Pitanje: Kako možemo na pravi način da izrazimo zahvalnost ?

Šri Činmoj: Zapravo ne morate da se trudite da izrazite zahvalnost. Ako imate istinsku zahvalnost, ona će se automatski izraziti. Videće se u vašim očima, oko vašeg bića, u vašojauri. To je kao miris cveta. Istina, postoji neko cveće koje nema miris. Ali u većini slučajeva, ako postoji divan cvet, prirodno će i miris biti tu. Cvet i njegov miris ne mogu se odvojiti.

Zahvalnost je najslađa stvar u tragaočevom životu – u ljudskom životu uopšte. Ako u vašem srcu postoji zahvalnost, onda će u vašim očima postojati obilna slatkoća. Kad vidim učenika, gledam lepotu njegovih očiju. Lepotu očiju ne određuje njihov oblik ni njihova boja. Ne, lepota očiju zavisi od lepote srca. U očima tražim čistotu, zahvalnost i nekoliko drugih stvari koje dolaze direktno iz srca.

Ali od svih stvari koje tražim, zahvalnost je najvažnija. Ako postoji zahvalnost u vašem srcu, onda će ona biti izražena kroz vaše oči u vidu slatkoće. Kada me gledaju, u nekim očima vidim takvu slatkoću – poput najukusnije indijske poslastice.

Pitanje: Osećam da je moja ljubav prema tebi stvarno dar Milosti. S obzirom da je Milost bezuslovna, kako Svevišnji odlučuje koga će obasuti Milošću ?

Sri Chinmoy: In the ordinary human life, everything is always conditional: if you give me something, then I will give you something. You have to give me ten dollars, and then I will give you one dollar. Or I will give you ten dollars if you give me one dollar. There are always conditions, conditions, conditions.

Kada Svevišnji nešto daje, On daje bezuslovno i ništa ne očekuje za uzvrat. Ali ako si mudar, ti ćeš takođe Njemu dati ono što imaš i ono što jesi. Ako ne daš ono što imaš i ono što jesi, nećeš biti u stanju da primaš od Njega. Beskrajni okean je uvek spreman da jednoj kapi da sve što ima i što jeste, tako da kap može da postane jedno sa njim. Ali ukoliko kap takođe ne daje sebe okeanu, kako onda može da primi beskraj okeana? Okean je uvek spreman da ga ti primiš. Ali ako nisi voljan da daš okeanu kap koja si ti, kako onda možeš da postaneš okean?

Sunčeva svetlost je za svakoga. Ali, ako držim moja vrata i prozore zatvorene, neću moći da je primim. Svevišnji neprekidno obasipa svakog pojedinca Njegovom bezgraničnom Svetlošću, Njegovom bezgraničnim Mirom i Njegovim beskrajnim Blaženstvom. Ali mi primamo te stvari samo u skladu sa našom ljubavlju prema Svevišnjem i našom potrebom za Svevišnjim.

Veliki duhovni Učitelji rade toliko mnogo stvari za čovečanstvo bezuslovno. Idu na različita mesta da drže predavanja i meditiraju, ali koliko ljudi dođe da primi od njih? Ja održavam koncerte posvećene miru, pišem pesme, slikam i crtam. Radim mnoge, mnoge stvari koje ne moram da radim. Šri Krišna je rekao da nakon Bogoostvarenja ne moraš ništa drugo da radiš. Nijedna od tih stvari koje radim neće uvećati moje ostvarenje Boga. Ali ja pišem, slikam, držim koncerte i radim sve te druge stvari samo da bih inspirisao ostale.

Pitanje: Znam, nažalost, da um prolazi različite stepene prijemčivosti. Da li je to takođe i slučaj sa dušom, ili je duša stalno prijemčiva?

Šri Činmoj: Duša je uvek prijemčiva. Duša stalno žudi da primi više svetlosti, više radosti, više blagoslova i svaku božansku osobinu. Um i vital vrlo retko primaju. Srce s vremena na vreme prima, mada ne uvek. Ali duša stalno prima. Ako Učitelj želi da podari mir, ako želi da podari ljubav, svetlost, blaženstvo ili bilo koju božansku osobinu, duša je naprosto zgrabi. Duša je stalno željna i gladna za tim stvarima jer ih ceni. Ako je neko lekar, on ceni vrednost medicine. Ali, ukoliko nisi lekar i ako se ne osećaš bolesnim, onda te ne zanima oblast medicine.

Pitanje: Možeš li da kažeš nešto o kompromisu? Zbog stresa od našeg načina života, nekad osećam da moram da vegetiram, premda znam da to nije najbolja stvar da se uradi.

Šri Činmoj: Ovo pitanje je od velikog značaja. Sa najviše duhovne tačke gledišta, kompromis je apsolutno pogrešan. Ako znam najviše, ako znam šta je najbolje za pojedinca, onda ne treba da pravim kompromis.

Kada dve zemlje prave ustupke, to je šala. Kompromis se javlja iz straha. Tokom mnogih godina borim se protiv tebe ali sada, pošto sam slab, kažem: “Hajde da se više ne borimo jedan protiv drugog!” Ali srce mi gori, i potajno ću raditi na tome da stvorim novo oružje ili novu strategiju da bih te savladao. Onda ću sutra kad se osećam snažnim, ponovo hteti da se borim. Jedini razlog što te ne napadam je što se bojim da si i ti takođe stvorio neko jače oružje. Dakle, mirni kompromis koji postižemo zasniva se samo na obostranom strahu, ne na obostranoj mudrosti. U srcu našeg srca, samo želimo da ostanemo mirni, nekoliko godina ili nekoliko meseci tako da možemo da se pripremimo za neku buduću bitku.

U duhovnom životu, ako se baviš najvišom božanstvenošću u individui, kompromis ne dolazi u obzir. Uzeo sam punu odgovornost za duhovni napredak mojih učenika. Svaki put kada napravim ustupak i pustim osobu da uradi pogrešnu stvar, odlažem njen napredak. Moj je cilj da svakog pojedinca što je brže moguće odvedem do suđenog cilja. Ako dopustim nekome da odloži svoj napredak i učini pogrešnu stvar, kasnije, kada je u božanskoj svesti, okriviće mene. Kada vidi da Tom, Dik i Hari idu mnogo brže od njega, osećaće se veoma nesrećnim. Reći će: “O Bože, oni su bili slabi trkači. Sad su svi otišli ispred mene. Zašto si mi dozvolio da načinim kompromis?”

To je ovako: kada želiš da ustaneš u pet sati da meditiraš, um kaže: “Oh, suviše je rano. “ U šest, sedam čak i osam sati, um kaže da je još suviše rano. Zatim, kad na kraju ustaneš u devet ili deset sati, um kaže: “Glupane, sad je prekasno da se meditira! Ko ti je tražio da me poslušaš?”

A opet, ponekad me učenici primoraju na kompromis. Znam da neko radi pogrešnu stvar, ali iz samilosti ili iz raznih drugih razloga to moram da dozvolim.Tad sam ja taj koji stvarno pati, zbog toga što moram da stavim tu osobu na moja ramena i da je nosim, s obzirom da je Učiteljeva božanska odgovornost da se uveri da svaki njegov učenik najbrže trči.

Pitanje: Kako se bog ili boginja osećaju kada ljudsko biće ima njihovo ime?

Šri Činmoj: U Indiji, roditelji ponekad daju deci duhovna imena kao što su Lakšmi ili Krišna da bi izneli na površinu njihove božanske osobine. Oni daju ova imena s mišlju da će svakog trenutka nastojati da vide u svojoj deci prisustvo tih bogova ili boginja. Oni se mole da će božanske osobine koje ovi bogovi i boginje imaju biti ispoljene u i kroz njihovu decu. Neki roditelji će se moliti mesecima i godinama za svoju decu da imaju ove božanske osobine.

A opet, neki roditelji se neće moliti čak ni jedan sekund. Oni daju ime ne zato što žele da njihova deca budu duhovna, već zbog toga što dobijaju radost govoreći da je ime njihovog sina Rama ili Krišna. Daće svojoj deci božanska imena, ali oni će ih učiti nezamislivim stvarima dok odrastaju tako da mogu da postanu uspešni u profesijama gde svest uopšte nije težeća. Svojoj deci daju idealna imena nekih bogova ili boginja, ali onda dovedu decu u džunglu obmane a ne u vrt božanskog.

Kada ja dajem duhovno ime mom učeniku, to je zato što vidim mogućnosti i unutrašnje sposobnosti učenika. Vidim koje osobine će ta osoba verovatno izneti na površinu u ovoj inkarnaciji. Svaka osoba ima mnogo božanskih osobina, ali izvesnije je da će neke od tih osobina pre nego druge biti ispoljene u ovoj inkarnaciji. Zato dajem različita imena u zavisnosti od sposobnosti duše, voljnosti i žarke želje da ispolji božansko kroz neke posebne božanske osobine.

Kada bogovi i boginje vide da neki tragaoci manifestuju značenje njihovih duhovnih imena, presrećni su. Ali rastuže se kad vide da deca koja imaju njihova imena vode nebožanske živote oskrnavljuju njihova imena. Neki roditelji samo daju duhovno ime svojoj deci, a zatim im pokažu put u pakao. Što se mene tiče, pokušavam da iznesem na površinu božanske osobine koje duhovno ime utelovljuje, i da pomognem učeniku da te osobine svesno ispolji.

Pitanje: Jednom sam imao priliku da ti iznesem veoma ozbiljan unutrašnji problem koji sam imao, a ti si rekao si mogao, s obzirom da sam bio u stanju da ti otkrijem problem, da ga otkloniš. Ako neko nema takvu spoljašnju priliku, koji je najbolji način da ti predamo problem u potpunosti? Pokušavao sam na unutrašnjem planu, ali bio sam neuspešan dok nisam mogao da ti ga ponudim na spoljnom planu.

Šri Činmoj: To pitanje mi slama srce. Kad neko u svom srcu ima tajnu, misliš li da njegov um ne zna? Da li misliš da mu vital ne zna? Ako neko pati zato što čuva određenu tajnu, čitavo njegovo biće pati. Njegov vital pati, um pati, svi pate. A opet, ako neko čuva neku slatku tajnu, dobru tajnu, onda se čitavo njegovo biće raduje. To je zbog toga što su njegovo telo, um i srce jedno. Ovo je razlog što dobra tajna čitavom našem biću daje radost, a loša tajna stvara probleme za njega.

Onog trenutka kad možeš da podeliš svoje tajne sa Učiteljem, već si načinio jedan korak napred. Učitelj tada kaže: “Sad želim da odeš deset koraka, sto koraka napred, i prestaneš da radiš onu stvar koju radiš pogrešno.“ Dve godine ili deset ili dvanaest godina možda si se trudio da držiš problem skriven, u sebi da tako kažem. Pošto si držao vrata svog srca zatvorena, sva je tama, tama, tama unutra. Kad mi kažeš tvoju tajnu, to je kao otvaranje vrata tvog srca i puštanje svežeg vazduha i svetlosti. Tad sam veoma ponosan na tebe; ne možeš da zamisliš koliko mnogo cenim tvoju iskrenost i divim joj se.

Ali sad kad si samo malo otvorio svoje srce, zašto ga sasvim ne otvoriš? Mnogi ljudi mi poveravaju svoje tajne; čujem milione tajni. Ali, oni ne načine sledeći korak: poslušnost. Spremni su da mi kažu da su uradili nešto veoma loše. Ali kad im dam savet i kažem im: “Nemoj to više da radiš,” nisu voljni da slušaju. I moraš da znaš da nije samo savet ono što ti dajem. Kad ti kažem da ne radiš nešto, takođe ti dajem snagu da to ne radiš, dajem ti unutrašnju snagu da ne ponoviš svoju grešku. Ali ti ne želiš da je primiš.

Većina problema učenika počne sa neposlušnošću i nastavljaju zbog nevoljnosti. Prvo uradi nešto za šta zna da Učitelj neće odobravati. Prekrši božanska pravila i radi nešto neduhovno usled svetovnog iskušenja ili želje za ovozemaljskim imenom i slavom ili zato što misli da nekako može učiniti svoj život srećnijim. Onda uradi pogrešno još nešto krijući i ne govoreći Učitelju. Učenici koji su uspostavili svoje jedinstvo sa mnom ili koji žele da uspostave jedinstvo sa mnom neće se plašiti da mi kažu za njihove teškoće i probleme. Ako prećute jer misle da ću se ljutiti, gde je onda njihova ljubav prema meni; gde je njihovo jedinstvo sa mnom?

Kada vaša iskrenost na kraju izađe na površinu da vas spase od neposlušnosti, vi mi kažete vaše probleme ili zbog čega vam je opala svest. Ali kada vam kažem šta da radite, pojave se prkos ili otpor i ne slušate me. Šta se dešava? Vaša iskrenost je uništena. Kad ne poslušate Učitelja, samo ste izdao svoju vlastitu duhovnost.

Neki od mojih učenika su apsolutno u njihovom sopstvenom svetu, a njihov svet je milione i milione milja udaljen od božanskog sveta. Oni su stvorili pakao za sebe, i uživaju u njemu, te pokušavaju da me prevare i obmanu. Kad konačno uvide da žive u paklu, kažu mi da ih njihova tajna muči i da pate kao niko, kažem im, “Molim te, molim te, nemoj da ostaneš u paklu. Godinama i godinama pokušavam da stvorim Raj za tebe, ali nisi želeo da ostaneš tu. Umesto toga si želeo da živiš u paklu. Sad želiš da ponovo postaneš božanski, pa ti dajem sposobnost. U stvari, ja sam sposobnost za tebe.“ Ali ti ljudi ne slušaju, i svi patimo.

Prvo izbegavate lekara; onda konačno kažete lekaru: “Nešto je rđavo u meni.” Lekar kaže :”to je rak; uzmite lek.” Ali vi kažete: “Ne, neću uzeti lek. Želim da uživam u svom načinu življenja. Želim da uživam u svom raku.” Ali, duhovni Učitelj nije kao spoljašnji lekar. Ako pacijent umre zato što ne uzme lek, na spoljašnjem planu lekar jednostavno kaže: “Nije moja greška.” Ali „unutrašnji“ lekar, Učitelj, nije takav. On pati i plače zato što ga učenik nije slušao. Kad učenik umre duhovno, Učitelj kaže: “Da je ta osoba sledila moj savet, bio bih u stanju da je spasem.”

Tragaoci i učenici koji su bili u stanju da reše svoj vital i ostale unutrašnje probleme učinili su to samo zbog njihove iskrenosti i voljnosti da prihvate duhovni savet.

U vašem Učitelju možete videti Svevišnjeg, Najviše. Ako Najviše ne može da reši vaše probleme, ko će onda moći da ih reši za vas? Kada je Učitelj u fizičkom, to je vaša zlatna prilika da najbrže napredujete. Kao što je Šri Ramakrišna rekao, kravlje mleko je u vimetu. Ako želite da dobijete mleko, morate da pritisnete vime, ne uho ili rep. Slično tome, ako želite da rešite vaše duhovne probleme, morate otići kod prave osobe.

Vaš Učitelj je prava osoba da vam podari mudrost. Ukoliko imate problem, onda imate zlatnu priliku da odete Učitelju i da vaš problem bude rešen. Kada je Učitelj na fizičkom nivou, tad vam je najlakše da se razvijete duhovno. Učitelj je vime krave, što je Univerzalna Stvarnost. U kući je na nekom određenom mestu oltar. Na jednom određenom mestu u vrtu je najlepša ruža.

Ako možete da uspostavite jedinstvo sa Učiteljevom voljom kad je on u fizičkoj ravni, moći ćete to da održite kada Učitelj napusti fizičko. Ali ako ne možete da uspostavite jedinstvo sa Učiteljem ovde, mislite li da ćete biti u stanju da uspostavite svoje jedinstvo sa njim pošto on umre? To je beskrajno teže! Kad sam u fizičkoj ravni, ako me ljudi ne slušaju, da li će uraditi pravu stvar kad budem na nivou duše? Morate da sagradite vaš most jedinstva ovde, upravo predamnom, ako želite da budete tu kada odem na Nebo.

Pitanje: Ponekad učenici guraju i vuku da bi ti bili bliži. Znam da oni to rade zbog toga što žele da dobiju od tebe više svetlosti, ali to izgleda kao neduhovan način ponašanja.

Šri Činmoj: Kada dođeš kod Učitelja, ne gledaj oko sebe da bi video ko sedi pored Učitelja ili ko je najbliskiji sa Učiteljem. Došao si kod Učitelja da bi bio u Učiteljevoj Univerzalnoj Stvarnosti, a ne da budeš u svetu takmičenja. Svet takmičenja će te razočarati, ali Učiteljev svet-jedinstva će te spasiti. Oni koji uspostave jedinstvo sa Učiteljevom voljom i ispoljavaju Svevišnjeg u njihovom Učitelju su oni koji će postati vrhunski odabrani instrumenti koji će ponuditi Učiteljevu svetlost čovečanstvu.

Ponekad učenik iznutra kaže Učitelju: “Ako ti je stalo do tog i tog, onda ću te kazniti tako što ću te napustiti. On je tako loša osoba da ne želim da budem u njegovoj blizini. “ Mnogi ljudi su napustili duhovni život zato što su osećali da njihov Učitelj daje veću važnost ljudima koje oni smatraju lošim nego što je davao njima. I u mom slučaju, priličan broj odličnih tragalaca su napustili našu stazu jer su ostali u svetu takmičenja i pokušavali da postanu bliski, bliži, najbliži. Ali, kad su videli da ne postaju bliski ili bliži ili najbliži, nestali su. Ti ljudi su želeli da im udovoljim na njihov sopstveni način. Rekli su u sebi: “Uradio sam tako mnogo za tebe, ali tebi nije stalo do mene i ne misliš na mene.”

Uvek radim ono što je najbolje za duhovni napredak učenika, a pravi učenik će imati veru u Učitelja. Pravi učenik se ne brine da li je na spoljašnjem planu blizu ili je daleko od Učitelja, sve dok može da služi Učitelja na Učiteljev sopstveni način. Samo oni istinski učenici daju mi radost, jer su deo mene a ja sam deo njih. Oni su ti koji me stvarno vole i stvarno me razumeju, a njihov jedini cilj je da na Zemlji manifestuju Svevišnjeg u meni.

Pitanje: Koja je razlika između Božijeg Samilosnog Oka, Božijeg Samilosnog Srca i Božijih Samilosnih Stopala?

Šri Činmoj: Božije Samilosno Oko deluje poput magneta. Povuče u sebe svu patnju, slabosti, loše ponašanje i ostale nedostatke ljudskih bića. Ima trenutno magnetsko delovanje. Božije Samilosno Srce upija sve; povuče sve u sebe. Njegovo Samilosno Srce naprosto zgrabi svu tragaočevu patnju i drži je unutra. Očinsku naklonost dobijamo iz trećeg oka, ali majčinsku privrženost dobijamo iz srca. Božija Samilosna Stopala utelovljuju zaštitu. Praktično nema mnogo razlike između Božije Samilosti i Zaštite, jer unutar Zaštite postoji ogromna Samilost.

Božija Stopala su uvek spremna, opet i iznova, da pokažu njihov Samilosni aspekt, dok će Božije Oko posle nekog vremena izneti na površinu svoju Svetlost Pravednosti. Božije Samilosno Srce će pokazati Samilost mnogo više puta nego Njegovo Samilosno Oko, ali daleko manji broj puta od Njegovih Samilosnih Stopala. Ako Božije Oko pokazuje Samilost deset puta, Njegovo Srce će je pokazati četrdeset puta; ali Njegova Stopala mogu da nastave do sto ili dvesta puta.

Kad neko nađe utočište kod Božijih Stopala, bez obzira koliko puta ta osoba uradi nešto pogrešno, Bog je spreman da joj oprosti. Tragalac je stalno zaštićen kraj Božijih Stopala. Bez obzira koliko puta napravi greške, Bog će reći: “Neka bar ostane na duhovnoj stazi.”

Pitanje: Kad pišeš poeziju na engleskom, neke od tih pesama su tako lepe i inspirativne; one su kao mantre. Kada stvaraš muzičke kompozicije iz svoje poezije, zašto je to tako da su uvek muzičke kompozicije na bengalskom mnogo lepše i melodičnije?

Šri Činmoj: Ne uvek! Kada pevam, I came to Your Lotus-Feet with a hopeless hope-heart,(Došao sam do Tvojih Lotos-Stopala s beznadežnim srcem nade) ta pesma je isto tako lepa kao bilo koja od mojih pesama na bengalskom. Ima takođe nekoliko drugih. Ali ti si apsolutno u pravu – u većini slučajeva ne mogu se porediti moje bengalske pesme sa mojim engleskim pesmama. Zbog moje bengalske inkarnacije, lakše mi je da izrazim neke stvari na bengalskom. Bengalske reči mi odmah dolaze iz srca, a još uvek mi reči na engleskom dolaze iz uma. Na bengalskom sve dolazi spontano, ali kad koristim engleski, um je stalno tu. Pošto je engleski za mene pozajmljen jezik, kad koristim engleski, ponekad se javi „pozajmljeno“ osećanje. Ali osećanja koja izražavam na bengaliju nikad nisu pozajmljena; ona su moja vlastita.

Naučio sam engleski jezik na moje zadovoljstvo. Ali ako želiš da daš pozajmljenu stvar nekom drugom, to ne dolazi tako spontano. S obzirom da osećam da to stvarno ne dolazi iz mene, ne dobijam istu radost nudeći to. Engleska gramatika može da bude tačna, i ideja može biti izražena kako treba, ali u meni se ne javlja dublje osećanje prisnosti.

Napisao sam mnogo, mnogo mantri na engleskom, i znam da su potekle iz veoma, veoma visokog izvora. Ali kod pevanja, nije stvar u tome da nešto dolazi iz visokog izvora. Kod pevanja, osećanje mora da dođe iz samog životnog daha. Zbog toga nikad neću moći da pevam pesmu - čak i Jiban Debata – tako duševno kao što pevam pesmu Šri Aurobindo. Način na koji mogu da dajem svoje srce kad pevam tu pesmu, to ne mogu da učinim ni sa jednom drugom pesmom – pogotovo ne mogu sa engleskom pesmom.

Ima deset ili dvanaest engleskih pesama kroz koje apsolutno mogu da dajem svoje srce i dušu kada pevam, a postoji stotine bengalskih pesama kojima mogu da ponudim srce i dušu. Kad pevam određene pesme na bengalskom, neki od suptilnih nerava u mom biću bukvalno podrhtavaju, i ja uživam u nekoj vrsti božanske sreće. To nije uzbuđenje, već nešto tako slatko, nežno i tanano. Ispunjen sam takvim blaženstvom da mi je celo biće u ekstazi.

A opet, ima trenutaka kad pevam neke pesme najduševnije, ne zato što pokušavam da pevam duševno, već zato što mi je u tom trenutku grlena čakra potpuno otvorena. Grlena čakra je duhovni centar za slatkoću, nežnost i izražajnost u govoru i pevanju. Nekad je vidim preplavljenu svetlošću – svetlošću moje duše. Kad se grleni centar otvori i deluje vrlo snažno, glas mi je potpuno drugačiji. Neke reči čak drugačije izgovaram. Ali to nije moja svesna volja; to je sve delo grlenog centra.

Pitanje: Mnogo puta su ti duše velikana, koji su mnogo godina pokojni, došle u posetu, ili si ti prizvao njihove duše. Zašto te duše još uvek nisu uzele neku drugu inkarnaciju?

Šri Činmoj : Neke stvarno napredne duše žele da plivaju, ali kada dođu do obale uplaše se. Pamte koliko su patili u prošlim inkarnacijama, i ne žele ponovo da skoče u vodu, posebno ako su bili ljudi sa velikim srcima koji su prošli ogromnu patnju i nerazumevanje. Te duše žele da ostanu duže na Nebu, a Nebo je srećno što ih ima.

Nebo ne želi duše koje su bile netežeće i nisu uradile ništa značajno u prošloj inkarnaciji. Posle šest godina autoriteti kažu: “Idite, idite!” Tada moraju da se vrate, sem ako se ne povežu sa nekom dušom koja je ostvarila Boga ili visoko razvijenom dušom i ona ne predloži da se duže zadrže u bilo kom višem svetu u kom se nalaze. Neke duše mogu biti nerazvijene, ali budući da osećaju prema meni ogromnu ljubav i posvećenost, dobijaju poseban blagoslov. Inače, obične duše ne mogu da ostanu duže od nekoliko godina u višim svetovima pre nego što se vrate na Zemlju.

Pitanje: A Šubert na primer, i drugi poput njega? Da li je on stvarno visoko razvijena duša?

Šri Činmoj: U pogledu muzike, bio je razvijen, ali nije bio duhovno razvijen. Neke duše koje su nekad bile velike u svetu muzike ili u nekom drugom svetu ponovo su uzele inkarnaciju. Kad mislimo na njih, osećamo da su na Nebu. Ali ako upotrebimo okultnu viziju, vidimo da su neke od njih odavno uzele neku drugu inkarnaciju. Neke od ovih duša koje su uradile nešto veoma značajno u prethodnoj inkarnaciji sada vode sasvim obične živote na Zemlji.

Pitanje: Kad se spuste, da li te duše cene tvoje aktivnosti na spoljašnjem planu?

Šri Činmoj : I am involved in all kinds of activities which puzzle some of these souls. They are hovering here and there and trying to get joy from my activities, apart from my spirituality. Thousands of souls who have not taken incarnation are getting inner joy and benefit from my art and poetry and other activities, whereas hardly any of the souls that have taken incarnation are benefiting outwardly from my activities.

Uključen sam u svakakve vrste aktivnosti koje zbunjuju neke od ovih duša. One lebde okolo i pokušavaju da dobiju radost osim od moje duhovnosti od mojih aktivnosti. Hiljade duša koje se nisu inkarnirale dobijaju unutrašnju radost i imaju koristi od moje umetnosti, poezije i drugih aktivnosti, dok jedva da bilo koja duša koje su se inkarnarale ima spoljašnje koristi od mojih aktivnosti.

Majka možda ima više dece, a na kraju svako dete koristi svoju sopstvenu slobodu i nezavisnost. Upravo na isti način telo, vital, um i srce imaju individualnost. Oni su kao čvrsta građevina, i mogu biti veoma snažni. Kad su nerazvijeni, kao mala deca, slušaju roditelja, dušu. Ali kada malo porastu, možda uopšte ne slušaju.

Mogu da vam navesti drugi primer. Ponekad je šef firme veoma zadovoljan svojim novim radnicima. Ali, posle nekoliko godina vidi da ga radnici uopšte ne slušaju. Slično tome, u početku je duša mogla biti veoma zadovoljna što je dobila ovo posebno telo, vital i um. Potom, usled neznanja, iskušenja i drugih pogrešnih sila, dolazi neposlušnost, i duša postaje tužna i veoma nesrećna.

Neki pojedinci, čak i ako imaju univerzitetsku diplomu, nastoje da ne obraćaju pažnju na um ili da ga odbace kad stupe u duhovni život. Oni žele da ostanu samo u srcu da bi načinili najbrži napredak. Uopšte ne mare za prosvetljenje uma. Zatim, nakon petnaest ili dvadeset godina, kažu: “zašto smo odustali od toga?” Isti um koji su ranije ostavili sa strane, sada žele da svesno razvijaju. Stoga počnu da hrane um, a duša tako mnogo pati.

Pre nego što ste kročili u duhovni život, osamnaest ili dvadeset godina ste uživali u slobodi. Ta sloboda vas nije učinila srećnim, pa ste odlučili da probate neku drugu vrstu slobode. Umesto da ste slušali svoj um ili vital, odlučili ste da slušate svoje srce i dušu. Ako osećate da nikoga ne slušate onda samo zavaravate sebe. Ili slušate svoju dušu ili slušate svoj um, vital i fizičko. Ako kažete: “Ja sam taj koji donosi odluku,” apsurdno je! Vi jeste vaše telo, vital, um, srce i duša, a vaše izbore pravi jedan ili više tih delova vašeg bića. Možda samo nećete biti svestan toga jer vaša meditacija nije dovoljno duboka da bi videla odakle dolaze vaše unutrašnje odluke.

Pitanje: Da li obično možemo da kažemo kada poruka dolazi iz srca?

Šri Činmoj: Možda mislite da poruka dolazi iz vašeg srca, ali vital je odmah do srca. Duhovno srce nije u sredini grudnog koša nego pomalo prema desnoj strani, a vital je na levoj strani. To može da bude dinamički vital; može da bude emocionalni vital. Vital je tako obmanljiv. On lebdi blizu srca i zavarava vas. A kad se vital približi umu, on tamo dobija hranu. Um daje vitalu najukusniju hranu ohrabrenja jer želi da primi pomoć vitala da bi savladao srce. On će pokušavati da silom ili milom porazi božanske impulse srca.

Um vodi borbu protiv duhovnog srca a vital izdaje srce. Većina ljudi meša emocionalni vital sa težećim srcem, osećajući da je on pun svetlosti, tako visok, tako uzvišen, tako čist. Ali samo duhovni Učitelji koji su ostvarili Boga uvek mogu da prepoznaju pravi unutrašnji glas. Inače, glas može da vas navede da osećate kako dolazi iz jednog mesta, a dolazi iz nekog drugog mesta.

A opet, vrlo često ono što ljudi smatraju unutrašnjim glasom ne dolazi iz vitala već iz samog uma. Um govori a takođe i sluša. I dok sluša, um povuče telo, vital i srce takođe. Imao sam neke učenike koji su verovali da dobijaju unutrašnje poruke kad meditiraju na moju sliku. Naglasili su da su te poruke, koje su potekle iz moje slike, bile više ili autentičnije od poruka koje sam im dao direktno u fizičkom, licem u lice. To je glupost ljudskog uma!

Šri Aurobindo je imao učenika koji je bio pred samim ostvarenjem. Kao i ja, došao je iz Ćitagonga. Onda je počeo da dobija unutrašnje poruke. Šri Aurobindo lično je rekao: “Ne, one stižu iz tvog vitala, iz tvog uma. To su pogrešne sile.” Učenik je rekao: “Oh ne, došao si mi u obliku ispunjenim svetlošću i rekao si mi da uradim to i to. “ Šri Aurobindo reče: “Ako sam ja tvoj Guru, zašto me onda ne slušaš? Samo slušaj šta ti lično kažem, i ne gledaj u moju sliku! Ako moraš da odabereš mene ili moju sliku, šta ćeš odabrati? Bar me slušaj dok sam na Zemlji.” Ali učenik je rekao:” Ne, kad gledam tvoju sliku, dobijam visoka iskustva. “ Šri Aurobindo mu je rekao da su sve to mentalne halucinacije, ali on ne sluša. Umesto da ostvari Boga, uhvatile su ga neprijateljske sile koje su mu zavarale um.

Govorim svim svojim učenicima, ako smatrate sebe mojim učenicima, molim vas da slušate mene, a ne moju sliku ako dobijete dve različite poruke. Slika me nije stvorila; ja sam stvorio sliku. Ako vam na spoljnom planu kažem nešto, to je ono u šta treba da verujete. Slušajte poruke koje dolaze iz mojih usta, ukoliko su drugačije od bilo koje unutrašnje poruke za koju osećate da vam dolazi iz moje slike.

Pitanje: Kad je Hrist rekao: “Ja sam Put, Cilj,” nije rekao da je on jedini put, premda je hrišćanski svet to tako protumačio. Ali kad je to rekao, da li je svesno bio svestan Avatara koji su mu prethodili?

Šri Činmoj: Svakako je bio svestan njih. Ali, kad je rekao: “Ja sam Put, Cilj, “ bio je u pravu. Tada je postao neodvojivo jedno sa svojim Nebeskim Ocem, Svevišnjim. Gospod Krišna je kazao nešto slično. Rekao je: “Bez obzira kome se molite, bez obzira koga uzmete za svog Gurua, sva vaša ljubav, posvećenost i predanost će doći meni jer ja sam Najviše.” Kada ostvariš Najviše, postaješ neraskidivo jedno sa Najvišim. Kad kap postane jedno sa okeanom, neodvojivi su. To je okean; oni su jedno.

Na kraju tvog puta, bez obzira koji put uzmeš, ovo ćeš sigurno videti. Sada me vidiš kao jedno ljudsko biće, stoga kažeš: “Oh, ti si sa nama na zemlji. Kako možeš da budeš i u večnoprevazilazećem Onostranom?” Ali Svevišnji u meni može da bude na mnogo mesta istovremeno. Gospod Krišna je pokazao Arđuni svoju Univerzalnu Formu. Kad učenik vidi Učiteljevu Univerzalnu Formu, tada će stvarno znati da je ono što je Učitelj govorio sto posto tačno. Kad učenik vidi Beskonačno, onda će mu biti lakše da vidi konačno. Ako vidiš da neko ima milione dolara na Nebu, onda ti je lakše da veruješ da on ima jedan dolar na Zemlji.

Pitanje: Šta ako je duša zaista veoma dobra, veoma duhovna, a ostatak bića stvara probleme duši?

Šri Činmoj: Onda će duša nešto učiniti! Ako duša pokušava u svakom trenutku da manifestuje Svevišnjeg, ali preostali deo bića ne sluša dušu, duša će sigurno učiniti nešto. Možda duša nema moć velikog duhovnog Učitelja, i duša ne može da ima moć Svevišnjeg, ali ima beskrajno više moći od srca, vitala, uma i tela. Zato, ako ti članovi stvarno remete njen napredak, duša će ih kazniti pre nego što to postane beznadežan slučaj. Duša će nemilosrdno kazniti telo, vital, um pa čak i srce. Ona će im dati apsolutno nezamislivu kaznu tako da će biti prisiljeni da se predaju duši.

To je ovako. Otac preklinje sina da dođe kući, ali sin odlaže, odlaže, odlaže. Možda srce hoće da dođe, ali vital ili um žele da igraju futbal ili nešto drugo. Nakon čekanja i čekanja, otac će na kraju ošamariti sina. Zatim sin posluša oca i dođe kući.

Dakle, ako je duša veoma razvijena, i ako očajnički pokušava da udovolji Svevišnjem, ali telo, vital i um to ne pokušavaju, duša će upotrebiti svoju božansku snagu. Duša ne želi da prihvati poraz. Ona je uzela ljudsku inkarnaciju sa ovim telom, ovim vitalom i umom da bi uradila nešto za Svevišnjeg. Ako ne može da ispuni svoju svrhu, ona se oseća jako nesrećnom. Ali sve to zavisi od povezanosti duše sa Najvišim. Nemaju sve duše tu istu povezanost.

Znam za jedan slučaj kada je duša kaznila osobu ne dopuštajući joj da govori petnaest godina. Upravo pre nego što se to desilo, ta osoba je razgovarala sa svojim Učiteljem, a Učitelj je iznutra plakao jer je mogao da vidi da će ta kazna upravo da počne. Ponekad je neznanje blaženstvo. Ako ne znate ništa o duši, možete reći da je kazna bila nesrećan slučaj, ili možete kriviti uzroke u prirodi ili karmičke razloge. Ali nekad je duša pravi razlog što imate taj i taj problem, ili zato što dobijete ozbiljnu bolest.

Duša je tako majušna stvar – manja od najmanjeg. Ali, takođe je i snažnija od najsnažnijeg. Jedna od naših najpoznatijih indijskih mantri glasi: “Manja od najmanjeg, a ipak veća od najvećeg, duša obitava u čovečijem skrivenom srcu.” Poput čarobnjaka, u ovom trenutku je manja od najmanjeg, unutar srca. Ali kad postane ogromna, kao dvadeset lavova pred tobom, kako ćeš je onda ignorisati?

Pitanje: Ako se molimo da naša duša ode k tebi, da li će otići?

Šri Činmoj : Ne morate da molite dušu da dođe k meni. Vaše duše se mole vama da dođu kod mene. Vaše duše vape da budu sa mnom i da udovolje Svevišnjem u meni u svakom trenutku. Misliti da će telo, vital i um dovesti dušu do Boga je neozbiljno! To je drugačije. Duša neprekidno vapi da telo, vital, um i srce dođu do Svevišnjeg.

Pitanje: Da li su ljudi koji su u prethodnim inkarnacijama bili učenici drugih duhovnih Učitelja došli kod tebe u ovoj inkarnaciji?

Šri Činmoj: Da, mnogi su došli. Došli su od Šri Ramakrišne, Bude, Šri Krišne, Hrista, Vivekanande, Ramana Maharši i ostalih. Došlo je i nekoliko onih koji su bili sa mnom u mojoj sopstvenoj prošloj inkarnaciji. U Japanu, kad me je jedna od tih duša prepoznala, kako je plakao! Pred toliko mnogo ljudi je plakao i plakao. I drugi su me prepoznali, ali oni nisu napravili takvu scenu. Nekoliko mojih braće i sestara iz prethodnih inkarnacija takođe su došli na našu stazu. Čak sam jednom učeniku dao isto duhovno ime koje je imao kad je ranije bio sa mnom.

U mojoj prošloj inkarnaciji, neki tragaoci su došli kod mene u predvečerje mog života. Rekao sam: ”Uskoro ću napustiti telo, ali uzeću neku drugu inkarnaciju. Vratite mi se na početku mog putovanja u mojoj sledećoj inkarnaciji, kada ću dugo biti na Zemlji.“ Kad sam započeo svoje putovanje u Americi, neki od njih su se stvarno vratili.

Pitanje: Ponekad je osoba dugo vremena veoma, veoma nesrećna, a onda je odjednom gotovo. Kao da je prokletstvo otklonjeno. Šta prouzrokuje to?

Šri Činmoj: Dešavalo se u mnogim, mnogim slučajevima da je mesecima, čak godinama – i ne samo par godina već desetak, dvadeset godina – neko bio jako nesrećan. Pošto izgube svoju težnju oni koji su nekad težili, pate neizdrživo. Onda se, iznenada spusti Milost u trenutku kad su prijemčivi, i njihova patnja nestane. To je kao kad uzimate lek. Nekada prođu godine i godine pre nego što lek počne da deluje. Onda ste odjednom izlečeni, i pomislite da je to čudo.

Pitanje: Postoji li određen datum kada dođe do ostvarenja Boga, ili se to odvija postepeno?

Šri Činmoj: Neki duhovni Učitelji su objavili datum njihovog ostvarenja, dok ostali to nisu. Šri Aurobindo je izneo određen datum kada je Svest Krišne u potpunosti ušla u njega, i on je prepoznao taj dan kao dan svog ostvarenja Boga. Buda je takođe objavio svoje ostvarenje određenog dana. Šri Ramakrišna, sa druge strane, nije otkrio nikakav poseban datum za svoje ostvarenje. Što se mene tiče, ja ne želim da ga objavim. Takođe, ja sam postigao ostvarenje u prethodnim inkarnacijama. A opet, nema kraja našim ostvarenjima, jer Sam Bog stalno prevazilazi Svoju sopstvenu Beskonačnost, Večnost i Besmrtnost. Dakle, Bogoostvarenje, nakon što je postignuto, večno može da se transcendira, širi i usavršava.

Pitanje: Ako razviješ okultne ili druge duhovne moći u jednoj inkarnaciji, da li ih zadržavaš u budućim inkarnacijama?

Šri Činmoj: Najvećim delom vremena akumuliraš te moći. Ako postaneš duhovno bogat u jednoj inkarnaciji, postaneš bogatiji u sledećoj inkarnaciji – ukoliko ne zloupotrebiš svoje moći. Ako zloupotrebiš svoje moći, one onda nestanu. Moj ujak je imao izuzetnu okultnu moć. Ljudi su dolazili i dodirivali mu stopala, preklinjući ga da im pomogne. “Oh, molim te, izleči moju ženu,” govorili su. “Ona umire a ja ne mogu da živim bez nje.” Ili, “Ukrali su mi kravu, molim te pomozi mi da je dobijem natrag.” Tako bi upotrebio svoju okultnu moć ne tražeći Božiju Volju, i postepeno ju je gubio. A onda bi zavapio Majci Kali, preklinjući je da mu više ne daje okultnu moć pošto ju je on stalno koristio na pogrešan način i nije imao vremena da misli na nju. Ali Majka Kali bi mu uvek vratila moć. Htela je da on nauči kako da koristi njene darove na ispravan način.

Isprva je moj ujak mislio da pokazuje samilost pomažući tim ljudima. Kasnije je uvideo da je koristeći svoju ljudsku samilost samo stvarao još više problema, jer je obično bila Božija Volja da ti ljudi izdrže karmu koju su zaslužili.

Pitanje: Može li duhovni Učitelj da koristi okultnu moć da uništi pogrešne sile i da ubrza napredak tragaoca?

Šri Činmoj : U prošlosti su Učitelji koristili okultnu moć ne toliko da bi uzdigli tragaočevu svest već da bi uništili pogrešne sile. Uništenje je veoma jednostavno. Potrebno je samo nekoliko minuta da se uništi zgrada. Ali ako želiš da ponovo izgradiš zgradu i popraviš je, treba jako mnogo vremena. Ovo telo, vital i um stvarali smo tokom mnogih godina. Ako postoji neko oštećenje u telu, u vitalu, umu, mi pokušavamo da ga iscelimo. Pokušavamo da opravimo kuću i da je pretvorimo u dobru, snažnu kuću.

Duhovni Učitelji to pokušavaju da urade danas. U prošlosti nisu imali takvu vrstu samilosti ili strpljenja. Rekli bi tragaocu jednom ili dvaput šta mora da uradi, a ako ne posluša, samo bi uništili! U dvadesetom veku malo smo mudriji. Dajemo nekome mnogo prilika, a ako on ne radi ono što treba, samo ga pustimo da se zadržava i zadržava i da duhovno mnogo ne napreduje. Destruktivni deo ne dolazi od duhovnih Učitelja. Nekad ljudi vide kako delujem vrlo moćno u toku meditacije. Možda si video kako sam snažno meditirao na nekoga. Ali nemaš predstavu koju vrstu moći bi video da sam otvorio svoje treće oko!

Pre mnogo godina kad sam kao tinejdžer živeo u Ašramu, pokazao sam tu moć najsnažnijem momku u Ašramu. On mi je bio blizak prijatelj, mnogo me je voleo, ali nije verovao u okultnu moć. Osećao je da su svi svami (učitelji-mističari) i sadui varalice. Isticao sam da neki ljudi imaju okultnu moć, ali nije mi verovao; izazvao me je da mu pokažem. Bio sam uhvaćen. Rekao sam mu da dođe sledećeg jutra u malu sobu u biblioteci gde sam radio . Kad je stigao, zamolio sam ga da stane uza zid, a onda sam upotrebio okultnu moć da mu oduzmem svu snagu. Mislio sam da će samo pasti na zid i da se ništa ozbiljno neće dogoditi. Ali nakon tri ili četiri sekunde pao je kod mojih stopala, potpuno nesvestan. Kad se probudio, bio je prestravljen, i pobegao je. Rekao je ljudima da sam pokušao da ga mojim očima usmrtim. Posle toga uvek me se plašio. Ako bi me video kako idem na trotoaru, on bi prešao na drugu stranu ulice. Dakle, izgubio sam dobrog prijatelja zato što sam na pogrešan način upotrebio moju okultnu moć.

Zbog moje ljubavi prema čovečanstvu, ne koristim mnogo svoju okultnu moć u ovoj inkarnaciji. Ali, okultna moć stvarno postoji. Samo zato što nemaš milion dolara ne možeš da kažeš da milioneri ne postoje na Zemlji. Moć koju koristim da pomognem učenicima nije okultna moć već je duhovna moć. Duhovna moć je beskrajno snažnija od okultne moći, ali ona ne uništava, i obično joj treba više vremena da deluje. Okultna moć je kao snažan talas, dok je duhovna moć kao sam okean. Stoga možeš da vidiš razliku između snažnog, uzburkanog talasa i čitavog okeana.

Duhovna moć ima samo jedan zadatak: podići svest čovečanstva. Okultna moć to ne čini; ona uglavnom uništava. Ako se okultna moć upotrebi na ispravan način, i ako je tragalac spreman, za tili čas može da uništi pogrešne sile u njemu. Ali ako se ne upotrebi na ispravan način, može da bude nekontrolisano razorna. Duhovna moć je sporija, ali istrajnošću se pobeđuje.

Pitanje: Da li naša lica poružne kad napustimo svet duše i uđemo u fizička tela?

Šri Činmoj: U svetu duša, naša lica su vrlo lepa. Ali kad uđemo u zemaljsku svest, dosta gubimo od te lepote. Kad smo u svetu duša, ili kada svest duše prožima čitavo naše telo, mi postanemo tako lepi, tako eterični – sa apsolutno nezamislivom lepotom. Ali kad smo u svesti vitala ili fizičkoj svesti, takva razlika postoji!

Pitanje: Da li čovek mora da čeka dok ne bude pred samim ostvarenjem pre nego što svesno postane svestan duše?

Šri Činmoj: No, you do not have to be on the verge of realisation to be consciously aware of the soul. Far from it. If you have real devotion, your devotion can easily make you consciously aware of the soul. So many of my disciples have experienced this. Not only have they felt their souls, but also they have exhibited the soul’s consciousness for a day or a month or even a few years because of their sincere devotion. Sincere devotion can perform miracles at every moment. It is like a sharp knife. It will just cut into pieces anything that is unclean, impure or unwilling in you. Even unreadiness it will not allow.

Someone may fold his hands, but his devotion may be totally false or superficial. The hands are folded, but the mind is roaming somewhere else. When you fold your hands, you have to feel that your very heartbeat is entering into the nerves of your fingers. If there is real devotion, how can a disciple do anything wrong? Devotion has a very powerful magnetic pull that immediately draws the Master’s compassion and affection. Even if you are lost in a dark cave, immediately the Master’s compassion will pull you out. If someone has pure devotion even for a minute, he will make real inner progress. With your devotion if you have caught someone who is affectionate, powerful and illumining, or if that person has caught you, will he not give you what he has and what he is?

When the Master receives the disciple’s devotion, he responds, not only with compassion and affection, but also with divine pride. Divine pride is not like human pride. It does not say, “Oh, that person is so devoted to me.” No, divine pride says, “How wonderful that the disciple is pleasing and manifesting the divine in himself.” It is the kind of pride that the parent feels when the child does the right thing. Since the disciple is the Master’s spiritual son or daughter, the Master feels divine pride when the disciple does the right thing, the spiritual thing.

Question: How can we recognise genuine devotion?

Sri Chinmoy: If you have real devotion, you immediately feel that something is going out of you and entering into your Master and that something is coming out of your Master and entering into you. When there is real devotion, there is always a link between Master and disciple; the disciple’s highest divinity and the Master’s highest divinity remain all the time together.

Inside devotion there will always be surrender — not the surrender of a slave to his master, but rather the surrender of the lower part in you to your own highest self, which is what your spiritual Master represents. Also, inside devotion there will always be gratitude — first surrender and then gratitude.

Genuine devotion the Master will definitely see inside your eyes. When you have real devotion, your eyes will look like beautiful flowers. They will be filled with beautiful light; absolutely divine beauty the Master will see in them. Human beauty we can describe with words, but divine beauty can never be described. Anything divine we cannot describe adequately with human language.

Question: If we are trying to give up something undivine and want to make a promise to our soul to lead a better life, are there certain auspicious times when we should do it? In other words, if we make a promise to ourselves, will the promise be stronger if we make it on a particular day?

Sri Chinmoy: Every day is not the same. When I am meditating on a disciple on his birthday, let us say, this is his golden opportunity to renew the inner promises he has made to the Supreme or to his own soul. If someone made a promise ten or fifteen years ago that he will try to be a most devoted, surrendered disciple, his birthday is his golden opportunity to renew that promise. Even if the disciple has not pleased the Master for ten years, he gets the opportunity to please the Master on that special day.

You cannot make a promise every day; otherwise, it becomes mechanical. But if you do it on certain auspicious days, then the force behind the promise lasts for a long time. A special day surcharges your inner promise with extra strength.

My father and my maternal uncle were very close. When my maternal uncle was alive, he used to beg my father not to smoke. Still my father used to smoke two or three times a day. He could not give up this bad habit. When my maternal uncle died, my father shed bitter tears and made a vow never to smoke again. He said, “When you were alive I could not listen to you. But now I give you my solemn oath that I will never smoke again.” My father lived for four or five years after that, but he never smoked. So that kind of thing can happen when you take a solemn oath on a special day.

Question: Why does the soul come forward most powerfully only on our birthdays?

Sri Chinmoy: Who is keeping the door closed? Instead of putting beautiful and divine flowers in your mind, you are putting garbage there. When the soul wants to come forward, do you think it will be inspired to come if it sees only garbage? Instead of a beautiful garden, if the soul sees doubt, fear, suspicion, lack of faith and other undivine things right in your mind or in other parts of your being, why should it take the trouble to come forward? But if you have flowers or beautiful and pure thoughts there, then the soul will definitely come. So you have to see what kind of readiness you have to bring the soul forward.

Some people’s souls may not be as developed as others’. But even if the soul is not as mature, sometimes the vital or mind — according to their capacity — may be more obedient to the soul. These people have more simplicity because they do not utilise the mind. They did not develop the mind from the beginning, so that is a great advantage for them, spiritually.

The level of spiritual development is not the most important thing when it is a question of bringing the soul forward, or allowing the soul to come forward. People may be developed enough, but out of laziness or carelessness they do not do the needful. I know that milk will give me better nourishment than water and lemon juice. But out of laziness or callousness, I do not want to take the trouble of going to the supermarket to buy milk. Because I have lemon juice inside the house, I do not take the trouble of going to the store. But laziness is not the only problem. Even if you are not lazy, readiness, eagerness and willingness must also be there.

Question: The last line of The Invocation says, "Thou art one Truth, one Life, one Face." What does 'one Face' mean in this context?

Sri Chinmoy: Inside the Universal Consciousness there are millions and billions of faces. In their outer form, all these faces are different, but they all have the same divinity. The divinity I see in your face I will also see in his face and her face. When I see many individual faces flooded with light in the Universal Consciousness, I see only one Face. If you want to count the number, they are countless. From a physical point of view, I can see many, many faces. But in terms of radiating divinity, I see only one Face.

Question: Is there a higher world where poetry originates?

Sri Chinmoy: Yes. When your consciousness awakens or somehow you enter into those higher worlds, you find that everything is already written. You do not have to be God-realised to go to these worlds. The great poet Rabindranath Tagore, for example, did it. So did Sri Aurobindo, although of course he was God-realised. I started doing it when I was thirteen or fourteen years old. Some of my poems I really did not write; I just saw the words on the wall and copied them down. Quite a few poems that I wrote in 1944 came to me like that. I was seeing the exact words, punctuation, everything. These poems came from that world.

It is not that I have stolen somebody else’s words. They were all prepared in some other world, but not yet manifested in this world. When you get inspiration, it comes from your heart and your mind, and it also comes from another world. You are just the messenger who is conveying it. But what I am talking about is more than that. In the poetry world the words are written — absolutely written.

Sometimes a being will come and dictate. Sri Aurobindo said that one of his books was not written by him at all, although it had his name on it when it was published. According to Sri Aurobindo, a particular being dictated it from beginning to end.

Question: Have some great composers also gotten their music by going to these worlds?

Sri Chinmoy: Some of them have done it, I am sure. I am sure that Beethoven, for example, has done it.

Question: Are a person's deeds erasable after they have been entered into the Akashic record?

Sri Chinmoy: You may keep a lot of things in your room. Then after a few months or a few years you discard some of them that you consider unnecessary. There are many things that you feel are important today, which after a few years you will not feel are important. There are many beings who record the Akashic records. First they record everything, but after some time some unimportant things may be erased.

Question: Sometimes you are paying off karma from many incarnations ago. What would happen if that was suddenly wiped off the Akashic records?

Sri Chinmoy: You are thinking in terms of escaping. But the deeds that are going to bring you punishment will be kept aside and very nicely preserved until you have paid your debt. Then the record of them may be erased if they are quite insignificant.

Question: Is it possible for a soul to go directly from the plant incarnation to the human incarnation, and skip the animal incarnation entirely?

Sri Chinmoy: Yes. If a particular plant or tree is blessed by a spiritual Master and its soul is very receptive, the soul may beg the Master to allow it to skip the animal incarnation. Some spiritual Masters have granted these kinds of requests. If a child is at the bottom of the stairs and he wants to get to the top, he may beg his father to take him. If the father is very strong, he can just lift the child over the intermediate steps. Similarly, if the soul begs, a Master may help the soul skip some of the steps.

Question: Does this mean that when these souls take human incarnation they will not have animal qualities?

Sri Chinmoy: No, they may not carry animal qualities. But you have to know that animal qualities are not all bad. True, animals have aggression and other undivine qualities. But many animals also have dynamism, sweetness, playfulness, enthusiasm and affection. So when a soul goes directly from the plant to the human level, it may lack those qualities as well as aggression and restlessness. Each step along the way gives the soul something solid. But these souls are willing to sacrifice enthusiasm, along with aggression, so they say, “Let us go directly to the human incarnation where we can consciously aspire and again go higher.” Who knows whether it is really a sacrifice? Perhaps if they had not skipped the animal life, they would have remained at that stage for a long, long time.

Question: What is the psychic being, and what does it do?

Sri Chinmoy: The psychic being comes from the soul and is the soul’s representative. Not everybody has a psychic being; it depends on the development of the soul. If the soul is very highly developed, then the psychic being will come. The psychic being tells the body, vital and mind what to do. They can listen to the soul directly if they want to. But sometimes they find it easier to listen to the psychic being than to the soul. The soul is the boss, and the psychic being is the soul’s cute little child. The boss tells his little child to show off and tell the office workers what he wants them to do. Sometimes it happens that the workers do not like listening to the boss, but when his cute child comes and tells them what to do, they will listen. They let the child boss them around, but they do not listen to the real boss. The psychic being, in a similar way, can sometimes inspire the body, vital and mind to listen to the soul.

The psychic being is an intermediary between the soul and the other members of the being. As the soul is the link between the Supreme and the rest of the being, so too the psychic being is the link between the soul, on the one hand, and the body, vital, mind and heart. The soul is ageless, but in appearance, the development of the psychic being stops when it is seventeen or eighteen years old. The psychic being can appear as a child of two or three years old, or older; but the fully blossomed psychic being will appear to be seventeen or eighteen, not older than that.

Question: What happens to the psychic being when the body dies?

Sri Chinmoy: First it goes to the subtle physical plane, then to the subtle vital and then to the subtle mental plane. After passing through the mental sheath, it takes rest in its proper place — inside the heart. Then, when the soul is ready to reincarnate, it will take the same psychic being with it. The soul will not take the same heart, the same mind or the same vital. If the body, vital and mind were pure, the soul will take their quintessence back with it to earth again. Otherwise, the soul will not take any part of the body, vital or mind that it previously had. In the higher regions, the psychic being can go and visit the soul whenever it wants to. They are like parent and child.

Question: What determines how the psychic being grows?

Sri Chinmoy: The psychic being comes from the soul; its source is the soul. It develops by receiving light from the soul, its source. At the same time, if the psychic being can get the body, vital and mind to listen to the soul, then it gets more confidence. So the psychic being develops by receiving the soul’s light and also by giving the light that it has received to the body, vital and mind.

Question: Is it necessary to develop the psychic being before you realise God, or can you realise God without the psychic being?

Sri Chinmoy: You do not need the psychic being to realise God. That is why I do not give much importance to it. If you can be conscious of the soul and get direct help from the soul, then you do not need the psychic being. But if you cannot get direct help, then the psychic being can be of real benefit.

Question: Can a person have more than one psychic being?

Sri Chinmoy: You can have only one psychic being, but many vital beings. Sometimes vital beings become lazy or lethargic when there is no work for them to do. But when there is a battle within the person between the divine and the undivine, at that time the vital beings become very alert and active. During a war, even the most useless soldiers become dynamic. So when a serious war takes place between the soul and the other members of the being, all the vital beings take sides. They can take either the divine side or the undivine side. When they take the undivine side, usually the physical body’s health suffers. Strangely enough, even when the vital beings have taken the side of the undivine, if the undivine wins the battle with their help, they torture the person ruthlessly after he has surrendered to the wrong forces.

Question: Do you believe in ghosts?

Sri Chinmoy: Certainly. Many, many times I have seen ghosts. They are dissatisfied and destructive vital beings. When undivine people die, because their lower desires have not been fulfilled, their vital beings are very dissatisfied. Ghosts have the capacity to create tremendous fear in people whom they have attacked. For months and even years after the attack has taken place, the victim may suffer from fear. Ghosts are very frightening and treacherous.

Question: Right from the day I joined the path, I have always been concerned about your safety when you are in public. How can I make sure that my concern is not just inviting in wrong forces?

Sri Chinmoy: Worry-power does not help. Only love-power will help. Whenever a thought that I will be attacked comes into your mind, feel that tremendous love is coming from my heart, and immediately try to enter there. Enter into my heart and try to get as much solid love as possible. Once you have received a large quantity of solid love from my heart, then try to spread it so that the whole room is flooded with my love. Many people in the room will be able to receive this love that you are offering. And if there are wrong elements that are about to attack me, they will be compelled to surrender to my love-power. My love-power is omnipotent because it is coming from my soul. It can easily conquer any undivine forces or destructive forces. They will either be illumined or frightened.

Since I have come to America, hostile or destructive forces have tried to attack me many times while I have been giving talks or concerts, or while I have been in other public places. But he whom God wants to save, nobody can kill. Again, if God feels that someone’s time has come, then who can save him? Lord Krishna was very, very strong, but his weak point was the sole of his foot. When it was time for him to go, an arrow from a hunter entered into the sole of his left foot and poisoned him.

Question: What is the best way to be happy?

Sri Chinmoy: You are always comparing yourself with others. You are standing in front of me, and I am looking directly at you. You also are looking at me, but your mind has gone to the fish market and is moving from this side to that side. You are trying desperately to remain either inside your own heart-garden or inside my heart-garden. But your mind is saying: “Oh, he or she is getting more blessings, more compassion, more love, more concern than I am.” Sometimes your mind is not doing it consciously, but unconsciously it is happening. Even if you touch fire unconsciously, your hand will get burned.

Perhaps at this moment you are not consciously thinking of others when I am looking at you. But for ten days or ten weeks or ten months you have been doing it consciously. Now it is unconscious, but what about the times you have done it consciously when you were at home or in the office? If you wrote down each time you thought of God during the day, you would be shocked at the number of times that you have also been thinking of somebody else with jealousy or rivalry at the same moment. When this is happening, at that time you are not thinking of God or of your Guru. You are thinking of yourself. You are thinking of making yourself happy in your own way.

I always say that no human being can ever be happy by trying to make himself or herself happy. It is absurd! Happiness is like a most delicious mango. The mango grows on a mango tree; you cannot make one yourself. If you do not climb up the tree to get the mango or wait at the foot of the tree for one to fall, how are you going to get it? Right now you are not in a position to climb up the God-tree; you do not know how. But your Guru knows how to climb the God-tree. If you do not wait for your Guru to bring you this most delicious fruit, which will give you infinite joy, then how are you going to get it? You want joy, but you do not have the capacity to get it yourself and you do not have one-pointed faith in the person who can bring it to you.

People say, “I have been with you for so many years, and still I am unhappy.” But it takes time for the Master to climb down with the happiness-fruit. To get earthly things it takes so many years. To get a Master’s Degree takes twenty or more years. And even then you are not satisfied. Still you want more knowledge, so you get your Ph.D. But even then you are dissatisfied because you inwardly feel that you can have more wisdom, more light, more knowledge. So you go on studying, only to get earthly knowledge.

Heavenly knowledge, or illumination — which unites you with the Highest, with the Absolute Supreme, with the Universal Consciousness — takes infinitely longer to acquire. Do you think it happens in one year or ten years or even thirty years? O God, it is not like that! It takes incarnation after incarnation to become a real seeker and God-lover. To achieve conscious, constant, sleepless and breathless oneness with God’s Will is not like drinking water. It takes time and tremendous patience. It is not only my disciples but also the disciples of other Masters who do not have that kind of patience.

I am trying to make everything easy for my disciples, but they try to make it complicated. I will say, “Come and give me a flower, or just come near me.” But they will say, “If I come near Guru or just give him a flower, it is too easy! To prove how much I love him, let me first chop off my arms and legs; let me pluck out my eyes.” This is what is happening. Did I tell you that to prove your love for me, you have to pluck out your eyes or cut off your arms and legs? No, I just asked you to come near me with whatever you have and whatever you are, whether you are in your purest consciousness or in your most impure consciousness.

When Lord Krishna used to play his flute, did he care what the gopis were doing at the time? Whether they were feeding their children or doing their housework, when they heard the flute they just ran to Krishna immediately. The call had come! In your case also, the call has come. Has the Master said that you have to make tremendous sacrifices? No, the Master is not saying, “Make a sacrifice and then come to me.” He is just saying, “Come to me!”

As I said before, the road is simple and the method is simple. The Master tells you to do something simple, but your minds try to make it complicated in order to prove how much sacrifice you can make. The spiritual life is a matter of oneness with God’s Will. God gave each and every disciple common sense. If the Master says, “Come here!” you do not have to waste time looking for a flower or a glass of water or a piece of candy to bring to him. No, just come!

It is oneness with the Will of the Supreme alone that can make you really happy. If you follow your own will, for a while you may have the kind of happiness that comes from vital pleasure. But soon you will see that this vital pleasure is like a sharp knife. After a day or a month or a few years, that knife will stab you.

Once you enter into the spiritual life, if you are a good disciple, you cannot escape it. Your own sincerity will keep trying to make you perfect, which means pleasing the Supreme in His own Way. If you try to be happy in other ways, you will never be happy. You can pray to God for protection — for your protection, for your Master’s protection and for the world’s protection. That is a very good thing. I will be very happy and grateful if you pray for protection. But the very, very best thing is to become one with the Supreme’s Will. That will make both you and me infinitely happier.

Real happiness, not only for my disciples but also for disciples of other Masters, and even for seekers without any Master, has to be based on oneness with God’s Will. It is only through oneness with God’s Will that we can have inner peace and true happiness. I have realised this supreme truth; others have also realised it. There is no other way to make oneself happy.

Question: How can I know who I truly am?

Sri Chinmoy: Ramana Maharshi, who was one of India’s Himalayan spiritual Masters, had only one question: “Who am I?” He followed the yoga of knowledge or wisdom. No matter how anyone answers this question, the answer will be called wrong or inadequate by his devotees, and even by me, for it cannot be answered with mere words.

If we try to answer this question for ourselves with our human mind, with our human intellect, with our human wisdom or perception, then we will always be mistaken. In our lives we have encountered so many discouraging and disheartening experiences. If we live in the mind, we think, “I have not achieved this and that. I have not grown into this or that. On the way to my destination, I have made millions of blunders. So how can I claim to be a child of God?”

But if our answer comes from the heart, we will say, “I belong to my Lord Beloved Supreme only. He is my heart’s aspiration, He is my life’s realisation, He is my All.” At that time we are not using our mind to see, to measure and to limit the Creator, whom we call the Transcendental Self. We are using our heart to feel, to expand and to grow into our own Highest, which is at once our own Transcendental Depth and our own Universal Length. So if at every moment my disciples can answer this question, “Who am I?”, using the sweetness of the heart, the devotedness of the heart, the self-givingness of the heart, then they are bound to be illumined and fulfilled.

Question: Does the Supreme ever think that He made some mistakes when He created the world?

Sri Chinmoy: When I am in my monkey-consciousness, I may joke around and say that He made the worst possible mistake. But when I am speaking seriously, when I am not speaking nonsense or even imagining nonsense, I feel that my Lord Beloved Supreme never has made any mistake and never will make any mistake. For Him there is no such thing as a mistake. For Him there is only one Reality: Dream. That is what He is. When we look at God the Dream from various angles, we call these angles realities. But actually, it is the Dream which is in the process of blossoming into reality. What we think of as reality does not exist in the inner world. There is only Dream.

You can say that God has millions and billions of Dreams or just one Dream. It is like a tree that produces countless leaves, flowers and fruits. The Tree, which is God, embodies the universal Dream and also all the individual Dreams. So God Himself is the Dream that is blossoming at every moment, the Dream that embodies Eternity’s Vision, Infinity’s Heart and Immortality’s Life. This Dream has in it will-power, eagerness, vision, creation, manifestation — everything. So how can this Dream make any mistake? When the highest Absolute Lord is All, how can He make any mistake? If we try to divide Him into separate aspects which the mind can grasp, then we will say that one part of Him is more beautiful than another part. But when we see and feel His Unity, we see that He is infinite Perfection, and inside His Transcendental Perfection there can be no mistake.

When we look at something like a beautiful flower, we look at it as a whole. We do not look to see if all the petals are perfectly formed. As soon as we see the flower, its beauty captures us. Its beauty enters into us and sweetens our entire being. This is the experience we can get from the ordinary earthly beauty of an earthly flower. When we see the infinite and immortal Perfection of the highest Absolute Transcendental Lord Supreme, we realise that nothing about Him can be a mistake. Only we have to know that inside this tiny earth-planet He wants to play His own Eternity’s Song and dance His own Immortality’s Dance.

With our human mind, which we call the ‘intelligent’ mind, we think that we could have created a better world. Or we think that the reality which is presenting itself so naturally and spontaneously before us should be altered or corrected. But we are making a deplorable mistake. If we try to see the world according to our limited light, we will never be satisfied. We will constantly find fault with the world and see imperfection all around us.

But when we are happy, we feel that everything God is and everything God has created is perfect. How do we become happy? We can become happy only through our conscious and constant surrender to God’s Will. If we approach God with devotion and surrender, our life is absolutely filled with happiness. When we develop tremendous sweetness in our heart and life, at that time we feel that everything around us either is perfect or is moving towards perfection.

When Sri Ramakrishna’s disciples used to devotedly fall at their Master’s feet or devotedly touch the dust of his feet, they used to feel utmost sweetness inside their pranam. Devotion is like a magnet which pulls our Beloved Lord Supreme towards our own heart. And while we are pulling God towards us with our devotion, He is also pulling us towards Him with His Compassion. So there are two magnets that are operating: our devotion and His Compassion. These magnets are stronger than the strongest and sweeter than the sweetest. If we can consciously feel these magnets operating in our lives, then each thought we have will be sweet, and everything that is within us, around us, before us and behind us will be all perfection.

So let us all try to love God and be devoted and surrendered to God, for our own divinity has come from Him. Our divinity and His Divinity go together, like the drop and the ocean. Again, we have to know that the Ocean has the capacity to treasure the little drop infinitely, infinitely more than the little drop can treasure the Ocean.

Question: A few months ago you said that the sun is getting old. What did you mean by that?

Sri Chinmoy: The sun is losing its heat and brilliance. It does not have the same brilliance that it had when it was created as a star. With the occult eye, the third eye, you can see that it is not the same. When the Vedic Seers gazed at the sun, or even forty or fifty years ago when people looked at the sun, it was much brighter. But if the Supreme wants to, He can again inject into the sun new energy — infinite energy, infinite heat and infinite light.

Question: That time when you spoke about the sun getting old, you also said the Supreme was getting ready to use His Justice-Light after thousands of years of using His Compassion. How are these two things connected?

Sri Chinmoy: The way the earth and sun have become old, our human habits and propensities also have become old and dim. So inside the earth-consciousness God will put new dynamism, new light, new hope and new inspiration. God will inject these things in order to illumine the earth-consciousness. But when something new comes, if our receptivity is not strong, we become frightened. If the old vessel, which is the earth-consciousness, is receptive enough, then these changes will be taken as illumination. Otherwise, they will come as torture. When the Supreme brings a new reality, it can be taken as illumination or torture, depending on whether the earth-consciousness is ready to receive it or not.

Question: Is the loss of the sun's brilliance a physical phenomenon or is it caused by a lack of aspiration on earth?

Sri Chinmoy: Before, the sun was dissatisfied; now, it is disheartened. If, year after year, you try to give something to an individual and he does not take it, then you feel miserable. The sun rises each morning, but how many people get up at five o’clock or six o’clock to meditate? We easily can keep a few windows open to let in the light, but we keep them all closed. In how many ways we are rejecting the arrival of the sun in front of our eyes and inside our hearts. It is like a spiritual Master who is trying to make his disciples perfect. First he is disappointed; then he becomes disheartened. So how long can our sun be rejected?

Question: You say that the undivine forces are always vigilant, full of energy and looking for an opening, whereas the divine forces are more complacent because they know that ultimately the Supreme will be victorious. Is there anything that we can do in our lives to inspire the divine forces to be as vigilant and energetic as the undivine forces?

Sri Chinmoy: A child has such love and admiration for his father that at every moment he tries to imitate him. If the father walks one way, the child also wants to walk that way. If the father sings a particular tune, the child tries to sing the same tune. When the father sees that his child’s entire world, his whole existence, is his father, at that time the father not only becomes happy and proud of his child, but also tries to act in a more divine way. It is not only the father who has the capacity to inspire the child. The child also has the capacity to inspire the father by trying to imitate his good qualities.

If we are doing something and another person comes and observes us, we immediately try to do it better. While we are meditating, if somebody looks at us, our meditation goes up high, higher, highest. Similarly, if the cosmic gods and goddesses see that they are being observed, appreciated and admired, their dormant good qualities are aroused to start functioning more dynamically.

The Supreme Mother is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. But according to certain schools of Indian philosophy, she becomes dynamic when one of Her children feels and appreciates Her infinite Capacities. It is not because of the devotee’s flattery, but because the devotee has reminded Her of Her Capacity, that she showers him with the blessings of Her Compassion. He may not be the possessor of even one of those capacities himself. But just because he has noticed Her divine Capacities, She exercises these Capacities on his behalf. So when we sincerely appreciate, admire and adore the cosmic gods and goddesses and their capacities, they are more inclined to use these capacities to help us.

We can appreciate, admire and adore certain world figures, but we do not love them, and we certainly do not want to become them. In the case of the Supreme, not only do we appreciate and admire Him, but we also love Him. And by loving Him we become one with Him. While we are observing His divine Qualities and Capacities with love and devotion, we are becoming consciously one with them. From appreciation we go to love, and from love we go to oneness. So by loving all the good qualities of the cosmic gods and goddesses and of the Supreme, we can acquire these qualities in our own lives.

Question: When the dinosaurs ceased to exist, did their souls also cease to exist, or are there people now on earth who were once dinosaurs?

Sri Chinmoy: Some souls did not want to take any more incarnations; they did not want to make progress on the earth-planet. So they entered into the soul’s world and remained there. Again, some souls wanted to be part of God’s manifested creation. They wanted to make progress on the earth-planet, so they entered into the process of evolution and started taking birth in different forms as animals and human beings.

Question: In the beginning of the year you said you were so proud that in this difficult year our vitals — unlike our minds — chose to help us in our spiritual life. I was wondering if you could give us some tips on how to make use of that strength in fighting our spiritual battles.

Sri Chinmoy: It is the tears of our heart that can expedite our progress, not the tears of the vital. Sometimes when people cry, they think it is coming from the inmost recesses of their heart, whereas actually it is coming from the vital. The heart and vital fool us because they are very close. In the twinkling of an eye someone can swim in the sea of tears and think it is coming from the very depths of his heart. But actually the tears are coming from the dramatic, emotional vital, almost like crocodile tears. When you see a first-class actress shed tears, do you think it is coming from the heart?

There are two ways to make progress with our heart’s cry. If the cry comes from the very depths of our heart because we feel that we have lost God’s Compassion, God’s Love or God’s Blessings, and we are crying to regain these things, then definitely we are going to make progress. We have to feel that we have lost something very precious and then cry to get it back. This is one way to make progress.

The other way is to dive deep within and cry to love God only and please God only. Again and again we may fail; but inside our heart-breath we have to feel that this is what we really want to do.

We shed tears through our eyes. But God’s Eyes and His Tears are inside His Heart. And when we pray and meditate, we see that His Heart is inside His very Breath. The deeper we go in our meditation, the sooner it becomes clear to us that He takes our spiritual failures as His own defeats. On the one hand, He is beyond everything. On the other hand, because He has accepted human form, He wants to evolve and make progress in and through the human form.

So we have to see if we are really trying to make Him happy in His own Way or if we are only trying to make ourselves happy in our own way. The moment we try to make Him happy in His own Way, we see Him smile and dance. Again, if we do not try to please Him in His own Way, immediately we see the undivine, hostile forces dancing in front of us. Each time we lose in the battlefield of our own aspiration, they dance most shamelessly.

When two teams play football, very often the winning team will congratulate the losing team, saying, “You played really well.” The winners try to console the losers, either sincerely or insincerely. But in the case of divine and undivine forces, it is not like that. The divine forces have come to illumine the hostile forces, but the hostile forces have come to destroy the divine forces. The hostile forces are not gracious losers or gracious winners.

Question: Is grief a form of negativity?

Sri Chinmoy: Sometimes people suffer when members of their immediate family pass away, even though they have not kept much connection with the person for years. When the so-called dear one dies, all of a sudden they feel that there must have been some special reason why he came into their family. At that time a kind of sadness comes: “I should have been a better person and shown him a little more affection and concern.” This feeling we can call concern.

If someone is very spiritually developed, for a short while he may experience grief when a loved one dies. But as soon as he enters into his highest consciousness, he no longer experiences grief. At that time he feels only the dance of oneness.

Human grief or remorse purifies the aspiring and evolving heart. The idea of grief purifying the soul is all rubbish. The soul does not need to be purified; it is already pure. What is purified is the heart. Sorrow can illumine the heart.

But there is no direct link between grief and the hostile or negative forces. Through our prayer and meditation we will come to feel that our dear one is happy somewhere else. The deeper we can go with our prayer and meditation, the clearer it becomes to us that the person who has physically left us is spiritually with us and around us. When we can feel our oneness with the person we have lost, then our grief disappears.