Because You are a Born-Heart
An inspirational message offered by Sri Chinmoy
Because you are a born-heart, My child,
I tell you for sure,
No, not even the greatest doubter
Can blight you.Because you are a child-heart, My child,
I tell you for sure,
No, not even the worst possible rogue
Can spoil you.Because you are a oneness-heart, My child,
I tell you for sure,
No, not even the most powerful
Hostile force
Can divide you.A born-heart, a child-heart
And a oneness-heart
Are unparalleled treasures
Here on earth.
Published in Aurora-Flora
Comments about Thomas Jefferson
by Sri Chinmoy during a conversation with Nripal Petersen
Nripal: We know that spirituality — in the sense that we all understand it, that you taught us to understand it — pervaded the consciousness of so many of the founders of our country and they were able to distinguish between the highest, simplest spirituality and the practice of religion. Jefferson was the champion of the separation of Church and State and yet he was a profoundly spiritual person. People today do not really understand that.
Jefferson was able to talk about the Creator, that Being who "doth no wrong," and to use all these wonderful phrases referring to the Supreme Being, in letters and even in public laws and documents. "Almighty God hath created the mind free and manifested his supreme will that free it shall remain by making it altogether insusceptible of restraint." That was from his Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Here he was writing in a law, "Almighty God has created the human mind free." What would people think about that today? They would say, "That is a violation of the Bill of Rights. You cannot do that. You are propagating religion." People do not understand that that is not propagating religion; it is recognising where the sacred and undeniable truths come from.
Somehow, someone has to come along in a leadership position in public life who can articulate the difference between spirituality, on the one hand and religion; and the distinction between the common love of God, which all religions share and fostering the establishment of religion and religious dogmas. There is a subtle difference there, but a real difference. We can see that when Jefferson starts using words like 'sacred', he is bringing in the spiritual dimension, but he is not pushing it into the realm of religion. There is a real art to his understanding and expression that has clearly been lost today.
Sri Chinmoy: Spirituality is the mother. Religion is the child. The mother has affection, compassion, sweetness, fondness, vastness — everything. The children quarrel and fight and then they come to their mother for consolation. Each child thinks that he is right, he is right and the poor mother tries to make each one feel that he is right in his own way. Then the mother tells the children, "Only love me, love me, love me. The more you love me, the less you will quarrel, fight and misunderstand each other."
Again, spirituality houses religion. If spirituality goes out of religion, religion cannot last even for a second. But, like children, sometimes religions feel they can live without the mother. Then the mother says, "All right, try in your own way." At some point they come to realise that without their mother's affection and concern they cannot live even for a second.
There is not a single person who is not spiritual. Again, there are degrees of spirituality. My spirituality need not be of the same height and depth as somebody else's spirituality. But spirituality is innate, because spirituality is in God, with God and for God. Spirituality is not made by man, whereas religions are made by men. Religions come from the experiences of human beings. In our hoary past there were some spiritual Masters and religions came from their experiences. But spirituality in its pristine form comes directly from God, from God's Vision. Religion has to learn from spirituality. Religion has to sit at the feet of spirituality, because spirituality embodies the universal, whereas manmade religion is not universal. That is why we talk about love of God. If we have love of God, then we enter into the realm of spirituality. If religion also is only love of God, then the door is open. We can go into the church; we can go into the temple; we can go anywhere we want to go.
Unfortunately, religions are all manmade. Some will say that the Indian religions came from the Vedic Seers; Christians will talk about their religion and others will talk about their religions. Spiritual figures who had a vision or experience gave it to their friends, gave it to their small world or to the vast world. Religion is getting something from within and then giving it. The quality can be excellent; the quantity can also be excellent. But spirituality comes directly from God and inundates our life-breath.
If we have love of God, then religion and spirituality will always remain inseparable. If we have true love for God and love for one religion, there is no problem. But if some religions want to exercise their supremacy, how will they express their supremacy? By trying to bind other religions, by subordinating other religions. That is the wrong process. While they are trying to bind other religions, they themselves are already bound. But once we love God in His own Way, then all the religions, which are like houses or homes, we can claim as our own. Everybody we can claim.
Humanity needs sincere love of God. When we love God, we see there is only one thing and that is spirituality. Spirituality is not a word. It is not a concept. It is not a religion. Spirituality is God's Life-Breath. God's infinite Life-Breath in an infinitesimal way He is keeping inside the heart of Mother-Earth.
I always feel and know that spirituality is the answer. Spirituality is universal. Again, spirituality does not mean only the messages that certain spiritual Masters have offered to the world. Each Master has shown a way to the Goal. Each individual has to walk along a particular road to reach the Goal. Religion will eventually surrender to spirituality. As a matter of fact, it has surrendered, but it does not want to acknowledge the fact. Religion does not want to admit that unconsciously it has surrendered to the will of spirituality.
Religion wants to maintain its separativity. But a day will come when religions, like spirituality, will be all-embracing. Either they will all love God together or, even if they love God in different ways, they will try to harmonise with each other. One religion will not find fault with the ways that other religions approach God.
Published in My Heart-Door I Have Kept Wide Open
God the Farthest and God the Nearest
A talk by Sri Chinmoy
at Aspiration-Ground, Jamaica, New York
There are two aspects of God: God the visible and God the invisible. Again, we can say the two aspects are God the farthest and God the nearest. God the visible and God the invisible; God the farthest and God the nearest.
The outer run takes us to God the farthest. While we are going to the farthest, God shows us the beauty of nature, the beauty of Mother Earth. And when we go to God the nearest, as soon as we breathe in and breathe out, we feel in the very depths of our heart the nearest one, God the nearest. Both are the same.
In one aspect, God is God the visible; in another aspect, God is God the invisible. Similarly, in one aspect, God is God the farthest; in another aspect, God is God the nearest. They are the same.
When you run outwardly to cover the length and breadth of the world, you meet with God the farthest. At that time, nature's beauty helps you. Mother Earth comes with her boundless compassion, affection, love, joy and pride to bless you. You have a very beautiful soul, Jesper, a very aspiring soul. When you pray and meditate, the way we are praying and meditating, you approach God the nearest, right here. Inside our heartbeat we feel the presence of God the nearest. What can be nearer than this?
We need both God the farthest and God the nearest. With our outer run we want to see how vast God's world is. When we see the outer world and all its beauty, we are very pleased. Then again, we also want to see God the nearest, the dearest, the fondest. He is also so fond of us. That is why we see Him right here. Because He has tremendous Sweetness and Fondness for us, He has chosen to be right inside our heartbeat. This is God the nearest.
God the farthest and God the nearest are one and the same Person. This moment He is farther than the farthest; next moment He is nearer than the nearest. When we see Him here, He is nearer than the nearest; when we see Him on the other side of the world, He is farther than the farthest. This is how we take part in God's Cosmic Game.
When we feel God in the very depths of our heart, while we are breathing in, we are so pleased, so happy. We want to see the quality and capacity of our dearest One, who is inside us. Then He shows us His infinite Capacity. He encompasses the whole world, the entire universe. We see someone whom we love, and then we are curious to know how good He is or how great He is. Immediately He tells us, "Do you want to see My Greatness? Look!" Then He shows us His entire world and His entire universe.
This is how God's Cosmic Game goes on. He is the nearest; He is the farthest. He is the dearest, sweetest and fondest.
Sri Chinmoy offers this soulful message after honouring Jesper Kenn Olsen of Denmark, who was soon to complete a run of 26,000 miles all around the world.
Published in My Golden Children
God’s Vision Will Not Remain Unfulfilled
Questions answered by Sri Chinmoy
at Aspiration-Ground Jamaica, New York
Question: We are seeing fighting in so many places now. How can we actually create peace on earth?
Sri Chinmoy: Today is not the last day of the Mother Earth. Today is not the last day of our peace-dream-aspiration. Peace will actually be manifested here on earth when self-giving, loving and embracing realities can play their full heart-role in perfect harmony. Not in the near future, but in the most distant future, peace will really take place. Peace will grow in the soil of the Mother Earth.
Question: How can we tell which leaders are really prepared to work and sacrifice for peace?
Sri Chinmoy: The leaders who think that “mind-expansion, vital-expansion and body-expansion” is the real way to peace are far away from peace. But the leaders who believe in heart-extension — here, there, all-where — are walking along the right way to manifest peace here on earth. The right way is not the mind-expansion, but the heart-extension.
Question: Given the current political situation, do you believe peace is possible?
Sri Chinmoy: When God has a Vision, or we human beings, on the strength of our climbing, aspiring hearts, have a dream, then God’s Vision and our dream will definitely become a living reality. It is only a matter of time. Patience, patience, patience! Patience is the length of time. The manifestation of peace is not only possible, but inevitable. But it will take place only at God’s choice Hour. God’s Vision will not remain unfulfilled, and man’s loftiest dream will also not remain unmanifested.
Question: Would you describe yourself as a peace-maker?
Sri Chinmoy: No, never! God has not given me the role of a peace-maker. He has given me the role of a peace-dreamer and peace-lover. My life-boat plies between the peace-loving shore and the peace-dreaming shore.
Many people, out of their boundless compassion and affection, call me a man of peace. Today in public I am saying that if the world calls me a student of peace, then I will be the happiest person. I take myself as a student of peace, not as a man of peace — and ‘peace-maker’ is far beyond my concept. Only a student can learn. If I remain a student of peace, I will be the happiest and the proudest person. Only a student can learn. For him is the ocean of knowledge and the ocean of peace, the ocean of peace. We cannot swim across the ocean of peace overnight. It is not like the English Channel, twenty-two miles which we can swim across in a matter of hours. To swim across the ocean of peace takes many, many, many, many, many, many years.
I am a student of peace. If people call me a student of peace, I will be extremely, extremely grateful to them. Peace is an inexhaustible subject that has no limit, no limit, no limit. If I can be a student of peace, then I shall be able to learn. I shall be able to learn, and I shall be able to enter into each heart and see how sincere a cry each individual has in his heart or her heart to bring about world peace.
Peace is not a dictionary word. Peace is the Heart-Breath of God. God will never be satisfied unless and until His Heart-Breath He can share with His entire Creation.
Published in Our Sweetest Oneness