Great Throughts Treasury

"The body has death, but not the soul. The body sleeps, the soul flies. The soul-stirring words on death and the soul in this chapter of the Gita, let us recollect. Even as man discards old clothes for the new ones, so the dweller in the body, the soul, leaving aside the worn-out bodies, enters into new bodies. The soul migrates from body to body. Weapons cannot cleave it, nor fire consume it, nor water drench it, nor wind dry it. This is the soul and this is what is meant by the existence of the soul."

"My sad heart, I really love you. But I really do not know How to make you happy. I am trying so hard. I have been trying so hard. I shall be trying The same way. But alas, my sad heart, Will I ever see you happy Even once in this Undivine and hostile incarnation?"

"Because of its lack of wisdom, A snake drinks milk And emits poison. Because of his vast wisdom, A saint drinks poison And offers milk. This is wisdom in oneness, Wisdom in perfection, Wisdom in God-satisfaction. All of us must act like a saint. My ignorance thunders: You are nothing, I am everything. My knowledge declares: You know something, But I know much more. My wisdom whispers: You and I know nothing of everything On earth, And everything of nothing In Heaven."

"What do we mean by the word ‘wisdom’? Usually we mean something superior to knowledge, something deeper. In the spiritual world, the word ‘wisdom’ is not used in that way. Here wisdom means Light, illumining Light, transforming Light. That which illumines our unlit consciousness is wisdom. That which transforms the finite consciousness into the infinite Consciousness is called wisdom."

"In the body Emotion is self-indulgence. In the vital Emotion is self-temptation. In the mind Emotion is self-mortification. In the heart Emotion is self-expansion."

"There are two types of emotion-divine and undivine. Emotion by itself is not bad, but when we misuse it, it is undivine emotion. When it is properly used, it is divine emotion and is absolutely necessary. Undivine emotion is restricted to the gross physical, the vital and the obscure mind. This kind of emotion is the result of unfulfilled, unsatisfied and dissatisfied desires. It constantly tries to possess either an object or an individual or the whole world. It binds and limits us and finally drains our physical, vital and mental energy. This possessive emotion makes us think of everything in terms of ‘I, my, mine’. When we use human emotion it tries to destroy everything. Gradually, emotion becomes limited only to one’s own body; then to one particular portion of our body. Undivine emotion negates and negates. Emotion in the physical and vital, which are impure, will naturally try to destroy our divine possessions and qualities. With negative emotion we increase our conscious aggressiveness. The emotion that binds us to our own limited physical consciousness has to be thrown aside. We have to try ultimately to illumine and transform both desire and emotion, rather than to control or discipline them. When we take shelter in divine emotion, we can illumine and transform the human emotion that wants to possess the world and bind us."

"Before you hurt others, Hurt yourself first. It will make you wise. Before you love yourself, Try to love others first. It will make you perfect. You have the power that hurts. He has the love that heals. I have the light that sees. God has the Compassion that feels My Supreme, my Supreme, my Supreme, How is it possible for me To hurt the ones That I love deeply? “My child, here is the proof That you do not actually love them.” My Supreme, my Supreme, my Supreme, Now tell me, Do I not sincerely and deeply Love You, my Supreme? Why do You then hurt me so often, If not always? My child, My child, Go beyond, far beyond, The boundaries of your futile mind. Then you will have the answer From Me. My Supreme, my Supreme, my Supreme! No matter how intensely you love God In His own Way, You will never get hurt. But if you love God in your own way, At every moment you will get hurt."

"Success is my temporary achievement on earth. Progress is my lasting achievement in God and God’s lasting achievement in me."

"Opportunity is not success But success Is the recognised or unrecognised Fulfilment of opportunity."

"Failure is a discouraging force. Success is an encouraging force. Failure makes us feel that we have been forced to climb down the life-tree. Success makes us feel that we have climbed up the life-tree and enjoyed the most delicious fruit."

"My soul-friend Wants me to make progress Only through My inner and outer Happiness."

"Why do I invite God To come and visit me every day? I invite Him precisely because He is my life’s very old Friend And my soul’s only Friend."

"O my body, For you I have brought A new friend: simplicity. O my vital, For you I have brought A new friend: sincerity. O my mind, For you I have brought A new friend: serenity. O my heart, For you I have brought A new friend: purity. O my life, For you I have brought A new friend: humility. O my soul, For you I have brought A new friend: my surrender-seed. O my God, For you I have brought A new friend: my perfection-fruit."

"When Morning Dawns, readiness, Willingness and Eagerness rise To their Himalayan Heights. At break of dawn Our soul teaches us The lesson of Perfection. In Sunrise- Silence, Our waking mind Becomes the lover Of Peace. The Morning-Confidence Energises even A hopeless heart. Morning is the Inspiration – Spring And aspiration – summer. Morning Loves To Behold the Ever – transcending Beyond. In the morning Our soul oversees God-manifestation With greater care. At dawn we are closely in touch With God’s Heart- Embrace. At morning sunrise A self-giving heart Radiates with the Beauty of the Entire creation."

"Sweetness Is the most powerful strength Of the heart. Sweetness tells me I can love the world. Dignity tells me I can rule the world. With sweetness we conquer the world. With dignity we frighten the world. Dignity surrenders to humility’s sweetness And finds there its satisfaction-abode. Sweetness purifies our heart. Brilliance strengthens our mind. When sweetness enters into brilliance, The victory of brilliance is soulful. When brilliance enters into sweetness, The victory of sweetness is powerful. Love Is sweetness embodied. Devotion Is sweetness revealed. Surrender Is sweetness manifested. My sweetness is my magnet-love To bring down God’s Compassion-flood. My sweetness is my heart-cry To carry me to God’s absolute height. Sweetness and bitterness Fight against each other within me To be my teachers. Sweetness is anxious to teach me How to become a morning rose. Bitterness is anxious to teach me How to heave an evening sigh."

"My Art is no art Without my mind’s simplicity. My Art does not want To subscribe to the view That unhappiness Commands the world. When I paint or draw, I keep my mind’s thought-garden Completely free of self-doubt-weeds. My Art is the hide-and-seek Between my soul’s illumining smiles And my heart’s streaming tears. The Artist in me has three Faithful, sleepless And self-giving friends: A newness-eye, a oneness-heart And a fulness-life. The heart of my Art And the heart of a child Are extremely fond of each other. They love each other deeply; They need each other constantly; They are interdependent, sleeplessly. My mind says that anything I do Is too insignificant Because I am wanting In qualification. Needless to say, This includes my Artwork. My heart says that anything I do Is too significant Because the God-Touch Is always there. Needless to say, This includes my Artwork. The moment I start painting, I clearly see my soul-meditation Is blessingfully clasping My heart-aspiration-flames. First things first: The Artist in me, Before embarking on his Artwork, Invariably catches His heart’s aspiration-express. True, in my Art I want to see The face of earth’s beauty. But I want to see The heart of Heaven’s Divinity More, infinitely more."

"Charity Is the perfect clarity Of the mind-existence. Charity Is the oneness-luminosity In the heart-consciousness. Charity Is the satisfaction-unity In God’s Life of fulfilling multiplicity."

"Charity cannot give me satisfaction. Charity cannot open the door of Heaven to me. It is only the feeling of oneness that can give me satisfaction, and this feeling of oneness has to be enlarged. When I give someone material wealth, money-power or something else, I have to feel that it is my very necessity to increase my own oneness-feeling for the length and breadth of the world. I have to feel that it is not I who am helping someone. It is I, on the contrary, who am being helped. This charity is not charity; far from it. It is my self-giving in order to realise my higher self totally, integrally, here in the world"

"How far is confusion-night from Illumination-light ? It is as far as man’s doubting mind and man’s loving heart. You want to escape the confusion That you see before you. I tell you, you will never be able To escape the outer confusion Unless and until You have escaped the inner confusion. And the inner confusion Is your continuous doubt-indulgence. Confusion-night boasts, Aspiration-day cries. Realisation-sun destroys confusion-night And manifests God-Height On earth. Attractions, Repulsions And Contradictions All live in the selfsame Confusion-cave. If you want to solve All the confusion-problems Of your mind, Then resolve to live Inside the illumination Of your heart-sky."

"An evil thought May or may not break bones. But an evil thought Can and does break hearts."

"In the morning The clutch of evil thoughts Makes me blind, totally blind. In the evening The clutch of evil thoughts Compels my death, unavoidable death."

"No evil can befall me. Nothing can hurt my soul. His Heart of Love shelters me. Ah, God is so near To humanity’s sky And Divinity’s Smile!"

"Good and evil- They belong to my mental world, They belong to my external life, They belong to my moral summits. Good and evil- I see them not Because I am in God, God is in me. Father has made Son Far beyond the domain Of duality’s dance."

"From the spiritual point of view, there is no such thing as evil. What we call evil is actually error. In our strict Indian philosophy, we do not use the term evil: we call it bondage or error. This error can be a pathfinder. When we get a little more knowledge in comparison to our old standard, we discard our former understanding as evil or ignorance. Let us say we get a thorn in our foot. We feel that this thorn is evil, but we need another thorn in order to remove the first thorn. Then we discard both thorns."

"If goodness is not always His supreme necessity on earth, Then how can any human being Have peace?"

"If you make greatness your companion, You may suffer. If you make goodness your companion, You will not only prosper But you will also have God As your Companion. "

"O my Pilot Beloved, do tell me one thing. Is he really great just because he has achieved something significant in life? Is he really good just because he has given something precious to humanity? To me, he alone is great who adores Your transcendental Height. To me, he alone is good who loves Your universal Beauty. "

"My child, you are absolutely right. Mere becoming is not greatness, mere giving is not goodness. I want you to develop your own greatness and your own goodness. You can develop your own greatness by becoming one with your heart’s cry. You can develop your own goodness by becoming one with your life’s smile. Greatness is oneness that grows and glows. Goodness is fulness that satisfies and immortalises the human in the divine and the divine in the human."

"Kindness is not blindness. Kindness is oneness-awareness. Blindness is failure: Failure within, failure without."

"Yesterday I discovered kindness in myself. Today I see how beautiful and soulful I am. Yesterday I discovered kindness in humanity. Today I see how meaningful and fruitful humanity is"

"Follow not Your blindness-mind; Follow only Your kindness-heart!"

"The awakened mind May show kindness To those who not only do not deserve it But also misuse it-alas! My Lord tells me That my mind’s cleverness-smile Will never be a match For my heart’s kindness-smile. You can show your sweetest kindness Even to those Who are vehemently standing In your way. But under no circumstances Must you surrender to their way."

"You have a passion for Truth. Therefore Truth is within you. You have a passion for Light. Therefore Light enlightens you. You have a passion for Love. Therefore Love immortalises you."

"From passion to liberation is man’s role. From Vision to Compassion is God’s Role."

"Passion is possession. Live in the vital, You will know it. Passion is frustration. Live in the mind, You will feel it. Passion is perdition. Live in the heart, You will discover it. Yet Passion is not rejection By God’s Compassion. Passion is illumination When it shakes hands with aspiration."

"Hopeless passion, Shameless emotion, Useless desire, All-blazing fire."

"Shame, shame! My heart still craves for fame. Fame, fame! What do I need it for As long as I am chosen By God Himself To participate eternally In His cosmic Game?"

"Disobedience, Shame on you! You are The worst possible extremist In God-rejection."

"You will not be devoured By shame and guilt If you just kindle the flames Of your aspiration-heart With God’s smiling Compassion-Eye."

"I shall try To shield you from shame Only when you do not try To blame the world For your downfall."

"At the rim of sorrow He found his heartless mind. On the brink of despair He found his soulless heart. In the sea of destruction He found his goalless soul. Centuries dropped dead. Now On the shore of Time He finds his searching mind He finds his crying heart He finds his illumining soul."

"Depression is the most effective smile of a wrong force. Once we allow it to enter, depression tries to crush the strength and joy of our life-force. Illness often has very little to do with the Divine Will. It is rather the acceptance of imperfection’s invasion. The pain of the body is often bearable. Not so is the pain of the heart. Sorrow is an arrow to pierce into strength. Joy is food to feed strength sumptuously. Sorrow lords it over the world. But the very presence of Time makes it lose its sting. Time is the best physician for suffering. Then comes patience. And then comes tolerance."

"Perfect teaching Is nothing other than Sharing with others The knowledge That we claim as our own. My heart is teaching me How to be pure. My soul is teaching me How to be happy."

"O vastness-sky, I love you Although you do not belong to me. O meanness-mind, I do not love you Although you belong to me."

"I fly from sky to sky, I run from clime to clime Soulfully to do God’s Will And play with His Vision-Time."

"The prayer of the sky Is for the increase Of vastness-light. The prayer of the moon Is for the increase Of beauty’s right. The prayer of the sun Is for the increase Of duty’s delight. The prayer of God Is for the increase Of Compassion’s might."

"My weeping heart Teaches me God is an indifferent King. My singing soul Teaches me God is a jovial Friend. My loving Goal Teaches me God gives two gifts- Morning’s silence-sky, Evening’s sound-sea."

"Compassion-sky Shelters all souls together Under its canopy. Perfection-sun Embraces one soul at a time On ecstasy’s blue-gold heights."

"A life of unhappiness Is a contagious disease. The world is already full of misery. Allow not your unhappiness To increase the world’s misery."

"You want to end your unhappiness. I tell you, there is one way To end your unhappiness, And that is to end your constant feeling Of unpleasant unworthiness."