Self-Discovery and Transformation
A lecture by Sri Chinmoy
at New York University in New York
There are two worlds: the outer and the inner. When the Kundalini is fast asleep, man is awake to the outer world. He wants to have everything that the outer world can offer him and he feels that he can get satisfaction only from what the outer world can give him.
When the Kundalini is awake, man is fully aware of the inner world. He knows that the outer world cannot satisfy his inner needs. He has brought to the fore the capacity of the inner world, which he has come to realise is far superior to the capacity of the outer world. He has brought to the fore the hidden powers, the occult powers, within himself. Either he uses these powers properly or he misuses them. When he divinely uses the powers of the Kundalini, he becomes the real pride of the Mother Supreme. When he misuses them, he becomes the worst enemy of man's embodied consciousness and of his own personal evolution.
As we all like to play, so also our Divine Mother and Divine Father like to play. The Divine Mother, Parvati, and the Divine Father, Shiva, want to play and they want their child to participate. But their child is fast asleep, so they wait for some time. When they feel that it is high time for him to get up and they see that there is no sign that he is about to do so, the Mother most affectionately gives him a push from below, from his Muladhara chakra, and the Father affectionately pulls him up from above, from Sahasrara. Then the child gets up.
If the child is in a good, divine consciousness when he gets up, he says, "You have been waiting for such a long time. I am so sorry. I beg to be excused. I wish to play with you. Come, let us start playing the game." Then the Mother most affectionately teaches the child with Her dynamic Power how to play the cosmic Game extremely well. And the Father most affectionately teaches the child with His inner illumining Light and Wisdom how to play the Game extremely well. Eventually they make their child a unique and accomplished player. When he becomes an exceptionally good player, he has to fight against three opposing players at the same time. These three formidable opponents are Darkness, Ignorance and Death. To his surprise, he defeats his enemies easily. His is the everlasting victory over these fallen foes.
If the child is in a bad, undivine consciousness when he receives the push and pull from his parents, he says to them, "For God's sake, don't bother me. I need sleep, only sleep. I want nothing else. I do not want to play." Then the parents sadly say, "Sleep, child, sleep. We shall play without you."
Any individual can practice Kundalini Yoga if he sincerely wants to. Or if one only wants to study it, then I must say that Kundalini Yoga is worthy of study with the deepest reverence.
The main objectives of Kundalini Yoga are to realise the dynamic existence in the static existence, to change the lower state of consciousness into the higher state of consciousness, to transform the bondage of the finite into the freedom of the Infinite. The dynamic existence is Shakti and the static existence is Shiva. If Shakti is not present in Shiva, then Shiva will remain static. Shakti, the Mother, is the Power, but it is the Father who houses this infinite Power.
When a seeker wants to identify himself with the Mother-Power, he has to intensify his aspiration. It is through intensity that he becomes one with the Shakti. If he wants to become totally one with the Divine Father, Shiva, it is with sea-like immensity that he can become one with Shiva.
Here in the West there are many who feel that the powers of Kundalini Yoga are nothing but rank superstition. I wish to say that those who cherish this idea are totally mistaken. Even the genuine spiritual Masters have examined Kundalini Yoga and found in their own experiences the undeniable authenticity of its hidden occult powers.
Blessed is he who practises Kundalini Yoga as part of his self-discovery and not in order to acquire power in hypnotism, black magic or other low forms of occultism which operate in and from the vital world. A genuine student of Kundalini Yoga is he who tries to unite the vital power and the spiritual knowledge in perfect harmony with the evolving spirit of life. A genuine seeker never considers the hidden powers or occult powers as his goal. He cares only for God. He longs only for God's loving Presence in his life.
The Kundalini Power is the dynamic power in us. When the dynamic power and the spiritual knowledge go hand in hand, the perfect harmony of the universal Consciousness dawns and the conscious evolution of the human soul reaches the transcendental Self.
There are two ways for one to enter into Kundalini Yoga: the Tantric process and the Vedantic process. The Tantric approach is systematic and elaborate but, at the same time, quite dangerous. The Vedantic process is simple and mystical, but it is safe and in no way less convincing or less fulfilling.
The Tantric method is dangerous because it deals first with the lower vital and emotional life. The approach is dynamic and courageous. Either one will purify himself by entering bravely into the vital world and coming out triumphant, or one will be totally lost in the ignorance of the vital world if he is not strong enough inwardly to conquer the vital forces there.
The Vedantic way is safe because the seeker concentrates and meditates to raise, purify and illumine his consciousness before he tries to deal with the obscure, impure lower vital forces that want to bind him. When the seeker enters into the lower vital world with the light of illumination, to his wide surprise he sees that the lower vital is illumined, purified and divinised.
The Tantric process demands from the seeker constant and conscious awareness of the inner and upward movement from the Muladhara chakra to the Sahasrara chakra. The Vedantic process demands from the seeker conscious and constant awareness of the evolving and liberating consciousness.
If anybody here would like to practise Kundalini Yoga, I advise that seeker to follow the Vedantic method, which is safe and, at the same time, sure. If you follow the Vedantic method you are destined to reach the Goal certainly and safely.
Published in Kundalini: the Mother-Power
The Yoga of Shakti
by Sri Chinmoy
the final in a series of four lectures on Kundalini Yoga held on consecutive Wednesday evenings at New York University in New York, at the invitation of Dr James Carse, Chairman of the Religion Department
Kundalini Yoga is the Yoga of Shakti, the power of the divine Goddess. We have to value the Mother aspect and see the spiritual Mother in each woman. There was a time when people used to say that women are not meant for spiritual life. Those days are now gone. Now it is clear that men and women aspire equally well. Woman can never be a hindrance to man's progress provided man gives due value to woman's aspiration. Woman's aspiration and dedication can go perfectly well with man's aspiration and dedication. In Kundalini Yoga it is the Mother, the Divine Mother, who fulfils and liberates. When the Divine Mother liberates man and woman from the meshes of ignorance, she feels that her role is over. Kundalini is the power of Shakti and each woman represents the transcendental Shakti, the Mother-Power.
It is through our soulful surrender to the Supreme Mother in us, the Kundalini, that we can liberate our earthly existence and be freed from ignorance. It is through our constant surrender to the Will of the Supreme Mother in us that we can fulfil ourselves.
To each of you I offer my deepest gratitude. You have come here with utmost sincerity to learn about the Mother-Power. Nothing gives me greater joy than to be of service to all your aspiring souls. Some of you are following the path of Kundalini Yoga; some of you are following other paths. There are various roads to follow, but they all lead us to the same ultimate Goal. What we need is sincerity. What we need is purity. What we need is a conscious and constant inner cry. Then the Goal, the transcendental Goal, will be within our easy reach.
Published in Kundalini: the Mother-Power
First Become Peace-Dreamers
A talk by Sri Chinmoy
at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Peace is today’s universal heart-hunger-cry. Peace will be tomorrow’s immortal life-satisfaction-smile.
We do not have an iota of peace precisely because our human mind wants to dominate the world. We do not have an iota of peace precisely because our divine heart has not yet established its inseparable oneness with the world. As long as we sing the song of supremacy, as long as we want to prove to the world that we are superior to others, then there can be no peace.
Who can have peace? Not a sovereign dictator, not a world-conqueror, but a self-giver and a world-lover.
Where is peace? Not in the world of competition, but in the world of self-perfection. Where else is peace? Not in our ruthless rejection of the outer life, but in our soulful acceptance of the outer life.
Our outer life needs greatness. Our inner life needs goodness. In our outer life we must be great — not individually, but collectively and universally. Then our inner goodness has to come to the fore and transform our greatness into goodness. If goodness and greatness remain apart, then there can be no peace. Greatness has to become inseparably one with goodness if we are to have peace. The mind’s loftiest achievements can never grant us peace. Only when our mind’s greatness becomes inseparably one with our heart’s all-giving goodness can we have abiding peace.
When the mind receives, it is peaceful and happy. When the heart offers, it is peaceful and happy. But there comes a time when we feel that there is something more than giving and taking, and this is becoming. When a Truth-seeker and God-lover not only receives peace from without and offers peace from within, but also wants to become peace itself, then he sees and feels that the Boatman, God the Creator, and the Boat, God the Creation, are immediately happy — and God’s Happiness is his own happiness.
A Truth-seeker and God-lover can never have peace unless and until he pleases his Inner Pilot — who is at once God the Creator and God the Creation — in His own Way. And by pleasing God in God’s own Way, the seeker becomes peace itself.
O peace-givers,
First become peace-makers.O peace-makers,
First become peace-discoverers.O peace-discoverers,
First become peace-lovers.O peace-lovers,
First become divine peace-dreamers.
Published in The Oneness of the Eastern Heart and the Western Mind, part 3
Perfection-Fragrance
A talk by Sri Chinmoy
at the Peace Concert in Buchman Hall, New York City
Perfection is aspiration-ascension. Perfection is bondage-liberation. Perfection is ignorance-illumination. Perfection is God-realisation. Perfection is God-manifestation. Perfection is God-satisfaction.
Perfection will remain a far cry if I think that my body is too old, my vital is too undisciplined, my mind is too impure, my heart is too insecure and my soul is too indifferent. Again, perfection can be within my easy reach if slowly, steadily and unerringly I develop abundant capacity for God-receptivity. Perfection easily can be within my reach if I do not try to compete with the rest of the world but just complete my own God-ordained task and Heavenward pilgrimage. Not competition, but completion: not competition with the rest of the world, but completion of my own soulful task here on earth!
The heart is a beautiful flower-child, and gratitude is the soulful fragrance of that beautiful flower-child. My soul-beauty's nectar-fragrance I shall be able to enjoy in abundant measure only when my heart becomes a constant God-lover; my mind, a conscious truth-defender; and my life, a sleepless self-giver.
O truth-seeker, O God-lover, we are all sailing in the same boat. At the end of our journey, we are bound to reach the Golden Shore. On our way towards the Destination Supreme, let us not criticise the unaspiring citizens of the world. Let us only love them more. Let us cure their ignorance-malady. Let us feed and nourish them to end their spirituality-penury.
I am a student of peace, world peace, universal oneness-home-peace. I have submitted my cheerful and complete world-possession-desire-resignation and now I only study at the perfection-fragrance-university. While studying, I do not allow myself to be buffeted by doubt-blows from within or from without. My ignorance-confession is now in the process of being replaced by God's unconditional Illumination-Benediction.
Every day my Lord Supreme, my Professor Supreme, out of His infinite Bounty, teaches me a new, illumining and fulfilling faith-song. These faith-songs make me feel that I am definitely a choice instrument of my Lord Supreme, Him to fulfil in His own Way here on earth.
God my Professor tells me: "My child, in you is My Infinity's Capacity."
I tell God my Professor: "My Eternity's loyalty I am offering only to You, only to You."
God my Professor tells me to remain always in the aspiration-class and promises that He will remain forever my Perfection-Fragrance-Professor.
Published in A Heart of Oneness-Peace
Peace Concert Poems
Recited by Sri Chinmoy
at the Peace Concert in Buchman Hall, New York City
The absence of peace
In your heart
Is the presence of my Lord's
Sorrowful sigh.
My Lord Supreme,
How can I have peace of mind
Every morning before I enter into
The hustle and bustle of life?
“My child,
Every morning ask your heart
To count My Heavenly Blessings
Long before you allow your mind
To count your earthly bills.
My child,
This is the only way
You can have peace of mind
Early in the morning
And during the entire day.”
Published in A Heart of Oneness-Peace