Songs from the soul

Faith

Faith, it is said, can move mountains, The great and difficult task of raising human nature into the divine can be accomplished only by genuine and living faith.

A flame which flickers at every blast of wind cannot lead us very far. If we do not possess a living faith in our divine possibilities, we shall never rise above our human limitations. A faith which does not enter into every part of our being and does not influence all our life, all our thoughts and activities, a passive, weak and wavering faith is powerless to achieve anything great or glorious. We must then keep the torch of true and pure faith brightly burning in us at all times. Whenever doubts and misgivings assail us, we must at once recognise them to be movements of falsehood, and sternly reject

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them. Whenever our flame grows weaker, we must open ourselves to the Divine Mother, who is the eternal source of all fire and light.Doubts and misgivings, desires and attachments to the lower life, egoistic ambitions and selfish narrowness and jealousy are great enemies of our progress; we must rise above them and live continually in the pure consciousness of faith, light and devotion. A man becomes what his faith is. Living constantly in sincere faith and pure aspiration, we shall steadily and inevitably grow into the greatness of the divine life.

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TRANSFORMATION

The transformation of our nature cannot be achieved all at once by a miracle; that would contradict the very law of our evolution as sanctioned and determined by the Divine. We must go through a long and patient course of sadhana and bring out in a progressive self-fulfilment all our divine possibilities.

Old movements persist in us, which were once necessary for our development at a lower stage of life, but now must be wholly rejected, as they constitute a great obstacle to our further progress. They go on mechanically through sheer force of habit, and are supported by our ignorant mind. This tamasic inertia of our nature must be removed by constant seeking after true knowledge. Yoga is a conscious and deliberate process, and we must leave nothing to chance.

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And in all our attempts to rise we have the fullest support of the Divine Mother; indeed it is through our evolution that she is fulfilling the will of her Divine Lord. So we need not at all be discouraged by obstacles and difficulties, however great and stupendous they may be. Nothing can stand against the Divine Grace, once it finds true conditions to work in us.

Depression and doubts are our greatest enemies, and they rise the more we allow ourselves to descend to the level of the ordinary consciousness. By a living, ceaseless aspiration we should always look up to the infinite glory of the divine life to which we are destined, arid through the Grace of the Mother nothing will be able to resist our onward march.

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WILL

We do not realise how powerful our will is unless and until we consciously make the best use of it. We allow our will to lie dormant in us, and so live a poor, weak, miserable life.

By the exercise of resolute will we can conquer the strongest temptations, we can find our way out of most difficult situations, patiently bear the worst sufferings, and pass through most trying ordeals. The richest treasures of human life are opened to the man who has a strong, developed will, and who knows how to use it.

And it is the force of will in us which can be used as a lever to exceed and rise above humanity. Before sincere, clear, resolute will, all difficulties and obstacles on the path of the sadhaka disappear, as darkness before the burning torch. When the Buddha

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willed that, until he obtained the Truth, he would not budge an inch from his seat of sadhana, even if his body dried up and his flesh and bone and skin fell to pieces, at that very moment victory was assured to him. The will that was in the Buddha is waiting to be roused and awakened in every man to lead him triumphantly to his destiny.

This will in us, after all, is a derivative power, a reflection of Thy will in us, O Divine Mother, and this is the secret of its strength; it is here to take us back to Thee. Purified and transformed, when this will of ours will be identified and united with Thy will, it will become irresistible and all-conquering, and will be an effective instrument of Thy manifestation on the earth.

We allow our will to run in all directions, impelled by desires, obscured by ignorance, torn by passions; hence it becomes weak and ineffective, and our greatest efforts often produce so poor results. We go on

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groping and stumbling in the world, and are baffled at every step.

To make our will really strong and effective, we have to free it completely from ignorance, egoism and attachments. Nothing can happen in this world unless it is willed by the Divine; and what is willed and decided by the Divine nothing on earth or anywhere can resist. We have to know this divine Will and put our own in harmony with it; then the highest force in the universe will be at our back, and all things, all obstacles will inevitably yield and bend before us.

Instead of blindly dealing with the forces at work, we have to know the central truth of all forces and movements, and exercise our will accordingly; we can get this knowledge and put our will in harmony with the divine Will by freeing our mind from all mechanical thoughts, all preconceived ideas and prejudices, and by sincerely opening it to the Truth above. This union with the Divine is the true skill in work, and it becomes more and

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more complete and perfect as we grow in surrender and devotion to Thee, Mother Divine.

We must not give any more indulgence to our lower nature; every time we yield to a lower impulse, we make it more difficult for us to conquer it; every lower suggestion that we reject leads us a step forward. We have a great and difficult task to achieve, we must not increase our difficulties by carelessness or slackness of our will.

In our sadhana every moment we either gain something or lose something. Every lower movement, however small, insignificant or plausible, that we indulge in, takes us backward and gives a hold, a footing in us to the ever-watchful hostile forces. Even if we do not go lower and remain where we are, that is a loss of time and opportunity, because simply by keeping up our aspiration and silent will for transformation we can make steady progress every moment of our life. Every victory that we achieve over our lower nature, helps us to know and realise

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the truth of our being, for in our true nature we are the masters and not the slaves of nature. Every temptation, however small, that we successfully resist strengthens our will, clears our intelligence, gives us true and genuine joy. Circumstances are constantly coming up where we can do or achieve something in the matter of our own transformation. We must always keep ourselves in close and intimate touch with the Divine Mother, so that every moment and with the help of every circumstance that we meet we can take a step forward towards divine life.

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SURRENDER

"Make your surrender true and complete, then only will all else be done for you."—Sri Aurobindo.

My soul has taken the firm and irrevocable resolution to surrender myself to Thee,.Mother Divine, but still I am far away from the perfection of my surrender.

I get touches and glimpses from Thee which fill me with light and joy; I live under Thy influence which helps me to purify and improve myself; Thou hast created all the conditions where I can calmly watch myself, control myself, turn myself always towards Thee; but my will is weak, my old habits are too strong, and I still allow the old self to have full play in me.

My thoughts and actions still rise from the lower nature; they go on as I take interest in them; I suffer the consequences as I still identify myself with them. Remove

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this weakness from my will, Mother, let me sternly turn away from the lower play and dedicate my life solely to the expression of Truth. Let me give up all my thought and action to Thee and be calm and pure and free from all care, all responsibility. Thou art the personal embodiment of Truth; in Thy Grace Thou hast created conditions for me where I can easily live a life constantly turned towards Thee; give me also the strength of will, Mother, by which I can make my life a constant, sincere devotion to Thee and to Thee alone.

My surrender to Thee, Mother, is not a mere fancy or a passing whim. It has come from my inmost soul and shall be made complete and integral.

I know all the parts in me have not yet wholly submitted to Thee; I know they will not all surrender without a struggle; but they will ultimately have to submit and they are now evidently passing through the last phases of the struggle.

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I shall always keep myself open to Thee, Mother, so that Thy light may enter into me and show up the recalcitrant parts; I shall again and again sacrifice them to Thee ; I shall earnestly support all Thy work in me until my whole realm is made free and brought absolutely' under Thy rule.

The arch rebel in me is my ego, which seems to have an everlasting life. With its army of desires, it hides under the cover of my ignorance and inevitably comes back to life as many times as it is apparently killed by Thy force in me. As long as a vestige, even a little seed of it will be left, so long it will revive again and again. Annihilate it completely, Mother, leaving no trace, no seed of it in me; I shall offer it to Thee again and again. Once this conquest is achieved, my soul's aspiration will be fulfilled, I shall find my highest life by completely merging myself in Thee.

The requirement of surrender to Thee, Mother, is an indispensable condition of my own real peace and happiness.

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Desires of the lower nature are pulling me in all directions, and that is the root of all trouble. My ordinary life is really a life .of surrender to these blind hankerings of Nature. Let these utterly cease in me, let me surrender myself wholly to Thee, Mother Divine !

I shall not bother about work, I shall give up all idea of duty and responsibility, but shall allow Thy will to work in me unhampered. I shall not hanker after know- ledge, but shall calmly receive whatever light comes from Thee. I shall not run blindly after the limited joys of the world, but shall gratefully accept whatever joy and pleasure comes directly from Thee. Entrusting my whole life into Thy hands, let me be free from all care and anxiety, from all effort and pain.

If one can cease to rely on the poor efforts of the ego and depend wholly on Thee, he can get infinitely more than the ego can ever bring. Yet the physical mind will not believe in the divine possibilities and will obstinately stand in the way of perfect surrender!

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Let my silent devotion personally to Thee, Mother, increase more and more so that this obstinacy of the physical mind may melt away and I may surrender myself completely to Thee.

It is not mere external surrender that is required; it is not sufficient that I cut off all my relations with the external world and depend , wholly on Thee for all my worldly needs. That is a preparation, an external symbol of the inner surrender that is required so that the integral transformation may take place.

In my egoistic ignorance and blind habit I think that unless I form plans with my mind I cannot do any work; that unless I reason and argue with my mind I cannot know anything ; so a ceaseless/activity goes on in the mind. So the body continues its old artificial movements thinking them to be indispensable for the realisation of ananda.

Now that I see Thee, Mother, "assuming the direction and control of my .move-

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ments from above and the organisation of ananda in me, I shall keep my mind and body passive and silent so that Thou mayest freely use them as Thy instruments. Hence- forth, there shall be no initiative from me, no effort to know or to do or to enjoy any- thing. I entrust to Thee, Mother, all my activities and the whole responsibility for them. I shall only look up to Thee in silent love and devotion so that Thou mayest manifest Thyself in me in Thy own way.

Those who can wholly depend on Thee, Mother, giving up all personal effort and initiative, Thou takest their entire charge and doest whatever is needful for them in Thy own perfect divine manner. Yet the ignorant human soul hesitates to surrender itself and .tenaciously clings to the poor egoistic effort to which it is habituated.

Merely surrendering the external life will not do; the inner determination of every thought and feeling and action must be absolutely given up to Thee. Only then the

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surrender will be complete and Thou wilt take up the whole life into Thy own being, Thy own consciousness. This surrender is not easy and requires a determined sadhana with great patience and perseverance.

The pure consciousness of the Purusha is within us, it is sustaining all our life, it underlies all our thoughts and feelings and actions, yet we do not see it, do not recognise it, just as a blind man does not feel the existence of the light which covers and pervades him. The thoughts and habits of our lower consciousness constitute our blindness. When we are able to withdraw from the lower consciousness and turn to- wards the calm, immutable, silent, pure consciousness of the Purusha in us, only then it becomes possible to complete our surrender to Thee, Mother, who art the supreme Divine consciousness containing and pervading everything that is in the universe.

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PEACE

Peace is the foundation on which the edifice of spiritual life is to be built up— peace, deep and unshakable, pervading every part of our being.

A restless soul torn by passions and attachments cannot receive the light from above, cannot have the taste of pure divine joy, and constantly loses balance and self-control. Such a soul pulled in all directions falls an easy prey to the forces of falsehood. We hanker after work, thirst for knowledge, feverishly pursue the transient joys of the senses. We are anxious for gains, afraid of losses, impatient of obstacles and failures. The source of all this restlessness is our ignorant belief that we are the masters of our work, and that our egoistic self-satisfaction and enjoyment is the sole aim and meaning of our life. True peace comes only with the know-

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ledge that it is the Divine who does every- thing, and that the whole world including ourselves exists solely for the sake of the Divine.

Firmly established in this divine know- ledge, we should discard all desires and passions which are the real enemies of peace and spiritual life. We must not allow any- thing to move us unless it be an impulse from the Divine Mother. Unassailable and un- shakable, we should sit tight in the fundamental calmness of our being. Only then will it be possible for the Mother to work in. us and raise us to her own life.

Our life is a series of actions and reactions going on blindly for the satisfaction of the lower needs of nature. Objects and forces constantly act on us from the outside and move our mind and the senses, which rush out to seize them, to possess them and mould them egoistically; hence arise thoughts and actions, passions and emotions, which in their totality form what we know as our human life.

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Herein lies our bondage, this capacity of forces acting on us to produce reactions. On account of this, we are at the mercy of the forces of nature which surround us and are ceaselessly acting upon us. If we can with- hold ourselves and stop these reactions, if we can receive all touches from the outside absolutely unmoved, then we shall be really free; and it is only in a heart and mind so calm and free from reactions that the joys and the glories of a higher divine life can manifest.

As the sea receives innumerable streams of water into itself without being in the least perturbed by them, so we must receive all touches from the outside without any perturbation, and must not allow anything to draw us out, unless it be an impulse directly from the Divine Mother. And this is possible only by dissociation from the movements of the lower nature, which we should regard as being merely the interaction of natural forces on one another. Practising this dissociation from the lower movements, (always seeking our union with the Divine Mother, all perturbations

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and reactions will cease in us, and a fundamental peace will be established in every part of our being. Only then will the foundation of a higher divine life be truly laid in us.

Mere retirement or cessation of work does not bring real peace ; as long as the mind and the life and the body continue to submit passive- ly to external influences, there is no real surrender, and we cannot expect their transformation.

There is still much inertia and obscurity in my mind. It constantly opens itself to all sorts of ideas and suggestions from the outside, and mechanically moves round and round about them. These restless, senseless movements obstruct the descent of the Truth on the one hand, and open the being to all sorts of hostile forces on the other.

So the vital and the physical are still passive and ignorant; excited by the slightest impact from the outside, they tend helplessly to start on their old blind movements. All these parts have to be roused, illumined, and made alert; with a silent but resolute exercise of the

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will, their outward and downward course has to be withheld, and they are to be turned again and again towards the immobile peace and silence of the inner self; then and only then can real peace descend on every part of the being.

Firmly established in this peace, we have to continually surrender ourselves to Thee, Mother, and ceaselessly aspire to the higher life. Only under these conditions will the Divine Grace act and victoriously bring about our transformation.

To preserve peace and equanimity under all circumstances and at every moment of our life, that is an essential condition of our progress. Light and power and joy will manifest only on a solid foundation of all-pervading peace.

And peace is the real truth of our being, all perturbation and restlessness being only a movement of falsehood, a perversion of our true nature. Our true self is eternal and immutable.; it wants nothing, desires nothing, is full and complete in itself, enjoying its own delight of

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existence; unmoved and immobile, it supports all the movements in the universe. It is the ego in us, our lower self, that is at the mercy of every passing current in life, drifting helplessly, moved and tossed by every wave. We must free ourselves from this ego and stand on the immutable peace of our true self'—that is the first essential condition of a higher divine life.

Established in this peace, firmly refusing to be moved by anything that may come to us or happen to us, we must always look up to Thee, Mother, to manifest our true nature. When Thou hast willed to uplift us, to give us divine life, what fear, what anxiety need we have ? With complete surrender to Thee, Mother, let us calmly await our self-fulfilment through Thy divine will and Thy all-conquering Grace.

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ASPIRATION

Aspiration is our only tapasya, aspiration is the only fire we are to keep burning in our heart at all times and under all circumstances. We need light no other fire, we need no other askesis or austerity.

If difficulties insurmountable obstruct us on the path, if the forces of falsehood surround us and lure us with dangerous fascination, we have only to tend our heart's fire assiduously, and all obstacles will vanish, all hostile forces, however powerful, will be conquered.

If we fall even to the lowest depths and all hope seem to disappear, if there ;'be no one to help us, cheer us, guide us, if we lose all and be forsaken by all, yet if we can continue our aspiration ceaselessly, sincerely, help will surely come from above and we shall be raised even from the lowest depths.

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If depression and inertia overtake us and we cannot make any progress, if dark- ness beset us on all sides and we cannot see our way, yet if we can keep our aspiration alive and earnestly look up to the divine Power above, fresh vigour and enthusiasm will soon be infused into tis, and we shall clearly see the path before us.

Aspiration will awaken what is best in us, aspiration will gather up all our energies and turn them upward, all dissensions and conflicts in our nature will be merged in a single purpose and devotion, and in response will come from above Grace and divine Love. Aspiration will bring us Love and Love will lead us to victory.

Let me be like a flame always burn- ing upward to Thee, Mother, let all my soul be consumed in love to Thee; it is thus that I shall have a new birth in Thy divine life.

Thoughts and ideas continually seek to enter into my mind from the outside and

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disturb the flame of my aspiration; bless me, Mother, so that I may resolutely throw away all such disturbing thoughts and keep my mind absolutely pure and clear.

Desires and attachments from the vital world always seek to obscure and extinguish my flame; bless me, Mother, so that I may persistently reject all such low desires and keep my heart absolutely clear and pure.

All sorts of attacks are made on my body in order to weaken the flame of my aspiration; bless me, Mother, so that I may defy all" such attempts and keep my body hale and hearty for worshipping thee.

Let unbounded faith feed my flame and immutable calm and peace prevail all over my being. With Thy blessings, Divine Mother, I shall steadily grow into the divine life.

My inner being has left the old world behind and has discarded the old ways of life; but in my outer nature interest in the old life still lingers; and thus recur again and again in me old thoughts and desires.

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How can I completely get rid of them unless Thou, Mother, take possession of me and completely fill me with Thyself ?

As soon as old thoughts and ideas enter into my ' mind, I shall aspire towards Thee, Mother, and Thou wilt have' to fill my mind with the light of Thy truth.

As soon as desires and passions rise in me, Mother, I shall aspire towards Thee, and Thou wilt have to fill my heart with Thy unsurpassable sweetness and delight.

As soon as false and perverted movements appear in me, Mother, I shall aspire towards Thee, and Thou wilt have to fill my life with Thy harmony and grace.

In all my imperfections and ignorance, I shall continually look up to Thee, Mother, hoping and aspiring That a day will soon come when Thou wilt take entire possession of myself and make me divine.

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DIVINE GRACE

I am my own worst enemy, Mother; no one can help me unless I help myself. Thy Grace is always there to respond to sincere and earnest call; it can work wonders in us, but it will not act unless the full support of our own will be forthcoming.

Hostile forces lie in wait all around us; the more they are rejected, the more insistent they become ; driven from the front door they seek to enter by the back ; they know only too well all our defects and points of weakness and are always prompt to take advantage of them; they come in all guises and with all gifts and promises acceptable to us. They can overtake the most vigilant, and one can never be wholly safe from their attack, unless and until he is fully changed and transformed.

But they cannot hide their falsehood before sincere seeking and aspiration ; they cannot bear

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the light of truth; they cannot stand before resolute will. The divine Grace is always there to protect those who sincerely seek its protection.

Thou knowest fully all my defects and weaknesses, Mother ; I have taken my absolute refuge in Thee; if Thou do not bear with me in patience and save me from my own ignorance and weakness, to whom shall I turn ? Save Thy child, Mother, give me more light, give more strength to my will; support me with Thy Grace while I sincerely try to keep my temple clean and pure for Thy abiding presence.

We ourselves cannot change our nature and rise to the divine life. We can keep in check the lower movements in us; we can replace one movement by another, but we cannot annihilate nor effectively transform them. Only the power of the Divine descending from above can effect the transformation.

The Divine is always pressing on us from above and urging us from below ; but until we can consciously and voluntarily surrender our- selves to it, it cannot take up the work of transformation in us.

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On the one hand, our physical nature does not believe in higher possibilities and it obstinately resists all attempts at change and transformation ; on the other, the forces of falsehood and darkness easily find an opening in us and keep us under their sway. Thus, the divine power cannot work in us and we seem to be hopelessly involved in the lower life.

But once we have the will to be transformed, at once the Divine finds a chance in us. We cannot ourselves change the nature of the different parts of our being, but we can make them consent to be changed and submit to the working of the divine power. We cannot our- selves conquer the hostile forces, but we can resolutely refuse to invite them or tolerate them; we cannot remove our darkness, but we can Call the divine light to illumine us; we cannot raise ourselves, but we can constantly, sincerely aspire to rise. When we shall fulfil these conditions, the highest Divine Grace will descend and conquering all our defects and obstacles will raise us to the life divine.

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YOGA

To live according to the truth of our being is our sadhana. All our life is an attempt to express that truth, but ordinarily it is a blind and groping attempt which constantly leads to perversion and falsehood. Consciously to know the truth and realise that in our life—that is Yoga.

We have to change and mould our body, our life, our mind so as to make them plastic instruments, perfect vehicles of the truth; but the beliefs and habits ingrained in them are the greatest obstacles to such a change. The body does not believe that the laws known to it and followed by it can ever be changed or altered, and it is the same with the vital and the mental parts—nowhere 'is there the light of true consciousness, the belief in higher divine possibilities;

our movements go on eternally in a blind, groping, mechanical series.

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The first essential thing is to hold fast to the faith in our divine possibilities in every part of our being, the faith that our whole nature can be and has to be completely changed and trans- formed. Established firmly in this faith, freeing ourselves from all ignorant notions of impossibility, we should open every part of our being to the Divine Mother and ceaselessly and sincerely aspire to the higher divine life. Only under these conditions will the truth manifest in us and mould us into its own nature.

Let me merge my personality completely in Thee, Mother, so that no trace of the old life may be left in me. Only thus I shall realise the truth of my being, for my identification with Thee is the real truth, and my separation from Thee is a falsehood, which .is the root of all misery and trouble.

In seeking this reunion with Thee, Mother, it is not sufficient that we physically touch Thy feet or occasionally sit in meditation; we must give up all pre-occupations and associate with Thee in all Thy work, in all Thy

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movements. Our life is still full of old ideas and thoughts, of old interests and associations, of old habits and tendencies, and these constitute a great obstacle to our union with Thee, Mother. We must turn away from these and identify ourselves with the great work Thou art accomplishing, the work of manifesting the supramental Truth on the earth; we should turn all our attention to the creation of conditions favourable to this manifestation and to the removal of all obstacles.

And in all our thoughts and feelings and works, we should seek direct inner touch and inspiration from Thee, Mother. Thus united with Thee within ourselves, as the source of all light and strength and joy, and united with Thee outside in the great work Thou hast undertaken, we shall complete our identification with Thee, Mother, and really become a part and parcel of Thy own divine self.

Yoga is not merely thinking of Thee,, Mother, with the mind, or bowing the head

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at Thy feet; these are certainly great aids and starting points, but in themselves They cannot take us very far. We must fill our whole being with Thy living presence, we must constantly live in active and integral union with Thee—that will be Yoga in the real sense of the term.

There is no movement in us, conscious or unconscious, voluntary or involuntary, that has not some support, even conscious support, in some part of our being. We must constantly seek Thy light, vigilantly find out the false movements in us, resolutely with- draw all our support from them and sincerely call in Thy force to throw them away—that will be a real process of Yogic sadhana.

Then we must know Thy will in the world and sincerely devote ourselves to Thy service, always seeking inspiration and guidance from Thyself. We must keep ourselves full of the purest joy that rises from sincere love and devotion to Thee; the gods will come down from above to taste that divine joy in us and help us to grow in divine life—that is the process of Yoga which will surely give us the highest siddhi. 3

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THE GOAL

Ours is a great cause, Mother, we are the fighters in a divine fight, and Thou hast come down to lead us to victory.

Over humanity now rule the forces of darkness and falsehood. In vain search of light and power and joy, men move round and round eternally and keep the divine in them in perpetual bondage. Our fight is to free the involved divine, to lead the way to the highest fulfilment of humanity. We shall sub- due the hostile forces, we shall establish the rule of light on earth, we shall fulfil

the will of God in humanity. Ours is a divine fight, Mother and Thou art divine leader.

Thou hast assumed the limitations of humanity in order to show the way to overcome them; we are Thy chosen soldiers; the gods have come down to help us in response to Thy call. Faith is our shield, obedience to

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Thee our discipline, aspiration the force that leads us on. We see the goal before us, the— kingdom of heaven is within our reach. Victoriously led by Thee, fully supported by the sanction and the will of the Supreme Divine, we shall overcome all obstacles and open the gates of divine light and power and joy to all mankind.

Ours is not to forsake, life, but to seek its true fulfilment. We want to escape from the falsehood and misery of the lower life so that we may realise our highest possibilities.

We must have the eye to see that all movements in life are movements in the 'Universal, and that there is a truth, a meaning behind every movement, and that each in its essence is a movement of light and power and joy. Through our egoism and ignorance these movements are distorted and deformed in us, and we live a life of falsehood and imperfection.

Individual beings are only fields or vehicles where the universal movements manifest them- selves according to the nature of the field or' the vehicle. We must be able to detach ourselves

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from these movements, observe them as they are and discriminate the truth from the falsehood -that is in them. Persistent rejection of the false and the acceptance of the true are the essential conditions of our highest self-realisation.

Thou embodiest in Thyself, Mother, all the true movements in life; by taking our absolute refuge in Thee, we shall find out our true life. By Thy light we shall know the true from the false ; by the aid of Thy will we shall persistently reject the falsehood. Thou wilt establish us in the true movements of light and power and joy. Ours is not to forsake life but to seek its highest fulfilment in and through Thee, Mother Divine.

The true test of our aspiration is that we must dissociate ourselves completely from the ordinary ways and modes of mankind; we must not look with a longing on the life we have consciously and deliberately left behind.

Men run wildly after transient joys and find an intense interest in the feverish pursuit of sense-desires; these little, imperfect, conditional satisfactions are not for us; we are to look forward to the infinite and absolute

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delight of the Spirit in itself. Bound to their egoism, men are torn by the greed of possession, by ambition, jealousy, rivalry, vanity, arrogance; .they live in constant conflict and discord; this poor, miserable life is not for us; we look up to the higher life in the unity and harmony of the all pervading, all-embracing Divine.

Men work blind, restless, aimless like the rocking, thundering waves in the sea, impelled by the hidden forces of their own desires; moving round their own ego, ignorant- ly they think that they are making progress; this is a sheer waste of time and energy from our point of view. We should seek the perfect skill in work in complete union with the Divine Mother.

Men are satisfied with limited power; limited joy, limited light, limited life. We seek immortality and infinite power and joy;

we aspire to be identified with the Truth and to-make it the very stuff of our life. We seek to exceed humanity and become super- men; we must resolutely turn our back on the ways and modes of mortal life on earth.

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THE PATH

Our path is so simple, yet so difficult! We have only to leave ourselves entirely in Thy hands, Mother Divine, and everything else will be done for us; but against this simple act of surrender the whole of our nature and the whole world seem to stand, and we have to win every inch of ground by stern, resolute, courageous fight and struggle.

Yet everywhere the principle is the same ;. whenever there is any obstacle, any difficulty, any imperfection in our being, we have simply to surrender it to Thee and wait with patient hope and aspiration. And this is so natural, so- in harmony with the true nature of things ! Our mind and life and body are living in falsehood and perversion, and their highest perfection lies, in identification with Thee. Only it is ignorance and lack of faith and inertia which make them refuse or revolt. Once the faith in divine life is born and the will to attain it, the rest becomes simple and easy.

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With even a little of this faith and surrender, the obstacles begin to disappear. With.*. surrender comes peace, comes joy, comes hope. Growing in joyful surrender, we grow in devotion to Thee, Mother, and the greater the sincerity of devotion, the nearer we .approach the light, the joy, the power, the peace of Thy divine consciousness, and we become more and more one and integrally identified with Thee. And it is so easy, so natural, so intensely joyful to be devoted to Thee, Mother Divine ! Our path is simple and all difficulties and obstacles, however great and powerful, inevitably disappear before simple, sincere, earnest devotion.

Our life is to be guided not by any human standard, but by the divine. It is not sufficient that we fulfil what can be expected from men; we must pass through the tests applicable to the gods.

The limited and mixed pleasures after which human beings strive are not for us;

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we aspire after the taste of immortal joy. The little conquests attained by great struggle and effort are not for us; our aim is to make the world forces yield to our will. The imperfect knowledge, full of ignorance and falsehood, attained by the reason and the understanding, is not for us; we seek the light which, blazing like the sun from with- in, will dispel all our darkness.

Nothing mean, nothing impure, nothing undivine is to be tolerated by us. We must rise above the human passions, above the little joys and sorrows which disturb men, above the small pursuits which keep human beings occupied. What is impossible to achieve for a mortal man shall be achieved in us through the divine grace. We must always aspire to follow not the human stan- dard but the divine.

And that divine standard is Thy own Self, Mother, Thou art our ideal and our guide. To know Thy will in every detail and to follow it under all circumstances, that is the standard we have accepted for our life.

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My sole aspiration, Mother, is to make myself a perfect vehicle for the manifestation of the Truth, and to make my life a real extension of Thy divine life. Every thing that I call " me " and " mine " shall be replaced by "Thee" and "Thine"; all the conditions for the higher divine life shall be fully and strictly fulfilled, that is my sole work, my sole sadhana.

My thoughts and feelings and willings, going on in their old way, keep me bound to the lower life of ignorance and falsehood; all these have to be thrown away entirely and replaced by the reflections of Thy thoughts, feelings and willings,—that is the way to the realisation of the life divine. Thou hast placed Thyself before us as the embodiment of the Truth, as the ideal to be attained by us. It is by making ourselves perfectly plastic and responsive to Thy touch and influence that we shall conquer all

our human limitations.

We now depend on the mind for .our light and guidance, hence we grope and stumble. Let us free our mind from all thoughts and desires, all prejudices and attachments, and keep it

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always open and turned towards Thee, so that Thou mayest intuitivise and transform it. We must make our mind worthy of reliance, before' we rely on it. With a mind pure and trans- formed, we shall steadily follow the light and rise to the life divine which Thou hast held before us as our ultimate goal.

Thou hast clearly shown the path to us, Mother; we have only to follow it up; Thou wilt guide us at every step, help us in all our difficulties, support us with Thy infinite love and grace ; we have only to turn towards Thee with all our heart and soul.

Thou dost not require anything from us which is beyond our power to give; Thou dost not give us any work which we cannot carry out; we have only to make the best use of our light and power, we have to fulfil the part assigned to us; whatever else is necessary, Thou wilt do for us.

But our efforts must be sincere, persistent, and determined. We must not allow inertia or lethargy to overtake us; we must not allow

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falsehood to mix up with our aspiration. We must watch every thought or desire that may rise in us, and constantly open ourselves to Thee, Mother. We must not leave anything to chance, but consciously and ceaselessly strive to fulfil all the conditions of our transformation in their minutest detail,

Thou hast made our task perfectly clear to us; but it is a great and difficult task, and it is only by devoting all our heart and soul to it that we can ever hope to achieve it.

It is not that our sadhanfl will bear fruit only in some distant date in the future; it is fulfilling itself every moment and is a course of progressive self-realisation. Even a little of it delivers us from great sorrow and sin; every step brings new joy, new life.

Our very resolution to turn away from the lower things in life and to realise the Divine, brings forth all that is best in us. By holding firmly to our faith, we are delivered from the torments of doubt and uncertainty. By aspira- tion we easily conquer the forces which would

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pull us down. By giving up desires we strike at the root of all misery and sin. By getting rid of egoism we rise above the conflicts of the world and realise the unity and harmony of the higher life. By surrender to Thee, Mother, we are relieved from the great burden of life, and taste true freedom and peace. Sincere self-giving and devotion to Thee, Mother, brings such a joy as has no parallel in the lower life of the senses.

The more we advance in sadhana, the more we grow in purity and peace, in light and harmony, in power and joy; every step we take brings its own reward; even a little of it delivers us from great sorrow and sin. Thus, we advance to the glories of the divine life.

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DIFFICULTIES AND OBSTACLES

All difficulties and obstacles can be so used as to be of great help to us in our sadhana. We are tested by difficulties, they point out the defects and imperfections in us; they rouse us from the inert passivity and lethargy into which we are constantly apt to fall; they exercise and strengthen the powers of self-conquest in us.

If our work brings failure or disaster on us, we have only to thank ourselves, for the Divine Mother is always there to help us, to guide us, and it is entirely our own fault if we turn away from her and obey our egoistic whims and desires.

If we suffer from doubts and misgivings, we can be sure that there are still obscure and dark corners in us, where the divine light has not been brought in, and we should open these more and. more to the Divine Mother.

If we ever feel dull or dry, if sorrow or misery overtake us, we can be sure that there are

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still parts in us which hanker after the lower joys of life,and, thus, cut us off from the perennial stream of ananda that is flowing all around us.

Thus, our difficulties and obstacles are our ..great aids; they can always be utilised as step- ping stones in our upward march, and they are often intended to be such by our Divine Friend and Guide, by the kind and graceful Mother.

One of the first things necessary in our sadhana is that we must have absolutely no anxiety, no fear. Thou hast decided to give us a higher life, Mother ; there is nothing which can stand against Thy will.

Very little we know of thy powers, Mother; very little of Thyself Thou hast shown to us. But the little that has been revealed to us has filled our heart with wonder, gratitude, , and unassailable faith and hope. Whatever be the dangers and difficulties that may come upon us, we are always assured of Thy divine protection. What- ever be the trials and failures through which we may have to pass, we know that they will only

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DIFFICULTIES AND OBSTACLES

help us to go forward. Thou hast given us sufficient light to know our path; Thou hast given us a taste .of Thy divine love, which will sustain us in our onward march, however difficult

and strenuous it may be.

Our progress is limited only by out defect in faith and reliance on Thee. The more I succeed in emptying myself of all thoughts and desires, the more Thou fillest me with Thy own self; the more I give up my own initiative and efforts, the more Thou takest up all my work in Thy own way. We need have absolutely no anxiety, no fear; we have only to perfect our faith and reliance on Thee, Mother.

Through the touch of Thy grace, Mother, difficulties turn into opportunities, and the very obstacles and defects in our nature turn into aids and virtues.

The inertia of our nature is a great obstacle to our progress; but by sincere aspiration this inertia is turned into deep peace and firmness, established in which we can remain undisturbed by all events and circumstances in life, and can

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refuse to be moved by anything else but a direct impulse from Thyself.

The hankering in our nature for activity and struggle is a great obstacle to our progress, but by the touch of Thy grace, it turns into strength of will and alertness and a determination to conquer absolutely all defects, all falsehood in our nature.

The movements of our thought and reasoning are a great obstacle to our progress and hide the Truth from us, but when dedicated to Thy service, they serve as a test, as a solvent which will continually help us to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

Thus, if we can sincerely dedicate all our powers and activities to Thy service and turn our whole being towards Thyself, Mother, all our defects will turn into virtues, all obstacles into aids.

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