have the opportunity to kill him.

Finally one day a young man named Bijoy formed a daring plan to punish Bhanjan. With the hope that they would spread the story, he told all his friends and neighbours that he had had a dream, and in the dream he had married the King's daughter. This story finally reached the King, who was quite indignant that an ordinary subject could have the audacity to say he had had such a dream.

Bhanjan was quick to seize the opportunity. He said to the King, "See, I told you that your subjects were not respectful enough. One of them even wants to marry your daughter. I am sure he comes from a very low family, whereas you are the greatest ruler in the land. He should be punished in some way for his audacity. He should be brought here and hanged." In this way, by first flattering the King's sense of self-importance, Bhanjan fanned the flames of the King's anger against Bijoy.

When Bijoy was brought before the King, the King asked him, "How did you dare to have this kind of dream?"

But Bhanjan interrupted before Bijoy could answer, and said, "Instead of asking him questions, your Majesty, just punish him immediately. Today he has dreamed it, and tomorrow he will try to make his dream a reality. This kind of impertinence on the part of your subjects must not be allowed. I strongly advise you to hang this rogue immediately. It is obvious from his dream that he is hoping to usurp your power."

The King turned to Ranjan and said, "What do you think of this man's audacity?"

Ranjan said, "O King, we have no control over our dreams. One moment we can become the King and the next moment we can become the poorest person on earth. How can we be expected to control our dreams?"

"No," insisted Bhanjan, "that is absurd. We should be held accountable even for our dreams."

The King was a little bit thoughtful, and Bijoy said, "Your Majesty, I do not think you have heard my dream correctly."

"What was your dream?" the King asked.

Bijoy explained, "I was forced to marry not your daughter, but the daughter of the neighbouring King."

The King said, "That King is my friend. To marry his daughter is as good as marrying my own daughter. How could you dare to dream such a thing?"

Bijoy said, "Your Majesty, I was forced to marry the princess, but I can't tell you the rest of my dream."

The King was curious. "Why not?" he asked.

Bijoy said, "Even now I am frightened to death when I think of it."

"Tell me," ordered the King.

Bijoy said, "O King, all of a sudden you were attacked by that King. You put up a very brave fight, but unfortunately the soldiers of that King were very powerful, and they killed you. Everybody in your palace started crying for you, except for one person. That person immediately went to the conqueror and fell at his feet, saying, 'O supreme King, please accept me as your humble servant. I will always be faithful to you and please you in your own way.' The conquering King immediately gave that person the post of chief advisor."

The King said, "Who was that person?"

Bijoy said, "Your own advisor, Bhanjan."

"Bhanjan!" the King cried. "And what did Ranjan do?"

"Ranjan killed himself immediately when he saw that you had been killed," said Bijoy. "His last words were, 'I cannot live without my Beloved King.'"

The King turned to Bhanjan in a fury. "What kind of treachery is this?" he demanded.

Bijoy reminded the King, "But it was only a dream, your Majesty. There is no reality in it. If your wisdom would not have allowed you to punish me for what I did in the dream — for marrying the princess — then of course you should not punish Bhanjan either."

The King turned to Bhanjan and shouted, "Get out of my palace, you snake. I will kill you if I ever see you again, so the best thing is for you to leave my kingdom immediately."

Then the King said to Ranjan, "I am ashamed that I have ever taken the advice of such a cruel and dishonest person. Please tell me what I should do now."

Ranjan said, "O King, you are good and kind by nature. You like to please your subjects, and your subjects do appreciate your good qualities. Bhanjan was deceiving you all the time. But since you accepted Bhanjan's advice and had this young man brought here, now I think you should reward him, for he has shown you what kind of unreasonable advice you were getting from Bhanjan all along. I think he comes of a noble family. If you want to reward him, then allow him to marry your daughter."

The King made inquiries and found that, indeed, Bijoy came from a highly respectable family, so he agreed that Bijoy would marry the princess.

Bijoy fell at the feet of the King and said, "O King, you are truly kind and generous. It is only because you used to listen to the advice of that fellow Bhanjan that your subjects used to suffer."

The King embraced Bijoy and said, "From now on I will only listen to Ranjan, and whatever advice he gives I will follow. I know he will always give me wise advice. I will not torture my subjects anymore. I definitely want you to marry my daughter. You will be a member of our family."

Turning towards Ranjan the King said, "My heart is all gratitude to you. From today on, I shall have only one advisor. You will be my chief advisor, as well as my best friend and my wisest mentor in my entire kingdom."

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Songs

My Lord, give me a body of solid strength

My Lord, My Lord, My Lord,
Give me a body of solid strength
To multiply my heart's gratitude-length.

My Lord, give me a vital of high sacrifice

My Lord, my Lord, my Lord,
Give me a vital of high sacrifice
To turn my life into a blue paradise.

My Lord, give me a purity-mind

My Lord, my Lord, my Lord,
Give me a purity-mind
Your Compassion-Feet to bind.

O my Lord, give me a heart of sweetness

O my Lord, O my Lord, O my Lord,
Give me a heart of sweetness
To feel Your Love of Oneness.

My Lord, give me a translucent soul

My Lord, my Lord, my Lord,
Give me a translucent soul
To show me my vision's supreme Goal.