Love And Aspiration

Question: Could You Say Something About Divine...

Question: Could you say something about divine love.

Sri Chinmoy: In our philosophy of love, devotion and surrender, we start with divine love. Here there is no possession; there is only the feeling of oneness. The human consciousness is limited. When we use this limited consciousness, we try to have someone or something as our very own. But because the human consciousness is limited, we cannot have more than one person or more than one thing. But if we can enter into the Universal Consciousness through our meditation, the result or the capacity that we get from the Universal Consciousness will be boundless. Then everyone and everything in the entire world will make us feel that we belong to it and that it belongs to us. At that time we shall get true satisfaction.

In human love we always feel, "There is someone who does not want me or somebody whom I do not need." Always there will be some person whom we fear or hate or do not need, because that person is not satisfying us. Again, we will have the feeling that somebody else—some great man or spiritual Master whom we admire—is not giving us the love that we need or want. So, in one way or another, frustration comes, either because the other person is not showing us love or because we are losing our own sweet feeling and divine reality by showing our hatred towards somebody.

But if we can enter into the Universal Consciousness, then at that time we don't think of love. Only we think of consciousness. If we have something small, say a tiny knife, then we cannot cut something very big. But if we have an instrument which is very big, then we can cut anything with it. In the spiritual life, the instrument that we are using right now is a very limited consciousness, the human consciousness. That's why we cannot go beyond one or two people or things. But if we use the other instrument, the Universal Consciousness, which is very vast, then we will be able to have divine love.

But we have to possess it first, and for that we have to meditate. To enter into the vast Universal Consciousness, we must be on the highest stage of spiritual evolution. To realise this Universal Consciousness takes many incarnations. If a great spiritual Master comes and if he feels very kind to some of his disciples, then it may be only a matter of a few years for them. Otherwise, to enter into Universal Consciousness takes quite a few incarnations. The best thing for the seekers who have just entered into the spiritual life or have done a little bit of meditation is to use the term "vast consciousness" rather than "Universal Consciousness." In your case, if your consciousness is this much, then try to expand it. Then, when you have a little capacity in dealing with the vast consciousness, you will have more assurance from within that you can eventually enter into the Universal Consciousness.

Question: Why Does Loving Kindness Lead Us...

Question: Why does loving kindness lead us toward God?

Sri Chinmoy: Kindness, loving kindness, is a divine aspect of God. Kindness comes from God's Compassion. When God's Compassion operates in a sincere seeker, that sincere seeker runs towards God. Compassion is like a magnet. Here on earth we call a particular thing kindness or sympathy, but in the inner world we see that this very thing comes directly from God's Compassion, from the highest realm of Consciousness. So when God's Consciousness and God's Compassion reign supreme in an individual soul, then he is bound to run towards God, the destined Goal.

Question: How Do You Tell Whether You...

Question: How do you tell whether you are ambitious or are really aspiring?

Sri Chinmoy: If you are ambitious, what will happen? You will have a kind of aggressive vital. Then, even if you are also trying to get peace, light and bliss, I tell you there will always be some undivine element there. But if you are really trying to do your best, if you are really aspiring, there will not be this kind of aggressive movement. If a runner wants to exert himself to his utmost capacity and reach his best running speed, then that is his aspiration. But when there is ambition, immediately a kind of rivalry starts. Ambition wants to be the best in everything, but aspiration is different. It says, "I will do my best. If I want to engage in sports, I shall have to practise running. But the result, the achievement, will be entirely at the Feet of the Supreme."

At first I only want to achieve something, but if I get the feeling that I want to be on the top and that others should be at least one step below me, then this is ambition. Ambition always likes to be on top and hold others below it. But if it is aspiration, then I will aspire to go to the Highest, not because of my needs, but because of the Supreme's need to take me to the Highest, so that He can fulfil me in His own way. Aspiration will say: "If it is the Supreme's Will, let Him take me to the Highest. If it is His Will, let Him keep me at the lowest plane. Let Him keep me wherever He wants—at the foot of the tree, in the middle of the tree, at the top of the tree or far below the tree."

Question: While I Was Meditating With You,...

Question: While I was meditating with you, I felt a very strong spinal energy. Is there a way of staying in touch with that when we're not here, in your presence?

Sri Chinmoy: It is not my actual physical presence that is offering you this light or energy or whatever you call it. It is your own aspiration that is offering it to you. My physical presence may give you one per cent of the energy, peace, light and bliss that you are speaking of, but it is your own aspiration that is bringing about this kind of meditation here. So when you meditate at home, if you can meditate as devotedly and soulfully as you meditate here, then I assure you the Grace of the Supreme is bound to descend on your devoted heart. Then you will feel the same kind of peace, light and bliss right in your own room.

When you come here, you come with tremendous aspiration, but when you meditate at home, unfortunately you are wanting in aspiration. It is the lack of aspiration that prevents the seeker from receiving or achieving peace, light and bliss. Here you get a golden opportunity because many people are meditating together and one is inspiring another. So I wish you to have the same kind of aspiration when you meditate at home as you have had here. Then you will have no difficulty in feeling, achieving and growing into the boundless energy, light and bliss that you are talking about.

Question: What Does Acceptance Mean From The...

Question: What does acceptance mean from the spiritual point of view?

Sri Chinmoy: In the spiritual world we use the term "acceptance." But who accepts whom first? We may call it a reciprocal acceptance: I accept God and God accepts me. But when we go deep within, we see that he who chooses the Supreme has already been chosen by the Supreme. It is God who has chosen each of us before we even dreamt of accepting Him as our very own. But now that we are consciously aware of His acceptance, we need not stumble, we need not walk, we need not march; we can run fast, faster and fastest, because our awareness is already God's infinite Grace. Millions and millions of people are fast asleep in the world of ignorance, whereas we are fortunate enough to have been aroused by the Supreme Himself. He has said to us, "Arise, awake, aspire." We have arisen. We are now totally awakened. We are now aspiring. The mounting flame of consciousness deep within us is climbing toward the highest. Arise, awake, aspire! These three soul-stirring words at every moment we shall cherish in our human existence.

Question: What Is Awareness?...

Question: What is awareness?

Sri Chinmoy: Awareness is not of the mind. You want to be aware of the soul with your mind. You want to see the soul with your physical organs. But the physical organs are very, very deceptive, I must say. We are totally blind to the Truth sometimes. Truth comes to us in its natural way, but we try to see Truth from a different angle. So we do not really see it. But instead of trying to see the Truth, let us try to feel the Truth and become the Truth. When we become the Truth, at that time we do not have to see. I have a body, but I do not have to see whether I have arms or not. Similarly, when we become the Truth, at that time we do not have to see whether Truth has this or that. Just by being one with the Truth, we know what it is and what is has.

Question: What Is The Relationship Between Faith...

Question: What is the relationship between faith and spirituality?

Sri Chinmoy: Faith and spirituality are inseparable. They are like a farmer and a field. Spirituality is the field and faith is the farmer. One without the other is useless.

Question: Would You Please Explain The Difference...

Question: Would you please explain the difference between joy and happiness?

Sri Chinmoy: Happiness always has a kind of dynamic quality in it, whereas in joy there can be a very sweet, mild, subtle and serene quality. In happiness you can get an ecstatic movement, and you may lose your balance. But when it is subtle joy, inner joy, then you do not lose your outer balance. But this is only playing with words. Actually there is no difference between the soul's happiness and true joy. Happiness and joy are synonymous. But if you speak of joy and pleasure, then there is a difference. There is a great difference between joy and pleasure. Pleasure is always followed by frustration, depression and destruction. But joy is growth, joy is a constructive force that fulfils us. Joy is like a flower that blooms petal by petal. God created us in joy, God wants us to remain in joy and God wants us to fulfil our respective roles in utmost joy. If we remain in joy, in inner joy, only then can we make real progress.

Question: Guru, How Can We Have Spiritual...

Question: Guru, how can we have spiritual capacity without having spiritual pride?

Sri Chinmoy: Capacity and pride do not necessarily have to go together. What you call capacity I will call God's Grace. If you can do everything at your sweet will, then only you can have pride. But at your sweet will you cannot do whatever you choose. If somebody asks you not to sleep even for five minutes in twenty-four hours, you will probably not be able to do it. If somebody asks you to run the fastest, you won't be able to do it. And if you can do it, feel that whatever capacity you have is due to God's Grace.

If you feel you are spiritual and far superior to your father because you are accepting our path and he isn't, then just turn around and see if somebody else has more aspiration or deeper conviction than you have. But if you say you are still more spiritual than all the other disciples put together, then go one step further. Since I am the leader, then compare yourself with me: "Let me see if this Indian is really greater than I am in spirituality." If you feel that you are but an inch lower than I am, and that tomorrow you will catch me and surpass me, then you have to know that you are still an inch lower than somebody, and that somebody is God. Just compare yourself with God. Then your inner being will say, "Look at your capacity and God's infinite Capacity."

So if you expand human pride, a time will come when you will have to stop. A good musician can compare himself with the greatest musician, and then his pride will be smashed. A good runner will compare himself with the greatest runner, and then he will have to stop feeling proud. Suppose you feel that you are by far the best in something. I wish to say that there will always be a third person who will smash your pride.

But pride can also be a divine capacity. If someone is the world's greatest boxer, singer, spiritual figure or anything else, immediately identify yourself with that person and sincerely feel your oneness with him. If you have established your inseparable oneness with him, then your pride is divine pride. This divine pride can never be defeated.

Human pride is only a form of separation: I am this, you are that. I separate my existence from yours; therefore I am superior to you. But divine pride is oneness; it becomes one with others' capacities. From one individual you go to the length and breadth of the world. If you want to conquer pride in the human way, immediately you put someone with more capacity in front of you and that person in no time will shatter all your pride. If you want to take pride in the divine way, the whole world will be inside you on the strength of your oneness. At that time you don't have to separate the capacity of others from the reality that you are.

Question: Guru, Is It Good To Imagine?...

Question: Guru, is it good to imagine? Sometimes when I meditate I imagine what is going on in the inner worlds.

Sri Chinmoy: It is good to imagine, but it has to be something that is inside the heart. After we imagine something, it becomes a reality in the heart. Imagination itself is reality. Feeling also is reality, but in feeling we cannot show the reality. But when we realise the reality, at that time we become reality itself.