If one thinks clearly and powerfully,
one makes a mental formation.
Every mental formation is an entity
independent of its fashioner,
having its own life
and tending to realise itself in the mental world.
If you have made a formation with a definite aim,
its whole life will tend to the realisation of this aim.
What is it that gives strength and persistence to mental formations?
It is emotion and will.
If you know how to add to your mental formation
an emotion, affection, tenderness, love,
and an intensity of will, a dynamism,
it will have a much greater chance of success.
Concentration
Whatever you may want to do in life,
one thing is absolutely indispensable
and at the basis of everything,
the capacity of concentrating the attention.
If you are able to gather together
the rays of attention and consciousness on one point
and can maintain this concentration with a persistent will,
nothing can resist it - what ever it may be,
from the most material physical development
to the highest spiritual one.
There is no spiritual obstacle which can resist
a penetrating power of concentration.
There is nothing in the human or even in the superhuman field,
to which the power of concentration is not the key.
one thing is absolutely indispensable
and at the basis of everything,
the capacity of concentrating the attention.
If you are able to gather together
the rays of attention and consciousness on one point
and can maintain this concentration with a persistent will,
nothing can resist it - what ever it may be,
from the most material physical development
to the highest spiritual one.
There is no spiritual obstacle which can resist
a penetrating power of concentration.
There is nothing in the human or even in the superhuman field,
to which the power of concentration is not the key.
Thought is a Magnet
We are always surrounded by the things of which we think.
Every time you think of something,
it is as though you had a magnet in your hand
and were attracting that thing towards yourself.
Every time you think of something,
it is as though you had a magnet in your hand
and were attracting that thing towards yourself.
Negative Thinking
If you look at yourself thinking
all of a sudden, spontaneously, unexpectedly,
you will notice that nine times out of ten
you are thinking something troublesome.
It is very rarely that you are thinking
about harmonious, beautiful, constructive, happy things,
full of light, hope and joy.
You will see, try the experiment.
all of a sudden, spontaneously, unexpectedly,
you will notice that nine times out of ten
you are thinking something troublesome.
It is very rarely that you are thinking
about harmonious, beautiful, constructive, happy things,
full of light, hope and joy.
You will see, try the experiment.
Hot to Get Rid of Unpleasant Thoughts
How can we get rid of unpleasant thoughts?
Generally, the easiest way is to think of something else.
That is, to concentrate one's attention upon something
that has nothing to do with that thought,
has no connection with that thought, like reading or some work -
generally something creative, some creative work.
Naturally, those who have begun to control their thoughts
can make a movement of rejection,
push aside the thought as one would a physical object.
But that is more difficult and asks for a much greater mastery.
If one can manage it, it is more active,
in the sense that if you reject that movement, that thought,
if you chase it off effectively and constantly or almost repeatedly,
finally it does not come any more.
But in other cases, it can always return.
The third means is to be able to bring down
a sufficiently great light from above
which will be the "denial" in the deeper sense.
If one can bring down from above
the light of true knowledge, a higher power,
and put that light upon the thought,
one can manage to dissolve it or enlighten it or transform it -
this is the supreme method.
This is still a little more difficult.
But it can be done, and if one does it, one is cured -
not only does the thought not come back
but the very cause is removed.
Generally, the easiest way is to think of something else.
That is, to concentrate one's attention upon something
that has nothing to do with that thought,
has no connection with that thought, like reading or some work -
generally something creative, some creative work.
Naturally, those who have begun to control their thoughts
can make a movement of rejection,
push aside the thought as one would a physical object.
But that is more difficult and asks for a much greater mastery.
If one can manage it, it is more active,
in the sense that if you reject that movement, that thought,
if you chase it off effectively and constantly or almost repeatedly,
finally it does not come any more.
But in other cases, it can always return.
The third means is to be able to bring down
a sufficiently great light from above
which will be the "denial" in the deeper sense.
If one can bring down from above
the light of true knowledge, a higher power,
and put that light upon the thought,
one can manage to dissolve it or enlighten it or transform it -
this is the supreme method.
This is still a little more difficult.
But it can be done, and if one does it, one is cured -
not only does the thought not come back
but the very cause is removed.
Shadow
Can't one have only the light?
Yes, if one eliminates the shadow.
But it must be eliminated.
That does no happen by itself.
The world as it is is a mixed world.
You cannot have an object
which gets the light from one side
without its casting its shadow on the other.
It is like that, and indeed it is the shadow
which makes you see the lights.
The world is like that,
and to have only the light
one must definitely go through the entire discipline
necessary for eliminating the shadow.
I have said that this shadow was like a sign
of what you had to conquer in your nature
in order to realise what you have come to do.
In each one of us there is a difficulty
which is more central than all the others;
it is the one which relative to the part we have to play in the world,
is like the shadow of that light,
a shadow wich gradually dissolves, fades more and more
as the light becomes more intense, more brilliant, more powerful
and extends to the whole being.
Yes, if one eliminates the shadow.
But it must be eliminated.
That does no happen by itself.
The world as it is is a mixed world.
You cannot have an object
which gets the light from one side
without its casting its shadow on the other.
It is like that, and indeed it is the shadow
which makes you see the lights.
The world is like that,
and to have only the light
one must definitely go through the entire discipline
necessary for eliminating the shadow.
I have said that this shadow was like a sign
of what you had to conquer in your nature
in order to realise what you have come to do.
In each one of us there is a difficulty
which is more central than all the others;
it is the one which relative to the part we have to play in the world,
is like the shadow of that light,
a shadow wich gradually dissolves, fades more and more
as the light becomes more intense, more brilliant, more powerful
and extends to the whole being.
Ego
In order to become a conscious, individualised being,
one needs his ego; that is why it is there.
It is only when one has realised his own individuality sufficiently.
has become a conscious, independent being with its own reality,
that he no longer needs the ego.
And at that time one can make an effort to get rid of it.
one needs his ego; that is why it is there.
It is only when one has realised his own individuality sufficiently.
has become a conscious, independent being with its own reality,
that he no longer needs the ego.
And at that time one can make an effort to get rid of it.
Unifying One's Being
How can one unify one's being?
The first step is to find, deep within oneself,
behind the desires and impulses,
a luminous consciousness which is always present
and manifests the physical being.
What is the way to establish unity
and homogeneity in our being?
Keep the will firm.
Treat the recalcitrant parts as disobedient children.
Act upon them constantly and patiently.
Convince them of their error.
The first step is to find, deep within oneself,
behind the desires and impulses,
a luminous consciousness which is always present
and manifests the physical being.
What is the way to establish unity
and homogeneity in our being?
Keep the will firm.
Treat the recalcitrant parts as disobedient children.
Act upon them constantly and patiently.
Convince them of their error.
Choose
Life is a perpetual choice between truth and falsehood,
light and darkness, progress and regression,
the ascent towards the heights or a fall into the abyss.
It is for each one to choose freely.
It is you who decide whether to seek the Light of not,
whether to be the servitor of the Truth or not - it is you.
Or whether to have an aspiration of not, it is you who choose.
It is the conflict in you
between what is attached to ordinary life
and what aspires for the divine life.
It is up to you to choose which is the strongest in you
and to act accordingly.
You must choose;
there is no force like that which chooses for you,
or chance or luck or fate - this is not true.
Your will is free, it is deliberately left free
and you have to choose.
You must will, choose and decide.
light and darkness, progress and regression,
the ascent towards the heights or a fall into the abyss.
It is for each one to choose freely.
It is you who decide whether to seek the Light of not,
whether to be the servitor of the Truth or not - it is you.
Or whether to have an aspiration of not, it is you who choose.
It is the conflict in you
between what is attached to ordinary life
and what aspires for the divine life.
It is up to you to choose which is the strongest in you
and to act accordingly.
You must choose;
there is no force like that which chooses for you,
or chance or luck or fate - this is not true.
Your will is free, it is deliberately left free
and you have to choose.
You must will, choose and decide.
Aspiration
Aspiration is a thing to be developed, educated,
like all activities of the being.
One may be born with a very slight aspiration
and develop it so much that it becomes very great.
One formulates one's aspiration,
lets the true prayer spring up from one's heart,
the prayer which expresses the sincerity of the need.
The starting point: to want it, truly want it, to need it.
The next step: to think, above all, of that.
A day comes, very quickly, when one is unable to thing of anything else.
We can, simply by sincere aspiration,
open a sealed door in us and find...
that Something which will change the whole significance of life,
reply to all our questions, solve all our problems,
and lead us to the perfection we aspire for without knowing it,
to that Reality which alone can satisfy us
and give us lasting joy, equilibrium, strength, life.
A constant aspiration conquers all defects.
You must keep intact the aspiration
for active identification with the Supreme.
like all activities of the being.
One may be born with a very slight aspiration
and develop it so much that it becomes very great.
One formulates one's aspiration,
lets the true prayer spring up from one's heart,
the prayer which expresses the sincerity of the need.
The starting point: to want it, truly want it, to need it.
The next step: to think, above all, of that.
A day comes, very quickly, when one is unable to thing of anything else.
We can, simply by sincere aspiration,
open a sealed door in us and find...
that Something which will change the whole significance of life,
reply to all our questions, solve all our problems,
and lead us to the perfection we aspire for without knowing it,
to that Reality which alone can satisfy us
and give us lasting joy, equilibrium, strength, life.
A constant aspiration conquers all defects.
You must keep intact the aspiration
for active identification with the Supreme.
The Flame and the Vase
One can be like that, like a great flame rising in aspiration,
and at the same time as though this flame formed a vase,
a large vase, opening and receiving all that comes down.
You can be in a state of aspiration, of willing,
which calls something down, -
exactly the will to open oneself and receive -
and at the same time be in that state of complete inner stillness
which allows full interpenetration,
for it is in this immobility that one can be penetrated,
that one becomes permeable by the Force.
The two can be simultaneous without the one disturbing the other,
or can alternate so closely that they can hardly be distinguished.
When one has succeeds in having the two together,
one can have them constantly, whatever one may be doing.
and at the same time as though this flame formed a vase,
a large vase, opening and receiving all that comes down.
You can be in a state of aspiration, of willing,
which calls something down, -
exactly the will to open oneself and receive -
and at the same time be in that state of complete inner stillness
which allows full interpenetration,
for it is in this immobility that one can be penetrated,
that one becomes permeable by the Force.
The two can be simultaneous without the one disturbing the other,
or can alternate so closely that they can hardly be distinguished.
When one has succeeds in having the two together,
one can have them constantly, whatever one may be doing.
Live Within
Live within;
be not shaken by outward happenings.
To live within,
in constant aspiration towards the Divine -
that renders us capable of regarding life with a smile
and remaining in peace whatever the external circumstances.
be not shaken by outward happenings.
To live within,
in constant aspiration towards the Divine -
that renders us capable of regarding life with a smile
and remaining in peace whatever the external circumstances.
Attitude
Things in themselves are truly neither good nor bad;
they are this only in relation to us;
their effect on us depends absolutely
upon the attitude we have towards them.
they are this only in relation to us;
their effect on us depends absolutely
upon the attitude we have towards them.
Truth
One can take as a guiding rule that all that brings with it or creates
peace, faith, joy, harmony, wideness, unity and ascending growth
comes from the Truth,
while all that carries with it
restlessness, doubt, scepticism, sorrow, discord, selfish narrowness,
inertia, discouragement and despair come straight from falsehood.
Intellectually, the Truth is the point
where the opposites meet and join to make a unity.
Practically, the Truth is the surrender of the ego,
to make possible the birth and manifestation of the Divine.
To understand supreme truths
you must put them into practice in your daily life.
The Truth is not linear but global;
it is not successive but simultaneous.
Therefore it cannot be expressed in words:
it has to be lived.
peace, faith, joy, harmony, wideness, unity and ascending growth
comes from the Truth,
while all that carries with it
restlessness, doubt, scepticism, sorrow, discord, selfish narrowness,
inertia, discouragement and despair come straight from falsehood.
Intellectually, the Truth is the point
where the opposites meet and join to make a unity.
Practically, the Truth is the surrender of the ego,
to make possible the birth and manifestation of the Divine.
To understand supreme truths
you must put them into practice in your daily life.
The Truth is not linear but global;
it is not successive but simultaneous.
Therefore it cannot be expressed in words:
it has to be lived.
Sincerity
Simple sincerity:
the beginning of all progress.
Before doing anything, beginning anything, trying anything,
be sure first of all that you are not only as sincere as you can be,
but have the intention of becoming still more so.
To be absolutely sincere
is not to have any division, any contradiction in one's being.
The moment you feel unhappy, you may write beneath it:
"I am not sincere."
These two sentences go together:
"I feel unhappy." "I am not sincere."
Sincerity is compared to an atmosphere or a sheet of glass.
If one or the other is completely transparent,
it lets light through without distorting it.
Similarly a sincere consciousness lets divine vibrations through
without distorting them.
Fundamentally, whatever path one follows...
if one wants it to be perfect...
there is but one way, one only, I know of only one:
that is perfect sincerity, but perfect sincerity!
the beginning of all progress.
Before doing anything, beginning anything, trying anything,
be sure first of all that you are not only as sincere as you can be,
but have the intention of becoming still more so.
To be absolutely sincere
is not to have any division, any contradiction in one's being.
The moment you feel unhappy, you may write beneath it:
"I am not sincere."
These two sentences go together:
"I feel unhappy." "I am not sincere."
Sincerity is compared to an atmosphere or a sheet of glass.
If one or the other is completely transparent,
it lets light through without distorting it.
Similarly a sincere consciousness lets divine vibrations through
without distorting them.
Fundamentally, whatever path one follows...
if one wants it to be perfect...
there is but one way, one only, I know of only one:
that is perfect sincerity, but perfect sincerity!
Effort
It is only effort in whatever domain it may be
- material effort, moral effort, intellectual effort -
which...pulls you out of inertia;
it is effort which makes you receptive to the universal forces.
When one is no longer in his lower consciousness,
when one has made a total surrender,
then the lower nature is no longer active.
But so long as it is active, personal effort is necessary.
- material effort, moral effort, intellectual effort -
which...pulls you out of inertia;
it is effort which makes you receptive to the universal forces.
When one is no longer in his lower consciousness,
when one has made a total surrender,
then the lower nature is no longer active.
But so long as it is active, personal effort is necessary.
Vigilance
Vigilance means to be awake,
to be on one's guard, to be sincere -
never to be taken by surprise.
To be vigilant is not merely to resist what pulls you downward,
but above all to be alert in order not to lose an opportunity to progress,
any opportunity to overcome a weakness,
to resist a temptation, any opportunity to learn something,
to correct something, to master something.
If you are vigilant, you can do in a few days
what would otherwise take years.
If you are vigilant,
you change each circumstance of your life,
each action, each movement
into an occasion for coming nearer the goal.
to be on one's guard, to be sincere -
never to be taken by surprise.
To be vigilant is not merely to resist what pulls you downward,
but above all to be alert in order not to lose an opportunity to progress,
any opportunity to overcome a weakness,
to resist a temptation, any opportunity to learn something,
to correct something, to master something.
If you are vigilant, you can do in a few days
what would otherwise take years.
If you are vigilant,
you change each circumstance of your life,
each action, each movement
into an occasion for coming nearer the goal.
Speech
The best is to learn to say what is useful
in the most exact and true way possible.
I suggest that every one of you should try -
oh! not for long, just for one hour a day -
to say nothing but the absolutely indispensable words.
Not one more, not one less.
Take one hour of your life, the one which is most convenient for you,
and during that time observe yourself closely
and say only the absolutely indispensable words.
At the outset, the first difficulty will be to know
what is absolutely indispensable and what is not.
It is already a study in itself and every day you will do better.
Next, you will see that so long as one says nothing,
it is not difficult to remain absolutely silent,
but as soon as you begin to speak,
always or almost always
you say two or three or ten or twenty useless words
which it was not at all necessary to say.
in the most exact and true way possible.
I suggest that every one of you should try -
oh! not for long, just for one hour a day -
to say nothing but the absolutely indispensable words.
Not one more, not one less.
Take one hour of your life, the one which is most convenient for you,
and during that time observe yourself closely
and say only the absolutely indispensable words.
At the outset, the first difficulty will be to know
what is absolutely indispensable and what is not.
It is already a study in itself and every day you will do better.
Next, you will see that so long as one says nothing,
it is not difficult to remain absolutely silent,
but as soon as you begin to speak,
always or almost always
you say two or three or ten or twenty useless words
which it was not at all necessary to say.
Others Are a Mirror
In your life your relations with others are like a mirror
which is presented to you so that you can see more clearly and easily
the weaknesses you carry within you.
All those around me,
all the circumstances of my life,
all the people near me,
are a mirror held up to me by the Divine Consciousness
to show me the progress I must make.
It is remarkable that when we have a weakness
for example a ridiculous habit, a defect or an imperfection,
since it is more or less a part of our nature,
we consider it to be very natural.
But as soon as we see the same weakness, this same imperfection,
this same ridiculous habit in someone else,
it seems quite shocking to us and we say,
"What! He's like that?" without noticing we ourselves are like that.
And so to the weakness and imperfection
we add the absurdity or not even noticing them.
In a general and almost absolute way
anything that shocks you in other people
is the very thing you carry in yourself
in a more or less veiled, more or less hidden form,
though perhaps in a slightly different guise
which allows you to delude yourself.
And what in yourself seems inoffensive enough,
becomes monstrous as soon as you see it in others.
Everything that shocks me in others
means a work I have to do in myself.
We always find in others what is in us.
If we always find mud around us,
it proves that there is mud somewhere in us.
which is presented to you so that you can see more clearly and easily
the weaknesses you carry within you.
All those around me,
all the circumstances of my life,
all the people near me,
are a mirror held up to me by the Divine Consciousness
to show me the progress I must make.
It is remarkable that when we have a weakness
for example a ridiculous habit, a defect or an imperfection,
since it is more or less a part of our nature,
we consider it to be very natural.
But as soon as we see the same weakness, this same imperfection,
this same ridiculous habit in someone else,
it seems quite shocking to us and we say,
"What! He's like that?" without noticing we ourselves are like that.
And so to the weakness and imperfection
we add the absurdity or not even noticing them.
In a general and almost absolute way
anything that shocks you in other people
is the very thing you carry in yourself
in a more or less veiled, more or less hidden form,
though perhaps in a slightly different guise
which allows you to delude yourself.
And what in yourself seems inoffensive enough,
becomes monstrous as soon as you see it in others.
Everything that shocks me in others
means a work I have to do in myself.
We always find in others what is in us.
If we always find mud around us,
it proves that there is mud somewhere in us.
If you are sincere you will soon discover
that each of their failures is a sure sign
of a corresponding deficiency in yourself,
the proof that something in you
that each of their failures is a sure sign
of a corresponding deficiency in yourself,
the proof that something in you
is not perfect enough to be all-powerful.
Circumstances
It is always a mistake to complain about the circumstances of our life,
for they are the outward expression of what we are ourselves.
So long as circumstances and others
are accused of being the cause of discomfort,
one is deep in falsehood.
Whatever the circumstances,
if your mind is accustomed to look at it as something favourable
it will no longer be unpleasant for you.
A harmonious collective aspiration
can change the course of circumstances.
for they are the outward expression of what we are ourselves.
So long as circumstances and others
are accused of being the cause of discomfort,
one is deep in falsehood.
Whatever the circumstances,
if your mind is accustomed to look at it as something favourable
it will no longer be unpleasant for you.
A harmonious collective aspiration
can change the course of circumstances.
Reversal of Consciousness
To live a spiritual life,
a reversal of consciousness is needed.
The entire consciousness must be changed,
a reversal of consciousness must be achieved,
a springing up out of the state in which one is
towards a higher state from which one dominates
all the weaknesses one wants to heal,
and from which one has a full vision
of the work to be accomplished.
Do not try to correct your faults one by one,
to overcome your weaknesses one by one,
it does not take you very far.
Things are such that nothing is done until everything is done.
One step is not enough, a total conversion is necessary.
It is the entire point of view which must be shifted,
the whole consciousness must get out of the rut in which it lies
so as to rise up and see things from above.
a reversal of consciousness is needed.
The entire consciousness must be changed,
a reversal of consciousness must be achieved,
a springing up out of the state in which one is
towards a higher state from which one dominates
all the weaknesses one wants to heal,
and from which one has a full vision
of the work to be accomplished.
Do not try to correct your faults one by one,
to overcome your weaknesses one by one,
it does not take you very far.
Things are such that nothing is done until everything is done.
One step is not enough, a total conversion is necessary.
It is the entire point of view which must be shifted,
the whole consciousness must get out of the rut in which it lies
so as to rise up and see things from above.
Yoga
You take up the spiritual path
only when you feel you cannot do otherwise.
The whole purpose of the Yoga
is to gather all the divergent parts together
and forge them into an undivided unity.
To do yoga you must want it consciously,
you must know what it is, to begin with.
You must know what it is,
you must make a resolution about it;
but once you have taken the resolution,
you must no longer flinch.
The day you make a choice -
when you have done it in all sincerity
and felt within yourself a radical decision -
the thing is different.
There is a light and the path must be followed,
quite straight, and you must not deviate from it.
You must know what you're doing when you choose it.
but when you choose it, you must hold on to it.
You no longer have the right to vacillate.
You must go straight ahead.
Once you have set foot on the path of yoga,
you must have a resolution of steel
and walk straight on to the goal,
whatever the cost.
only when you feel you cannot do otherwise.
The whole purpose of the Yoga
is to gather all the divergent parts together
and forge them into an undivided unity.
To do yoga you must want it consciously,
you must know what it is, to begin with.
You must know what it is,
you must make a resolution about it;
but once you have taken the resolution,
you must no longer flinch.
The day you make a choice -
when you have done it in all sincerity
and felt within yourself a radical decision -
the thing is different.
There is a light and the path must be followed,
quite straight, and you must not deviate from it.
You must know what you're doing when you choose it.
but when you choose it, you must hold on to it.
You no longer have the right to vacillate.
You must go straight ahead.
Once you have set foot on the path of yoga,
you must have a resolution of steel
and walk straight on to the goal,
whatever the cost.
Perfecting a Quality
What is the way by which one can acquire a quality
at its purest, highest and most perfect?
It is by setting an opposition to it.
That is how a power is increased and strengthened -
by fighting against and overcoming all that weakens and contradicts it.
The deficiencies with respect to a particular quality
show you where you have to mend and reinforce it
and in what way to improve it in order to make it perfectly perfect.
"My difficulty shows me clearly what I have ultimately to represent.
To reach the absolute negation of it, the quality at the other pole -
this is my mission."
at its purest, highest and most perfect?
It is by setting an opposition to it.
That is how a power is increased and strengthened -
by fighting against and overcoming all that weakens and contradicts it.
The deficiencies with respect to a particular quality
show you where you have to mend and reinforce it
and in what way to improve it in order to make it perfectly perfect.
"My difficulty shows me clearly what I have ultimately to represent.
To reach the absolute negation of it, the quality at the other pole -
this is my mission."
Self-Mastery
In life, one must choose between
a disordered and useless life of desires
and that of an ascent into the light of aspiration
and mastery over one's lower nature.
No life can be successful without self-discipline.
All those who have been able to create something beautiful and useful
have always been persons who have known
how to discipline themselves.
When one is incapable of conforming to a discipline,
one is also incapable of doing anything of lasting value in life.
First learn to know yourself perfectly
and then to control yourself perfectly.
You will be able to do it
by aspiring every moment.
To control something, a movement,
is simply to replace by one's presence,
without words or explanations,
the bad vibration by the true one.
First of all one must be conscious, then control,
and by continuing the mastery one changes one's character.
Changing the character is what comes last.
One must control bad habits, the old habits,
for a very long time for them to drop off
and change the character.
All the methods of self-knowledge, self-control and self-mastery are good.
You have to choose the one that comes to you spontaneously
and best corresponds to your nature.
And once having chosen the method, you must use your intelligent will
to apply it with an unfailing perseverance
that does not shrink from any obstacle, any difficulty.
It is a long and minute work which must be undertaken with sincerity
and continues with an increasing sincerity ever more scrupulous and integral.
There is no greater victory than that of controlling oneself.
Self-mastery is the greatest conquest,
it is the basis of all enduring happiness.
a disordered and useless life of desires
and that of an ascent into the light of aspiration
and mastery over one's lower nature.
No life can be successful without self-discipline.
All those who have been able to create something beautiful and useful
have always been persons who have known
how to discipline themselves.
When one is incapable of conforming to a discipline,
one is also incapable of doing anything of lasting value in life.
First learn to know yourself perfectly
and then to control yourself perfectly.
You will be able to do it
by aspiring every moment.
To control something, a movement,
is simply to replace by one's presence,
without words or explanations,
the bad vibration by the true one.
First of all one must be conscious, then control,
and by continuing the mastery one changes one's character.
Changing the character is what comes last.
One must control bad habits, the old habits,
for a very long time for them to drop off
and change the character.
All the methods of self-knowledge, self-control and self-mastery are good.
You have to choose the one that comes to you spontaneously
and best corresponds to your nature.
And once having chosen the method, you must use your intelligent will
to apply it with an unfailing perseverance
that does not shrink from any obstacle, any difficulty.
It is a long and minute work which must be undertaken with sincerity
and continues with an increasing sincerity ever more scrupulous and integral.
There is no greater victory than that of controlling oneself.
Self-mastery is the greatest conquest,
it is the basis of all enduring happiness.
Constant Contact
The only thing that matters its
the constant, total, complete contact
- constant, yes, constant -
with the Force, the Light, the Truth, the Power,
and that ineffable delight of the supramental consciousness.
To be in this state of attentive observation,
you must have, so to say, antennae everywhere
which are in constant contact
with your true center of consciousness.
You register everything, you organise everything,
and, in this way,
you cannot be taken unawares,
you cannot be deceived, mistaken,
and you cannot say anything other
than what you wanted to say.
But how many people normally live in this state?
It is this I mean, precisely,
when I speak of "becoming conscious".
If you want to benefit most from the conditions
and circumstances in which you find yourself,
you must be fully awake:
you must not be taken by surprise,
you must not do things without knowing why,
you must not say things without knowing why.
You must be constantly awake.
the constant, total, complete contact
- constant, yes, constant -
with the Force, the Light, the Truth, the Power,
and that ineffable delight of the supramental consciousness.
To be in this state of attentive observation,
you must have, so to say, antennae everywhere
which are in constant contact
with your true center of consciousness.
You register everything, you organise everything,
and, in this way,
you cannot be taken unawares,
you cannot be deceived, mistaken,
and you cannot say anything other
than what you wanted to say.
But how many people normally live in this state?
It is this I mean, precisely,
when I speak of "becoming conscious".
If you want to benefit most from the conditions
and circumstances in which you find yourself,
you must be fully awake:
you must not be taken by surprise,
you must not do things without knowing why,
you must not say things without knowing why.
You must be constantly awake.
Flame of Love
Love need not dissolve in order to transform;
it possesses the direct power of transformation.
Love is like a flame that changes
what is hard into something malleable.
In its essence, in its origin,
love is like a flame, a white flame
which overcomes all resistances.
A single second of this pure, essential, supreme love
dissolves it as in an all-powerful flame;
a single moment and a whole past can disappear;
a single instant in which you touch it in its essence
and a whole burden is consumed.
it possesses the direct power of transformation.
Love is like a flame that changes
what is hard into something malleable.
In its essence, in its origin,
love is like a flame, a white flame
which overcomes all resistances.
A single second of this pure, essential, supreme love
dissolves it as in an all-powerful flame;
a single moment and a whole past can disappear;
a single instant in which you touch it in its essence
and a whole burden is consumed.
Power
True knowledge acting in the outer being gives true power.
When it is the true will expressing the true knowledge,
effort is no longer required, for the power is omnipotent.
When it is the true will expressing the true knowledge,
effort is no longer required, for the power is omnipotent.
Giving
With your thoughts, give your thoughts.
With your heart, give your feelings.
With your body, give your work.
Give all you are, all you have,
nothing more is asked of you but also nothing less.
It is not be the quantity or the quality that it is measured;
it is by the sincerity of the giving
and the absoluteness of the giving.
With your heart, give your feelings.
With your body, give your work.
Give all you are, all you have,
nothing more is asked of you but also nothing less.
It is not be the quantity or the quality that it is measured;
it is by the sincerity of the giving
and the absoluteness of the giving.
Spontaneity
One should never think and plan beforehand
what one ought to say or write.
One should simply be able to silence one's mind,
to turn it like a receptacle towards the higher Consciousness
and express as it receives it, in mental silence,
what comes from above.
That would be true spontaneity.
what one ought to say or write.
One should simply be able to silence one's mind,
to turn it like a receptacle towards the higher Consciousness
and express as it receives it, in mental silence,
what comes from above.
That would be true spontaneity.
Equanimity
The quieter you are, the stronger you become.
The firm base of all spiritual power is equanimity.
You must allow nothing to disturb your poise.
Someone who knows how to smile in all circumstances
is very close to true equality of soul.
The firm base of all spiritual power is equanimity.
You must allow nothing to disturb your poise.
Someone who knows how to smile in all circumstances
is very close to true equality of soul.
Purity
Purity means freedom from soil or mixture.
The divine Purity is that in which there is no mixture
of the turbid ignorant movements of the lower nature.
Purity is perfect sincerity and one cannot have it
unless the being is entirely consecrated to the Divine.
When action is initiated by the Divine Will, it is pure.
One earth, true purity is to think as the Divine thinks,
to will as the Divine wills, to feel as the Divine feels.
One is truly perfectly pure only when the whole being,
in all its elements and in all its movements,
adheres fully, exclusively, to the divine Will.
The divine Purity is that in which there is no mixture
of the turbid ignorant movements of the lower nature.
Purity is perfect sincerity and one cannot have it
unless the being is entirely consecrated to the Divine.
When action is initiated by the Divine Will, it is pure.
One earth, true purity is to think as the Divine thinks,
to will as the Divine wills, to feel as the Divine feels.
One is truly perfectly pure only when the whole being,
in all its elements and in all its movements,
adheres fully, exclusively, to the divine Will.
Beauty
In the physical world
it is beauty which best expresses best the Divine.
The physical world is the world of form
and the perfection of form is beauty.
Beauty, you are my way to the Divine.
Beauty is the joyous offering of Nature.
Let Beauty be your constant ideal.
Beauty of the soul,
Beauty of feelings,
Beauty of thoughts,
Beauty of action,
Beauty in work
so that nothing comes out of your hands
that is not an expression of pure and harmonious beauty.
And the divine help with always be with you.
Build into yourself the total harmony,
so that when the time comes
Perfect Beauty can express itself through your body.
it is beauty which best expresses best the Divine.
The physical world is the world of form
and the perfection of form is beauty.
Beauty, you are my way to the Divine.
Beauty is the joyous offering of Nature.
Let Beauty be your constant ideal.
Beauty of the soul,
Beauty of feelings,
Beauty of thoughts,
Beauty of action,
Beauty in work
so that nothing comes out of your hands
that is not an expression of pure and harmonious beauty.
And the divine help with always be with you.
Build into yourself the total harmony,
so that when the time comes
Perfect Beauty can express itself through your body.
Be Like a Flower
Be like a flower.
One must try to become like a flower:
open, frank, equal, generous and kind.
Do you know what it means?
A flower is open to all that surrounds it:
Nature, light, the rays of the sun, the wind, etc.
It exerts a spontaneous influence on all that is around it.
It radiates a joy and a beauty.
It is frank: it hides nothing of its beauty,
and lets it flow frankly out of itself.
What is within, what is in its depths,
it lets it come out so that everyone can see it.
It is equal: it has no preference.
Everyone can enjoy its beauty and its perfume, without rivalry.
It is equal and the same for everybody.
There is no difference, or anything whatsoever.
Then generous: without reserve or restriction,
how it gives the mysterious beauty
and the very own perfume of Nature.
It sacrifices itself entirely for our pleasure,
even its life it sacrifices to express this beauty
and the secret of the things gathered within itself.
And then, kind: it has such a tenderness,
it is so sweet, so close to us, so loving.
Its presence fills us with joy.
It is always cheerful and happy.
Happy is he who can exchange his qualities
with the real qualities of the flowers.
Try to cultivate in yourself their refined qualities.
One must try to become like a flower:
open, frank, equal, generous and kind.
Do you know what it means?
A flower is open to all that surrounds it:
Nature, light, the rays of the sun, the wind, etc.
It exerts a spontaneous influence on all that is around it.
It radiates a joy and a beauty.
It is frank: it hides nothing of its beauty,
and lets it flow frankly out of itself.
What is within, what is in its depths,
it lets it come out so that everyone can see it.
It is equal: it has no preference.
Everyone can enjoy its beauty and its perfume, without rivalry.
It is equal and the same for everybody.
There is no difference, or anything whatsoever.
Then generous: without reserve or restriction,
how it gives the mysterious beauty
and the very own perfume of Nature.
It sacrifices itself entirely for our pleasure,
even its life it sacrifices to express this beauty
and the secret of the things gathered within itself.
And then, kind: it has such a tenderness,
it is so sweet, so close to us, so loving.
Its presence fills us with joy.
It is always cheerful and happy.
Happy is he who can exchange his qualities
with the real qualities of the flowers.
Try to cultivate in yourself their refined qualities.
Take No Notice
Be in such a state of purity and beauty
that you do not perceive ugliness and evil -
it is like something that does not touch you
because it does not exist in you.
Never to notice evil,
never to speak of the evil in others,
not to perpetuate these vibrations
by observation, by criticism, by insistence on that is bad.
That is what the Buddha taught:
each time you speak of an evil, you help to spread it.
It is not because of ignorance or unconsciousness or indifference
that you do not see evil -
you are quite capable of seeing it - even of feeling it,
but you refuse to help spread it by giving it the force of your attention
and the support of your consciousness.
And for that you must yourself be above this perception and feeling:
you must be able to see the evil or the ugliness
without suffering from it, without being shocked or disturbed by it.
You see it from a height where these things do not exist.
that you do not perceive ugliness and evil -
it is like something that does not touch you
because it does not exist in you.
Never to notice evil,
never to speak of the evil in others,
not to perpetuate these vibrations
by observation, by criticism, by insistence on that is bad.
That is what the Buddha taught:
each time you speak of an evil, you help to spread it.
It is not because of ignorance or unconsciousness or indifference
that you do not see evil -
you are quite capable of seeing it - even of feeling it,
but you refuse to help spread it by giving it the force of your attention
and the support of your consciousness.
And for that you must yourself be above this perception and feeling:
you must be able to see the evil or the ugliness
without suffering from it, without being shocked or disturbed by it.
You see it from a height where these things do not exist.
Sun
You only have to go deep enough within yourself
to find the inner Sun,
to let yourself be flooded by it;
and there there is nothing but a cascade
of harmonious, luminous, sunlit laughter,
which leaves no room for any shadow or pain.
And this Sun, this Sun of divine laughter
is the center of all things, the truth of all things:
we must learn to see it, to feel it, to live it.
to find the inner Sun,
to let yourself be flooded by it;
and there there is nothing but a cascade
of harmonious, luminous, sunlit laughter,
which leaves no room for any shadow or pain.
And this Sun, this Sun of divine laughter
is the center of all things, the truth of all things:
we must learn to see it, to feel it, to live it.
Soul
To find the soul one must step back from the surface,
withdraw deep within, and enter, enter, far down,
into a very deep hole, silent, still;
and then down there, is something warm, tranquil,
rich in contents and very still,
and very full like a sweetness - this is the soul.
And if one persists and is conscious in oneself,
a sort of plenitude comes which gives the impression
of something complete holding unfathomable profundities.
And one feels that if one entered there many secrets would be revealed,
like the reflection in calm, peaceful waters of something which is eternal.
And the limits of time are no more.
One has the impression of having always been and of being for eternity.
withdraw deep within, and enter, enter, far down,
into a very deep hole, silent, still;
and then down there, is something warm, tranquil,
rich in contents and very still,
and very full like a sweetness - this is the soul.
And if one persists and is conscious in oneself,
a sort of plenitude comes which gives the impression
of something complete holding unfathomable profundities.
And one feels that if one entered there many secrets would be revealed,
like the reflection in calm, peaceful waters of something which is eternal.
And the limits of time are no more.
One has the impression of having always been and of being for eternity.
Spirit
For the moment
the Spirit plays the part of a helper and guide,
but it is not the all powerful
master of the material manifestation.
When the Supermind is organized into a new world,
the spirit will become the master
and govern Nature in a clear and visible way.
the Spirit plays the part of a helper and guide,
but it is not the all powerful
master of the material manifestation.
When the Supermind is organized into a new world,
the spirit will become the master
and govern Nature in a clear and visible way.
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