{"id":3923,"date":"2013-07-13T01:52:14","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:52:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=3923"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:52:14","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:52:14","slug":"19-1917-vol-01-prayers-and-meditations-volume-01","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/02-works-of-the-mother\/01-cwmce\/01-prayers-and-meditations-volume-01\/19-1917-vol-01-prayers-and-meditations-volume-01","title":{"rendered":"-19_1917.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n
\n


\nJanuary 4, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> <\/font> <\/a> <\/span><\/b>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>O Lord, Thou showerest<\/span> upon me all Thy boons.
\nNow that this being expects nothing, desires nothing from life any longer, life
\nbrings it its most precious treasures, those coveted by all men. In all the
\ndomains of my individual being Thou showerest<\/span> Thy
\nboons, in the mind, the psychic and even the physical. Thou hast placed me
\namidst abundance, and abundance seems to me as natural as scarcity and does not
\nbring me a greater joy, for often in poverty the spiritual life was more
\nintense and conscious for me; but I see this abundance very clearly, and my
\nindividual being on whom Thou heapest<\/span> Thy boons thus,
\nprostrates itself before Thee in inexpressible gratitude. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Thy goodness is unequalled and Thy mercy infinite.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 3<\/font><\/span>40<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\nJanuary 5, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> <\/font> <\/a> <\/span><\/b>\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Love is nothing but the tie that binds and holds together all the
\nflowers of Thy divine bouquet. It is an unobtrusive role, modest, unrecognised,
\na role essentially impersonal, which can find all its utility only in this very
\nimpersonality. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Because I am becoming more and more this tie, this link of union
\ngathering the scattered fragments of Thy consciousness and enabling them, by
\ngrouping them together, to reconstitute better and better Thy consciousness, at
\nonce single and multiple, it was possible for me to see clearly what love is in
\nthe play of universal forces, what its place and mission; it is not an end in
\nitself but it is Thy supreme means. Active, everywhere, between all things,
\neverywhere it is veiled by the very things it unites, which, though feeling its
\neffect, are sometimes not even aware of its presence. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>O Lord, Thy sweetness has entered my soul and Thou hast filled all my
\nbeing with joy. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>And in this joy I have offered Thee a prayer so that it may reach up to
\nThee.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 3<\/font><\/span>41<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\nJanuary 6, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> <\/font> <\/a> <\/span><\/b>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Thou hast filled my being with an ineffable peace and unequalled
\nrepose… Without any personal thought or will, I let myself be cradled
\npassively by Thy infinity. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 3<\/font><\/span>42<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\nJanuary 8, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> <\/font> <\/a> <\/span><\/b>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Thou hast made my heart and mind fall silent; but no voice has arisen
\nfrom the depths of this silence. Peace alone has reigned, a sweet and
\nbeneficent guest.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 3<\/font><\/span>43<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\n
\nJanuary 10, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> <\/font> <\/a> <\/span><\/b>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Dost Thou then want to
\nteach me that every effort that has my own being as its aim will be useless and
\nvain? That action alone which has as its motive the radiating of Thy Grace is
\naccomplished with ease and success. When the will acts in the external life, it
\nis powerful and effective; when it attempts to practise going inwards, it is
\nwithout force or effect…. So all action undertaken for personal progress
\nbecomes more and more unfruitful, and consequently rarer and rarer. On the other
\nhand, all outer action seems to gain in effectivity what the inner has lost.
\nThus, O Lord, Thou takest the instrument as it is, and if it has to be refined,
\nthat will come in the course of the work. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 3<\/font><\/span>44<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\n
\n
\nJanuary 14, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> <\/font> <\/a><\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>…\u201cMay all who are unhappy become happy, may the wicked become good,
\nmay the sick become healthy!\u201d Thus was formulated the aspiration within me
\nconcerning the manifestation of Thy divine Love through this instrument. It was
\nlike a request, a request a child makes to its father with the certitude that
\nit will be granted. For the certitude was in me when I asked: it seemed to me
\nso simple and easy; I felt so clearly in myself how it was possible. To grow
\nfrom joy to joy, from beauty to beauty, is this not more natural and also more
\nfruitful than always to suffer and toil in an ignorant struggle unwillingly
\nundergone? If Thou allowest<\/span> the heart to blossom
\nfreely at the touch of Thy divine Love, this transformation is easy and comes
\nof itself. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Wilt Thou not grant this, O Lord, as a pledge of Thy mercy? <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>It is with the confidence of a child that my heart implores Thee this
\nevening.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 3<\/font><\/span>45<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\n
\nJanuary 19, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> <\/font> <\/a> <\/span><\/b>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>And the hours pass, fading away like unlived dreams….
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 3<\/font><\/span>46<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\n
\nJanuary 23, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> <\/font> <\/a> <\/span><\/b>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Thou didst fill my being with so complete, so intense a love and beauty
\nand joy that it seemed impossible to me that this would not be communicated. It
\nwas like a glowing hearth whence the breath of thought wafted far many sparks
\nwhich, entering the secrecy of men’s hearts, kindled other similar fires, fires
\nof Thy divine Love, O Lord, that Love which impels and draws all human beings
\nirresistibly to Thee. O my sweet Lord, grant that this may not be only a vision
\nof my enrapt consciousness, but indeed a reality, effectively transforming all
\nbeings and things. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Grant that this love, this beauty and joy which flood all my being that
\nis hardly strong enough to bear their intensity, may also flood the
\nconsciousness of all those I have seen, all those I have thought of and all
\nthose also whom I have never thought of or seen… Grant that all may awake to
\nthe consciousness of Thy infinite Bliss! <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>O my sweet Lord, fill their hearts with joy, love and beauty.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 3<\/font><\/span>47<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\n
\nJanuary 25, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> <\/font> <\/a> <\/span><\/b>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>O radiant Love who fillest<\/span> all my being and makest<\/span> it festive, art Thou received, art Thou given?
\nNobody can say, for Thou receivest<\/span> Thy own self and givest<\/span> Thyself to Thyself, being sovereignly active and
\nreceptive, at once in all things, in every being.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 3<\/font><\/span>48<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\n
\nJanuary 29, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> <\/font> <\/a> <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>In the world of forms a violation of Beauty is as great a fault as a
\nviolation of Truth in the world of ideas. For Beauty is the worship Nature
\noffers to the supreme Master of the universe; Beauty is the divine language in
\nforms. And a consciousness of the Divine which is not translated externally by
\nan understanding and expression of Beauty would be an incomplete consciousness.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>But true Beauty is as difficult to discover, to understand and above all
\nto live as any other expression of the Divine; this discovery and expression
\nexacts as much impersonality and renunciation of egoism as that of Truth or
\nBliss. Pure Beauty is universal and one must be universal to see and recognise
\nit. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>O Lord of Beauty, how many faults I have committed against Thee, how
\nmany do I still commit…. Give me the perfect understanding of Thy Law so that
\nI may not again fail to keep it. Love would be incomplete without Thee, Thou
\nart one of its most perfect ornaments, Thou art one of its most harmonious
\nsmiles. At times I have misunderstood Thy role, but in the depths of my heart I
\nhave always loved Thee; and the most arbitrary and radical doctrines could not
\nex<\/span>tinguish<\/span><\/span> the fire of worship which, from my
\nchildhood, I had vowed to Thee. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Thou art not at all what a vain people think Thee to be, Thou art not at
\nall attached exclusively to this or that form of life: it is possible to awaken
\nThee and<\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 3<\/font><\/span>49<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

 make Thee shine in every form; but
\nfor that one must have discovered Thy secret…. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>O Lord of Beauty, give me the perfect understanding of Thy Law, so that
\nI may no longer fail to keep it, so that Thou mayst<\/span>
\nbecome in me the harmonious consummation of the Lord of Love.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 3<\/font><\/span>50<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\nMarch 27, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> <\/font> <\/a> <\/span><\/b>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

(Communication in dialogue received during
\nmeditation)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>…\u201cLook: thou seest<\/span> the living form and the
\nthree inanimate images. The living one is clad in violet, the other three are made
\nof dust, but cleansed and purified. It is in the calm of silence that the
\nliving form can, by penetrating the other three, unite them in order to
\ntransform them into a living and acting vesture.\u201d  <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>O Lord, Thou knowest<\/span> that I am surrendered to
\nThee and that my being adheres with a peaceful and deep joy to all that Thou givest<\/span> it.  <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cI know thy adherence, but I would increase thy consciousness, and for
\nthat awaken what still sleeps within thee. Open thy eyes to the light, and in
\nthe limpid mirror of the mind will be reflected what thou shouldst<\/span>
\nknow.\u201d  <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Lord, all is silent within my being and waits…. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 
\n<\/span>\u201cKnock at the door of consciousness and the door will be opened to
\nthee.\u201d  <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 3<\/font><\/span>51<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>The river runs limpid and silvery; its unbroken flow descends from the
\nsky to the earth. But what dost Thou want to say to me that I must understand?  <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cThy silence is not yet deep enough: something stirs within thy mind….
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cThe fire of the soul must be seen through the veils of the
\nmanifestation; but these veils must be clear and distinct like words traced
\nupon a luminous screen. And all this should be preserved in the purity of thy
\nheart, as the sown meadow is shrouded and protected under the snow. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u201cNow that thou hast sown the seeds in the
\nfield and traced the signs on the screen, thou mayst<\/span>
\nreturn to thy calm silence, thou mayst<\/span> go back to thy
\ncalm retreat to renew thy strength in a deeper and truer consciousness. Thou
\ncanst forget thy own person and find again the charm of the universal. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cMay peace be upon thee in these hours of repose;
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

but do not forget the reveille which will
\nsound soon. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cThou wilt smile yet at thy destiny which speaks to thee. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThy
\nheart will use the returning strength. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cThou shalt be the woodcutter who ties the bundle of firewood. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cThou shalt be the great swan with outspread wings which purifies the
\nsight with its pearly whiteness and warms all hearts with its white down. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage – 3<\/span>52<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cThou wilt lead them all to their supreme destiny. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cThou hast seen the hearth and seen the child. One attracted the other:
\nboth were happy; one because it burned, the other because it was warm. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cThou seest<\/span> it in thy heart, this triumphant
\nhearth; thou alone canst carry it without its being destructive. If others
\ntouched it, they would be consumed. Do not let them come too near it. The child
\nshould know that it must not touch the dazzling flame which attracts it so
\nmuch. From far it warms it and illumines its heart; too close, it would reduce
\nit to ashes. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cOne alone may dwell fearlessly within this heart; for he is the ray
\nthat has indeed kindled it. He is the salamander ever reborn in the fire. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cAnother is above, unafraid of being burnt: it is the <\/span><\/p>\n

immaculate phoenix, the bird come from the
\nsky who knows how to return to it. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cThe first is the Power of realisation. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cThe other is the Light. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cAnd the third the sovereign Consciousness.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>O Lord, I listen to Thee and lie prostrate at Thy feet: Thou hast opened
\nthe door to me; Thou hast opened my eyes, and a little of the night has been
\nillumined….<\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 3<\/font><\/span>53<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\nMarch 30, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> <\/font> <\/a> <\/span><\/b>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>*There is a sovereign royalty in taking no thought for oneself. To have
\nneeds is to assert a weakness; to claim something proves that we lack what we
\nclaim. To desire is to be impotent; it is to recognise our limitations and
\nconfess our incapacity to overcome them. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>If only from the point of view of a legitimate pride, man should be
\nnoble enough to renounce desire. How humiliating to ask something for oneself
\nfrom life or from the Supreme Consciousness which animates it! How humiliating
\nfor us, how ignorant an offence against Her! For all is within our reach, only
\nthe egoistic limits of our being prevent us from enjoying the whole universe as
\ncompletely and concretely as we possess our own body and its immediate
\nsurroundings.*<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Such too should be our attitude towards the means of action. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>O Thou who dwellest<\/span> in my heart and directest<\/span> all by Thy supreme Will, Thou hast told me a year
\nago to burn all my bridges and cast myself headlong into the Unknown, as did
\nCaesar when he crossed the Rubicon: it meant the Capitol for him or the Tarpeian<\/span> Rock. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Thou didst hide then from my eyes the result of the action. Now still
\nThou keepest<\/span> it secret; and yet Thou
\n <\/span>knowest<\/span><\/span> that my equanimity remains the same
\nbefore greatness as before misery. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Thou hast willed that for me the future should be uncertain and that I
\nshould go forward with confidence without even knowing where the road would
\nlead.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage – 3<\/span>5<\/span>4<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Thou hast willed that I should put the care of my destiny utterly in Thy
\nhands, and abdicate altogether all personal preoccupation. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>This means undoubtedly that my road must be virgin even to my own
\nthought.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage – 3<\/span>5<\/span>5<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\nMarch 31, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> *<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Each time that a heart leaps at the touch of Thy divine breath, a little
\nmore beauty seems to be born upon the Earth, the air is embalmed with a sweet
\nperfume, all becomes more friendly. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>How great is Thy power, O Lord of all existences, that an atom of Thy
\njoy is sufficient to efface so much darkness, so many sorrows and a single ray
\nof Thy glory can light up thus the dullest pebble, illumine the blackest
\nconsciousness! <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Thou hast heaped Thy favours upon me, Thou hast unveiled to me many
\nsecrets, Thou hast made me taste many unexpected and unhoped<\/span>
\nfor joys, but no grace of Thine<\/span> can be equal to this
\nThou grantest<\/span> to me when a heart leaps at the touch
\nof Thy divine breath. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>At these blessed hours all earth sings a hymn of gladness, the grasses
\nshudder with pleasure, the air is vibrant with light, the trees lift towards
\nheaven their most ardent prayer, the chant of the birds becomes a canticle, the
\nwaves of the sea billow with love, the smile of children tells of the infinite
\nand the souls of men appear in their eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Tell me, wilt Thou grant me the marvellous power to give birth to this
\ndawn in expectant hearts, to awaken the consciousness of men to Thy sublime
\npresence, and in this bare and sorrowful world awaken a
\nlittle of Thy true <\/span>Paradise<\/span>? What happiness, what riches, what terrestrial powers can equal
\nthis wonderful gift! <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>O
\nLord, never have I implored Thee in vain, for<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage – 3<\/span>5<\/span>6<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

 that which speaks to Thee is Thyself
\nin me. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Drop by drop Thou allowest<\/span> to fall in a
\nfertilising rain the living and redeeming flame of Thy almighty love. When
\nthese drops of eternal light descend softly on our world of obscure ignorance,
\none would say a rain upon earth of golden stars one by one from a sombre
\nfirmament. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>All kneels in mute devotion before this ever-renewed miracle.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage – 3<\/span>5<\/span>7<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\nApril 1, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> <\/font> <\/a> <\/span><\/b>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Thou hast shown to my mute and expectant soul all the splendour of fairy
\nlandscapes: trees at festival and lonely paths that seem to scale the sky. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>But of my destiny Thou didst not speak to me. Must it be so veiled from
\nme?… <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Once more, everywhere I see cherry trees; Thou hast put a magical power
\nin these flowers: they seem to speak of Thy sole Presence; they bring with them
\nthe smile of the Divine. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>My body is at rest and my soul blossoms in light: what kind of a charm
\nhast Thou put into these trees in flower? <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>O Japan, it is thy festive adorning, expression of thy goodwill, it is
\nthy purest offering, the pledge of thy fidelity; it is thy way of saying that
\nthou dost mirror the sky. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>And now here is a magnificent country, of high mountains all covered
\nwith pines and richly tilled valleys. And the little pink roses this Chinese
\nbrings, are they a promise of the near future?
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage – 3<\/span>5<\/span>8<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\nApril 7, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> *<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>A deep concentration seized on me, and I perceived that I was
\nidentifying myself with a single cherry-blossom, then through it with all
\ncherry-blossoms, and, as I descended deeper in the consciousness, following a
\nstream of bluish force, I became suddenly the cherry-tree itself, stretching
\ntowards the sky like so many arms its innumerable branches laden with their sacrifice
\nof flowers. Then I heard distinctly this sentence: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cThus hast thou made thyself one with the soul of the cherry-trees and
\nso thou canst take note that it is the Divine who makes the offering of this
\nflower-prayer to heaven.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>When
\nI had written it, all was effaced; but now the blood of the cherry-tree flows
\nin my veins and with it flows an incomparable peace and force. What difference
\nis there between the human body and the body of a tree? In truth, there is
\nnone: the consciousness which animates them is identically the same. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Then the cherry-tree whispered in my ear: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cIt is in the cherry-blossom that lies the remedy for the disorders of
\nthe spring.\u201d
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage – 3<\/span>5<\/span>9<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\nApril 9, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> <\/font> <\/a> <\/span><\/b>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Once the threshold of the <\/span>kingdom<\/span> of <\/span>Thy Omniscience<\/span> has been crossed, each time there is a
\nreturn to the mental world, every thought one has there seems a marvellous and
\nunfathomable problem one had never dreamed of before. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Above, no question is put; in that calm silence all is known from all
\neternity. Below, all is new, unknown, unexpected. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>And the two meeting in one single consciousness bring a trustful
\nwondering, source of Peace and Light and Joy.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – <\/font><\/span>360<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\nApril 10, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> <\/font> <\/a> <\/span><\/b>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>My heart has fallen asleep down to the very depths of my being…. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>The whole earth is in a stir and agitation of perpetual change; all life
\nenjoys and suffers, strives, struggles, conquers, is destroyed and formed
\nagain. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>My heart has fallen asleep down to the very depths of my being…. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>In all these innumerable and manifold elements, I am the Will that
\nmoves, the Thought that acts, the Force that realises, the Matter that is put
\nin motion. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>My heart has fallen asleep down to the very depths of my being…. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>No more personal limits, no more individual action, no longer any
\nseparative concentration creating conflict, nothing but a single and infinite
\nOneness. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>My heart has fallen asleep down to the very depths of my being….
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage –<\/font><\/span>361<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\n
\nApril 28, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> *<\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>O my divine Master, who hast appeared to me this night in all Thy
\nradiant splendour, Thou canst in an instant make this being perfectly pure,
\nluminous, translucid<\/span>, conscious. Thou canst liberate
\nit from its last dark spots, free it from its last preferences. Thou canst…
\nbut hast Thou not done this tonight when it was penetrated with Thy divine
\neffluence and Thy ineffable light? It may be… for in me is a superhuman
\nstrength made all of calm and immensity. Grant that from this summit I may not
\nfall; grant that peace may for ever reign as the master of my being, not only
\nin my depths of which it has long been the sovereign but in the least of my
\nexternal activities, in the smallest recesses of my heart and of my action. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>I salute Thee, O Lord, deliverer of beings! <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cLo! here are flowers and benedictions! here is the smile of divine
\nLove! It is without preferences and without repulsions. It streams out towards
\nall in a generous flow and never takes back its marvellous gifts!\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Her arms outstretched in a gesture of ecstasy, the Eternal Mother pours
\nupon the world the unceasing dew of Her purest love!
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – <\/font><\/span>362<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\n
\nAkakura<\/font><\/span><\/b><\/span>:
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span><\/b>
\n
\nJuly
\n 13, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b>
\n<\/font> <\/a> <\/span><\/b>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>One day I wrote: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cMy heart has fallen asleep down to the very depths of my being.\u201d Merely
\nasleep? I cannot believe it. I think it is completely hushed, perhaps for ever.
\nFrom sleep one awakes, from this quietness there is no falling back. And since
\nthat day I have not observed any relapse. In place of something very intensely
\nconcentrated which for a long while was intermittently tumultuous, has come an
\nimmensity so vast and calm and untroubled, filling my being; or rather my being
\nhas melted into that; for how could that which is limitless be contained in a
\nform? <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>And these great mountains with their serene contours which I see from my
\nwindow, range after majestic range up to the very horizon, are in perfect
\nharmony with the rhythm of this being, filled with an infinite peace. Lord,
\ncouldst Thou have taken possession of Thy kingdom? Or rather of this part of
\nthe kingdom, for the body is still obscure and ignorant, slow to respond,
\nwithout plasticity. Will it be purified one day like the rest? And will Thy
\nvictory then be total? It matters little. This instrument is what Thou wantest<\/span> it to be and its bliss is unalloyed.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage –<\/font><\/span>363<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\nTokio<\/font><\/span><\/b><\/span>:
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span><\/b>
\n
\nSeptember
\n 24, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> *<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Thou hast subjected me to a hard discipline; rung after rung, I have
\nclimbed the ladder which leads to Thee and, at the summit of the ascent, Thou
\nhast made me taste the perfect joy of identity with Thee. Then, obedient to Thy
\ncommand, rung after rung, I have descended to outer activities and external
\nstates of consciousness, re-entering into contact with these worlds that I left
\nto discover Thee. And now that I have come back to the bottom of the ladder,
\nall is so dull, so mediocre, so neutral, in me and around me, that I understand
\nno more…. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>What is it then that Thou awaitest<\/span> from me,
\nand to what use that slow long preparation, if all is to end in a result to
\nwhich the majority of human beings attain without being subjected to any
\ndiscipline? <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>How is it possible that having seen all that I have seen, experienced
\nall that I have experienced, after I have been led up even to the most sacred
\nsanctuary of Thy knowledge and communion with Thee, Thou hast made of me so
\nutterly common an instrument in such ordinary circumstances? In truth, O Lord,
\nThy ends are unfathomable and pass my understanding…. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Why, when Thou hast placed in my heart the pure diamond of Thy perfect
\nFelicity, sufferest<\/span> Thou its
\n surface to reflect the shadows which come
\nfrom outside and so leave unsuspected and, it would seem, ineffective the
\ntreasure of Peace Thou hast granted me? Truly all this is a mystery and
\nconfounds my understanding.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage –<\/span>36<\/span>4<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Why,
\nwhen Thou hast given me this great inner silence, sufferest<\/span>
\nThou the tongue to be so active and the thought to be occupied with things so
\nfutile? Why?… I could go on questioning indefinitely and, to all likelihood,
\nalways in vain…. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>I have only to bow to Thy decree and accept my condition without
\nuttering a word. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>I am now only a spectator who watches the dragon of the world unrolling
\nits coils without end.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage –<\/span>36<\/span>5<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n(A
\nfew days later) <\/font> <\/a> <\/span><\/b>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Lord, how many times, giving way before Thy decree, I have prayed to
\nThee: \u201cSpare me this calvary<\/span> of earthly
\nconsciousness; let me merge in Thy supreme unity.\u201d But my prayer is
\nfaint-hearted, I know, for it remains unfruitful.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage – <\/span>
\n36<\/span>6<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\n
\n
\nOctober 15, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> *<\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>I have cried to Thee in my despair, O Lord, and Thou hast answered my
\ncall. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>I have no right to complain of the circumstances of my existence; are
\nthey not consonant with what I am? <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Because Thou ledst<\/span> me to the threshold of Thy
\nsplendour and gavest<\/span> me the joy of Thy harmony, I
\nthought I had reached the goal: but, in truth, Thou hast regarded Thy
\ninstrument in the perfect clarity of Thy light and plunged it back into the
\ncrucible of the world that it may be melted anew and purified. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>In these hours of an extreme and anguished aspiration I see, I feel
\nmyself drawn by Thee with a dizzy rapidity along the road of transformation and
\nmy whole being vibrates to a conscious contact with the Infinite. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>It is so that Thou givest<\/span> me patience and the
\nstrength to surmount this new ordeal.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage –<\/span>36<\/span>7<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\n
\n
\nNovember 25, 1917<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/b> *<\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>O Lord, because in an hour of cruel distress I said in the sincerity of
\nmy faith: \u201cThy Will be done\u201d, Thou camest<\/span> garbed in
\nThy raiment of glory. At Thy feet I prostrated myself, on Thy breast I found my
\nrefuge. Thou hast filled my being with Thy divine light and flooded it with Thy
\nbliss. Thou hast reaffirmed Thy alliance and assured me of Thy constant
\npresence. Thou art the sure friend who never fails, the Power, the Support, the
\nGuide. Thou art the Light which scatters darkness, the Conqueror who assures
\nthe victory. Since Thou art there, all has become clear. Agni<\/span>
\nis rekindled in my fortified heart, and his splendour shines out and sets aglow
\nthe atmosphere and purifies it…. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>My love for Thee, compressed so long, has leaped forth again, powerful,
\nsovereign, irresistible–increased tenfold by the ordeal it has undergone. It
\nhas found strength in its seclusion, the strength to emerge to the surface of
\nthe being, impose itself as master on the entire consciousness, absorb
\neverything in its overflowing stream…. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>Thou hast said to me: \u201cI have returned to leave thee no more.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span>And, my forehead on the soil, I have received Thy promise.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage – <\/span>
\n36<\/span>8<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

January 4, 1917     \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 O Lord, Thou showerest upon me all Thy boons. Now that this being expects nothing, desires nothing from life…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[113],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-01-prayers-and-meditations-volume-01","wpcat-113-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3923"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3923\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}