Robert Frost
A talk by Sri Chinmoy
at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
I would like to say a few words on these immortal lines by Robert Frost. These soulful lines come directly from the inmost recesses of the poet. The woods, from the spiritual point of view, in the inner life, signify aspiration. The spiritual significance of a lovely, dark wood is intense aspiration. What is aspiration? Aspiration is the mounting flame deep within us that leads us to the Highest Absolute. And when we say intense aspiration, we have to feel that the intensity of aspiration is something that will lead us faster to our destined Goal and at the same time, it will bring our destination closer. When intensity looms large in our aspiration, realisation can no longer remain a far cry. Nay, realisation will soon be within our easy reach.
The poet further says, "And miles to go before I sleep." Here aspiration is the journey’s dawn, and realisation is the journey’s close. When we launch into the inner path, we come to realise that the destined Goal is far, very far. The poet unmistakably and soulfully tells us that the Goal of the Beyond is extremely far. And once he reaches the Goal, he will be able to sleep.
Now, from the ordinary human point of view, this statement is absolutely correct. We enjoy the fruit of our realisation only when we reach our destination. But from the strict spiritual point of view, we notice something else. Here realisation is something that constantly transcends itself. Today’s aspiration transforms itself into tomorrow’s realisation. Again, tomorrow’s realisation is the pathfinder of a higher and deeper Goal. There is no end to our realisation. God is eternal. Our journey is eternal, and the road that we are marching on is also eternal. We are eternal, divine soldiers marching towards the Beyond that is constantly transcending its own boundary.
Published in Philosopher-thinkers: the power-towers of the mind and Poet-Seers: the fragrance-hours of the heart in the West
Happiness
A talk by Sri Chinmoy
at Friedrich-Ebert-Halle in Ludwigshafen, Germany
Happiness, happiness, happiness!
My happiness abides in my soul’s promise to God. My happiness dwells in my heart’s hope for a higher life. My happiness resides in my life’s willingness to fulfil God at every moment.
I am happy when early in the morning I place my ignorance-head at God’s Forgiveness-Feet. I am happy when early in the morning my inspiration-eye catches a glimpse of God’s Compassion-Eye. I am happy when early in the morning my aspiration-heart is blessed by my Lord’s Satisfaction-Heart.
To be happy I must not allow insincerity to stand at my mind’s door. To be happy I must not allow insecurity to stand at my heart’s door. To be happy I must not allow impurity to stand at my life’s door.
Happiness, happiness, happiness!
To be happy, every day during my meditation I send my body to enthusiasm-kindergarten, I send my vital to dynamism-elementary school, I send my mind to obedience-high school, I send my heart to surrender-college and I send my life to gratitude-university. I send the members of my earthly existence to study these divine subjects in order to make myself a perfect instrument of my Lord Supreme, for only as a perfect instrument of my Lord Supreme can I truly be happy.
To be happy, I beg and beg my Lord Supreme to grant me a will-power-sword and to make it sharper than the sharpest. With this sharper than the sharpest will-power-sword, I shall challenge the ignorance-night that has enveloped my being for thousands of years and liberate myself.
To be happy, I pray and pray soulfully to my Lord Supreme to grant me the capacity to ring the bell of His universal Peace. I also beg my Lord Supreme not to allow ignorance-titan to touch my Eternity’s dream-boat, which I have been sailing from time immemorial towards the Golden Shore of the Beyond.
My soulful God-invocation is the beginning of my happiness-peace. My sleepless self-dedication is the continuation of my happiness-journey. My unconditional God-manifestation in God’s own Way is the culmination of my happiness-perfection.
Published in My Heart’s Peace-Offering