A twentieth-century seeker1

The twentieth-century seeker is suffering. He is suffering from the loveless aridity of his heart. He is suffering from the confusion-market of his mind. He is suffering from the power-politics of his vital. He is suffering from the lethargy-supremacy of his body.

Depressed, he has been singing the song of self-resignation. Humiliated, he has been marching along the road of world-revolt.

Lo and behold! God, the Author of all Good, out of His infinite Compassion-Light, has removed from his aspiration-life the world of depression-night. God, the Author of all Good, has removed from his dedication-life the surrendered breath of humiliation-helplessness.

No more self-resignation-song; no more world-revolt-march! The seeker is now enjoying the life-acceptance-smile. His joyful acceptance of life is freedom from inactivity-indulgence.

There was a time when the seeker’s life was suspended in mid-air between the old fears and the new doubts. But the binding fears and the blinding doubts have finally disappeared, and indomitable courage and an unshakable faith have replaced them. Now the seeker aspires because he needs God’s all-liberating Heights. Now the seeker serves because he needs God’s all-illumining Depths.

His aspiration is God’s Silence-Life. His dedication is God’s Sound-Life. Silence-Life is God the Seed. Sound-Life is God the Fruit.

His aspiration is God’s Vision-Life. God’s Vision tells him that he is Eternity’s progress and Infinity’s success. Success receives; progress achieves. Success receives God-Satisfaction from the outer world of duty. Progress achieves God-Perfection from the inner world of beauty.

His dedication is God’s Manifestation-Life. God’s Manifestation tells him that he is of God and for God. He is of God in the inner world; he is for God in the outer world. In the inner world he is God’s Dream-Reality and in the outer world he is God’s Reality-Dream.


TCS 1. 18 June 1975, St. Francis Xavier Church, New York