The eternal friend

If an individual values my consciousness, my aspiration, my realisation, then that person is on my side. If you love me and value me for my own sake, whom are you really loving? Here you are loving not the body in me, not the vital in me, not the mind in me; you are loving the Supreme in me. A day will come when you will go deep within and see that it is not your husbands, not your wives, not your parents, not your intimate ones or the immediate members of your family who are your dear ones. Far from it. It is this Indian, and inside this Indian is the Supreme. Of course, this is true only for those who are my disciples, those who have accepted me as their very own and whom I have accepted as my very own. To my disciples I say: "You also have the Supreme inside you, but right now the Supreme in me is more manifested than the Supreme in you. It is the same Supreme, but the Supreme in me in the field of realisation and manifestation is one inch higher. So if the one who is one inch lower touches the one who is one inch higher, then immediately he will come up to a higher standard.”

When you dive deep within, you will see that when it is a matter of real love, real oneness, real friendship, it will always be your Guru who gives it. I am your eternal friend. When you go to Heaven — like me you will also go to Heaven — or if you go to some other place, there also you will see me. You will see me everywhere, no matter where you go, for I am your eternal friend. Here on earth if I have a friend I will try to please that friend in every way. On the spiritual plane also, your needs become my needs and I try to be of real service to you on many planes.

In this world sometimes people call us fanatics when we are fond of one person or one philosophy or one path. Again, those people value us, appreciate us and admire us when they see that we are following our own principles most faithfully and devotedly. My disciples keep pictures of me in their home. If a friend of yours enters into your room and sees there ten pictures of me, if he is in an ordinary consciousness he will say, "Oh, look at this fool. He is adoring one person." He may laugh at you, but after two years the same person will come to your house and see your face radiating and illumining him, and he will be miserable. Then his inner cry will make him feel that you keep so many pictures just because you want at every moment to see your Master's face. He will feel that you have all along wanted to be guided and moulded by your Master's Light because you feel that I have seen something, have realised something. That is why you also want to become like your Master, to follow him, to be a divine instrument like him and to grow into his likeness. You will see in two years' time that your friend's inner being will make him feel why you have been following your Master all along.

Recently someone asked me if he could keep a picture of me on his desk at the office. I said that if he obtained permission from his boss he could do it; otherwise it would only create problems for him. But even if his boss does not want him to keep my picture on his desk, he can easily keep it inside his desk drawer. You don't use medicine all the time. But when you are sick, when wrong forces enter into you, if something has happened so that your mind is not in a high plane of consciousness, immediately look at my picture. Yes, you can imagine that you are looking at my face, but it is easier just to look at my picture. That is like taking medicine. But if wrong forces are not inside you and if you take medicine all the time, then naturally you will only create disease for yourself. This was my answer to this particular disciple.

But this answer is from the medical point of view. If you people think of me as your best friend, as your eternal friend, you will always have my picture with you — not as medicine, but as an expression of your love; You will carry my picture in your wallet or in your purse, or you will use it in a ring, a locket or anywhere. When you carry my picture my ego is not flattered. I have realised the Truth, and if you carry my picture or do not carry my picture, I won't grow one inch higher or lower. Far from it! But if you do not carry your best friend with you, whom are you going to carry? When you had a boyfriend or a girlfriend while you were living an earthly life, you used to carry their picture. Now you have got a divine friend; will you not carry his picture? And if you keep a picture of mine in your purse or in your wallet, or if you carry with you some material gift that your Master has given you, then is it not like carrying your best friend inside you, with you? So dear ones, I am just saying that you can try to claim me, your Master, in every possible way.

From:Sri Chinmoy,The Inner Hunger, Agni Press, 1976
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/in