Nature’s Transformation

Question: You said that our nature’s transformation is the most difficult thing. What you call the most difficult thing in creation, does it always have to be painful as well, or is it just sometimes painful?

Sri Chinmoy: Human nature, human life, is ruled by the mind, by the vital, by the physical. God wants to inject light into the unaspiring body, vital, mind and so forth. Sometimes it happens that when parents ask their children to take a bath and clean themselves, some are willing, while others are unwilling and protest vehemently.

It is a painful experience for those who are disobeying, those who are not listening. One of India’s greatest leaders was Vidyasagar, the ocean of wisdom and compassion. As a child, he was so disobedient. When his parents would beg him to jump into the pond and take a bath, he would not listen. Absolutely deliberately he would not listen. It was a painful experience he was giving to his parents. Also, he was getting the painful experience that he was not happy. When he was inside the water, he was not happy. He did not make his parents happy, and he did not make himself happy.

When our nature revolts, it is very painful for the individual, and also painful for the Author of all good, for God, when we are not doing something willingly, happily and proudly. When there is a revolt, an unwillingness, let us say, then it is a painful experience. But if someone listens to their parents, if the parents say, “Go and take a shower,” and the child immediately listens to their parents, when there is willingness, there is no problem. When there is willingness, there is no pain right from the beginning. Obedience is of paramount importance. When human nature listens, when the body listens, when the vital listens, when the mind listens to the heart or to the soul or to God, then it is a very sweet experience.

Something else happens at that time. If the body, the vital and the mind are aware of something and want to do it, they feel that this very thing is not coming as advice from God or from the soul. They are aware of this very thing, and they are going to do it. It is not a request that is coming. It is not a command that is coming from somebody else. No, they have the inner light to know and to feel that they are going to do the right thing. They are going to listen to the Dictates of God, the inner Dictates, or to the soul.

When there is willingness, our nature’s transformation is not difficult. When there is unwillingness, it is extremely painful. The person who is telling the right thing, the good thing to do, also feels very sad that their advice is untimely. At God’s choice Hour, our nature is bound to listen to our inner beings, to the inner guidance. But until then, if our nature is unwilling and revolts, then it will be a very painful experience for our nature itself and for its members: the body, vital and mind. Those who are giving the good advice will also have a painful experience. Although they are telling the right thing, they will feel that perhaps this is not the time, that God’s choice Hour has not come.

If there is willingness and eagerness to listen to the inner dictates, then our nature’s transformation is not at all difficult. But if there is unwillingness and revolt, and disobedience looms large, then definitely our nature’s transformation is a most, most difficult experience.

Everything has a nature, and this nature is made of love. What else is our nature? God the creation and God the Creator. Our nature is God the creation. If God the creation is going to listen to God the Creator, then there is no problem.

I remember once I asked you, “Will you do this?” You said, “Yes, yes, yes.” I asked, “Will you not do this?” You said, “Yes, yes, yes.” So you can see how your nature, on the strength of your love, agreed. I said, “Do this.” You said, “Yes.” I said, “Don’t do this.” You said, “Yes.”

Your mind, vital, body and everything at that time cheerfully accepted my advice. Your vital could have stood against my suggestion. Your mind could have stood against it. But no, body, vital, mind, heart – everything – surrendered to my will. When our nature willingly accepts the request or wisdom of somebody whom we have taken as our Master, then it is all happiness. After-wards, over the years, we will see whatever happens. But willingness and eagerness can always easily change the problem of our nature’s transformation.