Twenty questions and answers

Dearest children, when we were coming to San Juan on the plane, I was inspired to write down about twenty questions and answers.

1. What does the human in us want? What does the divine in us want?

The human in us wants constant satisfaction. The divine in us wants everlasting fulfilment.

2. What is the difference between the divine lover and the divine Beloved?

God is the divine Beloved and we are the divine lovers. The divine lover cries; the divine Beloved smiles. But the moment the divine lover smiles, the divine Beloved makes the divine lover feel that they are both eternally and inseparably one.

3. What is life and what is death?

Life is man's present bewilderment but future fulfilment. Death is man's present necessity but future non-inevitability.

4. What is ego?

Ego is today's destroying gain and tomorrow's liberating loss.

What kind of loss?

The loss that liberates you when you understand the ego.

5. God means what?

God means existence.

Truth means what?

Truth means discovery.

6. Man means what?

Man means the eternal traveller.

7. What does the past mean? What does the present mean? What does the future mean?

The past means intention. The present means determination. The future means liberation.

8. What is God's contribution?

God's contribution is creation.

What is man's contribution?

Man's contribution is dedication.

9. What is aspiration?

Aspiration is God-crying.

What is realisation?

Realisation is self-finding.

What is revelation?

Revelation is self-transformation.

What is manifestation?

Manifestation is self-perfection.

10. What does my mind say?

My mind says that its goal is religion.

What does my heart say?

My heart says that its goal is Yoga, with God-Oneness.

What does my soul say?

My soul says that its goal is spirituality.

What does my Goal say?

My Goal says that I am its fondest choice.

11. What is the difference between humanity and divinity?

Humanity is God's compassionate investment. Divinity is God's constant Self-illumination.

12. What is the difference between inner and outer education?

Outer education explains everything outwardly, yet without satisfying anybody. Inner education feeds us within and without.

13. Who is a fool?

He is a fool who thinks there can be a compromise between the aspiring life and the unaspiring life. Yes, he is a fool who thinks that the aspiring life and the unaspiring life can go together. The aspiring life must go with the aspiring breath and the unaspiring life must go with the unaspiring breath.

14. Who is the wisest of all?

He who feels and realises that God or the Master is infinitely more important than human love and human satisfaction.

15. What does God do when I concentrate on Him?

When I concentrate on God, He proudly and divinely roars. When I concentrate on God, He becomes so proud, so pleased that I am concentrating only on Him.

What do I do when God concentrates on me?

When God concentrates on me, I just sleep and snore.

What does God do when I meditate on Him?

When I meditate on God, He triumphantly sings.

And what do I do when God meditates on me?

When God meditates on me, I fear Him and hide from Him.

What does God do when I contemplate on Him?

When I contemplate on Him, God unreservedly embraces me.

What do I do when God contemplates on me?

I consciously, deliberately and willfully invite ignorance and wallow in the pleasures of ignorance.

16. Is it faith that increases aspiration or is it aspiration that increases faith?

They are reciprocal and mutual.

Sri Chinmoy: This is the end of the questions and answers that I wrote on the plane. Now I will read out /Man and God. [Sri Chinmoy reads.]

Now, from My Yogi Friends and My Avatar Friends.

Is surrender to the Master something necessary? Yes.

Is surrender to the Master something essential? Yes.

Is surrender to the Master something indispensable? Yes, yes, yes.