{"id":4010,"date":"2013-07-13T01:52:51","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:52:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=4010"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:52:51","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:52:51","slug":"49-the-thousand-vol-03-questions-and-answers-volume-03","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/02-works-of-the-mother\/01-cwmce\/03-questions-and-answers-volume-03\/49-the-thousand-vol-03-questions-and-answers-volume-03","title":{"rendered":"-49_The Thousand.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n


\n\u00a0<\/font><\/span>The Thousands
\n<\/font> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n


\n <\/font><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Better
\nthan a thousand words devoid of meaning is a single meaningful word which can
\nbring tranquillity to one who hears it. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Better
\nthan a thousand verses devoid of meaning is a single meaningful verse which can
\nbring tranquillity to one who hears it. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Better
\nthan the repetition of a hundred verses devoid of meaning is the repetition of
\na single verse of the Teaching which can bring tranquillity to one who hears
\nit. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The
\ngreatest conqueror is not he who is victorious over thousands of men in battle,
\nbut he who is victorious over himself. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The
\nvictory that one wins over oneself is of more value than victory over all the
\npeoples. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

No
\ngod, no Gandharva,<\/span><\/i>\u00b9<\/span> nor
\nMara nor Brahma<\/span><\/i>\u00b2<\/span> can
\nchange that victory to defeat. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

If,
\nmonth after month, for a hundred years one offers sacrifices by the thousand,
\nand if for a single instant one offers homage to a being full of wisdom, that
\nsingle homage is worth more than all those countless sacrifices. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

If
\nfor a hundred years a man tends the flame on Agni’s altar, and if, for a single
\ninstant, he renders homage to a man who has mastered his nature, this brief  homage
\nhas more value than all his long devotions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\n\u00b9<\/font><\/span>Celestial musician.<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n\u00b2<\/font><\/span>The creator of the universe.<\/font><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 226<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

Whatever
\nthe sacrifices and oblations a man in this world may offer throughout a whole
\nyear in order to acquire merit, that is not worth even a quarter of the homage
\noffered to a just man. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

For
\none who is respectful to his elders, four things increase: long life, beauty,
\nhappiness and strength. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

A
\nsingle day spent in good conduct and meditation is worth more than a hundred
\nyears spent in immorality and dissipation. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

A
\nsingle day of wisdom and meditation is worth more than a hundred years spent in
\nfoolishness and dissipation. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

A
\nsingle day of strength and energy is worth more than a hundred years spent in
\nindolence and inertia. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

A
\nsingle day lived in the perception that all things appear and disappear is
\nworth more than a hundred years spent not knowing that they appear and
\ndisappear. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

A
\nsingle day spent in contemplation of the path of immortality is worth more than
\na hundred years lived in ignorance of the path of immortality. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

A
\nsingle day spent in contemplation of the supreme Truth is worth more than a hundred
\nyears lived in ignorance of the supreme Truth. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>All kinds of different
\nthings are gathered here under the same heading. It is an association of words
\nmore than an association  <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 227<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

of ideas. But the central trend is this, that it is preferable to
\nhave one moment of sincerity rather than a long life of apparent devotion and
\nthat a psychological and spiritual victory over oneself is more important than
\nall external victories. <\/span><\/p>\n

There is also an interesting reflection,
\nthat a victory over oneself is the only victory which is truly safe from the
\nintervention of any god or power of Nature or any instrument of evil. If you
\nhave gained self-mastery on one point, that goes beyond the reach of any
\nintervention even from the very highest powers, whether they are gods of the
\nOvermind or any anti-divine powers in the world. <\/span><\/p>\n

The opening text says that a single word
\nthat gives you peace is worth more than thousands of words that have no
\nmeaning\u00a0 <\/span>this anybody can understand\u00a0 <\/span>but it is also said that the word that gives
\nyou peace is worth more than thousands of words that can satisfy the mental
\nactivity but have no psychological effect on your being. <\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed, when you have found something
\nwhich has the power to help you in gaining a victory over your unconsciousness
\nand inertia, you must, till you reach the final result, exhaust all the effects
\nproduced by that word or phrase before you look for others. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is more important to pursue to its end
\nthe practice of the effect produced by an idea that one has met somehow, than
\nto try to accumulate in the head a large number of ideas. Ideas may all be very
\nuseful in their own time, if they are allowed in at the opportune moment,
\nparticularly if you carry to the extreme limit the result of one of those
\ndynamic ideas that are capable of making you win an inner victory. That is to
\nsay, one should have for one’s chief, if not only aim the practice of what one
\nknows rather than the accumulation in oneself of a knowledge which remains
\npurely theoretical. <\/span><\/p>\n

So one could sum up: put into practice
\nintegrally what you know, only then can you usefully increase your theoretical
\nknowledge.  <\/span><\/p>\n

11 April 1958<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 228<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\t<\/font><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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