In The Hours of Meditation

IN
THE HOURS
OF
MEDITATION
BY A DISCIPLE
GIFT OF
Published by
SWAMI MADHAVANANDA.
ADVAITA ASHRAMA.
Mayavati, Almora.
Printer
S.
C.
MAJUMDAR
SHI
GOURANGA PRESS.
7///, Mirzapore Street. Calcutta
IN
THE HOURS OF
MEDITATION
i
THERE
world.
are hours
are
when one
hours
forgets the
There
when
one
approaches that region of blessedness in which the soul is Self-contained and in the
presence of the Highest.
all
Then
;
is
silenced
clamouring of
is
desire
all
sound of
sense
stilled.
Only God
IS.
is no holier sanctuary than a mind, a mind concentrated upon purified God. There is no more sacred place than
There
the region of peace into which the

enters
mind
when
it
becomes
fixed in the Lord.
No more
is
sweet-odorous and holy incense
there than the rising of thought unto
God.
48151
IN
THE HOURS OF MEDITATION

bliss,
Purity, Purity,
bliss,
blessedness,
!
blessedness, peace
peace These
!
make up
The
close
to
the atmosphere of the state of
meditation.
spiritual
consciousness dawns in
these silent, sacred hours.

its
The
soul
Is
source.
The
streamlet
of
personality expands in these hours,
becom-
ing a mighty, swift-moving river, flowing

in the direction of that true
individuality
which
is
Consciousness of God.
and permanent the Oceanic And this is one

the
soul
and
only.
In
the
hours
of
meditation
draws from On High those true qualificafearlessness, tions which are of its nature
the sense of reality, the sense of deathlessness.
Draw
thou the
within thy Self, silent hour with
soul
truth.
Seek
Know
thou thy Self to be of the substance of Verily truth, the substance of divinity
!
within the heart doth
God
dwell
II
Fear not shadows.

pearance.
All
mortal
things are
all
as
Unreality
dominates
the
reality
ap-
Thou
art
within
which no change abides. Know thou art the Immovable One Let nature play with thee as nature will. Thy form is a dream. Know this, and be thou content Thy
! !
soul
is
stationed
in the formlessness of
Divinity.
Let the mind follow the blinking
light, desire rules, limitations exist.
Thou
art
not
mind
desire
touches thee not.
Thou
a play.
is
art
contained within Omniscience
and Omnipotence.
Play thy
the law.
Remember life is but Thou must. Such part.

Life itself cannot
!
Yet, withal, thou art neither
player,
play nor law.
limit thee.
is
Art thou not limitless
Life
of the stuff of dreams.
not.
Thou
art the
Dreamless
Thou dreamest One beyond
the touch and taint ot unreality.
Know
IN

this
this
Know
! ! ! !
and
be
free
free
free
Peace Peace Silent, audible Peace Peace wherein the Voice of God is heard. Peace and Silence Then comes the
!
Voice of God, audible

Silence
**I
!
audible within the
with thee, ever, and for ever. Never hast thou been nor canst thou be from Me apart. I am thy Soul. Verily
thy Soul
is
I.
am
Beyond
I
the universe, be-
yond
in
all
dreams
art
I.
rest,
Self-contained withart
immensity.
art
And
thou.
even so
For
1
thou
aye.
even so
thou
am
thou and
!
Leave
off all
I
dreams
Come
Come
light
unto
Me
shall carry thee across
the ocean of darkness and ignorance unto
and life everlasting. For am these I and thou and I are One. Thou art I Go dwell in Peace Dwell thou thou am
1
!
!
in
Peace
in the stillness
hear
My
Again when the hour cometh, and in the Peace thou shalt the Voice of God the Voice
!
* '
Voice of
God
HI
Again the hour

out
is
is
at
hand.
into the evening time.

quiet.
Day merges Everywhere withis.
Nature herself
is
at peace.
And when
fully
nature
at peace,
retire
more peacereadily also.
does the soul
into the inner
chamber
Life, as
of the heart.
More
desire
Let the senses and their activity subside.

it
is,
is
short
is
rampant.
thou
-
Give
Lord.
-shalt
at
least
some
short time unto the
He
know
asketh
little,
;
only
this, that
thy Self
for, verily,
knowing
thy Self, thou comest to
God and
the Soul are
know Him. For One. Some say,
"Remember,
True, of the
it
Man, that thou art dust!" Even of the mind is body

!
true
But
the
the
higher,
the
mightier, reads,
art
the
truer,
holier
revelation
that
"Remember,
Soul!"
O
O
Man,
and Soul!"
thou
the
"Indestructible
imperishable
art
thou alone,
So speaketh the
IN

However mighty
Death
all
Lord.
the
All else wanes.

it
form,
perishes.
and des-
truction are the lot of

is
form.
Thought
subordinate to change. Personality is of the weaving of these thought and form.

Therefore, stand aside,
Soul.
Rememin
this
ber thou art the Self beyond both thought
and
form.
All
virtue
art
resides
consciousness,
In this
"Thou
One
with God."
;
alone art thou immortal
in this
alone art thou pure and holy. Try not to become the master.
art
Thou
the
master
There
is
no becoming
!
for
thee.
sublime
Thou art, may seem
O
the
Soul
However
of
process
in
be-
coming, the hour shall

shalt
come when thou

is
know,
is
"Progress
time**
but
"Perfection
art
within eternity."
And
thou
not of time.
Is
Thou
!
art of eternity.
Then, "Tat Tvam Asi!" meaning, "Thou art That! Thou Understand that which is art That
there divinity
* '
!
the
Highest
!
within
thee.
Worship the
Highest
And
is
the most perfect form of
worship
the knowledge that thou and
IN
the Highest are One.
And what
!
is
the
Highest?
That,
all
O Soul,
thou callest God.
Throw
ing
dreams
into oblivion
Havthe
heard of the Self within thee,

!
Self thou art, understand
Having under!
Having perceived, know Having realised, Having known, then "Tat Tvam Asi !" which is, "Thou art That!"
stood, perceive
!
realise
Retreat
from
the
world
It,
It
is
the
embodiment
together with these are the nests of the body, verily, Shalt dreams. Shalt thou be a dreamer
!
of dreams.
thou be bound for ever
in the
!
dreams
till
"Arise
is
Awake
* '
!
bondage of and stop not
the goal
reached
So speaketh the Lord in the Silence in the deep, deep Silence when only His Om Tat Sat Voice is audible. Hari "Go thou in Peace!" Beyond all, aye, even within all appearance of form reigns
!
the
Spirit.
Its
nature
!
is
Peace,
Peace,
Unutterable Peace
IV
The Voice
the
of
God, speaking,
the
the
saith in
re-
Quiet
Hour,
"Remember, ever
pure
first
member, 'Only God!' Purity is

as they
in
heart
see
requisite.
Even
who
are governed
by
desire are
intense therein in their passions, even so
be thou pure
passionate
availeth.
even
so,
do thou have a
purity
!
longing
Call
to
for
Search
It
deeply and steadfastly for purity.

thy
alone
great
mind
that
prayer of
My
servant, Prahlada, unto Me,
'O Lord, that same intensity of love that worldly people have for the fleeting objects
of the senses, give to
me
that
same
is
intensity
of
love
for
Thee
*
!
Purity
the
ante-
chamber
to the Lord's Presence.
Before
thou thinkest of the Lord, think of purity. Purity is the key by which the doors of
meditation that lead into the Abiding-Place
of the
**
Throw
Most High, are opened. thyself upon the Ocean
of
IN

Strive
My
Strength.
that
I
not!
Seek
not!
Know
This knowledge, added with complete resignation unto My Will, Have thou no fears! shall save thee.
Art thou not in
AM.
Me
Am
not in thee
Know
deem
thou that
so
all this
passes,
is
which men
life.
great.
Death
everywhere,
swallowing up the forms of and change ensnare and bind

save the
Spirit.
Death
things
is
all
Know
this
Purity
It
the the
method
of
this
knowledge.
is
foundation-ground. With purity come fearlessness, freedom and the realisation on

thy part of thine
own
nature, the reality of
which
AM.
"Let the tempest blow, but when and the mind vacillates then THEN call upon ME I shall hear. For, as
desire burns
!
My
.fall
servant hath said,

of
hear even the footI
thee.
Me
shall speed unto do not desert them who call upon Call upon Me, not only sincerely.
ant.
I
an
And
sincerely, but steadfastly as well.
"I
Spirit
am
not
the
it
!
universe
am
is
the
as
a
beyond
The
universe
10
IN

I
carcase unto Me.

the
the
nity
It
SOUL
external
is
alone.
am concerned with Be not deceived by

things.
magnitude of
Divi-
not in form,
nor yet in thought.
is
the purified, free, spiritual, blissful,
form-emancipated, thought-emancipated consciousness which knows not, nor can
know, any
limitation.
stain
or
sin
or
bondage or
art
Within the innermost, That

Realisation shall
this.
It
thou,
O
is
Soul.
come
to
thee with regard to
must.
For
life.
!
such
the Sure Goal of the soul's

I
Remember, remember
!
am
with thee
am with thee I, the Lord, am with thee am am as Strength to all thy weakness am as Love as Forgiveness to all thy sins am thy Self to all thy search for Me am thy Self Put off all other thoughts
!
of Self
is
For
in the thought that thy Self
in
Me
am
lies
anywise different from the Self of all ignorance and all weakness.
thou
!
Arise,
Shining
I
One,
!
know
that
thy Self
am
is
thy Self
the
"And
purity
pathway
to
My
IN

!
Presence
Hari
!
Herein
!
is
thy
Salvation
Om
Tat Sat "Peace! Peace! Peace!"
V
The Voice
speaks
:
of the Guru,
who
is
God,
matter
I
"Lo
am
ever with thee.

I
No
where thou
bequeath
goest,
am
thee.
already there.
live for thee.

I
The
unto
fruit of
my
realisation
art
Thou
the
treasure- of
my
heart, the apple of
mine
is
eye.
We are one in God.

So well do
I I
Our business
realise
realisation.
my
one-
ness with thee
fear not to cast thee into
the wilderness of the world and into the

forest of doubt.
It
is
because
know
the
powers. Through experience after experience 1 send thee but always doth my eye follow thee
;
measure of thy
in
thy wanderings.
in
Dost thou sin?

presence.
acts,
I
Thou
thou
sinnest
my
all
Dost
perform
all.
I
virtuous
perceive
them
moods. Through all manner of experience and of thought bonds that are between us. I fasten the
thy
know
IN

is
13
My
me
salvation
naught to me, unless thou

it.
dost take part in
in another form.
Thou art the Self of The more thou dost

!
absorb the vision which is mine, lo more and more do we grow into spiritual oneness which is the Divine
the
that
Life.
The
Self
veils
of separate personality fall off

art
and thou
is
mine own Self and mine own So close are the bonds. Death and separation have no hold in my
thou.
est
relationship to thee.
be born far mayest not have even seen the physical form I wore, still none the less art thou
For though thou mayapart and though thou
my
very
own.
Discipleship
does
not
in
consist in having seen
my
form, but
having understood my will. Thou canst never escape the net I have cast out.
"Seek out
my
will.
Follow the teach-
ing which the Master has given unto
me
and which I have transmitted unto thee See thou the same vision which is mine. Then shalt thou be more at oneness with
me
bodies
than hadst thou dwelt near a myriad which were mine. Discipleship
14
IN

in steadiness
will.
consists
of devotion to
my
love
thought and
is
And immeasurable
between us. Go thou in peace. Harder than adamant are the bonds of relationship
between Guru and disciple. Stronger than death are they. For they are tied by Immeasurable Love and the Divine and
Omnipotent Will.
Om
The
Tat Sat!"
Disciple responds in
:
praise
and
in all
thanksgiving
"Aye,
So
my
Lord,
my God, my
is
all
am
taught.
The Guru
God.
He
yearns to merge in the Divine Reality. His vision is of God. Untiring is his zeal
in the salvation of
my
I
soul.
Through the
death
is
;
eyes of the Guru,
also see the vision.
True love
is
stronger
than
aye,
Birth
stronger than birth as well
love.
and death may separate me from his I do say? False!! presence. What I at any time be The Guru is God. Can Taking His Name separated from God shall struggle through this ocean of dark!
IN

all
15
ness safe to that other shore where
is
wisdom and
lessly
illusion, for
radiance.
this
is
shall
march
fear-
through
if
interminable jungle of
He
I
ments and,
watching all my movefall, he shall raise me up.

!
Are there thorns in my path, lo He will brush them aside. Do the wild animals of doubt and temptation beset me, lo He
!
will slay
them.
Or, perhaps,
path.
He
will let
me
fall into their
He
will
make me
struggle with
them
in order to reveal
my
own powers to myself. man know His powers

himself
4
And how
until
shall a
he has tested
to
I
'Birth
I
and death are nothing

all
me.
shall
shall
tear aside
all
limitations.
I
go
beyond
is
bonds.
shall
see
the
Divinity in
Him.
me,
I
That
Guru,
self -same
is
Reality
which Thee.
in
likewise within
ray. ray.
Thou
art the
Even so am The great utterance

art
Sun and I the the Sun and Thou, the
of Self-revelation of
the Upanishads, "Tat
Tvam Asi"
Thee
;
"Thou
!
That"
applies to
it
applies to
me.
O the sense of Unutterable Oneness
16
4
IN

to
'Adoration
the
Guru
!
as
Guru
Adoration to the Guru as God.
Om
Tat
Tat Sat
Tvam
Asi
!
'
Aham Brahmasmi
VI
In
the hour of meditation the soul

itself
speaking to
44
sayeth
Peace dwelleth
in the Silence.
;
And
the silence
Peace thou must be strong and cometh when the tumult of sense has been drowned in the Powerful
to gain
Stillness
of
in
Renunciation.
the
desert
of
Thou
this
art
wanderer
Tarry not
wayside.
thoughts
world.
lest
thou dost perish by the Make thy caravan of good
and provide thyself with the Waters of a Living Faith. Beware of all mirages. The goal is not there. Be thou
not deceived by the attraction of externals.
Renouncing all, go thou by those paths which lead thee into the solitude of thine
own
insight.
Follow thou not the
many
caught within the net of manifoldness. Go thou along the paths whereby saints
journey singly and separately to the Goal
2
18
IN

Dare
to
of Oneness.
lies
be brave.
effort.
Conquest
in
making the
initial
Do
not
waver.
Plunge into
sanctity.
mad
God.
thee
leap
drown
is
thyself in
With one the Ocean of

In the nature
for
Divinity
the End.
of things there could
be none other
thou shining ray of the Effulgent
One!
*
'Make
haste, lest thou repent.
Whip
and
up the steeds of religious earnestness

Crush thyself
if
need be. powerful faith. Let nothing stand in thy path. Thine is no chance destiny. March thou on with
surety
tion
is
and strength
Reality.
of soul, for thy destina-
Verily, thou thyself art

!
the Real.
In
all
Be thou Free
is
Be thou Free
the language of Self-realisation none

there as Strength.
strong.
such valuable word

First
last
and always, be thou

!
Fearing neither heavens nor hells, neither Nothing gods nor demons, go thou forth
shall
conquer thee.
;
to serve
which
ness
is
is
God Himself is bound thee for He is attracted by That And thus OneHimself in thee
!
the Essence of Sublime Insight for
IN
19
That which is in thee, That which is thee is God. Verily thou thyself art Divine.
Tat
Tvam
Asi
Hari
Om
Have
Tat Sat
"Dost thou believe

Self
!
faith in thy
in\
How
canst thou believe
God
if
thou believest not in thine
own
Self?
must save
thyself.
'God helps
Thou those who
help themselves/ Take cognisance of thy Real Self measure It according to the Know thou art not the spiritual standard.
;
body.
Even
is
thought
art
thou
not.
method of seeing, but the Thought Thus the final truth is vision is the end. The final mandate is, 'Man, Realisation.
the
know
Faith
!
thy Self/
Faith
!
man,
!
realise thy nature.
Everything depends Not the Faith which is belief, but the Faith which is Vision. There is no learn to hate doubt other sin but doubt
Faith
on
Faith.
as thou dost poison
the greatest weak-
ness
is
doubt.
is
To doubt
one's Self
that,
indeed, naught,
to
blasphemy. Be thou afraid of nay, not even of God, for God is
be loved, not feared.
How
canst thou
20
IN
fear thy Self!
And God
*
is
the Self of
I
And thee! There is naught but God thou art That Therefore, Arise Awake !
!
and stop not till the goal is reached!" Such is the Gospel of the Blessed One!*"
VII
The Soul, speaking further in the times of meditation sayeth unto itself, "True, the hour of trial cometh and
human weakness
in time destroy
is
great
is
but then the
very knowledge that sin

it.
weakness
will
For when once thou
it.
knowest poison, naturally thou wilt abhor When thou knowest thy weakness it Thou hast shall no more be weakness.
laid
which
shalt
bare the heart of thy trouble and that is the Depth in thee will alter the
its
currents of
movement.
so
In time thou
conquer
long
as
the
heart
is
sincere.
And
pray steadfastly, for constant

is
vigilence of soul
struggle.
required in the spiritual
and then moments will come when thou shalt have insight into thy real nature and thou shalt know weakness
as weakness. In that time call upon the Lord and He, heeding thy prayer, shall
Now
give thee Grace.
22
IN

one thing and life another. no matter how wonderful thy awareness of truth may be
is
"Theory
intellectual
Realise, that
man-making
in all.
it
is
the goal.
Realisation
is
is all
;
The
is
beast in thee
strong
but
can be tamed
down by
is
sincere prayer.
Prayer
the one thing.

lust.
Only prayer can

greater than the
conquer
Nothing
God. Constant Vigilence be thy motto and Constant Prayer. And they who
of
name
are
the Helpers,
shall
the Messengers of the
Most High,
free
!
come and thou
shalt
be
end
is
Indeed, long is the way, but the it eats sure Prayer goes deep
!
;
out the vitals of temptation.
Pray, pray,
pray constantly, pray always. not discouraged in the evil hour

discouraged
And be
;
be not
when thou
dost
fall.
God
is
always near. He knows thy woe and thy sincerity, but never leave off calling upon
Him
Even
in thy sin
be strong
in prayer
all
From come
out the depth of prayer,
things
love for God, spiritual vision
spiritual realisation.
and Take thy stand upon

is
the thought that
God
Ail-Powerful and
IN

is
23
that His nature
that of the
good shepherd
who
go Author of
guides his sheep especially when they Know that before God is astray.
Justice,
Love Itself. Do thou but ask and it shall be given unto thee do thou but seek and thou shalt find do thou but knock and it shall be
He
is
opened unto
effort
;
thee.
Make
but the feeblest
even that shall lift thee up into the kingdom of righteousness. "Aye, every prayer which thou utterest,
each
rising of thy heart
unto
God
shall
be added unto thee, giving thee strength. Thy prayers shall make thee whole.
It is the means. Depend on prayer However dark thy heart, prayer shall bring
!
light
therein,
for
prayer IS
meditation
prayer in itself IS vision. Prayer is communion with the Almighty. It links thee
with Omnipotence and Supreme Love. It lends wings to thy soul. Even if thou art
in
the
mire,
thou
of
shalt
rise.
Even
if
mountain-loads
iniquity
have
fallen
upon thee and have buried every

of thy spirituality,
vestige
prayer will raise thee
24
IN
up. And from the depths God will hear thee and His Love and Power shall be
made
be
manifest unto thee, and thou shalt
up as a testimony of the works of the Most High. And thou shalt sing a song, magnifying God who is thy Saviour.
lifted
And
all
thine
own
heart shall testify to the
greatness of the
Mercy
of the
Lord
*
and
who have
!
*Lo
known He hath become a

ever
thee shall say,

saint
!
Verily
His Mercy is His Justice and His Mercy endureth for ever and ever. Hold on to
prayer
!
No
matter
how numerous
the
temptations that assail thee as enemies,
by
prayer thou shalt build a fortress about thy nature and it shall be impregnable.
vail against
Aye, even the Gates of Hell shall not preit For God shall have bound
!
thee unto
Him by
Hari
the strong cords of Lo* e
and
Realisation that
come
of prayer!"
!
Om
Tat Sat
VIII
The Voice
of the
Guru speaks
:
in the
inmost silence of the heart
"My
against
tantly
son,
the
Spirit
!
Flesh wars constantly
the
Therefore
be consis
on the
alert.
How
by
hollow
life
Trust not the senses.
These are swayed

pain.
by
pleasure
!
and
art
Go
!
thou
beyond
Thou
the
the
Soul
!
At any
moment
knows
vision
body may go
hour
!
Indeed,
who
the
fixed
Therefore,
keep thy
the
Ideal.
unalterably
on
Saturate thy
mind with ennobling thoughts.

free
Not
of
if
in the
hour of death, but in the hours
life
keep thy mind
and pure.
Then,
death overtake thee of a sudden, thou art prepared. Live thy life as though thou
wert even
now about
live.
to die.
is
Then
shalt
fleeting, but thou canst make eternity of time provided thou dost think eternal and immortal thoughts.
thou truly
Time
26
IN

thy
"When
lived the
body goes down
into death,,
certainly thou shalt repent IF thou hast not:

life
of thy ideals here

fatal
on
earth.
Ah
word which spells neglect and remorse. Thousands are the spirits who lament, saying, 'O, IF I had only done so in the body, I would now
!
IF
that
be nearer
thy whole
all
to
my God
' !
Therefore throw
very
soul at this
moment
with
the sincerity of thy being into the Ideal.
Say, *O
of
God
!
MAKE me have the Vision
Thee
for
Mal^e
me
Say
sincere.
Make me
day
yearn
Thee
' !
to thyself every
that great prayer of
all
the devotees, 'Let
me
love Thee alone, O Lord.' "The Spirit of Man is infinite. Power is at thy beck and call.
Infinite
Realise
that
thou
art
of
;
the Soul
of
God.
thee
;
breathes in thee
;
He
lives in
He He
moves in thee thou hast thy very being in Him. When this thou dost realise, all
fear shall drop off
from thee.
Thou
shalt
attain to the state of fearlessness."
And
of the
the soul, in response to the Voice

says,
Guru
"O
Lord
Thou Author
IN

Thy
nature
is
27
of all things,
Infinite
Thou
everywhere. possessed of this consciousness intensely In all the worlds there is no hope but in
!
art
grant that
Love I be
!
Thee
sides.
Terror and the forms of death are
everywhere.
Pain and
is
illusion are
on
all
Such
the vision of mortal

!
life.
But do thou remove the illusion Then, where death stalks and where life is pain O let me behold I shall behold Thee! Thee even in the Terrible. O Thou
Destroyer of Illusion, hear
And
answer,
Call
the
my prayer!" Voice of the Guru makes

son,
call
upon the Lord! Think of always upon the Power that Him, and Him alone, and Infinite shall surround thee, and the is Love that is Infinite shall embrace thee,
"My
the
Lord.
and
thy
He
shall
soul.
speak words of realisation to True dependence upon God
solves
all difficulties.
The
process of true
Man-making is in complete resignation to the Supreme Love it is manifest in un;
interrupted meditation.
as fraud,
When
life is
seen
the
when death
is
present,
when
28
IN

wrung with agony, and human woe
heart
is
attains
its
climax,
remember, make thou
the effort to remember, that these things

are of the body and that thou art the Soul. Take hold of each day as if it were thy last. Make Japam of it every moment of
thy
life.
Daily consecrate thy
life
to
God.
then,
See the
Wisdom
of His Will.
of a tiger,
And
even
even
in the
mouth
in the
presence of death, even on the threshold of hell, thou shalt find God.
"If this
be thy
life's
labour
to
remem-
ber God, then a great joy and a serene peace shall abide with thee, and that which
seems gruesome shall become beautiful, and that which seems terrible shall become And with the saint, bitten by all-loving.
a
cobra,
!
thou
shalt
!
joyfully
exclaim,
"Behold
Behold
A Messenger has come

call
from
my
!
Beloved,* or with the saint, in the
tiger's
mouth, thou shalt

!"
out "ShivoStrength
ham Shivoham
of the Soul.
tion.
And
is
this is the
Its
This
is
verily
manifesta-
This
it is
the Spirit of the Divine
because
the Perception of the Divine.
IN
29
"The
mouth
in
warrior rushes to the cannon's
defence of the motherland.

fire
The
and
mother rushes into

into the tiger's
and
into water
mouth to save her child. The friend dies for the sake of his friend. The Sannyasin bears all hardships for the
sake of the Ideal.
face
all
Do
thou bear
all trials,
dangers,
live the Life of Ideals
be brave and
fearless IN
and THE NAME OF GOD.

life,
Thou
art
my
son.
In death or in
in
sin or in virtue, in pleasure or in pain, in
good or
in evil, whithersoever
art,
I
wheresoever thou
protect thee,
to thee.
I
am
thou goest, with thee, I

I
love thee. love for
For
am bound
love thee
!
My
I
God makes me one

!
with thee.
1
protect thee
Self.
am
thy very
Child, thy heart
is
My
abode!"
Hari
Om Tat Sat
IX
There
Divinity.
came
It
Voice
is
resonant
with
said, **O there is a
fears nothing,
which
greater than
I
Love which life and

that
greater
than
is
is
death.
am
Love.
There which
sence of
Love which knows no limit, everywhere, which is in the predeath, and which is all-tender
a
1
am that Love. even in the Terrible. There is a Love which is Unutterably Sweet, which welcomes all pain, which welcomes all fear, which drives away all sadness, which is wheresoever thou dost
search for
it.
I
am
that Love.
O am the
I
very Essence of that Love. And, O, My own Self, I, that Love, am Thine Own
Self.
Itself
!
My
nature
is
Love
am Love
is
"O
nor
there
is
a
It
Beauty which
all-
comprehending.
divine.
knows
It
neither ugliness
shortcomings.
is
sublime.
It
is
!
there
is
no
limit to this
Beauty
IN
31
It is
like the
of
the
seas.
expanse of the sky or the depth It is manifest in odorous
dawns
It is and in flaming sunsets. manifest in the roar of a tiger and the song It is manifest as storm and as of a bird.
peace, but
aspects,
I
is
beyond
that
these.
am
Beauty.
These are its There is a
Beauty which is much deeper than pleasure and much deeper than pain. This is the am that Beauty Beauty of the Soul.
I
!
am
that
its
Beauty
all
Of
I
all
attraction,
whatever
1
character,
;
am
the Centre,
am
the magnet
other things are iron
filings,
but
all
are
!
some drawn this way, some that, drawn irresistibly, O am that

I
I
Magnet
am
and
is
!
that
Attraction,
My
I
I am that Beauty Nature is Blessedness

! !
*'O there
is
a Life which
is
Love, which
!
Blessedness
am
the
I
that Life
;
Nothing
It
circumscribes that Life

it
;
nothing can limit

Infinite.
is
and
is
this
'is
Life
Eternal
Life,
Nature
its
am Peace and am
and
;
that
Life.
Its
Peace.
Within
strife,
all-embracingness there is no hurried coming and going, no
no
ruthless
32
IN

live,
attempt to
IS.
I
no desire
to procreate.
IT
am
that Life.
Neither the stars nor

It.
the sun can contain
It is
a Light which
It is Itself no other light Light. There is no gauging the depths of Life. There is no measuring Its this
can outshine.
Heights.
Me
*
and
am that Life. And am in Thee

I
!
thou
art in
'Unsustained,
I
sustaining
all
everything,
I
am
the Spirit in
forms that are.
am
ani
the Silence within the

Eternity
Sound
of Life.
woven on
I
the
Time.
thought.
am the Self
I
warp and woof of beyond both form and

I
Mindless, yet
Formless, yet
ing naught,
I
!
am Power am Eternity
all
all Plurality.
am Omniscient. am everywhere. Containam contained in everything. am Infinity am Peace am the Unifying Unit of am the Sum and Substance
I
!
of
I
living things.
Of
all
warring parts
the spheres of
am
the whole
I
Beyond
life
and death
dwell deathless, birthless,
beyond bondage.
is
Who
!
finds
Me
out,
he
the Free, the Free
"Through
all illusion
perceive Reality.
IN

!
33
am
Reality perceived
am
the Wielder
of this
magic
is
force, this Sakti, this
which
the
the
of
Mother *s Form.
Maya From out

em1
Womb
Time
take
My
birth,
bodying Myself
in All that is of
Form.
am the Wornb of Time, and thus Eternity. And 'Thou art That/ O Soul, which is in
ME,
tear
the Self.
all
Therefore, arise,
to
awake and
all
bonds
shreds.
dreams, dispel
the Self
!
illusion's
Wipe out hold. Thou

!
art
The
Arise
!
Self art thou
Naught can
until the
is
hinder thee from the realisation of thy

nature.
Arise
Stop not
Goal
is
reached
the Goal which
the
Self, the Life, the Love, the Bliss Eternal
and the Knowledge of the soul made Free!"
X
And
the Voice of the
Guru spoke unto
thy Faith! Art thou a beast that thou goest quaking at Until thou hast overcome every danger
soul,
is
!
my
"Man, where
the body-idea, thou canst not realise the
Truth!
Art thou then a carcase!
Wilt
thou for ever dance in that mire of physical dirt Come out of thy smallness Come
!
forth
if
it
Be a man
Where
is
thy divinity
remains for ever unexpressed? Art thou then so important that the world
stands in need of thee
!
Overcome
!
the self
strivest
by
the Self.
Be Free
If
thou
after the Imperishable, death shall not touch thee, for thou shalt have lost the
knowledge of what death is. Thine shall be Immortality. All the world has been
struggling to express Reality
first
but the very

the spelling
success in this effort

character.
is
is
of
Character
!
everything.
!
Make
character
Make
character
Every
IN

thou
35
hour
thou
do
make
character
Dwell
thine
in thy spirit
upon the Deathless, and

!
thou shalt become deathless
Make
abode Reality
shall
and then neither
birth nor
life
death, nor the varying experiences of
cause thee fear.

!
Give up clinging "Let the body go The whole Free thyself in mind to it of religion and of ethics is to overmeaning
! !
come
in sex
it
the animal consciousness, confined
up
\
and fear and sleep and food. Give Give up this clinging to the carCall
it
case
the carcase
Regard
it
as
such
it.
at all times.
It is filth.
Throw no
gold cloth over
Only the
Spirit is real.
The
consciousness of the Spirit -is immortality. The thinking of immortal thoughts leads
thee into Eternity.
Be brave Be bold Be as strong as adamant Dost thou desire to realise God ? Then, my boy, there is no time for caring for the body. Now is
!
the time; even
Thou
the
now is the opportunity. the child of Reality; thy nature is art

Therefore,
True.
plunge
into
the
Living Waters of the Life of the Soul.
Be
36
IN

!
unafraid
Learn
to rise superior either to

!
Rememthe joys or the miseries of life Remember thou ber thou art the Soul
!
art the Self
"Go down deep

bottom of thy nature.
effort.
deep.
shalt find that thou art strong.
And thou Go to the

shalt
There thou
find that thou art genuine in thy spiritual
What
arise
Learn
that fear
They
free
matter a few failings? and weakness are physical from the body that nest of
!
dreams; but thou
in
and
son
!
fearless.
thy inner nature art Sing a song of strength

!
my
tion
Sing a song of strength
Thou
destina-
art the child of Immortality.

is
Thy
Reality.
What
are those fleeting
Vast Mirage?
experiences of a day but phantoms in the Either deify life, or deny it.
No
matter
how
it is
thou doest
the
this
realise
divinity.
Whether
or negative,
all
method be the same."
positive
And
there arose in
my
soul a sense of
and in its quiet peace. the passive all-pervading power of OmniThis potence suddenly revealed itself.
great calm arose
IN

that
37
was a power
gave strength to
my
soul.
And
it J
the Voice of the
audible in this state of
Guru was made consciousness and

or dis-
spoke, "Beyond time, aye, within time,
am
Eternity.
all
Whether embodied
is
embodied,
there
is
the Spirit.
In the heart
is
ever Oneness.
In the heart there
ever Peace.
the surface,
Deep beneath
the storm on
manifoldness and of
that
deep beneath the waves of strife and all the woe

is
comes
of these, there
the Under-
current of Reality.
Tat
Tvam
Asi
Tat
Tvam Asi!"
XI
The Voice of the Guru, speaking in the hours of meditation, sayeth,

is an inner as well There is a world of soul as well as a world of form. And,
!
"Behold
There
as an outer world.
my
son, if there are marvels and mysteries and vastness and beauty and great glory
in the outer world,
there are inestimable
and powers and incommunicable blessedness and peace and unshakgreatness
foundation of Reality in the inner world as well. my son, the outer is

able
only a semblance of
this
inner
world.
And
in this inner
doth abide.
world thy true nature Here thou livest in Eternity

is
while the outer world
of time
alone.
Here there
bliss,
is
is
endless and unfathomable
while in the outer world sensation
accompanied by pain as well as by but O what pleasure. Here, too, is pain,

blessedness of pain, the ecstatic anguish
IN
39
of not having fully realised the Truth,
and
such pain
is
the
pathway
to
more copious
this
blessedness.
inner
"Come, draw thy nature within world. Come come upon
the
wings of ardent love for me. Is there greater or closer union than that between the Guru and disciple ? O my son
my
son
Silence
is
the nature of
Love
the
is
Inexpressibility.
And deep
of
within
deepest
folds
all
Silence
there
God.
Abandon
soever
I
outer
concerns.
!
Whither-
I Whatsoever go, do thou come become, do thou likewise become. O
for the Holiness of
God
Many
heart
are the
where thought, like incense, rises unto God. thou doest. See Spiritualise everything the Brahman, the Divinity in form as well as in the Formless. Than the Lord there is no greater good.
shrines
of
the
devotee's
In
the
inmost recesses of the inner
world, into which one enters by the way of ardent love or ardent prayer, there are
universes
upon universes
of the Divinity
40
IN
in Revelation.
And God
is
always near.
He
is
is
near not in a physical sense;
He
near in a spiritual sense as the very Self within the self of $iee. He is the
very Substance of thy soul.
He
is
the
thy thoughts and of the most hidden and most silent aspirations of the heart. Give thyself up. Love for
of
all
Knower
the sake of love;

sake.
work
the
for the work's
own
the
Go
into
chambers
of
come into the Presence of The more thou goest inward the Reality. nearex dost thou come unto me. For
Silence;
I
Magnet which draws out the reveand the glory of thy soul. I am I am Spirit, untouched by thought Spirit or form. I am the Invulnerable and the
the
lation
!
am am
the Dweller within the Innermost.
Indestructible
am
!
the
I
Atman
am
!
Paramatman am Brahman
Lo
* '
!
am Brahman
How
Guru!
wonderful are the words of the
My
soul
cries
out,
"O
Blessed
One, Thou Thyself art God. Thou Thyself art the Teaching which Thou dost
IN
41
teach, the very Spirit of the universe.
Lo,
Thy nature is the One, though Thy Maya sheds the glory
art
all
Thou
in
all.
of the manifold.
Thine
For
is
the
is
greater
glory of the One.

Spirit is
One, an Essence of which there are no

Spirit
Spirit
is
parts or divisions.
the
One
Light
seen through variously coloured lenses. Guru, my Guru, catch me up into
that
Life
which
art
is
thine.
Thou
art
art
Brahma, Thou
shiva.
Vishnu, thou
art
SadaPara-
Thou
Brahman,
Brahman/'
"Hara Hara, Vyoma Vyoma, Mahadeva !"

Thereupon
it
my
were, into the
soul was caught up, as Seventh Heaven and I
perceived the Divinity of Humanity, the I great glory even of human weakness.
saw
that everything was Divine and within this Radiance stood the Guru as
;
another
Krishna
transfigured
upon
more
mount
Deep,
of realisation in that inner world.
deeper
than
time
all-
42
IN
embracing even than space is that inner world of meditation. There can be no
darkness,
there
for
all
is
effulgence.
for
There,
all
is
can
Jnanam.
fire
be no ignorance, There death cannot
stalk,
nor
burn, nor water wet, nor the air dry. There is the region of the Ancient One,
of
life
;
beyond all the lie Immovable Infinite.
there
is
the
And
thine
thine.
is
in that glory,
speaking from the

spoke,
Infinite
Innermost
Art
is
the
Guru
then
"My
son,
is
the heritage.
Strength
thou
power
rest
the
satisfied
weak when thy All-Power Thou canst not with the show of sense.
!
Death and Forgottenness are behind the pageant of the outer world. The body becomes the corpse when death has seized it. But the Spirit is ever free. It is the unembodied It is the Witness
;
though the bodies are destroyed can never be destroyed/'

for
It
My
said,
soul,
communing with
the Guru,
'
There
Lord, how wonderful! "Then, is no death There is no death

!
!
IN

the
43-
And
Guru made answer, "Aye,

life
and neither
of sense, rooted in desire.

thirst for
For those that

in
them
is
the
mud-
puddle of the world.

the
mud,
their
bodies covered
souls
Like oxen revelling with
mud, thus are those

the foulness of
lust.
who
is
revel in
Long
the path for
them, beset with Maya, the substance of the warp and woof of desire. Go thou
Look beyond Thy time shall come. Above are the Eternal Lights up Look up and they shall penetrate the
!
' '
opaqueness of thy soul Hearing these words

bered,
my
soul
remem-
Divine
is
the nature of the Self,
and Freedom is the Goal. And the Goal is Now and Here, and not Hereafter
!
And
the destiny of the soul
is
certain
Self-realisation,
where time is blotted out, where the physical and mortal consciousness is dispersed, where the Light which * is Life and the Truth which is Peace shine forth, where all dreams end. where
desire
tion
is
swallowed up
in Infinite Realisa-
the Region of the Great Vast.
44
IN

Immensity
!
!
for the feeling of that
O O
for
the blotting out of time

truction of the
O
!
for the des!
images of sense
for
the
Freedom
of the Infinite
Hari
Om
Tat Sat!
XII
And
the
Voice
that
dwells
in
the
Silence speaking in the hours of meditation said unto
my
soul,
**Come,
Quiet.
my
son, into the deep,
deep
Beyond the tumult

its
of personality,
beyond
manifold
experience,
come
into the Great Peace.
Do
not be troubled
by the storm of passion or desire on the do not be alarmed. Though surface the clouds gather thickest, beyond them
;
the sun doth shine.

heart
In the Stillness
the
throbs
thyself
best
with
to
quiet
rapture.
Make
ness
for
!
open
the
Love
is
that
is
everywhere.
the
How
musical
it
the
Still!
What Peace
Infinite
brings forth
!
O
the
Stillness
for
Infinite
Peace
not one good thought, Therespiritual longing is lost. fore go thou beyond the power of time in that dost thou think great thoughts,
**In all eternity
not one
46
IN in

that
and
mayest thy soul desire the

thine
exist.
Infinite.
In
own make
universe
own mind And
doth thine
thou
canst
eternity reveal even within the flux
of time; by thy thoughts thou canst reach out beyond the bounds of space. **O what power, what sense of exaltation,
what immeasurable sensing of Immensity come with the knowledge that

is
the Self
free, that
nothing can bind
It
That thou comest or that thou goest, that thou dost do or that thou dost not do what are these They are but episodes
!
within the great
dream
is
of
life.
They
are
but currents within the running stream of
time
while the Self
the Eternal.
"Deep
the Silence;
Blot out
all
deep
fathomlessly
is
deep
is
the Peace
immeasurable.
thou
images of sense and thought.

only
refractions;
They
are
go
within the Light Itself."
And
the Voice added,

in
"G
self
;
the Self there
is
no sense of
absolutely
diversity.
boundless,
It
everlasting,
free,
is
the Unit
knowing no
IN

Kingdom
of the Self there
I,
47
In the
room
the
for thou, or
Om
Tat
Sat,
expressible.
verily
*
Who
w s.
is
no That incomparable and inknows that Self, yea

is
or he.
It is
all
he kn
'True love
to
that yearning to
in the
be
free,
become merged
is
Infinite.
True
love
It
that great yearning for the Silence.
will
not be disturbed.
yet
It
It
reaches out
It
silently
ail-comprehensively.
gains the Goal.
is
irresistible.
all
Wherein
the
lost,
Gods merge, wherein all sound is wherein form is swallowed up and
thought remains un-thought, wherein life and death no more exist, know That to
be the Self. Wherein struggle ceases, wherein Realisation lies, wherein all that is relative is blotted out, wherein Beauty and Holiness, Sin and Terror, Good and
Evil
in
lose
distinction,
wherein the mind

omniscient,
Self.
contemplation
to
becomes
is
know That
be the
there
"My
the
son,
a Height
there
is
beyond
Divinity
is
greatest
heights,
beyond the
greatest Gods.
There
the
48
IN

of
is
background
vanishes,
all
is
the
Indestructible.
All
blotted out,
that
which
still
endures
the Self."
the
if
And
seemed
Vastness.
as as
Voice
soul
became
arose
it
my
into
the
Then
"I"
was
not.
There
was only
the Light
the Light!
XIII
When
heard thus
the soul rose into the Stillness
of the Innermost, the

:
Voice made
deeper than
goodness,
itself
"Deeper than
goodness.
sin,
evil is
its
The
fabric of the universe,

is
essential element,
infinite,
incomparable
is
naught of evil
There can be where there is God. Evil phenomenal and never real. Deep,
goodness.
deep in the sea of the soul are the immovable rocks of wisdom and of truth. Against these, all error and darkness and all evil must perish. True, on the surface there may be the violent noise of hurrying winds of desire, tempests of seething passion, hours of evil and of darkness, but Realisation one moment of Realisation
is
omnipotent.
of raging
manner
It sweeps aside all and rampant evil. It is
like the effulgence of the sun, blasting all
darkness.
ness,
4
Therefore,
the
even
Light
;
in
the darkin
remember
even
the
50
IN

call
very midst of thy sinning,
upon the
Name
shall
of the Lord And He, the Lord, harken to thy prayers. He shall send His Angels to help thee. There is
!
no power greater than the soul's own. Deep down is the flow of perpetual and
unit Divinity.
all
One glimpse of That, and sense of diversity in which sin and

make
thou
their
ignorance
abode
art
will
free,
dis-
appear.
art pure,
In essence,
thou
thou
art divine.
All the forces
of the universe are at thy
beck and
call.
"Shalt thou struggle for freedom when thou art free Thy aim must be the ac!
quirement
single
of
spiritual
knowledge.
of
ray Vision destroys and eradicates the subtlest shades of evil. Know that thou art of
the Strength
of the
Flame
the
Beatific
and the Effulgence of the

life
is
Eternal
there
!
Thy
It
is
neither
here
!
nor
All
stationed in
Eternity
this sense of sin, in the
ignorance.
sin
is
It is
deepest sense, is a dream. The nature of

;
be thou strong! weakness of That which thou art, glimpse
One
and
IN

That, the Effulgent and
51
thou
art
Omnias
potent !"
Then heard
though
the Voice cry out,

:
in prayer
"O
sense
builder
of
these
tabernacles
that
of
and thought,
!
destroy
which
sex,
thou hast erected
food and sleep,
Encased in fear, and the thoughts

it
that
spring therefrom, thou hast, as

willingly
were,
ness
enshrouded thyself in the denseof ignorance, and thou goest on
dreaming. Thy curse is thine own ignorance. Break down all dreams destroy
;
both the ideas of pleasure and pain, and the iron bar of the body-consciousness
will
be flung aside.
is is
Therefore the task
before thee
prodigious.
The web
of
Maya
come
as thin as the spider's,

as
and yet
equally
hard
as
adamant.
!
soul,
to thine
own
rescue
;
This tabern-
acle thou hast built
this
tabernacle thou
must destroy
destruction
is
And
thine
the process of such
own
Self-realisation.
This involves the divine awareness of the
Oneness.
Shall the sun
and the
stars
and
52
IN

itself
even space
swallow up Thy Nature?

!
The Soul
all
is
one-d with Thee
Out
soul
!
of the
It
darkness, out of ignorance,

self-imposed.
!
is
Better pain than
plea!
sure
Better misery than enjoyment
For
these
mould the forms
of
thought and
sense into the shapes of fit vehicles for Be thou the the revelation of the Spirit.
lover
of
the
Terrible,
soul
And
shalt
though in the vision of the Terrible thou behold Death, lo, verily, thou shalt
!
also behold Immortality
Life
is
at best
a dream.
There
is
is
the Great Beyond.
In
all-
the end unity
everywhere, a divine,
It
embracing
though
is
unity.
is
all
the
same Sun
the ray
its
rays be manifold.
And
Sun
the Sun,
and the Sun,

darkness there
the ray. the

is
!
thou,
thou art the Sun,

in the
And And
even
Light."
Hearing this, my soul passed into the deeper and yet deeper stages of meditation and I knew, yea, verily, the ray
;
itself
as the Sun.
in the
Again the Presence came

of meditation, speaking,
hours
IN
'*

the
Silence,
53
In
past
all
sound,
!
in
Eternal
Peace
thy
nature
dwells
Far
from the tumultuous noise of sense, far from the agony and pain of life, far from
the sense of sin and woe,
and yet even
in their midst, dwells the Divinity that IS.
How
wonderful the weaving of the dream And yet, more wonderful is the Dreamer than the dream Immortal,
! !
past the boundaries
of
death,
stainless,
evils,
even
in the presence of
enormous
art thou,
soul,
and
'rooted in Divinity.
Good and
ill,
these are of the measure;
ments of thought
splendours
things
!
art thou, the Effulgent
and beyond thought and Supreme The

!
of
thy
nature
art
transcend
all
the
thou, beyond Incomparable terms of speech. O Effulgent and Celestial and Divine One, crowned in
meditation's and Realisation's height,

shall call thee sinner, or
even
saint
!
who who
can speak or even think of thee

**O
dying
One in Self, who
all,
in
all
the
same unart
shall refer to thee in the

.life
!
-terms of mortal
Beyond
thou
54
IN

And, within even the turmoil
Immortal.
of
tempestuous thoughts, know there is the Silent Watcher of all things. His
Light the will-o'-the wisps of sense can never blind nor can His Peace be re;
pressed
by
all
the
strife
is
of
life.
Im-
movable, unthinkable
the Self
in the
He. beyond the He is sun, beyond the moon and stars.

;
the Self
is
He
!
He
is
the victor
wars of sense
"However the mountain-heights of ignorance loom up, however the deeps of He is the Ensin and woe be deep,
compasser of height and depth He is the All, the One, the Engulf er of all variance Know this and be thou Free, the Free!"
; !
And
4<
the words
I
came unto my
soul,
Lo,
am
ever near.
is
When
closest,
the net-
work
of thy sin
drawn
and thou
I
dost labour in utter darkness,
know
am
there suffering with thee the enormities of
thy
Self,
sin.
am
conscious of thine inmost

well the workings of thine
knowing
soul.
inmost
Thou
canst
keep
naught
from me, who
am
ever-present, not even
IN

I
55
a grain of thy secret thought.
am
in
thee
know
I
thee
well.
Without
me
Re-
thou canst not
move
nor breathe.
member
dost
am
go,
thy Self, going whither thou remaining where thou dost
remain.
Come,
enfold
thine
heart
in
all
mine.
shall
Make
be well.
I
it
thy very own. Then Shadow and Silence,

within,
in
!
in
them
dwell,
the tabernacle
of thine heart.
the world and preach

as
is
Go now Go thou into my word as wide

for
it
the
Self,
is
its
life.
My
all-
blessings
thou
!
ever
hast,
is
and
embracing love
love for thee
;
Mine
is
as a mother's
its
as
is
a dove's love for

for
young,
trouble
such
mine
thee.
When
re-
comes
I
or
danger
threatens,
member
' '
am
thy servitor, the lover of thy
soul
When
these words had ended,
knew
that the Guru had spoken, washing away all my sins, and I cried out
:
"O
One
in
ecstasy
intense
that
knows, being
in the
Presence of
in
my my
heart
Lord
Him, one
Him
How
sweet
56
IN

* ' !
the flow of such divinest thought with the saints I exclaimed unto
And
self,
my
"Plunge
into
the
fool
plunge
Sea of the Lord, into the Sea of the
Lord!"
XIV.
When my
of
said,
4
soul
meditation,
the
had entered the Silence Voice of the Guru

not
'My
nesses?
life
son,
do
know
all
thy weakIs
Why
a
dost thou worry?

trials
not
beset with
art
and
tribulations?
But
thou
Man.
thee
Let not faint-heartedness
take possession of thy soul.

that within
is
Remember
the Almighty Spirit.
Thou
is
canst be
what thou choosest. There
only one obstacle, thyself. The body but of the end rebels, the mind wavers, be sure. For nothing can ultimately withstand the power of the
sincere with thyself,
if
Spirit.
If
thou
art
in the
depth of thy
all
is
self there is integrity,
then
or
final
well.
Nothing can have

thee.
full
possession of
Cultivate
openness
nothing
of
mind
and
with
heart. Conceal
from
me
reference to thyself. Study
though
it
thy mind as were a thing apart from thee.
58
IN

thyself to those
Speak frankly concerning

with
whom
thy soul finds true association.
For the gates of hell itself cannot stand against a soul which is sincere. Sincerity
is
the one hing needed.

*
'After
of
all,
most of thy
it
faults arise out
the
body-consciousness.
Treat
thy
body
as though
it
were a lump
everything,
is
of clay.
Make
will.
subservient to the purposes of thy

is
Character
and
the
power
This
life
;
of character
is
the
this is
power whole secret of the the whole meaning of

the
the
of will.
spiritual
religious
effort.
Behold
glories
civilisations.
How
sense
at
man
over
sense
the
pomp
!
of
powers bottom
and
it
realities
But
is all
sex and food.
The mind
of the majority has arisen out of these two cover the corpse all-comprising facts.
We
is
with
flowers,
but
it
all
the
child
same
of
corpse.
Spirit
Therefore,
let
the
the
be deep
calls
in his study of
what the
it
world
putrid,
great.
For
at heart
is
all
being
grossly
physical.
Have nothing
to
corporeal do with the
and
IN
59
ephemeral things of the world or with its Tear off the masks with attractions. which the body hides its shame. Enter
into that insight
where thou knowest
that
art
thou
art
not of these things.

;
Thou
the Spirit
and know that the

little
rise or fall
of empires, the tendencies of cultures or of civilisations are of
import to the
highest
spiritual
is
consciousness,
to
Know
;
That which
unseen
be
be
truly great
know That
4
to
truly desirable.
;
'Be thou the child of poverty thou an intense passion for purity.
have
Lust
and Gold make up the fabric of the worldRoot these out from thy nature. ly spirit. Know all tendencies thereunto to be poisons, one and all. Vomit out from
thy nature
all all
defilement.
impurities.
Wash
See
it
thy soul
as
it
clean from
is
;
life
and then
be
shalt
thou
know
it
as
Maya,
of the
to
neither good, nor yet evil, but something

to
utterly given up, for
is all
body and
each
Seize
of the
body-idea.
of
Harken
whispering
avariciously
thy
higher
nature.
each message of thy
<60
IN

spiritual
Self.
For
opportunity
is
a rare
and unless thou takest heed, when the Voice enters the Silence, thou
privilege,
being busied with the call of the senses shalt not hear It and thy personality shall
;
fall
into
it
I
the clutches of habits that will

to perish.
;
cause
Only
is
one
message
have
the
for thee
Remember
to
that thou art
Spirit.
The Power
is
behind thee.
To be
sincere
be
free.
Be
loyal to
is
thy spiritual inheritance, for to be loyal

likewise to be free.
Let every step which
thou dost take be a step forward, and as
thou goest along the highway of life, more and more shalt thou feel that thou art
free.
If
thou hast integrity behind thee,

all
thou canst face

self..
Then
shall
men. Be true to thythy words ring with the
accents of reality.
Thou
shalt
speak the
thou shalt
others
language of Realisation.
whole.
And
gain the power which shall
make
force
"Each man
character.
If
radiates
the
of
his
One can
never
hide
all
himself.
one
is
physically deformed,
men
see
IN
61
the deformity.
And
if
thou
art spiritually
all
deformed, likewise intuitively
men
of
shall
know.
For when thou speakest
the
things of the soul,
men
will feel that
thou
speakest that which is not in thy heart. Thou wilt not be able to communicate
unto
them anything whatsoever

of
it.
of
the
spiritual life.
and
For thou thyself art not in Therefore, if thou wouldst be-
a Prophet of the Most High, busy thyself with self -reform. Keep guard over
come
thy nature
tualise thy
instincts.
watch every impulse Be sincere.

to
spiri-
But
would charge thee

in
keep
thy
thy realisations
pearls
reserve.
If
Cast
not
before
swine.
thou dost feel wondrous states
of the Spirit,
talk
remain
silent,
lest
by loud
thou dost detract from their intensity. Ponder over what thou receivest. Go with
things into
all
all
the silence of the Spirit.
Guard
tions
thy
a
wisdom and
all
thy realisa-
Thou
guards his possessions. must conserve thyself and when

;
as
thief
thou hast practised silence for some time, then shall that with which thy heart has
62
IN

full,
and a power unto men. "There is one path of austerity which I recommend to thee. Meditate on the For the Terrible is everywhere. Terrible. has it been said by a Sage, 'EveryTruly,
treasure
become come a
overflow
and thou
shalt be-
thing that one touches

this
is
pain/
Know
not in a morbid, but in a triumphant

In
all
sense.
mystical experience, in one

this
it
form or another, thou shalt find

ship of the Terrible.
In reality,
wor-
is
NOT
It is Terrible the worship of the Terrible. only to him who dwells in the senses.
Pleasing and terrible are terms which have
meaning only
of the
to
one who
is
the bond-slave
body-idea.
at
But thou hast gone

thought and aspiraBy meditation
beyond,
tion,
if
least in
not in realisation.
on the Terrible thou
shalt assuredly over-
oorne the lust of the senses.
embrace the
life
of the Soul.
free.
Thou Thou
shalt shalt
be made pure and
and more thou

me,
shalt
And thus, more become united with

life.
;
who am on
life
the other side of
Never see
physically
study
it
psychi-
IN

Realise
it
63
cally.
spiritually.
Then imme-
diately the whole purport of the spiritual

life
shall
shalt
be made clear to thee. Thou know why saints love poverty and
purity,
and shun, by
this suffice.
it
fight or flight,
any-
thing that savours of Lust
"Let
said.
and Gold. Follow what I have

until
Think over
it
the
nervous
system takes
up, and the fever of these
and ecstasy course through thy veins, renew thy personality and make thee altogether whole/'
ideas and their loftiness
XV
When
all
was
silence, in the
deeps of
said,
meditation the Guru,
appearing,
is
"My son, meditate on the Power which the Mother's form, and then transcendall
shalt
Power inspires thou Power into the go beyond Mother's Spirit which is Peace. Tremble
ing
the fear the
the
not at the uncertainties of

all
life.
Though
remem-
the forms of the Terrible appear, multi-
plying themselves a thousandfold,

not the spiritual
ber, these can only affect the physical and

self.
"Be
being
is
steadfast
and
firm
at
all
is
times,
fully
aware
that the Spirit
indes-
tructible.
Take thy stand on that which

Believe in nothing but that
is
the Self.
Reality which
shalt thou
innate alike in
all.
Then
in the
remain undisturbed alike

that
tempest or the seduction of appearances.
That which comes and

not
the
Self.
which goes
with
is
Identify
thyself
the
IN
65
Self,
not with the form.
Impermanency
predominates in the realm of things, in the world permanency endures objective

;
alone in that realm of eternal subjectivity wherein reigns the consciousness of the
Spirit, free
from the forms of thought and

is
sense.
4
'That which
able,
like
the True
;
is
immeasur-
the great ocean

it
bind or circumscribe
nothing can whatsoever. The
predicates of existence do not apply to that

shoreless
in
Ocean
the
of Divinity
which rushes
Self
upon
*
Self
as
the
on the
in direct
summits of Realisation. 'The misery of the world

ratio to desire.
is
attachment.
Have, therefore, no blind Bind thyself to nothing.
Aspire to be
Shall
do not desire
to possess.
any
!
Nature
THINGS
possession satisfy thy True Art thou to be bound down by
Naked thou comest into the naked thou goest forth when the summons comes Wherein then shalt thou have false pride Let thy possessions be those treasures that perish not.
!
world
'}'
66
IN
The increase of Insight is its own reward. The more thou dost perfect thy nature, the
more
readily dost thou acquire eternal pos-
sessions
by which thou
shalt,
in
time,
purchase the
Kingdom
of the Self.
"Therefore, from
this
moment, go and
Invert the
grow inwards,
order
of
not outwards.
experience.
life,
Retreat
its
from
the
sensuous
as lived for
own
the
let
sake.
a
Spiritualise everything.
Make
;
body
tabernacle for the Soul
and
the Soul
be more and more revealed, day by day. Then shalt that darkness which is ignorance
light
be
gradually
is
dispersed
and
that
shall
which
the Divine
Wisdom
gradually be revealed. All the forces in the universe are behind thee, working in
harmony
*
for thy progress
if
thou wilt but
face Truth.
As
said
the
Lord Buddha,
The Tathagatas are only great preachers. You yourselves must make an effort.'
Aye,
the
;
Teachers
can
only
impart
Wisdom
the pupil MUST assimilate, and
this assimilation is the
making
of charac-
IN
ler
67
himself
making wisdom one's own. By one saved, by none other. "Therefore, arise. Be diligent, and
;
it is
is
stop not
the
till
the goal
of the
is
reached.
!
That
is
Command
Upanishads
*'Even as a wild animal seeks for
its
prey, even as the slave of passion seeks

for the gratification of his lust,
even as a
man
dying from hunger desires food, even
as the
man who
for rescue
is being drowned calls with that same intensity and
strength of spirit do thou seek for Truth.
Even
as a lion,
lion,
not trembling at noises,

fearless
this
even as a
and
free
so do
thou roam about in
world, bent on the
acquisition of Truth.
is
For, infinite strength

fearlessness.
all
needed and
forth,
infinite
Go
thou
knowing
that
limitations
shall burst
all
if
asunder for thee, that for thee

shall
crooked roads
be made
straight
thou dost gather together the forces of thy soul and if thou dost boldly tear off
the
4
MASK.
'Dost
thou
search
for
God?
Then
68
IN

when thou
4t
know
that
hast seen the
the Self shall be revealed to thee as God.'*
Om
Tat Sat!"
And
Silence
the
Guru's
Voice
entered
the
that
which is Peace, Radiance which is God

!
his
Form
XVI
Again the Voice made
itself
heard in
Neither
the hours of meditation, saying,
"Peace be with
here nor hereafter
fear.
thee,
is
my
all
son.
there any cause for

things
is
Interpenetrating
the
great spirit of Love.
And
is
for that
Love
is
there
is
no other name but God.
God
is
not far from thee.
He
not
bound down
by the
barriers of space,
for
He
the
Formless
One,
reigning
within.
Resign
all
thyself utterly to
Him.
Give
Him
that
which thou
all. art, both good and evil, Let nothing be reserved. By such an act
of resignation thy
whole nature
shall
be
made
pure.
Think,
!
how
;
vast
is
the charlife
acter of
Love
It is
greater than
it
and
stronger than death

all
is
the quickest of
paths to God.
"Difficult
is
ihe
path of
Love.
faith
the path of Insight, easy Become thou as a
child.
Have
and
love.
Then no harm
70
IN

Be patient and hopeful. be enabled readily
shall befall thee.
Then
to
shalt
thou
meet with all the circumstances of life. Be large-hearted. Root out all smallmindedness and thought of small self.
Surrender thyself with
all trust
unto Him.
in
He knows
wisdom.
all
thy
ways.
Trust
is
!
His
How
fatherly
!
is infinite in all, how motherly is He His long-suffering with thee. His mercy knows no bounds. If thou doest sin for
He He
Above
the thousandth time,
lo, for
the thousandth
time and ever doth
He
forgive thee.
it
"Even should
be
the
wilt
evil
evil befall thee,
cannot
when thou
lovest the Lord.
Even
thou
most
fear-inspiring
experience
recognise as a messenger from the
Through Love, verily, thou shalt Is not the mother at all times attain God. constant in affection? Even so is He, who is the Lover of thy soul. Believe, only then all shall be well with thee. believe, Do not fear what transgressions thou hast Face life already committed. Be a man Let come what may, do thou boldly!
!
Beloved.
IN

strong.
is
71
remain
strength
self
is
Remember
beck and
that
infinite
at thy
call.
God Him-
with thee.
What
fear canst thou
have?
"Make thy here and now.
struggle for immortality Train the mind. That is
the only important task.
That
is
the great
is
meaning and purpose
in life.
Now
the
opportunity to demonstrate immortality by
overcoming the body-consciousness, even
when
flesh.
the Spirit
is
encased, as
thyself
it
were, in
Do
thou
make
worthy of
immortality.
Even the gods worship him
who
is
has vanquished the body-idea. Death only a physical event long is the life
;
of the mind,
life
and immeasurably long
is
the
of the Soul.
How
necessary,
then,
that thou
shouldst think great
thoughts,
and thus hasten the course of thy spiritual evolution Have done with things Even if a man master the whole external.
!
universe,
still
has he to
become
the master
all
of himself.
is
Even
if
he discover
that
still
knowable, intellectually speaking, he shall have to know himself. For
Self-
72
IN

is
knowledge
the aim in
this
life.
is
Consciously
this
or unconsciously,
gives reason to
the aim which

is
life.
It
aim that
is
explains the process of living, the process

of Self-development.
That knowledge
indeed worthy which leads to the improvement of the inner Self. Therefore set thyself
bravely to the task of Self-knowledge. Long, perhaps, shall be the way, but there
of the end.
can be no doubt
all
Leaving
off
other words, be thou concerned with

is
That which
*
the Highest
'Stand on thine
own
feet
Defy the
whole universe,
ultimately
if
harm thee?
need be. What can Be thou content
with the Highest. Others seek for external riches. Seek thou the treasures of the
within.
shalt
The time shall come when thou know that the empire of the whole
is
world, aye, even the empire of the gods, as dust before the splendours of SelfArise
!
!
knowledge.
is
Gird
thy
loins for
the great effort
Come,
great soul, thine
the heritage of the Divine Life. Thine are the riches of which no thief can rob
IN
73
thee.
Thine are the riches of the Omni-
potent Soul !"
XVII
The Voice, making

stillness of
itself
:
heard in the
of this world.
meditation, said
is
"Terrible
Difficult is
it
the
bondage
to
escape from out the net of
Maya.
live
Life teaches us that in order to

;
one truly one must go beyond life must conquer death. This is the supreme task, and the way to this conquest is
through
instincts
the
that
to
victory
over those physical

1
lead unto death.
speak
deeply
thee,
my
son,
asking thee to
keep wide, wide awake and pay heed to all that which comes to tempt thee. The only way in which to progress spiritually is
to
anticipate the faintest rise of tempta-
Keep strict guard over thy mind. Constantly busy thyself with that which is
tion.
great
and noble.
In
this
manner, thou
it
shalt gradually
make
thyself free.
"When
comes, as
it
temptation
comes,
often
were, of a sudden, before the
IN

to
75
mind has time

is
become aware
is
of
what
happening.
to
this.
One
apparently hurried
All saints
on
evil
the point of yielding.
understand
Therefore they anticipate
thought, defeating its strength and the possibility of its arising by strenuous good
thought.
By thought
Beware,
is
one made and

that
unmade.
then,
thou
dost
think good thoughts.
thou
that it is the mind which must keep constantly buoyed up. Never let it be idle. Idleness is the
"Remember
counterpart of
bears
itself
evil,
the nest wherein
it
most
life
fruitfully.
Beware
of
idleness.
Take
seriously.
Realise the
shortness of time and the greatness of the

task of Self-unfoldment before thee.
is
Now
thy
time
now
is
thy
if
opportunity.
Bitterly shalt
thou repent
thou dost allow

conditions
thyself to
drift
carelessly into
of limitation
in
and
struggle, worse than those

find thyself.
which thou dost now
Be
worthy
of a better future, a better birth,

life
by making thy present

the Spirit.
a success of
76
IN
"The world abounds with death. The law of Karma is inevitable. Take heed,
lest
death find thee in the midst of thy
sinning and lest
Karma
follow thy yielding
to physical desire with increased
bondage
and
dire misery.
My
son, after thou hast

of immortality,
once tasted of the nectar
how
is it
possible for thee to feed on the
husks of swine?
"Yet, do not be alarmed.
of
The Grace
God
sin.
is
greater than mountain-loads of So long as thou dost believe, so long

is
there hope.
in
But the
way
is
almost
in-
finite
length.
Think of the
life-times
necessary for the complete eradication of evil, for the final transformation of the
human
Canst
into
the
then,
divine
consciousness.
thou,
not
understand
how
seriously thou
shouldst labour
if
for thine
own good?
And
thou dost love me,

sake at
least, try to
I
wilt thou not, for
my
reach the Goal ?

for thee to
How
long have
waited
manfully
be made whole and I have yearned

I
to struggle
for
thy
righteousness.
shall
always
stand
by
IN

shall
off
77
thee
must shake
always love thee, but thou thy lethargy. Come out of

!
thy moral slothfulness; come, be a man "Thy love for me is the pole-star of thy life. It is the basis of thy being. And
good reason, for by thy love for me thou shalt be saved. Devotion to the Guru is the one thing needed. That will
is
there
straighten out
of
all
thy
difficulties.
So be
I
good
cheer.
Know, always,
longing
I
that
with
thee.
My
all
for
God,
am my
Realisation,
that
am
for
or possess, shall
is
be given unto thee,

of the
it
the pleasure
if
Guru
to give
even himself,
it
need
I
be, for the
good
of the disciple.
is
Once
ever,
have accepted thee,

eternity.
ful
for
for
Now, go
if
in peace,
and be mind-
that
thou
art
true to thyself, thou
dost
add even unto my glory and even unto mine own vision.*'
XVIII
The Voice
soul
:
of the
Guru spoke unto my

nothirlg so fascinating
"My
It
is
son, there
is
as the history of thine
own development.
!
the development of personality that

life
Be the witness Stand aside, as it were, and observe thy personality as though it were a thing apart.
makes
interesting.
Study the wayward thought, the

desire.
fleeting
How
transient the importance of

!
yesterday's experience
thing matter a
What doth
life
any!
decade of years hence

is
Thinking
this,
go through
give
undisturbed.
matters.
It
Nothing
passes.
things
of
which
the
earthly
Therefore
thy
Spirit.
Be
time up to unattached.
Plunge into meditation. Let thine be the monastic spirit. The value of any experience or of any idea
is
its
tendency in the
Realising
this,
way
of
making
character.
do thou acquire a new perspective
in life.
IN
4
79
'How much time do
the worldly give

!
unto the body,
that fragile bit of clay
How much
are their minds concerned with

!
ephemeral physical things

in perishable things.
They
perish
They
are swallowed
up
in
Maya.
Refrain, therefore, from con-
cerning thyself with worldly things. the society of the worldly-minded.

subtle
is
Shun
How
is
the
mind
It
endeavours con-
stantly to idealise the
physical.
That
the witchery of
Maya.
Be not deceived
beauty and by the gaudiness of appearances. Lose not thy insight. From
by
false
immemorial time
going on.
this
is
struggle
has been
What
all
earthly attachment
compared with the love of God for thy soul? Attachment is of the body, and
therefore
is
bondage.
But thou lovest
me
with thy soul. That is the difference. My son, it has not been amiss that thou
shouldst pass through much pain in order to realise the danger and falseness of the
world.
The more thou
dost suffer, the
closer art thou brought to me. "Cultivate passivity! Thou
art
alto-
80
IN
gather too irresponsible and too aggressive. Before thou seest the faults of
others
and
dost
criticise
them without
glaring faults.
mercy, discover thine

If
own
rant
thou canst not bridle thy tongue, let it against thyself, not against others.
First of all,
order.
keep thine own house in proper Such precepts as these are in direct
Self-realisation.
accordance with the highest philosophy of For there can be no Selfwithout

character.
realisation
Humility,
the
meekness,
gentleness,
forbearance,
non-seeing of evil in others all these are the practical elements in Realisation. Pay
no attention
to what others do to thee be busied with thine own improvement.
When
thou hast learned
this,
thou hast
mastered a great secret. Egotism is at the bottom of everything. Root out egotsim.
And
keep careful guard. be SURE of victory over it Thou canst not

as for passion,
until thy
body is laid at the burning-ghat. mind the shmasana (Funeral and burn into ashes all thy desires ground)
Make
if
thy
thou desirest to be free even in
life.
IN

learn
'blind*
!
81
"Thou must What art thou

any
real
obedience.
Hast thou knowledge? Be led along the Give thyself path, even as a child is led. to my wishes. Am I not even up entirely as a mother unto thee in my love? And
but a child
yet
I
am
as a father unto thee as well,

I
inasmuch as
chastisement.
do not spare the rod of If thou wouldst be a

all
Master,
ciple.
first
of
learn
is
how
to
be a
dis-
Discipline
what thou
requirest.
"Before, thy enthusiasm for
my
cause
was boyish and effervescent. Now it is becoming tempered by true insight. The
child
it is
is
thoughtless, the youth
is
wilful
the
man
is
that
is
worth while.
a
My
in-
tention
to
make
I
man
of thee in the
spiritual sense.
would have thee deep, responsible, earnest, well-disciplined, and make manifest thy loyalty and love for me in steadfastness and sincerity of character. March forward. My love and
blessings are ever with thee/*
XIX
In the hours of meditation
I
heard the
Voice addressing me "Have no bitterness

:
in thine heart.
Be
false
candid with
all false
thyself.
Root out
all
notions with regard to thyself.
Root out
attachment.
See Divinity instead
of body.
See thyself as others see thee. Above all, have no false self -commiseration.
let
Be strong them be the
If
thou must have
faults,
faults of a lion.
"The Law is mighty. It will crush thy heart and shatter thy personality in exact
ratio to thy self-will.
But
the
it
will also lead
thee
faith,
to
true
Self-knowledge.
Base
thy
therefore,
on
Law.
Action
breeds reaction.
Therefore let thy actions proceed from purity of heart and thought. Then shalt thou know Peace.
"Under the name
of sentiment oftenis
times a multitude of sins
covered; at
instincts
bottom the grossest physical
may
IN

Throwing a
cloth of
83
be
at
work.
gold
over them does not

is
mend
matters.. One
liable
to
idealise
sensations
as
lofty
the purely physical emotions. But desthe

disguise
is
crimination
tears
off
and
teaches that false attachment

self-centred,
science-less.
always
dominating,
It is
cruel
wilful, blind,
and conand bodyis
bound.
True
to the
love,
on the contrary,
gives
it
pure, related to the Spirit,
infinite
is
freedom
of
beloved one and

self-renunciation.
full
wisdom and
Vomit
attach-
out from thy heart, accordingly, ment and misplaced sentiment.
all
And once
being
you have done

as
it,
as
at
thou wouldst not

thy
vomit,
much
as look
repelled,
do not even as much as think of

It
attachment.
is
bondage.
Remember
is
this,
terrible bondage, and march on

!
bravely to Freedom's Goal
"Monasticism
vocations.
all
the
highest
of
all
By
cutting thyself loose from

all
bondage, thou dost help
that
have
life.
known thee shall ever come into thy By Self-realisation the monk fulfils
all
84
IN

By
his
self-sacrifice
duties.
others
are
redeemed. Be thou a monk in thy heart and deeds. Depend on nothing or on no one. Give others their freedom and be
thou thyself free. "Be not disheartened because of thy
disadvantages, for thy very disadvantages, given a spiritual direction, shall be transfigured into
feeling;
irritation
advantages.
in
Spiritualise
thy
Then, when no malice or nervous

exists
thy nature, thou shalt
and
stand on thy ground, and yet be a light a help unto many, though thou
Be a lion; weakness will fall away from thee. Aspire to be a God; then the limitations
shouldst not e'en see them.
all
then
of thy
body-consciousness will disperse.
become pure Spirit. Take thy from the sublime phenomena of the mountains, the vast seas and nature, suns. Become one with strong shining
shalt
Thou
lesson
things.
"Self-regeneration,
my
son,
is
a long
canst
and painful process.

grow,
is
is
Before
thou
necessary that thou
be over-
IN
85
~whelmingly frank with thyself. All veils of self-excuse or self-commiseration must
be rent asunder by repeated experiences

of pain and the humiliation of thy pride. There can be no foolishness with God and
no hypocrisy with
finest
thine
own
come
soul.
forth.
The
Be
and
best
must
grateful, therefore, for
pain, that reveals at
each messenger of once thy weakness

Exclaim, 'Blessed,
and thy Self

blessed pain
!
to thee.
'
"A
make
is
little
learning has
made
thee an
intellectual egotist; a greater learning will
thee spiritual.
Remember
let
It
that
mind
not the Soul.

it
So
experience pound
it.
the mind as
is
will.
the
main
thing.
That Gradually the Sun of

will purify
the Soul will pierce the dark clouds of ignorance; and then the goal shall be revealed to thee, and thou shalt be merged
in
its
effulgence."
XX.
Continuing his instructions,
said
:
the
Guru
sonality.
I shall master thy perStep by step thou shalt be forced nearer unto me. For I am thy Lord and God, and I shall not tolerate any idols of
"Inch by inch
sense or sense-idealised thought between me and thee. Rend the veils, my son
!
Rend the veils that the Guru Then knew had become responsible for me.
!
' *
himself
A
off
great
burden seemed to have me. He continued

:
fallen
from
"The
mystical experience
that
is
good, but
is
better than the mystical experience
the
consciousness
character
brings.
Character
is
everything; and character can
come
and
Soul
only
affliction
through renunciation. Pain draw out the powers of the
them
and make character. Welcome See the divine opportunities these
IN
87
create.
'Diamond cuts diamond,' as the saying goes, and pain alone conquers in!
stinct. Blessed, blessed pain devotee, Kunti, prayed that her
The
lot
ereat
might
always be afflication, in order that thereby she might always remember the Lord. My son, hers was a true prayer. Do thou
pray likewise.
If
thou lovest me,

all
know
that pain will bring thee
the closer unto
me, and thy higher nature will shine forth. "The mortal must be crushed out and
crucified,
if
the immortal
real
is
to
be made
manifest.
The
'You'
is
behind the
temporary configuration of consciousness. No insularity, my son Thyself having adopted a certain course in the spiritual
!
life,
is
why become
fanatic
therein
God
not to be realised in one way, but in
every way.
or greatness,
Wheresoever there is glory there the Lord Himself is
manifest.
special
Break
down
duty
all
walls
No
Be
bounds are assigned
to thee.
all-sided; thy sole

tion^
lies in self-perfec-
Who commanded
thee
to
preach
!
any one idea
to the exclusion of all others
88
IN

thee to preach at all?
to
Who commanded
I
have opened thine eyes

thy
vision
to
some
extent.
Before,
was
blurred.
Now,
thou
art
coming
know
!
that before thou

train thyself.
shalt teach others, thou
must
Beware
piration
of conceit
Underlying so much
of seeming selflessness
to
and seeming
this
is
first
!
as-
do work
is
deep-rooted
the
greatest
passion.
curse.
Verily,
egoism
Harness thyself mind running hither and
With thy
thither,
how
canst
thou hope to do good unto others ? Concentration is the first thing needed. Thy
surface consciousness
is
as
wayward and
as untutored as that of a rebellious child.
What
depth
to
is
wanted
surface.
is
that thou dost bring the
of thee, the real
man
that thou art,
the
This being god at one
moment and
will
slave to passion at another,

!
never do
Mv
boy, character, as
is
have said repeatedly,

Vision.
4
the only test of
'The glamour of romance and idealism

the Rishis.
stands between to-day and the days of
Buddha and
The
earth
was
IN
89
then the same as now.

the
hearts
The summer was
sway in men, and poverty and wealth, health and sickness were side by side. There were jungles and mountains and rivers, and cities and bazaars; and
of
hot, the winter cold, passion held
death then as
now stalked everywhere. The same difficulties were to be contended with. Buddha looked upon the same
world as thou thyself dost look upon.
the
So
same
realisation
!
is
possible.
Set thy-
self to the task
were expired
in exactly as
The Vedas themselves human an enSet thythat

!
vironment as thou seest to-day.

self to the task,
my boy
This
"It
is
the conscious
in
mind
is
must
be taken
which,
hand.
the instrument
when
to explore the
perfected, will enable thee hidden depths of the subthen, rush
conscious mind and to burn out old Samskaras which,
now and
beneath the threshold.
And by
this
up from same
conscious mind, spiritualised, the highest
Superconsciousness
From
the
may be atttained. known, man proceeds to
90
IN

Knowledge
is
the
Unknown.
the
con-
quest
gained through the expansion of the conscious mind. More and more of
the infinite territory of thought
is
acquired.
The end
ledge,
tual.
is,
Omniscience.
is
True knowspiri-
my
It is
son,
not material, but

that
is
the
man
revealed through
\
knowledge, not the thing
"True knowledge
of
ideas,
like
is
always a process
of conscious realisation.
The
assimilation
of
the
assimilation
food,
touches and acts upon the conscious perThe nervous system must assisonality.
milate ideas.
Then
It
the very
body
itself
becomes
is
full
of chaitanya.
The very body

said,
made
of'
Spirit.
was
in this sense that
some
the
I
Masters
have
'
!
'Even
is
physically
am chinmaya
itself
That
why
privi-
even physical service

lege.
in
to the
The body
Guru is then becomes
Spirit
the process.
"One
master,
of the greatest tasks thou shalt
my
son,
is
Self-communion.
largely
Now
Thou
thy concentration
is
dependent on
circumstances
and
environment.
IN
findest

need
to
91
But other minds

stimulus.
commune may give
with
others.
speak even
Thou thyself when speaking

within.
thee only the to thyself dost

to
another.
But knowledge, the true stimulus, should
come from
other
!
Why
Like
!
rhinoceros
depend on anmarch on
alone
"Mind
child.
itself
is
becomes the Guru,

an
old
teaching.
in
is
my
And
the
This
why?
mind
thou
that
Because,
for
art.
pressing
upon
Self-realisation
I
the
Divinity
and
all
others are only aspects
of the Great Reality.

I
The consciousness
in
wore on thy plane, when

as
it
the
body, was,
were,
only a
window
through which thou dost behold the InBut that consciousness which was finite.
/,
I
myself
Divine.
make effort What is Real

is
Real in thee,
the
that
merge in the me, what is Brahman Worship

to
in
!
Brahman,
my
boy,
Worship
that
Brahman
alone!'*
XXI
glory of the
*
Then quoth a Voice, speaking Guru unto my soul have unbounded faith 'Child,
thy
of the
:
in
thy
Guru.
Through His mercy, through His

very
illumination
inmost
Soul
has
been resurrected. out, and through
He has sought thee Him thou hast been

realisation of the
made whole.
;
The
Guru
It
it.
descends in torrents upon the disciple. and nothing can resist is ceaseless
His love for thee knows no bounds.
all
To
lengths
He
shall
go
for thee.
Never
^hall
His very love is proof of His Divinity, and even His curse
desert thee.
blessing in disguise.
He
is
'The
Realisation
of
thy
Guru
is
a
!
thing, present and concrete before thee Through the transfiguration of His Nature,
thou
dost
is
verily
perceive
for
the
Divine.
There
thyself
no other path over wholly and
thee.
to
Give
the
entirely
IN

What,
at
93
Guru.
Gods?
is
He who
bottom, are even all the has realised His Nature
the greatest Divinity.
Man, seeing the

has realised the
great glory of
Self,
Him who
is
perceives that Realisation in mani-
fold forms.
The Guru
more than
per-
sonality
through Him,
all
aspects of the
Is He not Siva HimOf the Great Guru, Siva Himself is only an aspect. Meditate on thy Guru as Siva, as thy Ishtam, and at the supreme
Divine shine forth.

!
self
moment
Ishtam.
Incarnate
tion.
of Realisation thou shalt find the

is
Nature which
the
Guru merged
stands
one,
in thy
Before
thee
made
Divinity
What
then
through Self-Realisashalt thou have with

!
abstract
Gods
thee.
or theological conceptions
Wheresoever
follow
thou
shalt
go,
He
shall
Because,
for
the
sake of
an-
helping mankind,
He
has renounced even
Nirvana
itself.
In
this
He
is
verily
other Buddha.
That
He
has realised His

all
Nature makes His personality

real,
all
the
more
atis
the
more powerful.
Having
tained the Brahman-Consciousness,
He
94
IN

superhuman
life
empowered with
knowledge.
and
to
All the gods
bow down
Him who
all
has become Brahman. Through the perspective of thy Guru- worship, see
the Divinity that IS.
Thus
all
shall
be made one, and the highest Advaita Consciousness shall be gained. For the Guru shall be seen in larger and ever larger perspectives, even according to the enlargement of thine own Jnanam and thy
Bhakti.
of
Through the supreme expansion

the
personality,
Highest
Selflessness
which is the Self is realised. There, Guru, God and thyself, aye, the whole universe, That is the Goal. See are made One.
the
Guru through
That
is
the perspective of the
Infinite.
the
highest
Wisdom.
Through Guru-bhakti thou walkest on the

highest path.
"In one sense, the Divine

real
Man
is
more
even
than
Pure
Godhead.
Thou
canst only understand the Father through the Son. Before even thou dost worship
God, worship the God-man

the
Apart from
of
Brahman-realised
Consciousness
IN

is
95
Man, where
is
there
God?
Guru- worship
because
the highest for the disciple,
through thy worship of the personality of

the Guru,
all
sense even of personality
shall ultimately
be
lost.
Wider and wider
become
First
the horizons of the spiritual vision.

;
the physical presence is required then comes the worship of the person of the Guru. The next step is the going
even beyond the physical presence and

the worship of the Guru, for the Guru teaches that the body is not the Soul.
Like a child has the disciple to be educated.

tion
From
the physical to the percep;
of the Guru's message and ideas from the person to the principle. Mind and body cannot count in that supreme of
all
intimate
relationships.
is
The very
More
of
Soul of the
lofty
Guru
transmitted through
realisations.
and
all
and still loftier more does the
personality
the
disciple
Guru-Nature, while the time the Guru's personality is seen
merge
in the
merge more and more into That of which even His body had been a manito
IN
festation.
attained.
Then the sublimest Oneness is The waters of the dual personalities of Guru and disciple become the Ocean of the Infinite Brahman For the attainment of that Supreme Beatitude,
!
wilt
mands
thou not go wheresoever He comFor His sake, if He so wills,

!
thou wilt gladly go through a thousand births and deaths. For thou art His
loving servant
will
will.
;
His
will is thy
Law.
Thy
I
has become the instrument of His
To
as
follow
Him
that
is
thy
Dharma
For,
the Scriptures say,
'Verily,
the
Guru is God, the Guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Mahadeva. He is indeed the Supreme Brahman There is none higher than the Guru
!
'
XXII
Then,
the
in
another hour of meditation,

:
Guru spoke
"My
son, at any
brings death
moment the hour that may come make therefore

;
the most of
visits
life.
When
a lofty inspiration
thy soul, seize it avariciously, lest through thy sin of omission it is lost
utterly.
is
For every ideal sentiment, there
a practical realisation.
is
The method
of
realisation
equally as important as the

itself.
perception of the ideal
What
is all
grandiloquent
talk
compared
Talk
with
an
ounce
of
practice?
may
rouse
emotion, but both time and feeling are wasted unless thou dost assume the responsibility the
ideal
demands
of thee.
Have no hypocrisy
call
in thine heart.
Throw
not a cloth of gold over thy inaction and it resignation. Behind all thy lack of
response to spiritual stimuli, be sure there

is
always the physical consideration.

7
If
98
IN

some
it
it should enter thy mind to take daring course in the spiritual life,
is
likely
that thy
body
shall
arise,
asking,
*Mind, shall it be comfortable?' Ah, for the sake of physical reason how far short hast thou fallen from the ideal
!
'My
son, courage
is
it
as
is
much needed
As much
in
in the spiritual life as
in the struggles
which ensue
in the world.
per-
severance as the miser has
hoarding
gold, as great courage as the warrior has

in rushing forth to
meet the
great
foe, so
much
must
perseverance,
so
courage
thou possess to accumulate the treasures that are imperishable and to master once
for
all
the
body and the body-consciousis
ness.
That
the secret that
lies
behind
realisation in
any form
indomitable cour-
age, courage that knows no fear. Develop the powers for self-analysis, then shalt
thou find that
when thou
life
dost
fail to
take
it
up boldly
is
the
of true renunciation,
because of the promptings of thy body which seeks to satisfy the narrow and
selfish desires of the mortal self.
IN

this
99
body must be rooted out. It must go in some definite resolve to realise one's self as Spirit. Boy, take one plunge into the dark, and thou shalt find the very darkness hath become the light.
"But
Cut
the
off
all
bonds, or rather subordinate

the greatest bonds,
that of
body
to
the morrow's uncertainty, and immediately
thou shalt find that thou hast gained
the highest freedom

itself will
and
that
the
body
life
become
steps
the servitor of the Soul.
"Bold
risks not
are
needed in the
temporal.
spiritual as in the life
He who
the
can never hope to gain. Throw body overboard into the sea of un;
certainty
be
like
the
to
wandering monk,
person,
attached
things,
neither
place
or
and though thou lose the body,
thou shalt gain the Soul. Boldness is the one thing needed, the boldness of a tiger
in
Only strong hands can rend the veils of Maya. Speculation will never do manliness is what is wanted. So long as there is fear for the body, so
the
jungle.
;
long there can be no realisation for the
100
IN

sacrifices
soul.
Think of the
made by
the
worldly in worldly pursuits. Wilt thou not make sacrifice in the spiritual
pursuit?
Is
God
all
to
be
realised
!
eloquence from under
or
by mere form
sheltering
by Get out
influences.
Come
finite
out into the open. Make the Inthy horizon. Let the whole universe
field in
be the
which thou dost wander

all
"Thou must welcome
experience
!
Come
Fearout of thy narrow grooves lessness will make thee free. As it is

certain that in life
Dharma
alone
is
true,
is
so
it
is
equally certain that Sannyasa
alone the true spiritual path. Renunciait is alltion like religion is not a form
;
inclusive
ness,
it
is
a condition of conscious-
a state of personality. In realisation thou thyself must come face to face
with
God
for
in
renunciation
eternal.
must
find the
peace
;
thou thyself No one can

likewise,
realise
thee
for
thee,
no
one can renounce. Therefore, be brave and stand on thine own feet. Who can
help thee save that which
is
the Self in
IN

Making
thine
101
thee?
thine
own mind
Let
thy Guru,
own
Inner Self thy God, march forth

rhinoceros.
to thee,
fearless as a
whatever
that
experience
is
come
is
know
not
what
Soul.
affected
the
body,
the
Have such faith and firmness that nothing can overpower thee. Then having renounced everything, thou shalt find that all things are at thy command, and that thou art no longer their slave. Beware of
false enthusiasm,
however.
Care nothing
either
tion.
for
pleasant or unpleasant sensaforth,
Simply go
without a path,
without fear, without regret. Be thou the true Sannyasin. Do not shelter thyself
under
asunder
fear,
4
false
;
notions.
all
destroy
Tear all veils bonds overcome all

;
and realise the Self.
'Do not delay.

is
Time
is
is
short
;
and
life
is
fleeting.
;
flying fast
Yesterday to-morrow
all
gone
to-day
is
!
already at hand.
Depend on God alone

thou obtainest
fulfillest all
life
;
By renouncing by renouncing, thou by giving up thy obligations

;
thou
dost
gain
Eternal
Life.
For,
102
iN

dost thou renounce?
the
life
what
the
life
of
senses
and
sense-fed
thought.
Go
!
down
into the deeps of thy personality There thou shalt see that already a mighty undertow of the Spirit is at work which
shall
sometime soon
and God-vision.
be
!
lash
the indifferent
surface into a very tempest of renunciation
Believe in thy Self
Long enough
hast thou been indifferent.

!
Now
sincere
shall
sincere
Be
tremendously
of the Soul
Then
all
good things
be thine."
XXIII
Again the Guru spoke "Already the word has been spoken the commands have already been given
:
thee.
Now
action
is
required.
of
Teaching
without
practice
is
no
avail.
How
great would be thy sorrow that thou didst not put resolution and insight into practice long ago Having gained the path, march bravely on. What shall stand in the way of one who has determined on
!
Self-realisation
When
!
thou
standest
alone,
God
all
shall
be thy companion, thy

Is
it
friend, thy all in all
not better to
forsake
in order that the
Presence of
God
shall
be
felt
all
the
more?
When
thou dost renounce Nature, Nature herself shall reveal
her true beauty to thee.
Thus
speak
to
thee
spiritual.
everything shall become Even a blade of grass shall
to thee of the Spirit.
"When
thou hast renounced
all
and
104
IN
dost walk on lonely paths,

love and
remember that wisdom shall be with thee my always. Thou shalt be close, very close unto me. Thou shalt gain further insight,
increased
increase
wilt
purpose of
of
the
will,
and a
sense.
things.
great
universal
all
Thou
become one with
Renunciation,
my
boy,
is
the one path.
Imagine thyself dead to-day.
"However it may rebel, know that sometime, somehow the body must be
sacrificed as
a holocaust unto the Soul
the body-idea must be overcome. canst
Thou
make
the
long path,
spirit, short
the lukewarm in
sufficiently
pursued by if thou art

the
of
sincere.
Take time by
advantage
forelock.
Take
instant
If by one leap thou canst opportunity. cross over the intervening barrier between
thyself
as
thou
art
and
thyself
as
thou
shouldst become, hasten to do so.
Turn
prey.
on
thyself
like
tiger
on
its
Have no mercy on
"Pay no
thy mortal
self.
Then
forth.
shall the Immortal Self in thee shine
attention
to
trivialities,
my
IN
-son.

details matter
105
What can
Itself
when
the
has dawned upon thee? Details are purely physical. Centre not
Universal
thy mind
the
spirit of
upon them.
Be concerned with
Having the
thee.
One and
not the many.
Vairagyam, care not what details
of experience
may come
thine
to
Re-
member
enemy
bondage
aroused
one.
r
that thou thyself art thine
own
as
also
own
well-wisher.
With one
Samskaras.
stroke thou canst cut off the

of
veritable
host
of
past
The
necessary
spirit
once
in thee, the task will
be an easy
And my
be with thee
in
grace and blessings shall the making and the

Trust,
strengthening of that spirit. shall be well with thee.
and
it
"Why
attitude of
concern
thyself
as
to
the
opinion of others?
What can
such an
as
mind
avail thee?
So long
thou lookest for the regard of others, so long thou mayest be sure that conceit
doth
still
hold the citadel of thine heart.

in
Be righteous
others
thine
own
may
say what they
will,
then eyes thou shalt

;
106
IN

Seek no advice
inclination.
;
take no heed.
thine
follow
own
higher
perience can teach thee. time in idle speech. It

nothing.
Only exWaste not thy

avail
will
thee
Each
;
is
guided
experience another?
therefore
by his own who can advise

not
to
Depend on
thyself
for
thyself in all ways.
Look
4
to
guidance,
another.
'Thy sincerity
fast
;
will
make
will
thee stead-
thy steadfastness will bring thee to
the
goal.
Thy
;
sincerity
also
make
will
thee resolute
and thy resoluteness

all
make
ings
thee overcome
!
fear.
My
bless-
upon thee
"
!
My
blessings
upon thee
for ever
XXIV
And the Voice of "My son, draw
Innermost
darts
soul.
!
the
Guru
said
thyself
within
are
the
like
Outward
that
things
and arrows
do but bruise the

Self
Make abode. The

*
thine great
Inner
thy
true
Mag(j$ Solomon
hath
' !
said,
Ah
of
Vanity of vanities, all is vanity indeed so What is even the treasure

!
the
!
whole world
at
the
moment
of
death
How
well also did Nachiketas of
Upanishadic fame
know
He
conquered
himself through that great victory which renunciation brings. All that which
Yama
possesses
a form.
form
must
is
suffer
death,
the
fate of all form.

It,
Even the mind
itself is
too,
subject to change and

thou, therefore, be-
to disintegration.
Go
yond both mind and form.
"From
matters.
the highest standpoint nothing

In the
supreme sense, once thou
hast given thine heart to thy Lord, nothing
108
IN
can bind
thee. This should give thee a wonderful sense of freedom and expanThis should make thee fearless. sion.
Love
the
is
the greatest power.

all veils
By
the
power
of love
Beloved
**
which blind thy vision of One can easily be rent

Purify the mind!
is
asunder.
Purify the mind!
all,
That, once and for
the whole and
only
line.
meaning
of
of
religion.
Develop
continuity
thought
along the highest
of purpose.
thee.
More and more develop consistency Then nothing can withstand Thou shalt move unto thy goal as
as
readily
the
eagle
all
flies.
that
one
!
could think at
times of the Highest
That
in itself
would be Freedom.
from thy sluggishness!
"Rouse
Reconstruct
thyself
whole nature. Open thy thine eyes to the beauty which is everyCommune with Nature. She where.
shall
teach thee
to thee.
many
She
lessons,
now
See
un-
known
great
shall bring to
thee
the
calm
of
personality.
Invisible Divinity
even in the
visible uni-
IN

!
109
verse about thee.

actor
tion
;
is
if
The Be the witness burdened with the effects of acthou must act, even in action be
Concern
thyself with
thou the witness.

nothing
analysis.
is
but
Self-realisation
Strengthen that
and selfwhich in thee
best.
of
Pay no attention to the opinions Make thy very Be strong others.

!
own
self
thy Guru.
Saturate
it
to
such an
extent with great purposes and ideas, that of itself it shall seek and express the highest.
self,
Once strengthened
it
shall arouse
shall
it-
and things undreamed-of

Refrain from criticism!
!
be
revealed to thee.
**
Art thou thy
brother's keeper
of his actions
!
Art thou the custodian

has placed thee as
Blot out the slightevil
Who
!
a judge above him

est
memory
of
another's
conduct.
Be thou concerned with

shalt find
criticise.
thyself.
enough
in thee to
Thou condemn and

also
find
And
yet
thou
shalt
enough
the
to give thee joy.
himself should be his
For each unto own universe. Let
human
in thee die, so that the Divine
XXV
Again the Voice
unto
of
the
Guru spoke
my
soul
"Treat thy body as though it were a If thou shalt say thing apart from thee.
unto
as
it,
'Do this/ that

said,
it
shall do.
The
and
Master has
a
clock
Imagine
the
thyself seated
upon
mantelpiece
study thy daily comings and thy goings. Thou shalt find how vain and useless
most of them are/ Therefore cease placing
any undue importance or attachment upon

the
incident
if
of
the
hour.
Ignore
the
it.
physical,
thou canst not spiritualise
To
bring Divinity even into

life
is
commonplace
;
daily
difficult,
indeed
but that
is
the test.
not only upon the Heights, but in the valleys, as well, that we must
It is
come
face to face with God.

that
How
can
truly
gather of the Spirit even from the most glimpses ordinary circumstances
!
concentrated that mind
IN
4

out
the
slightest
13
'Root
egotism.
trace
of
The more thou

more
dost study thy
personality, the
shalt thou find that
egotism rushes forth in almost every experience, whether of action or of thought.
Egotism
verily to
in
is
not only to be overcome, but

entirely crushed
out.
this
be
Even
cursed
true
self-blame
is
or
self-pity
phenomenon
seen to
exist.
The
man
of Realisation blames neither others
nor himself.
He
ignores
circumstances,
being covered with mightier things, "See thyself as already dead. Even in
life
the
spirit,
separate thyself from the body. See not the form of things. Then,
in thy
new and
clearer vision the

in a
of
life shall
be seen
new
light
whole and be
loftier
made
manifest to thee in new, and

spiritual forms.
and altogether
"Reflect
nuity
of
much on
the
immense
conti-
mental and moral experience. That man is born and re-born, until progress has
will
become merged
in
perfection,
then become
8
self-evident.
creating, through thought, desire
Each and
is
ac-
110
IN

Is
it
shall at
be revealed.
!
not better to be
!
peace
Disturb thyself about nothing
Trust not in man, but in

lead and guide thee.
*
God
He
will
'Stand like a rock in this samsara, the
sea of unrest.
Walk through
;
this
inter-
minable jungle of the manifold Omnipotence is behind thee

crush out
all
like a lion.
but
first
desire for earthly or purely
With the sword of discrimination cut in twain all that comes of Maya within thy path. Dictate to none let none dictate to thee Be unafraid of
physical power.
;
death, for
at this
if
it
should overtake thee even
moment, know that thou art already on the Path and walk on fearlessly.
Death
is
only an incident in a larger
life.
Even beyond death

There
is
the possibilities and
opportunities for spiritual progress exist.
no end
to
what one may become.

effort,
Everything depends on individual
and the Mercy

"Study
thou
shalt
of
God
that
is
everything
find
is
always at hand. and about thee

;
for thee in every-
thing there
spiritual
message.
The
IN
One
reigns supreme, the One that is in every aspect of the Many. Worship the Omnipresent Unity even when the manifold,
by
its
distracting variety,
would give
Appearances deceive, as the proverb says, but it is man's duty to detect this deception and see Reality bethe
lie
thereto.
hind
dian
all
appearance.
his
Each
;
is
the custo-
of
breaker of
other
own Karma each is the each must his own bondage

;
for himself discover Reality.
There
is
no
way. Each stands on his own ground each must fight his own battles
;
;
and Realisation
vidual
his
is
always a wholly indiUltimately,
experience.
each
as
is
own
Saviour and his
own
Lord.
For
the
frag-
the
Divinity-That-Is
shall
shine
Unit
Whole through each and every

of personality.
ment
ing.
Such
is
the teach-
That
is
to
be
realised.
And That
realised,
the Great Goal will have been
attained/'
114
IN
tion,
a world of which he himself should

the
be
governor.
It
is
not
one,
but
innumerable bodies which the soul creates in its effort to sound the very bottom of
of objective experience and such experience into the full pass beyond and subjective consciousness of Pure
Spirit.
the
ocean
"Kill out any hankering for the occult and merely speculative. The increase of
false
called psychic powers,

selves,
is
knowledge or the acquisition of soin and for thempernicious as

for
it
intensifies the
ego
and makes
added
selfishness.
The
extension of consciousness in various ways

in the spiritual process
is
an acknowledged
incidental.
phenomenon,
and
strictly
is
When
to the
however, placed superior aim of Self-realisation, the process on the Path is hampered a myriad-fold. Beware of the ego as thou wouldst beware
this,
of
mad
dog.
As thou wouldst
not
touch poison,
or play with
a poisonous
snake, even so keep aloof from psychic
powers and those who pretend
to these.
IN
115
Let
all
the faculties of thy

to the Lord.
mind and heart
be directed be the aim

4
What
!
else shall
in the spiritual life
'Be independent!
By
all
means, be
in
independent
Place
own
thee
able.
possibilities
thy and the
trust
thine
of
mercy
the
Supreme.
If
Faith in others will only

helpless
make
more and more
and miserin thyself,
thou dost not believe
the
most painful experiences will force thee to do so. The Law knows nothing
-
of
sentiment
or
self -commiseration.
It
shall
grind thy animal nature into spiritIt
ual shape.
has but one aim, that

!
ol
transforming thy character
Why
tarry,
then?
Why
!
put
off until
another
life
that
Be
which may be realised this very moment ) sincere Be tremendously sincere Worthiness or unworthiness is not the
!
question.
Thy
the
salvation
is
assured
for
life.
thou shalt be forced into the higher
That
is
destiny
of each individual.
Divinity
must be made manifest.

glorious
spiritual
"A
indifference
is
likewise necessary.
Why
take notice of
116
IN
the thousand and one irritating details the
day
may
bring
forth?
Be
thou
free
realise that all these are only the currents
of that mighty flow of past
Samskara from
which thou must for ever sever thyself. Let come what may let concerning thee be said what may. To thee all these things must become as unsubstantial as a
;
thou hast really renounced the world, how canst thou be troubled -any
mirage.
If
longer
4
in idea
'In
Be consistent and ideal.

the
galleries
in effort as well as
of
art,
the
critic
studies
tragic,
various
paintings,
some
ghastly
some
is
radiantly
beautiful,
but
he
the
himself
not actually
affected
by
Life
as
emotions portrayed. is an art-gallery

it
Do
;
thou similarly.
are,
experiences
were, so
many
paintings
hung upon
the walls of time.
dost choose to
Study them, if thou but free thyself do so

;
from any emotional interest. Study, but be unaffected. Bearing this in mind thou
shalt become, in very truth, the witness. Study thy mind and all thy experiences
IN

body
thy
117
as a physician might study the

its
or
diseases.
Be unsparing
in
criti-
cism of
progress.
thyself.
Then
shalt
thou
truly
"The way is long. The process of education necessitates repeated lives. But one may live intensively and thus avoid
the circuitous paths which
are
trodden
by such
the
as live extensively
of
their
and only on
Think-
surface
personality.
ing deeply and continuously on spiritual subjects, and moulding desire into aspiration
and passion
into spiritual fervour,
these are
among
to
the
ways and means.

each hour
Determine
of the
be
consistent
whole nature become with the spiritual idea and intencharged tion. Be always on the guard. Resign
day
until thy
everything to
of
all
Him who
is
the Dispenser
good things. Embrace whatever will keep thee steady on the spiritual path, even though it be the fear of death. Thou
art
the
young plant
Cling
that
needs support;
<:atch hold
of anything that
strong.
unto
it
with
makes thee might and
118
IN
main.
ed,
Be steady, sincere, earnest-mindand avail thyself of each moment and opportunity. Long is the way; time is flying. Therefore, as I have
righteous,
counselled repeatedly,
task,
set
thyself
* *
to
it,
the
devoting thy whole soul to thou shalt reach the Goal

!
and
XXVI
The Voice
of the
Guru spoke
"My
son,
thou wilt be compelled to
learn that in this world there are certain

difficulties with which thou must meet and which, because of thy past Karmas, will appear for thee insurmountable. Do not fret and fume over them. Know that wherever there are worry and ex-
pectations
blindest
in
work,
of
there
is
also
the
form
task,
attachment.
aside
it
!
Having
Let
the
done
work's
thy
stand
float
own Karma
let
as
it
will
down
the stream of time.

pleted thy task
*
After having com-
off
Work
thy motto be 'Hands to thine utmost, and then to
thine utmost be resigned.
At
are
all
events,
never be
discouraged,
for
ill,
the
all
fruits
of
work, be they good or

ary
considerations.
full
second-
Give them up and
remember
so
well that in
much
the perfection of
work it is not work as the
120
IN

of
perfection
personality
goal.
through
work
which should be the
"Over
have sway
thine
thine
;
own
actions actions
thou canst
of
over the
another
is
thou hast no power.

another.
His Karma
not
criticise;
one,
Do
!
hope;
All shall do not fear comes and goes, be thou not Experience standest on sure disconcerted. Thou thee to be ground. Let experience teach
dp not be well.
free,
no matter
what
comes,
do
thou
never forge any more bondage. thou so foolish as to be bound
And art down by

the
true
one from of work?
Is
not the scope of

not
my work
great
infinite?
Do
debase
ideals
of
Karma-Yoga
have
and
!
work by jealousy and attachment

not
childish
Let
over
emotions
hold
thee!
"Do
Let
not expect;
do
not
thy
anticipate.
Samskara
its
float
personality
lead.
is
withersoever
currents
may
Rethe
member
that
thy
true
Nature
Ocean, and be unconcerned. Know the mind to be the body in a subtle form.
IN

make
thy
austerity
121
Therefore
one.
mental
Regard all thy moods as mere bodymoods; remain aloof; thou art the Soul. Be concerned only with thy Self; lead thou thine own life. Be true to thyself. "My son, take life calmly. At all times, be at peace. Agitate thyself over
nothing.
Thy
physical
nature
lose
is
is
too
nervously
Rajasika.
it
;
But
that
not
thy
Rajas
spiritualise
the secret.
Have
at
thyself so
well under control that
any
moment
nature
thou
canst
quiet
thy
and remain altogether in Let the meditative state. Be all-sided

active
!
thy
relations
with
those
with
whom
Karma
ness
brings thee into contact be such
that thou dost bear witness to the great-
that
is
within them.
see
first
And
the
if
thou
in
in
must see
thine
faults,
beam
own
eye rather than the mote
thy brother's eye. Be not overwhelmed by the experience of the hour. Ten days
hence what doth it matter "The whole meaning of the

!
religious
life is to get rid of
Ahamkara
or egoism.
122
IN

is it that,
it
So deep-rooted
to discover.
It
like the
is
cause of
a deep-seated disease,
disguises
most difficult under a itself
myriad forms; but of all its disguises none is so treacherous and so evil as the
spiritual
disguise.
Believing
for spiritual
at
carelessly
that thou dost
work
purposes
bottom it may find, often be selfish motives that do influence

thou shalt
that
thee.
out.
utter
It
Therefore, keep thou a sharp lookis only by the conquest and

of
extinction
personality
that
the
Sublime
Impersonal
can
be
that
understood
the aim
will-
and
that
realised.
To
die to one's self in order

is
one may
life
truly live,
of the
spiritual.
Satisfied
fail
with
the
o'-the-wisps,
many
to
see
sun.
Real
immortality
selfish
can
be
is
gained
only
when
personality
destroyed.
Remember
!
that
completely the Fix
mind on the Impersonal It is the Light of the Most High that shines through a
When that personality. self-conquered Light shines fullest, then the Effulgence
of Nirvana
is
made
manifest."
XXVII
In the silence of the hour of meditation^
the
4
soul these blissful
Voice of the Guru spoke unto words

:
my
'My
long
son, so long as there are ideas, so
will the
this
For
of
in
form-aspects of idea persist. reason the gods and all spiritual

are
realities are true essentially.
the
universe
The spheres But innumerable.

all
and
through
splendour of
realise
them Brahman.
shines
the
When
thou dost
all
and
Brahman, then for thee, spheres and conditions

are
truths
of
planes con-
sciousness
made
one.
Therefore,
all
accept
of
all
Divinity.
and worship Be catholic and

of
aspects
universal.
Widen
walks of
the
scope
religion,
see
all
the
religious spirit
life.
as a possibility in
the
Wheresoever experience character be interpreted spiritually, there the Voice of the Lord may be heard. Learn to see the other
whatever be
its
124
IN

all
side
in
matters.
Then
even
shalt
thou
the
never
become
fanatic.
Through
the
spiritual
consecration
most
menial act may become divine. See the whole universe as permeated with the
Divine
Life.
Eradicate
all
all
sense
of of
distinction;
destroy
narrowness
*
vision;
comes
Lord,
infinite
widen the perspective until it beand all-inclusive. Whereis
soever there
righteousness/
I
saith
the
'know
that there
am
manifest/
The hedge around
young tree is useful; but the sapling must become the wide-spreading banyan, giving shelter and protection to all that comes within its
shadow.
tion
Similarly,
the
the sense of distincfor
growth of must come when the particular idea assumes a universal aspect. Be broad, my son, be broad. Make it an instinct to be broadspecial
ideas,
may be
useful
the
but the
time
minded.
For
intellectually
ly as well.
what is to be achieved must be achieved emotionalthe
"Regard
whole
universe
with
IN

;
125
equal
that
love
dividual
in
friendship,
through loyalty in thy income to understand

individualised
life
each
shines,
same beautiful Light thou dost behold in him whom thou hast called by the sweet name of 'brother/ Be universal Love even thine enemy. These distinctions between friend and foe
potentially, that
!
are
only
phenomena
of
is
the
all
surface.
Deep, deep, below it Learn to see the Divine

everyone; and yet be
so as
to
in
Brahman. everything and

guarded
sufficiently
the unpleasantness and clash of temperament. In the highest sense
avoid
the
truest
relationship
is
that
which
is
relationless,
and therefore
spiritual.
Learn
to recognise the Universal instead of the
particular, the Soul instead of the physical
personality.
Then
closer;
to thy friend
thou shalt
shall
be bound
separate
distinction,
even death
not
all
ye,
and,
having overcome
in thine
own
self
there shall
no awareness of an enemy. See that which is beautiful in every form, but

be, also,
worship instead of craving
to
possess.
126
IN

spiritual
Let every soul and form have a
message
4
for thee.
'All ideas are relative to the
temperatherefore,
ment from which they proceed;
in listening to another, see the realisation-
side instead of the logic of his speech;
then no argument shall ensue and thine
own
realisation shall receive

also,
new
impulses.
is
Then know,
is
that
silence
often-
times golden and that to speak and argue

to dissipate thy forces;
and remember
before
swine.
never to
cast
thy
pearls
All emotions are likewise relative to tem-
perament;
therefore
be the witness,
in-
stead of being the attached one.

that both thinking
Know
and feeling are in Maya. But Maya itself must be spiritualised; let thy self be Self-possessed therefore, and remain unattached. For what thou mayest
think
and
feel
to-day
thee on the morrow.
may not move And above all know
that, in thy real nature, thou art independent of both idea and emotion. These
only help to reveal that which

thy Self;
is
truly
therefore let thy thoughts
and
IN

be
great, universal
127
feelings
and above
in
this
all
selfishness.
Then,
even
dense
darkness of the Samsara, thou shalt see, though it may be at first but dimly the
Everlasting Light."
XXVIII
The Guru spoke
:
"Make no
minded
certainty
that
plans;
it is
only the worldly-
plan.
Be
in
independent
uncertainty
strict
of
circumstance;
make
live
thy
and
to
accordance
Why pay what the morrow may bring? Live the present as thou dost find it and
with
the
Sannyasin's
vows.
any heed
way. Associate the name of Beloved One with each single circumthy
in the noblest
stance of thy past, present or future experiences.
Thus they
wall.
will
be
spiritualised.
Regard them ings on the
as thou wouldst study paint-
The
subjects
they
represent may be tragic, commonplace or Be fascinating; be thou only the critic.
they good or
evil,
know
that the Self in

all
thee doth stand apart from
experiences.
"And
as for organisations,
appreciate
their usefulness, the greatness of the ideas
they embody, but remain thou unidenti-
IN

religious life
It
129
fied.
The
is
and subjective.
church but
it
may be born
it.
purely personal in a
must outlive
Through
law beyond law is the path of Realisation. Know that and be free. Carry on work
as
it
dent therein.
tion,
doth come to thee and be indepenIf there must be organisa-
let it be the organisation of ideas; but never labour for the extension of a
purely organised form. No organisation can save thee; thou must save thyself.
Generally speaking, organisations, however spiritual and unsectarian their intent,
degenerate into worldliness.

.
Beware
of
any churchianity Keep aloof from any dogmatism and fanaticism. Be all-inclusive.
"Be always true and loyal to the source from which thou hast received thy inspira-
Have faith and love; have hope and be patient. All these veils of illusion shall be soon rent asunder for thee, and
tion.
thou shalt behold me, thy Beloved One, in my true nature. Be not bound down
by
my
9
?>ersonality,
or rather thy notion
130
IN
of
life
it.
am
not that which
was
in earth-
associated, like thine

limitation
with
and
I
own human
personality,
weakness.
real
That
nature
personality
is
That
assumed; my which inspired
my
teaching there. Know me as I am, not as I was. Know me subjectively as thy Self and then thou shalt see the Self in
all;
then
all
sense of limitations and mani-
foldness will have no

/
power over
dwell
thy thought;
thee.
am
not
external',
I
within
I
the
Innermost.
live
in
am
with thee in thy aspiration. Space and time relations have DO power over the
Soul,
and cannot stand I spiritual communion.

min.
in
the
way
of
am
thy Antary-
Know me
as
such;
and whether
thou art born a myriad years apart from me, whether even at death the separating
veils are not destroyed, that matters not.
no need that thou I may even have barriers. shouldst labour and exist phenomenally apart from me; but I see through the veils, even though thou dost not. I am present
In
in Realisation there are
Love and
IN

whether thou
shall
art
131
eternally with thee,
aware
or not.
The time
shalt
come, however,
when thou
tusks
of the
be made aware.
The
ward,
elephant having gone outnever turn inwards; even so the
love and insight of the Guru, having been
once bestowed, have been bestowed

ever.
4
for
'By having
hast freed
become my servant thou thyself. Thy liberation is in
very ratio to thy service unto me.
And
know, that though thou dost labour for me, more precious in mine eyes than thy labour in my cause is the love and fidelity thou dost bear for me. The universe is infinite and time is eternal, but I am always at thy beck and call. "Thou standest in need of no forms;
it
is
the monastic
is
is
spirit,
not the monastic
garb, that
of importance,
and the true
Sannyasa Sannyasa
of
the
which
is
Vidwat-Sannyasa, the conterminous with

Let thy
illumined Insight.
name be
monastic
that
is
one
striving
for
the
goal.
There
infinite
development
in the
life.
132
IN
The form
4
is nothing; the life is everything. 'Be like Indra in thy strength. Be
like
the Himalayas
all
in
thy steadfastness.
and hold communion with thy Self. Let thy Mantram be my Name. Let thy Yoga be the union of
be
selfless,
Above
thy soul with mine, thy Realisation be the conscious knowledge, that in the heart
of
things
I
Distinction
is
and thou are ever One. death; Sameness is Life.
"Thou
hast
implicitly
;
hast heard
my
;
Voice;
thou
received
my
teaching;
now
let
obey
very
!
love infinitely
work
;
selflessly.
Be
thou
my
be
instrument
thy
personality
mine.
'
Say,
'Shivoham
Shivoham!' 'I am He! I am He!' "This whole universe is Brahman; That which is alike the Brahman in thee and in me, seek that Brahman, realise that Brahman in thyself and in all as the One Absolute Existence, Knowledge and
Bliss,
.
and be
free,
be free!"
XXIX
Hearing these words of the Guru the hours of meditation day by day,
in
I
was made conscious of the real relation between the Guru and disciple. An immovable, eternal Realisation hath become
mine;
apart,
and
I
in
life
or in death,
near or
know
is
that
Great,
Presence
is
always nigh,
Living Presence that
unconfined by Time or Space, a Presence that can know no separation. And

to the
Guru
cried out, the while a Great
Light surrounded
me
"Thou hast raised me up from darkness by Thy Grace. Thou hast taken me
as
I
was
made me
From long
and
I
mere nothingness and hast what I am a devotee who is

a
infinite strength
I
conscious of
within him.
since have
heard
Thy
Voice,
listened as
one intoxicated by some
overwhelming
music,
some music
pre-
viously unheard.
But
my own
response
134
IN

effervescent;
I
was noisy and
and I underhad heard. Before, the Light on Thy countenance was too august, and I did not behold Thee as
stood not that wjiich
Thou
I
art.
did
Thus, ignorantly and wantonly waste the treasures Thou didst

lo,
I
so freely bestow; and

as
have sinned
the vilest sinner even
in
Thy
very
Presence, inflicted
my
iniquities
very Love and Blessings unto me. I was most unworthy of Thee.
In
upon the Thou didst show
my
conceit,
forgot
Thee and did
place myself on the pedestal of a leader of men so that people might say of me,
'Lo,
he
is
great!'
But now,
Lord,
have come to understand.
With impure
hands
crated
defiled
Thy
teaching and desePresence. But Thy Mercies
Thy
have been infinite; and Thy Love hath been inexpressible. Verily,
is
for
me
Thine
child,
the Divine Nature.
Even
her
greater than
a
is
mother's
love
hast
until
love
for
for
own
Thy Thou Power
Thy
disciple.
O
with
Lord,
scourged
I
me
Thy
and.
am
made
whole,
IN

as
135
moulded me
into
the
potter
moulds
his
whatsoever shape he desires. clay Thy Mercy, Thy Patifence, Thy Sweetness are Infinite. I adore Thee I adore Thee I adore Thee Let my hands, feet,
!
!
tongue,
eyes,
ears
my
entire
body,
let
my mind, will, my whole personality, be offered as a holocaust and purified in the flames of my Devotion
emotions
unto Thee.
My
am
I
good,
my
evil,
all
that
which
was,
or shall be ever,
life
repeated life alone art my

art
consecrate to Thee.
Salvation
! !
God and
upon Thou Thou
my own
let
nothing;
Let Higher Self me have no other
me
home
possess than
Thy
Heart.
Let
my
life
be a radiance of
purity
now and
"Hari
for ever.
Om
Tat Sat!"
XXX
And
ever afterwards in the hours of
I
meditation
felt
a Living Presence within
and about me; and rilled with ecstasy I heard and repeated the great Mantram "Om Thy very Self am I ever and
:
ever
"Thine
"Arise!
is
the Strength Infinite!
Awake and
!
!
stop not
till
the
Goal
is
reached
art
"Thou
Brahman
Thou
art
!
Brahman
!"
Om! Om! Om
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In The Hours of Meditation

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In The Hours of Meditation

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IN

7///, Mirzapore Street. Calcutta

the region of peace into which the

fixed in the Lord.

sweet-odorous and holy incense

there than the rising of thought unto

THE HOURS OF MEDITATION

the atmosphere of the state of

these silent, sacred hours.

personality expands in these hours,

ing a mighty, swift-moving river, flowing

and permanent the Oceanic And this is one

within thy Self, silent hour with

within the heart doth

Fear not shadows.

Let the mind follow the blinking

light, desire rules, limitations exist.

touches thee not.

contained within Omniscience

Remember life is but Thou must. Such part.

Yet, withal, thou art neither

play nor law.

Art thou not limitless

of the stuff of dreams.

Thou dreamest One beyond

the touch and taint ot unreality.

THE HOURS OF MEDITATION

Voice of God, audible

audible within the

the universe, be-

shall carry thee across

the ocean of darkness and ignorance unto

Again the hour

into the evening time.

Day merges Everywhere withis.

more peacereadily also.

does the soul

into the inner

Let the senses and their activity subside.

short time unto the

thy Self, thou comest to

the Soul are

know Him. For One. Some say,

Man, that thou art dust!" Even of the mind is body

THE HOURS OF MEDITATION

All else wanes.

truction are the lot of

subordinate to change. Personality is of the weaving of these thought and form.

ber thou art the Self beyond both thought

alone art thou immortal

Thou art, may seem

coming, the hour shall

come when thou

the most perfect form of

the knowledge that thou and

THE HOURS OF MEDITATION

the Highest are One.

thou callest God.

heard of the Self within thee,

Self thou art, understand

thou be bound for ever

bondage of and stop not

member, 'Only God!' Purity is