Editor's Preface to the first edition
The Aspiration-Tree has many branches, leaves, flowers and fruits: simplicity, sincerity, purity, devotion and countless others. Each sincere seeker, in his own way, is a branch, leaf, flower or fruit of the Aspiration-Tree.In this book, the great spiritual Master Sri Chinmoy answers questions from his West Coast disciples about the life of aspiration. In these soulful questions and illumining answers, we see the awakening and blossoming of God's Aspiration-Tree.
This book is a most significant milestone, since it represents the 300th book that Sri Chinmoy has written during the twelve and a half years he has been in America. Sri Chinmoy's writings, his paintings, his music, his lectures — not to speak of his meditation — are all expressions of his supreme philosophy of Love, Devotion and Surrender to God. This is a philosophy that finds its fruition not in the isolation of a Himalayan cave but in the very hustle and bustle of life, a philosophy that fully accepts life as the first step towards life's total transformation and complete illumination. All that Sri Chinmoy has done, or is doing, or will be doing for mankind issues from this one supreme philosophy.
We are his devoted spiritual children; and in response to our heart's prayers, our Master once revealed his philosophy and illumined us with these sacred words:
My spiritual children,
If I have Love, if I have Compassion,
if I have Light,
If I have Power, if I have Peace,
if I have Delight,
Then it is all for you, all for you, all for you.
O my sweet children,
It is with you, for you and in you that I exist
here on earth.
