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The Descent of the Blue

An excerpt from a play by Sri Chinmoy

Published in 1972 to commemorate Sri Aurobindo’s Birth Centenary (1872-1972)

 

Act V, Scene 6

(22 August 1907. Bengal National College. The resignation of Aurobindo’s Principalship of the College. His beloved pupils request of him a few words of advice. Their faces are overwhelmed with sorrow at his resignation. He has been profusely garlanded by these students.)

AUROBINDO: I have been told that you wish me to speak a few words of advice to you. But in these days I feel that young men can very often give better advice than we older people can give.*

(One of the students stands up.)

STUDENT: Excuse me, Sir. If so, they speak of inspiration received from outstanding leaders like you.(Cheers.)

AUROBINDO: When we established this college and left other occupations, other chances of life, to devote our lives to this institution, we did so because we hoped to see in it the foundation, the nucleus of a nation, of the new India which is to begin its career after this night of sorrow and trouble, on that day of glory and greatness when India will work for the world. (Thunderous applause) … When I come back I wish to see some of you becoming rich, rich not for yourselves but that you may enrich the Mother with your riches. I wish to see some of you becoming great, great not for your own sakes, not that you may satisfy your own vanity, but great for her, to make India great, to enable her to stand up with head erect among the nations of the earth, as she did in days of yore when the world looked up to her for light. Even those who will remain poor and obscure, I want to see their very poverty and obscurity devoted to the Motherland … Work that she may prosper. Suffer that she may rejoice.

(Repeated cries of Bande Mataram. In reply one of the students stands up.)

STUDENT (with a choked voice): Words cannot express our feelings. The brilliant future of our country you have called up before our minds has impressed itself upon our hearts. We feel, too, that it can be realised by us if we have a leader of your stature to guide us. We give you our soul’s word that we will follow you, your noble ideal, your noble sacrifice.

(Loud cries of Bande Mataram.)

* Sri Aurobindo’s words in this scene are from an actual speech of his.

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Published in The Descent of the Blue

 

Swami Vivekananda and Rabindranath Tagore

Stories by Sri Chinmoy

25.

Swami Vivekananda in his teens used to go to all the swamis, fakirs and spiritual figures, with only one question: "Have you seen God? Have you seen God?"

They observed his intense sincerity, but the answer was always the same: "Sorry, no, I have not seen God."

Some of these spiritual figures at that time had disciples as well, but each one was sincere enough to tell the young Naren, "No, I have not seen God."

Then Swami Vivekananda went to Tagore's father, Maharshi Debendranath, with the same question. Debendranath said, "I have not seen God, but I can clearly see in your eyes that you will one day realise God. Your eyes tell me that you will see God, you will realise God." And he showered boundless affection on Naren. Debendranath was the only one who could see Naren's future.

After conquering the heart of America and the West, Swami Vivekananda came back home. He went to Debendranath to pay his homage and to offer his gratitude because he had received so much affection and so many blessings from Tagore's father. Tagore's father was kindness incarnate. When he saw Vivekananda, his joy knew no bounds. His pride in Vivekananda was boundless

 

26.

Tagore in writing said, "If you want to know India well, study Vivekananda." Then Vivekananda said, "If you want to know India's culture, India's heritage, Tagore is the only answer."

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Published in Rabindranath Tagore: the Moon of Bengal’s Heart

 

 

A collection of 39 poems written by Sri Chinmoy on the bus returning from Sports Day in New Paltz, NY, to Jamaica, Queens, NY.

 

1. Acceptance

My acceptance of God is the height of my
greatness.
God's acceptance of me is the depth of His
weakness.
My greatness eternally speaks
To the human in me.
God's weakness eternally glorifies
And fulfils the Divine in me.

 

2. Art

God blesses me and my sincerity and my ignorance
When I fail to appreciate human art.
God loves me and embraces me and immortalises me
When I see no difference between my
God-discovery
And His divine Art supreme.

 

3. Bliss

I thought ignorance was bliss;
Therefore I stayed with my mind.
Alas! 
Alas!

I thought incapacity was bliss;
Therefore I stayed with my heart.
Alas! 
Alas!

But now I know what bliss is;
I know where bliss is.
Bliss is my God-manifestation,
Bliss is in my God-satisfaction.

 

4. Compassion

When I use my little 'i'
And my infernal 'I',
My compassion is the dance
Of my attachment-sea.

When I use my big 'I'
And my transcendental 'I'
My compassion is the perfection
Of God's ever-transcending Beyond.

 

5. Confidence

My beloved Father-Lord,
I need ceaseless confidence
To claim You as my Eternity's own.

"My daughter,
Your life-river
Has already claimed Me
As its Eternity's own,
But you have to do something more:
You have to constantly feel
That My Vision-height
Loves you infinitely more
Than you love your earth-existence-life
And Heaven-transcendence-light."

 

6. Cooperation

Heaven's Vision and earth's aspiration
Are eternally in need of only one thing:
Cooperation.
And what is cooperation?
The dance of God's Satisfaction-light in me
And
The song of my Perfection-life in God.

 

7. Delight

The difference between Delight and God is this:
When I misuse Delight
I go back to my animal kingdom.
When I misuse God
God still allows me to live
with my human family.

 

8. Devotion

In the morning I need devotion
To see the face of my Inner Pilot.

At noon I need devotion
To see the smile of
The Supreme Lover in me.

At night I need devotion
To become the total
And complete Manifestation
Of my Beloved Supreme.

 

9. Dynamism

Dynamism is the God-expansion
Of my divine vital.

Dynamism is the God-awareness
Of my awakened body.

Dynamism is the God-journey
Of my Dream-boat.

 

10. Gratitude

When I saw a gratitude-flower
God gave me a smiling face.

When I felt a gratitude-heart
God gave me a loving embrace.

When I became a gratitude-life
God made me Eternity's indispensable comrade.

 

11. Harmony

My earth-life needs
The life of harmony-light.
My Heaven-life inundates my heart
With God's harmony-light
And
His Eternity's Perfection-dream.

 

12. Humility

My Lord Supreme,
Do tell me the secret of Your Greatness.
"My son, to you I reveal the secret of My Greatness:
My earth-cry is humility-light."

My Lord Supreme,
Do tell me the secret of Your Goodness.
"Son, to you I reveal the secret of My Goodness:
My earth-smile is humility-light."

My Lord Supreme,
Do tell me the secret of Your
Perfection-oneness.
"Son, to you I reveal the secret of My Perfection-oneness:
My Silence-vision and My Sound-creation
Have a common source:
Humility's satisfaction supreme."

 

13. Inspiration

My inspiration is the harbinger of my destination.
My aspiration is the transcendence of my destination.
My realisation is the supreme need of God's perfection-flood
In the heart of human cry.

 

14. Joy

My outer joy tells me:
I can remain without God's Dream-boat.
My inner joy tells me:
Where is God's Dream-boat
If not at the shore
Of my Reality's Silence-height?

 

15. Leadership

My Divinity's Father Absolute,
Do tell me the difference
Between my leadership and
Your Leadership.

"My son,
Your leadership is a battleship
That surrenders to your ignorance-sea
Long before your life-battle starts.
My Leadership has been starving from time immemorial
Because you have not been willing to dine with Me
On My Infinity's transcendental Height."

 

16. Love

I love God
Because He alone loves me.

I love God
Because He alone claims me.

I love God
Because He alone needs me.

I love God
Because He alone tells me
That I am none other than Himself.

 

17. Meekness

In my body-life,
My meekness is my perfect helplessness
And my total worthlessness.

In my soul-life,
My meekness is my perfect life-mastery
And my supreme God-discovery.

 

18. Music

Earth-music instigates me
To swim in the pleasure-sea.

Heaven-music inspires me
To grow into the Love-light of God.

God's Music awakens me
To empty my ignorance-sound
And treasure my silence-height.

 

19. Oneness

My oneness with humanity
Has taught me two things:
Temptation-cry and frustration-sigh.

My oneness with divinity
Has taught me two things:
Satisfaction-soul and perfection-whole.

 

20. Patience

God uses His Patience-Light
To illumine my ignorance-night.

I use my patience-life
To brave darkness-knife.

 

21. Peace

Where is peace?
Peace is in self-expansion.

What is peace?
Peace is God-manifestation.

How far is peace?
As far as my imagination flows.

How near is peace?
As near as my realisation glows.

 

22. Power

When I use my body-power,
God feels sorry
That He has not given me
His Power absolute.

When I use my soul-power,
God feels proud
Not only for His manifestation
In and through me,
But also for my acceptance-light
Of His Vision's perfection-goal.

 

23. Purity

What is purity?
Divinity's younger sister.

Where is purity?
Inside the heart of oneness-life.

Why is purity?
To fulfil God's eternal Necessity.

 

24. Realisation

Our earth-realisation is painful.
Our Heaven-realisation is fanciful.
Our God-realisation is doubtful.
Our own realisation is pitiful.

 

25. Renunciation

Lord Supreme,
Do I need earth-renunciation
To love You more?
"My son,
Do I need Love-perfection
To claim you more?"

Lord Supreme,
Tell me the difference
Between my body-renunciation
And my soul-renunciation.
"My son,
Your body-renunciation
Is your clever cry for an immediate escape.
Your soul-renunciation
Is the invention of your ignorance-dream.

"Son, do you love Me?
Then do not renounce,
Do not reject.
Son, do you need Me?
Then accept and perfect."

 

26. Security

Divine Father Supreme,
My heart-cry devotedly, unreservedly and constantly
Needs the flood of Your security.

"Son, My son,
What you need is not My security.
What you need is My ceaseless proclamation:
You are of
My Eternity's Silence-Height
And you are for
My Infinity's Reality-Light."

 

27. Selflessness

Father, my Father Supreme,
Tell me how far my selflessness
Can carry me.
"Daughter, My daughter,
As far as My perfect Perfection carries Me."

Father, my Father Supreme,
Tell me the difference between
My selflessness and my self-discovery.
"Daughter, My daughter,
The same as the difference between
My divine Pride in you
And
My Concern supreme for you."

 

28. Service

Human service teaches me
How to become exceptionally great.

Divine service teaches me
How to become supremely good.

God-service teaches me
How to become Eternity's Perfection-cry
And Infinity's Perfection-smile.

 

29. Simplicity

My simplicity
Is my God's Necessity,
Not mine.
My God's Necessity
Is God-Reality.
God-Reality is my Silence-height
And my sound-might.

 

30. Sincerity

My earth's sincerity has made my life great.
My Heaven's sincerity has made my life good.
My God's Sincerity has made my life
Immortality's seed,
Infinity's flower,
Eternity's fruit.

 

31. Strength

Lord Supreme,
Give me the strength to love You.
"Son, give Me the smile
To claim you as My own."

Lord Supreme,
Give me the strength to accept You
As my very own.
"Son, empty your treasured
ignorance-dream
At My Immortality's Reality-shore."

 

32. Surrender

When I surrender my earth-bound thought
To God's omnipotent Will,
The ecstasy of Heaven-free Will
Needs me, claims me and treasures me
As its very own.

 

33. Sweetness

My sweetness is my magnet-love
To bring down God's Compassion-flood.

My sweetness is my heart-cry
To carry me to God's absolute Height.

 

34. Transcendental

Love I need to feel
My Lord's Transcendental Grace.

Devotion I need to see
My Lord's Transcendental Face.

Surrender I need to win
My Lord's Transcendental Race.

 

35. Transformation

Lord, why do I need a transformation-life?
"Son, why do you need a satisfaction-goal?"
Lord, I need a satisfaction-goal
Because satisfaction is perfection.
"Son, what is perfection
If not another name for your transformation-life?"

 

36. Truth

At last I know the difference
Between Truth and God:
Truth tells me
One day, at God's choice Hour,
I shall realise God;
God tells me smilingly and proudly,
Who else is God if not I,
The Eternal I?

 

37. Victory

O Mother Divine,
I long to become
Your Eternity's Victory-banner.

"Son, easy!
Just feel that you are
My supernal Vision's
Birthless and deathless armour."

 

38. Vital transformation

God, how many years shall it take
For the vital transformation?
"Son, if you feel that you will not be able
To bring about your vital transformation,
Then you have to stay with Eternity's frustration.
But if you meet the responsibility
Of the vital transformation
Then I tell you with all the sincerity
At my divine command,
That your vital transformation,
Is not and cannot be a far cry.
It is being done.
Nay, it is already done!"

 

39. Wideness

What is my wideness
If not my Lord's Satisfaction-smile?

What is my Lord's Satisfaction-smile
If not my arrival
At my Lord's transcendental Height?

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Published in My California Redwoods