The master walks the earth

The Master comes, he walks the earth and disappears. Either you will be awakened to the value of the Master’s life on earth, or you will continue your ignorance-sleep.

The mischievous monkey in your life must surrender to the poise of your soul. If you do not have respect for your own meditation-life, then how shall I have respect for you? When it is the time for prayer and meditation, why do you have to indulge in talking?

Sri Aurobindo was my Master. Now my Master is the Supreme, and I always say that everybody’s Master is the Supreme. Every human being who has taken incarnation has only one Guru, according to me, and that Guru is our Lord Supreme. My Guru, your Guru, everybody’s Guru is the Supreme.

Now let me say something about my Guru, Sri Aurobindo. Four times a year we were able to see him: in February, April, August and November. Each time I do not think it was for more than three seconds. Five seconds I do not think we got. Four times a year we saw him. There was a long queue. And if you stayed a little too long in front of him, then there would be two bodyguards to come and do you a big ‘favour’ by moving you away.

The very first time I went to see Sri Aurobindo, the Mother was introducing me to him. Alas, I could not hear everything, but she said, “Chinmoy, Hriday’s youngest brother.” Then she said something else. Two bodyguards grabbed me, and it was all over! Now both of those bodyguards are extremely, extremely kind and dear to me.

That was our Ashram life. And how many years did it last? I became a permanent member of the Ashram in 1944. Most of you had not yet been born. In 1950 Sri Aurobindo left his earthly sheath, his earthly body, his earthly frame. For six years, this was how I saw my Master.

Here I have disciples who have been with me for over thirty-three years. For so many hours they have seen me! Some days, if I am kind enough to come to Aspiration-Ground and if they are good enough to be there, they can see me for hours. Countless hours all of you have spent with your Master. Here I am the representative of the Supreme for you, not for others. The Supreme is my Guru, your Guru, everybody’s Guru. Out of His infinite Bounty, He has chosen me to be His representative — only for you, not for others. Others have their own Gurus, who deal with them in their own way.

If you are enjoying your indulgence-life, then your progress-speed will be worse than India’s bullock cart speed. Again, Indian bullock carts do go forwards. But in the spiritual life, when you do not pray and meditate, when you do not do the needful on a regular basis, you are forced, literally forced, to walk backwards, which unfortunately, many of you are doing. Many of you, to my greatest sorrow, are walking backwards. You may not realise it, you may not believe it, but I see it clearly.

Many of you left your dear ones, your relatives, the members of your immediate family for this path. If you do not value your spiritual life, nobody can and nobody will force you. But if you have the inner urge to make progress, how fast you can go!