California concert and lecture tour
//In late September and early October 1978 Sri Chinmoy gave a series of lectures and concerts at universities in California. During his short tour he received keys to the cities of Los Angeles and San José, as well as several Mayoral Proclamations, honours from the universities, and an award from //Runner’s World// magazine. Sri Chinmoy’s lectures and the awards appear below.//Our departing friends, our lasting friends and our everlasting friends1
Our departing friends are anxiety and worry, defeat and disappointment, darkness and ignorance.Anxiety and worry we call our friends precisely because we unconsciously cherish them. It is the height of folly, but we do cherish them. We cherish them, therefore they are our friends.
Defeat and disappointment surround our departing friends. Defeat and disappointment shatter our being; nevertheless we cherish them unconsciously.
Darkness envelopes us, ignorance constantly assails us. We wallow in the pleasures of ignorance. As long as they are with us we cherish them, we call them our friends. But there comes a time when darkness and ignorance disappear. By virtue of our aspiration or inner cry we liberate ourselves from these so-called friends: anxiety, worry, defeat, disappointment, darkness and ignorance.
Our lasting friends are hope, determination, faith, personal effort, aspiration and realisation.
Hope is not mere wishful thinking. It is the precursor of a new dawn. This new dawn slowly, steadily and unerringly comes to the fore, and eventually grows into reality’s existence.
Determination is of paramount importance. Each time we are determined we expedite our journey. In the battlefield of life with determination we march fast, very fast, toward our destined goal.
Faith constantly reminds us of our perennial Source. Faith constantly makes us feel that we are of the Absolute and for the Absolute.
Personal effort is of paramount importance. Unless and until we give to the world at large what we have and what we are, we cannot grow into the all-widening and all-embracing Reality which we call the universal Consciousness of the transcendental Height. This personal effort is also founded upon the unconditional Compassion of the Supreme. What we call effort in reality is a result of the Supreme’s Grace, which rains constantly on our devoted head and our surrendered heart.
Aspiration is our inner cry. This cry, unlike the desire-cry, constantly reminds us of our own highest height. We cry for the loftiest height, cry for boundless peace, light and bliss. There is a constant hunger within us to transcend ourselves, to go beyond the reality which we have already achieved.
Realisation is our oneness with the Infinite. To become one with our perennial Source is our soul’s goal. Here we feel at every moment that we are of the One and for the many. God the Creator manifests Himself in us and through us, and we try our utmost to become constant and unconditional instruments of our Beloved Supreme.
Perfection is our everlasting friend. Perfection is an ever-transcending Reality. Perfection is satisfaction. This satisfaction is constantly flowing in and through our aspiring heart, devoted life and surrendered oneness with the Supreme Pilot. When we try to perfect ourselves within and without, at every moment we see a new dawn before us and within us. It beckons us to the supreme Reality which is more than willing to lead us, guide us, shape us and mould us into the immortal Reality.
University of California, Davis, California, 29 September 1978↩
