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Himalayan Series. — XXIX.
IN THE HOURS OF
- - MEDITATION. - -
BY
A DISCIPLE.
SECOND EDITION
ADVAITA ASHRAMA
MAYAVATI, HIMALAYAS.
1921
All rights reserved.
VEDANTA SOCIETY
2963 WEBSTER STREET
Published by
SWAM I MADHAVANANDA,
ADVAITA ASHRAMA,
Mayavati, Almora.
Printer : S. C. MAJUMDAR
SRI GOURANGA PRESS.
71/1, Mirzapore Street, Calcutta
IN THE HOURS OF
1 MEDITATION
i
THERE are hours when one forgets the
world. There are hours when one
approaches that region of blessedness in
which the soul is Self-contained and in the
presence of the Highest. Then is silenced
all clamouring of desire ; all sound of
sense is stilled. Only God IS.
There is no holier sanctuary than a
purified mind, a mind concentrated upon
God. There is no more sacred place than
the region of peace into which the mind
enters when it becomes fixed in the Lord.
No more sweet-odorous and holy incense
is there than the rising of thought unto
God.
2 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
Purity, bliss, blessedness, peace !
Purity, bliss, blessedness, peace ! These
make up the atmosphere of the state of
meditation.
The spiritual consciousness dawns in
these silent, sacred hours. The soul is
close to its source. The streamlet of
personality expands in these hours, becom
ing a mighty, swift-moving river, flowing
in the direction of that true and permanent
individuality which is the Oceanic
Consciousness of God. And this is one
and only.
In the hours of meditation the soul
draws from On High those true qualifica
tions which are of its nature — fearlessness,
the sense of reality, the sense of death-
lessness.
Draw within thy Self, O soul! Seek
thou the silent hour with truth. Know
thou thy Self to be of the substance of
truth, the substance of divinity ! Verily
within the heart doth God dwell 1
I!
Fear not ! All mortal things are as
shadows. Unreality dominates all ap
pearance. Thou art the reality within
which no change abides. Know thou art
the Immovable One ! Let nature play with
thee as nature will. Thy form is a dream.
Know this, and be thou content ! Thy
soul is stationed in the formlessness of
Divinity. Let the mind follow the blinking
light, desire rules, limitations exist. Thou
art not mind ; desire touches thee not.
Thou art contained within Omniscience
and Omnipotence. Remember life is but
a play. Play thy part. Thou must. Such
is the law. Yet, withal, thou art neither
player, play nor law. Life itself cannot
limit thee. Art thou not limitless ! Life
is of th£ stuff of dreams. Thou dreamest
not. Thou art the Dreamless One beyond
the touch and taint ot unreality. Know
4 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
this ! Know this and be free — free —
free!.!!
Peace ! Peace ! Silent, audible Peace !
Peace wherein the Voice of God is heard.
Peace and Silence ! Then comes the
Voice of God, audible — audible within the
Silence !
"I am with thee, ever and for ever.
Never hast thou been nor canst thou be
from Me apart. I am thy Soul. Verily
thy Soul is I. Beyond the universe, be
yond all dreams I rest, Self-contained with
in immensity. And even so art thou ; aye.
even so art thou. For I am thou and
thou art I . Leave off all dreams ! Come !
Come unto Me ! I shall carry thee across
the ocean of darkness and ignorance unto
light and life everlasting. For I am these ;
and thou and I are One. Thou art I ! I
am thou ! Go dwell in Peace ! Dwell thou
in Peace ! Again when the hour cometh,
in the stillness and in the Peace thou shalt
hear My Voice ! ' * — the Voice of God — the
Voice of God !
Ill
Again the hour is at hand. Day merges
into the evening time. Everywhere with
out is quiet. Nature herself is at peace.
And when nature is at peace, more peace
fully does the soul retire into the inner
chamber of the heart. More readily also.
Let the senses and their activity subside.
Life, as it is, is short ; desire is rampant.
Give at least some short time unto the
Lord. He asketh little, only this, that thou
shalt know thy Self ; for, verily, knowing
thy Self, thou comest to know Him. For
God and the Soul are One. Some say,
"Remember, O Man, that thou art dust!"
True, of the body ! Even of the mind is
it true ! But the higher, the mightier,
the truer, the holier revelation reads,
"Remember, O Man, that thou art the
Soul!"
"Indestructible and imperishable art
thou alone, O Soul!" So speaketh the
6 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
Lord. All else wanes. However mighty
the form, it perishes. Death and des
truction are the lot of all form. Thought
is subordinate to change. Personality is of
the weaving of these — thought and form.
Therefore, stand aside, O Soul. Remem
ber thou art the Self beyond both thought
and form. All virtue resides in this
consciousness, "Thou art One with God."
In this alone art thou immortal ; in thi*
alone art thou pure and holy.
Try not to become the master. Thou
art the master ! There is no becoming
for thee. Thou art, O Soul ! However
sublime may seem the process of be
coming, the hour shall come when thou
shalt know, "Progress is in time" but
"Perfection is within eternity." And thou
art not of time. Thou art of eternity.
Is there divinity! Then, "Tat Tvam
Asi!" — meaning, "Thou art That! Thou
art That!" Understand that which is
the Highest within thee. Worship the
Highest ! And the most perfect form of
worship is the knowledge that thou and
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 7
the Highest are One. And what is the
Highest? That, O Soul, thou callest God.
Throw all dreams into oblivion ! Hav
ing heard of the Self within thee, the
Self thou art, understand ! Having under
stood, perceive ! Having perceived, know !
Having known, realise ! Having realised,
then — "Tat Tvam Asi !" — which is, "Thou
art That ! ' '
Retreat from the world ! It is the
embodiment of dreams. It, together with
the body, — verily, these are the nests of
dreams. Shalt thou be a dreamer! Shalt
thou be bound for ever in the bondage of
dreams ! "Arise ! Awake ! and stop not
till the goal is reached!*'
So speaketh the Lord in the Silence —
in the deep, deep Silence when only His
Voice is audible. Hari ! Om Tat Sat !
"Go thou in Peace!" Beyond all, aye,
even within all appearance of form reigns
the Spirit. Its nature is Peace, Peace,
Unutterable Peace !
IV
The Voice of God, speaking, saith in
the Quiet Hour, "Remember, ever re
member, 'Only the pure in heart see
God!' Purity is the first requisite. Even
as they who are governed by desire are
intense therein in their passions, even so
be thou pure ; even so, do thou have a
passionate longing for purity ! Search
deeply and steadfastly for purity. It alone
availeth. Call to thy mind that great
prayer of My servant, Prahlada, unto Me,
'O Lord, that same intensity of love that
worldly people have for the fleeting objects
of the senses, give to me that same intensity
of love for Thee I ' Purity is the ante
chamber to the Lord's Presence. Before
thou thinkest of the Lord, think of purity.
Purity is the key by which the doors of
meditation that lead into the Abiding-Place
of the Most High, are opened.
"Throw thyself upon the Ocean of
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 9
My Strength. Strive not ! Seek not !
Know that I AM. This knowledge, added
with complete resignation unto My Will,
shall save thee. Have thou no fears !
Art thou not in Me ! Am I not in thee !
Know thou that all this passes, which men
deem so great. Death is everywhere,
swallowing up the forms of life. Death
and change ensnare and bind all things —
save the Spirit. Know this ! Purity is the
method of this knowledge. It is the
foundation-ground. With purity come fear
lessness, freedom and the realisation on
thy part of thine own nature, the reality of
which I AM.
"Let the tempest blow, but when
desire burns and the mind vacillates — then
THEN call upon ME ! I shall hear. For, as
My servant hath said, I hear even the foot
fall of an ant. And I shall speed unto
thee. I do not desert them who call upon
Me sincerely. Call upon Me, not only
sincerely, but steadfastly as well.
"I am not the universe ; I am the
Spirit beyond it ! The universe is as a
10 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
carcase unto Me. I am concerned with
the SOUL alone. Be not deceived by
the external magnitude of things. Divi
nity is not in form, nor yet in thought.
It is the purified, free, spiritual, blissful,
form-emancipated, thought-emancipated
consciousness which knows not, nor can
know, any stain or sin or bondage or
limitation. Within the innermost, That art
thou, O Soul. Realisation shall come to
thee with regard to this. It must. For
such is the Sure Goal of the soul's life.
Remember, remember I am with thee ! I
am with thee ! I, the Lord, am with thee !
I am as Strength to all thy weakness ; I am
as Forgiveness to all thy sins ; I am as Love
to all thy search for Me ! I am thy Self !
I am thy Self ! Put off all other thoughts
of Self ! For in the thought that thy Self
is in anywise different from the Self of
Me lies all ignorance and all weakness.
Arise, thou Shining One, know that
am thy Self ! I am thy Self !
"And purity is the pathway to My
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 1 1
Presence ! Herein is thy Salvation '
Hari ! Om Tat Sat !
"Peace! Peace! Peace!"
V
The Voice of the Guru, who is God,
speaks : —
"Lo ! I am ever with thee. No matter
where thou goest, I am already there. I
live for thee. The fruit of my realisation
I bequeath unto thee. Thou art the
treasure of my heart, the apple of mine
eye. We are one in God. Our business is
realisation. So well do I realise my one
ness with thee — I fear not to cast thee into
the wilderness of the world and into the
forest of doubt. It is because I know the
measure of thy powers. Through ex
perience after experience I send thee ;
but always doth my eye follow thee
in thy wanderings. Dost thou sin? Thou
sinnest in my presence. Dost thou
perform virtuous acts, I perceive them
all. I know all thy moods. Through
all manner of experience and of thought
I fasten the bonds that are between us.
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 13
My salvation is naught to me, unless thou
dost take part in it. Thou art the Self of
me in another form. The more thou dost
absorb the vision which is mine, lo ! the
more and more do we grow into that
spiritual oneness which is the Divine Life.
The veils of separate personality fall off
and thou art mine own Self and mine own
Self is thou. So close are the bonds.
Death and separation have no hold in my
relationship to thee. For though thou may-
est be born far apart and though thou
mayest not have even seen the physical
form I wore, still none the less art thou
my very own. Discipleship does not
consist in having seen my form, but in
having understood my will. Thou canst
never escape the net I have cast out.
"Seek out my will. Follow the teach
ing which the Master has given unto me
and which I have transmitted unto thee
See thou the same vision which is mine.
Then shalt thou be more at oneness with
me than hadst thou dwelt near a myriad
bodies which were mine. Discipleship
14 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
consists in steadiness of devotion to my
thought and will. And immeasurable love
is between us. Go thou in peace. Harder
than adamant are the bonds of relationship
between Guru and disciple. Stronger than
death are they. For they are tied by Im
measurable Love and the Divine and
Omnipotent Will.
Om Tat Sat!"
The Disciple responds in praise and
thanksgiving :
"Aye, my Lord, my God, my all in all
So am I taught. The Guru is God. He
yearns to merge in the Divine Reality,
His vision is of God. Untiring is his zeal
in the salvation of my soul. Through the
eyes of the Guru, I also see the vision.
True love is stronger than death ; aye,
stronger than birth as well is love. Birth
and death may separate me from his
presence. What do I say? False!'
The Guru is God. Can I at any time be
separated from God ! Taking His Name
I shall struggle through this ocean of dark-
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 15
ness safe to that other shore where all is
wisdom and radiance. I shall march fear
lessly through this interminable jangle of
illusion, for He is watching all my move
ments and, if I fall, he shall raise me up.
Are there thorns in my path, lo ! He will
brush them aside. Do the wild animals
of doubt and temptation beset me, lo ! He
will slay them. Or, perhaps, He will let
me fall into their path. He will make me
struggle with them in order to reveal my
own powers to myself. And how shall a
man ^ know His powers until he has tested
himself ?
"Birth and death are nothing to me.
I shall tear aside all limitations. I shall
go beyond all bonds. I shall see the
Divinity in Him. That self -same Reality
which is in me, O Guru, is likewise within
Thee. Thou art the Sun and I the ray.
Even so am I the Sun and Thou, the ray.
The great utterance of Self-revelation of
the Upanishads, "Tat Tvam Asi"— "Thou
art That" — applies to Thee ; it applies to
me. O the sense of Unutterable Oneness !
16 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
' 'Adoration to the Guru as Guru f
Adoration to the Guru as God.
Om Tat Sat !
Tat Tvam Asi !
Aham Brahmasmi ! ' '
VI
In the hour of meditation the soul
speaking to itself sayeth :
"Peace dwelleth in the Silence. And
to gain Peace thou must be strong ; and
the silence cometh when the tumult of
sense has been drowned in the Powerful
Stillness of Renunciation. Thou art a
wanderer in the desert of this world.
Tarry not lest thou dost perish by the
wayside. Make thy caravan of good
thoughts and provide thyself with the
Waters of a Living Faith. Beware of all
mirages. The goal is not there. Be thou
not deceived by the attraction of externals.
Renouncing all, go thou by those paths
which lead thee into the solitude of thine
own insight. Follow thou not the many
caught within the net of manifoldness.
Go thou along the paths whereby saints
journey singly and separately to the Goal
2
18 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
or Oneness. Dare to be brave. Conquest
lies in making the initial effort. Do not
waver. Plunge into sanctity. With one
mad leap drown thyself in the Ocean of
God. Divinity is the End. In the nature
of things there could be none other for
thee — thou shining ray of the Effulgent
One!
"Make haste, lest thou repent. Whip
up the steeds of religious earnestness and
powerful faith. Crush thyself if need be.
Let nothing stand in thy path. Thine is
no chance destiny. March thou on with
surety and strength of soul, for thy destina
tion is Reality. Verily, thou thyself art
the Real. Be thou Free ! Be thou Free !
In all the language of Self-realisation none
such valuable word is there as Strength.
First — last-^and always, be thou strong.
Fearing neither heavens nor hells, neither
gods nor demons, go thou forth ! Nothing
shall conquer thee. God Himself is bound
to serve thee ; for He is attracted by That
which is Himself in thee ! And thus One
ness is the Essence of Sublime Insight for
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 19
That which is in thee, — That which is thee
is God. Verily thou thyself art Divine.
Tat Tvam Asi ! Hari Om Tat Sat !
"Dost thou believe ! Have faith in thy
Self ! How canst thou believe in God if
thou believest not in thine own Self ? Thou
must save thyself. 'God helps those who
help themselves.' Take cognisance of thy
Real Self ; measure It according to the
spiritual standard. Know thou art not the
body. Even thought art thou not.
Thought is the method of seeing, but the
vision is the end. Thus the final truth is
Realisation. The final mandate is, 'Man,
know thy Self,* — man, realise thy nature.
Faith ! Faith ! Faith ! Everything depends
on Faith. Not the Faith which is belief,
but the Faith which is Vision. There is no
other sin but doubt ; learn to hate doubt
as thou dost poison ; the greatest weak
ness is doubt. To doubt one's Self — that,
indeed, is blasphemy. Be thou afraid of
naught, — nay, not even of God, for God is
to be loved, not feared. How canst thou
20 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
fear thy Self ! And God is the Self of
thee ! There is naught but God ! And
thou art That ! Therefore, 'Arise ! Awake I
and stop not till the goal is reached I *
Such is the Gospel of the Blessed One ! ' *
VII
The Soul, speaking further in the times
of meditation sayeth unto itself, —
"True, the hour of trial cometh and
human weakness is great ; but then the
very knowledge that sin is weakness will
in time destroy it. For when once thou
knowest poison, naturally thou wilt abhor
it. When thou knowest thy weakness it
shall no more be weakness. Thou hast
laid bare the heart of thy trouble and that
which is the Depth in thee will alter the
currents of its movement. In time thou
shalt conquer — so long as the heart is
sincere. And pray steadfastly, for constant
vigilence of soul is required in the spiritual
struggle. Now and then moments will
come when thou shalt have insight into thy
real nature and thou shalt know weakness
as weakness. In that time call upon the
Lord and He, heeding thy prayer, shall
give thee Grace.
22 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
"Theory is one thing and life another.
Realise, that no matter how wonderful thy
intellectual awareness of truth may be —
man-making is the goal. Realisation is all
in all. The beast in thee is strong ; but
it can be tamed down by sincere prayer.
Prayer is the one thing. Only prayer can
conquer lust. Nothing is greater than the
name of God. Constant Vigilence be thy
motto and Constant Prayer. And they who
are the Helpers, the Messengers of the
Most High, shall come and thou shalt be
free ! Indeed, long is the way, but the
end is sure ! Prayer goes deep ; it eats
out the vitals of temptation. Pray, pray,
— pray constantly, pray always. And be
not discouraged in the evil hour ; be not
discouraged when thou dost fall. God is
always near. He knows thy woe and thy
sincerity, but never leave off calling upon
Him ! Even in thy sin be strong in prayer
From out the depth of prayer, all things
come — love for God, spiritual vision and
spiritual realisation. Take thy stand upon
the thought that God is All-Powerful and
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 23
that His nature is that of the good shepherd
who guides his sheep especially when they
go astray. Know that before God is
Author of Justice, He is Love Itself. Do
thou but ask and it shall be given unto
thee ; do thou but seek and thou shalt
find ; do thou but knock and it shall be
opened unto thee. Make but the feeblest
effort ; even that shall lift thee up into the
kingdom of righteousness.
"Aye, every prayer which thou utter-
est, each rising of thy heart unto God shall
be added unto thee, giving thee strength.
Thy prayers shall make thee whole.
Depend on prayer ! It is the means.
However dark thy heart, prayer shall bring
light therein, for prayer IS meditation ;
prayer in itself IS vision. Prayer is com
munion with the Almighty. It links thee
with Omnipotence and Supreme Love, it
lends wings to thy soul. Even if thou art
in the mire, thou shalt rise. Even if
mountain-loads of iniquity have fallen
upon thee and have buried every vestige
of thy spirituality, prayer will raise thee
24 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
up. And from the depths God will hear
thee and His Love and Power shall be
made manifest unto thee, and thou shalt
be lifted up as a testimony of the works
of the Most High. And thou shalt sing
a song, magnifying God who is thy Saviour.
And thine own heart shall testify to the
greatness of the Mercy of the Lord ; and
all who have ever known thee shall say,
*Lo ! He hath become a saint!' Verily
His Mercy is His Justice and His Mercy
endureth for ever and ever. Hold on to
prayer ! No matter how numerous the
temptations that assail thee as enemies, by
prayer thou shalt build a fortress about
thy nature and it shall be impregnable.
Aye, even the Gates of Hell shall not pre
vail against it ! For God shall have bound
thee unto Him by the strong cords of Love
and Realisation that come of prayer!"
Hari Om Tat Sat !
VIII
The Voice of the Guru speaks in the
inmost silence of the heart : —
"My son, the Flesh wyars constantly
against the Spirit ! Therefore be cons
tantly on the alert. How hollow is life !
Trust not the senses. These are swayed
by pleasure and by pain. Go thou
beyond ! Thou art the Soul ! At any
moment the body may go ! Indeed, who
knows the hour ! Therefore, keep thy
vision fixed unalterably on the Ideal.
Saturate thy mind with ennobling thoughts.
Not in the hour of death, but in the hours
of life keep thy mind free and pure. Then,
if death overtake thee of a sudden, thou
art prepared. Live thy life as though thou
wert even now about to die. Then shalt
thou truly live. Time is fleeting, but thou
canst make eternity of time provided thou
dost think eternal and immortal thoughts.
26 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
"When thy body goes down into death,
certainly thou shalt repent IF thou hast not
lived the life of thy ideals here on earth.
Ah ! IF — that fatal word which spells
neglect and remorse. Thousands are the
spirits who lament, saying, *O, IF I had
only done so in the body, I would now
be nearer to my God ! ' Therefore throw^
thy whole soul at this very moment with
all the sincerity of thy being into the Ideal.
Say, 'O God ! MAKE me have the Vision
of Thee ! Make me sincere. Make me
yearn for Thee ! * Say to thyself every day
that great prayer of all the devotees, 'Let
me love Thee alone, O Lord.'
"The Spirit of Man is infinite. Infinite
Power is at thy beck and call. Realise
that thou art of the Soul of God. He
breathes in thee ; He lives in thee ; He
moves in thee ; thou hast thy very being
in Him. When this thou dost realise, all
fear shall drop off from thee. Thou shalt
attain to the state of fearlessness."
And the soul, in response to the Voice
of the Guru says, "O Lord ! Thou Author
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 27
of all things, Thy nature is Infinite Love !
Thou art everywhere. O grant that I be
possessed of this consciousness intensely !
In all the worlds there is no hope but in
Thee ! Terror and the forms of death are
everywhere. Pain and illusion are on all
sides. Such is the vision of mortal life.
But do thou remove the illusion ! Then,
where death stalks and where life is pain
I shall behold Thee! O let me behold
Thee even in the Terrible. O Thou
Destroyer of Illusion, hear my prayer!"
And the Voice of the Guru makes
answer, "My son, call upon the Lord!
Call always upon the Lord. Think of
Him, and Him alone, and the Power that
is Infinite shall surround thee, and the
Love that is Infinite shall embrace thee,
and He shall speak words of realisation to
thy soul. True dependence upon God
solves all difficulties. The process of true
Man-making is in complete resignation to
the Supreme Love ; it is manifest in un
interrupted meditation. When life is seen
as fraud, when death is present, when the
26 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
heart is wrung with agony, and human woe
attains its climax, — remember, make thou
the effort to remember, that these things
are of the body and that thou art the Soul.
Take hold of each day as if it were thy
last. Make Japam of it every moment of
thy life. Daily consecrate thy life to God.
See the Wisdom of His Will. And then,
even in the mouth of a tiger, even in the
presence of death, even on the threshold
of hell, thou shalt find God.
"If this be thy life's labour — to remem
ber God, — then a great joy and a serene
peace shall abide with thee, and that which
seems gruesome shall become beautiful,
and that which seems terrible shall become
all-loving. And with the saint, bitten by
a cobra, thou shalt joyfully exclaim,
'Behold ! Behold ! A Messenger has come
from my Beloved,' or with the saint, in the
tiger's mouth, thou shalt call out "Shivo-
ham ! Shivoham !" And this is the Strength
of the Soul. This is verily Its manifesta
tion. This is the Spirit of the Divine —
because it is the Perception of the Divine.
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 29
"The warrior rushes to the cannon's
mouth in defence of the motherland. The
mother rushes into fire and into water and
into the tiger's mouth to save her child.
The friend dies for the sake of his friend.
The Sannyasin bears all hardships for the
sake of the Ideal. Do thou bear all trials,
face all dangers, live the Life of Ideals and
be brave and fearless IN THE NAME OF GOD.
Thou art my son. In death or in life, in
sin or in virtue, in pleasure or in pain, in
good or in evil, whithersoever thou goest,
wheresoever thou art, I am with thee, I
protect thee, I love thee. For I am bound
to thee. My love for God makes me one
with thee. I protect thee ! I love thee !
I am thy very Self. Child, thy heart is
My abode!"
Hari Om Tat Sat I
IX
There came a Voice resonant with
Divinity. It said, "O there is a Love which
fears nothing, which is greater than life and
greater than death. I am that Love.
There is a Love which knows no limit,
which is everywhere, which is in the pre
sence of death, and which is all-tender
even in the Terrible. I am that Love.
There is a Love which is Unutterably
Sweet, which welcomes all pain, which
. welcomes all fear, which drives away all
sadness, which is wheresoever thou dost
search for it. I am that Love. O I am the
very Essence of that Love. And, O, My
own Self, 1, that Love, am Thine Own
Self. My nature is Love ! I am Love
Itself !
"O there is a Beauty which is all-
comprehending. It knows neither ugliness
nor shortcomings. It is sublime. It is
divine. O there is no limit to this Beauty !
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 31
It is like the expanse of the sky or the depth
of the seas. It is manifest in odorous
dawns and in flaming sunsets. It is
manifest in the roar of a tiger and- the song
of a bird. It is manifest as storm and as
peace, but is beyond these. These are its
aspects, I am that Beauty. There is a
Beauty which is much deeper than pleasure
and much deeper than pain. This is the
Beauty of the Soul. I am that Beauty !
0 I am that Beauty ! Of all attraction,
whatever its character, I am the Centre,
1 am the magnet ; all other things are iron
filings, some drawn this way, some that,
but all are drawn — irresistibly, O I am that
Magnet ! I am that Beauty ! I am that
Attraction, and My Nature is Blessedness !
"O there is a Life which is Love, which
is Blessedness ! I am that Life ! Nothing
circumscribes that Life ; nothing can limit
it ; and this -is the Life Infinite. It is
Eternal Life, and I am that Life. Its
Nature is Peace ; and I am Peace. Within
its all-embracingness there is -no strife, no
hurried coming and going, no ruthless
32 IN, THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
attempt to live, no desire to procreate. IT
IS. I am that Life. Neither the stars nor
the sun can contain It. It is a Light which
no other light can outshine. It is Itself
Light. There is no gauging the depths of
this Life. There is no measuring Its
Heights. I am that Life. -And thou art in
Me and I am in Thee !
"Unsustained, sustaining everything,
I am the Spirit in all forms that are. I am
the Silence within the Sound of Life. I am
Eternity woven on the warp and woof of
Time. I am the Self beyond both form and
thought. Mindless, yet am I Omniscient.
Formless, yet am I everywhere. Contain
ing naught, I am contained in everything.
I am Power ! I am Peace ! I am Infinity !
I am Eternity ! I am the Unifying Unit of
all Plurality. 1 am the Sum and Substance
of all living things. Of all warring parts
I am the whole ! Beyond the spheres of
life and death I dwell deathless, birthless,
beyond bondage. Who finds Me out, he
is the Free, the Free !
"Through all illusion I perceive Reality.
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 33
I am Reality perceived ! I am the Wielder
of this magic force, this Sakti, this Maya
which is the Mother's Form. From out
the Womb of Time I take My birth, em
bodying Myself in All that is of Form. I
am the Womb of Time, and thus Eternity.
And 'Thou art That,' O Soul, which is in
ME, the Self. Therefore, arise, awake and
tear all bonds to shreds. Wipe out all
dreams, dispel illusion's hold. Thou art
the Self ! The Self art thou ! Naught can
hinder thee from the realisation of thy
nature. Arise ! Arise ! Stop not until the
Goal is reached — the Goal which is the
Self, the Life, the Love, the Bliss Eternal
and the Knowledge of the soul made
Free!"
X
And the Voice of the Guru spoke unto
my soul, "Man, where is thy Faith! Art
thou a beast that thou goest quaking at
every clanger ! Until thou hast overcome
the body-idea, thou canst not realise the
Truth ! Art thou then a carcase ! Wilt
thou for ever dance in that mire of physical
dirt ! Come out of thy smallness ! Come
forth ! ! Be a man ! Where is thy divinity
if it remains for ever unexpressed? Art
thou then so important that the world
stands in need of thee ! Overcome the self
by the Self. Be Free ! If thou strivest
after the Imperishable, death shall not
touch thee, for thou shalt have lost the
knowledge of what death is. Thine shall
be Immortality. All the world has been
struggling to express Reality — but the very
first success in this effort is the spelling
of character. Character is everything.
Make character ! Make character ! Every
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 35
hour do thou make character ! Dwell
thou in thy spirit upon the Deathless, and
thou shalt become deathless ! Make thine
abode Reality — and then neither birth nor
death, nor the varying experiences of life
shall cause thee fear.
"Let the body go ! Give up clinging
to it ! Free thyself in mind ! The whole
meaning of religion and of ethics is to over
come the animal consciousness, confined
in sex and fear and sleep and food. Give
it up ! Give up this clinging to the car
case ! Call it the carcase ! Regard it as
such at all times. Throw no gold cloth over
it. It is filth. Only the Spirit is real. The
consciousness of the Spirit is immortality.
The thinking of immortal thoughts leads
thee into Eternity. Be brave ! Be bold !
Be as strong as adamant ! Dost thou desire
to realise God ? Then, my boy, there is
no time for caring for the body. Now is
the time; even now is the opportunity.
Thou art the child of Reality; thy nature is
the True. Therefore, plunge into the
Living Waters of the Life of the Soul. Be
36 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
unafraid ! Learn to rise superior either to
the joys or the miseries of life ! Remem
ber thou art the Soul ! Remember thou
art the Self I
"Go down deep — deep. And thou
shalt find that thou art strong. Go to the
bottom of thy nature. There thou shalt
find that thou art genuine in thy spiritual
effort. What matter a few failings?
Learn that fear and weakness are physical !
They arise from the body — that nest of
dreams; but thou in thy inner nature art
free and fearless. Sing a song of strength
my son ! Sing a song of strength ! Thou
art the child of Immortality. Thy destina
tion is Reality.. What are those fleeting
experiences of a day but phantoms in the
Vast Mirage? Either deify life, or deny it.
No matter how thou doest this — realise
divinity. Whether the method be positive
or negative, it is all the same."
And there arose in my soul a sense of
peace. A great calm arose and in its quiet
the passive all-pervading power of Omni
potence suddenly revealed itself. This
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 37
\vas a power that gave strength to my soul.
And the Voice of the Guru was made
audible in this state of consciousness and
it spoke, "Beyond time, aye, within time,
I am Eternity. Whether embodied or dis
embodied, all is the Spirit. In the heart
there is ever Oneness. In the heart there *'s
ever Peace. Deep beneath the storm on
the surface, deep beneath the waves of^
manifoldness and of strife and all the woe
that comes of these, there is the Under
current of Reality.
Tat Tvam Asi ! Tat Tvam Asi ! ' '
XI
The Voice of the Guru, speaking in the
hours of meditation, sayeth, —
Behold ! There is an inner as well
as an outer world. There is a world of
soul as well as a world of form. And,
my son, if there are marvels and mysteries
and vastness and beauty and great glory
in the outer world, there are inestimable
greatness and powers and incommunic
able blessedness and peace and unshak
able foundation of Reality in the inner
world as well. O my son, the outer is
only a semblance of this inner world.
And in this inner world thy true nature
doth abide. -Here thou livest in Eternity
while the outer world is of time alone.
Here there is endless andg unfathomable
bliss, while in the outer world sensation
is accompanied by pain as well as by
pleasure. Here, too, is pain, — but O what
blessedness of pain, the ecstatic anguish
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 39
of not having fully realised the Truth, and
such pain is the pathway to more copious
blessedness.
"Come, draw thy nature within this
inner world. Come — come upon the
wings of ardent love for me. Is there
greater or closer union than that between
the Guru and disciple? O my son — O
my son — Silence is the nature of Love —
Inexpressibility. And deep within the
deepest folds of Silence there is God.
Abandon all outer concerns. Whither
soever I go, do thou come ! Whatsoever
I become, do thou likewise become. O
for the Holiness of God ! Many are the
shrines of the devotee's heart where
thought, like incense, rises unto God.
Spiritualise everything thou doest. See
the Brahman, the Divinity in form as well
as in the Formless. Than the Lord there
is no greater good.
In the inmost recesses of the inner
world, into which one enters by the way
of ardent love or ardent prayer, there are
universes upon universes of the Divinity
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
in Revelation. And God is always near.
He is near not in a physical sense; He
is near in a spiritual sense as the very
Self within the self of thee. He is the
very Substance of thy soul. He is the
Knower of all thy thoughts and of the
most hidden and most silent aspirations
of the heart. Give thyself up. Love for
the sake of love; work for the work's own
sake. Go into the chambers of the
Silence; come into the Presence of
Reality. The more thou goest inward the
nearer dost thou come unto me. For I
am the Dweller within the Innermost. I
am the Magnet which draws out the reve
lation and the glory of thy soul. I am
Spirit ! I am Spirit, untouched by thought
or form. I am the Invulnerable and the
Indestructible ! I am the Atman ! I am
Paramatman ! Lo ! I am Brahman ! I
am Brahman !"
How wonderful are the words of the
Guru! My soul cries out, "O Blessed
One, Thou Thyself art God. Thou Thy
self art the Teaching which Thou dost
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 41
teach, the very Spirit of the universe. Lo,
Thou art all in all. Thy nature is the
One, though Thy Maya sheds the glory
of the manifold. Thine is the greater
glory of the One. For Spirit is One,
Spirit is an Essence of which there are no
parts or divisions. Spirit is the One Light
seen through variously coloured lenses.
O Guru, O my Guru, catch me up into
that Life which is thine. O Thou art
Brahma, Thou art Vishnu, thou art Sada-
shiva. Thou art Brahman, Para-
Brahman."
"Hara Hara, Vyoma Vyoma,
Mahadeva !"
Thereupon my soul was caught up, as
it were, into the Seventh Heaven and I
perceived the Divinity of Humanity, the
great glory even of human weakness. I
saw that everything was Divine ; and
within this Radiance stood the Guru as
another Krishna transfigured upon a
mount of realisation in that inner world.
Deep, — deeper than time — more all-
42 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
embracing even than space is that inner
world of meditation. There can be no
darkness, for all is effulgence. There,
there can be no ignorance, for all is
Jnanam. There death cannot stalk, nor
fire burn, nor water wet, nor the air dry.
There is the region of the Ancient One,
beyond all the lie of life ; there is the
Immovable Infinite.
And in that glory, speaking from the
Innermost the Guru spoke, "My son,
thine is the heritage. Infinite Strength is
thine. Art thou then weak when thy
power is the All-Power ! Thou canst not
rest satisfied with the show of sense.
Death and Forgottenness are behind the
pageant of the outer world. The body
becomes the corpse when death has
seized it. But the Spirit is ever free. It
is the unembodied ; It is the Witness —
for though the bodies are destroyed It
can never be destroyed."
My soul, communing with the Guru,
said, "Then, O Lord, how wonderful !
There is no death ! There is no death !
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 43
And the Guru made answer, "Aye,
and neither life of sense, rooted in desire.
For those that thirst for them is the mud-
puddle of the world. Like oxen revelling
in the mud, their bodies covered with
mud, thus are those souls who revel in
the foulness of lust. Long is the path for
them, beset with Maya, the substance of
the warp and woof o,f desire. Go thou
beyond ! Thy time shall come. Look
up ! Above are the Eternal Lights !
Look up ; and they shall penetrate the
opaqueness of thy soul ! ' '
Hearing these words my soul remem
bered, — Divine is the nature of the Self,
and Freedom is the Goal. And the Goal
is Now and Here, and not Hereafter !
And the destiny of the soul is certain —
Self-realisation, where time is blotted out,
where the physical and mortal conscious
ness is dispersed, where the Light which
is Life and the Truth which is Peace
shine forth, where all dreams end, where
desire is swallowed up in Infinite Realisa
tion — the Region of the Great Vast. O
-44 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
for the feeling of that Immensity ! O for
the blotting out of time ! O for the des
truction of the images of sense ! O for
ihe Freedom of the Infinite !
Hari Om Tat Sat!
XII
And the Voice that dwells in the
Silence speaking in the hours of medita
tion said unto my soul, —
"Come, my son, into the deep, deep
Quiet. Beyond the tumult of personality,
beyond its manifold experience, come
into the Great Peace. Do not be troubled
by the storm of passion or desire on the
surface ; do not be alarmed. Though
the clouds gather thickest, beyond them
the sun doth shine. In the Stillness the
heart throbs best with quiet rapture.
Make thyself open to the Love that is
every where. How musical is the Still
ness ! What Peace it brings forth ! O
for the Infinite Stillness ! O for the
Infinite Peace !
"In all eternity not one good thought,
not one spiritual longing is lost. There
fore go thou beyond the power of time ;
in that dost thou think great thoughts,
46 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
and in that mayest thy soul desire the
Infinite. In thine own mind doth thine
own universe exist. And thou canst
make eternity reveal even within the flux
of time; by thy thoughts thou canst reach
out beyond the bounds of space.
"O what power, what sense of exalta
tion, what immeasurable sensing of Im
mensity come with the knowledge that
the Self is free, that nothing can bind It !
That thou comest or that thou goest, that
thou dost do or that thou dost not do —
what are these ! They are but episodes
within the great dream of life. They are
but currents within the running stream of
time — while the Self is the Eternal.
"Deep — deep — fathomlessly deep is
the Silence; — the Peace is immeasurable.
Blot out all images of sense and thought.
They are only refractions; — go thou
within the Light Itself."
And the Voice added, —
"O in the Self there is no sense of
self ; boundless, everlasting, absolutely
free, It is the Unit knowing no diversity.
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 47
In the Kingdom of the Self there is no
room for thou, or I, or he. It is all That
— the Om Tat Sat, incomparable and in
expressible. Who knows that Self, yea
verily he knows.
"True love is that yearning to be free,
to become merged in <tihe Infinite. True
love is that great yearning for the Silence.
It will not be disturbed. It reaches out
silently yet ail-comprehensively. It is
irresistible. It gains the Goal. Wherein
all the Gods merge, wherein all sound is
lost, wherein form is swallowed up and
thought remains un-thought, wherein life
and death no more exist, — know That to
be the Self. Wherein struggle ceases,
wherein Realisation lies, wherein all that
is relative is blotted out, wherein Beauty
and Holiness, Sin and Terror, Good and
Evil lose distinction, wherein the mind
in contemplation becomes omniscient,
know That to be the Self.
"My son, there is a Height beyond
the greatest heights, there is Divinity
beyond the greatest Gods. There is the
48 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
background of the Indestructible. All
vanishes, all is blotted out, — that which
endures is the Self."
And as the Voice became still it
seemed as if my soul arose into the
Vastness. Then "1" was not. There
was only the Light — the Light !
XIII
When the soul rose into the Stillness
of the Innermost, the Voice made itself
heard thus :
"Deeper than sin, deeper than evil is
goodness. The fabric of the universe, its
essential element, is goodness, — infinite,
incomparable goodness. There can be
naught of evil where there is God. Evil
is phenomenal and never real. Deep,
deep in the sea of the soul are the im
movable rocks of wisdom and of truth.
Against these, all error and darkness and
all evil must perish. True, on the surface
there may be the violent noise of hurry
ing winds of desire, tempests of seething
passion, hours of evil and of darkness,
but Realisation — one moment of Realisa
tion — is omnipotent. It sweeps aside all
manner of raging and rampant evil. It is
like the effulgence of the sun, blasting all
darkness. Therefore, even in the dark
ness, remember the Light ; even in the
4
50 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
very midst of thy sinning, call upon the
Name of the Lord ! And He, the Lord,
shall harken to thy prayers. He shall
send His Angels to help thee. There is
no power greater than the soul's own.
Deep down is the flow of perpetual and
unit Divinity. One glimpse of That, and
all sense of diversity in which sin and
ignorance make their abode will dis
appear. In essence, thou art free, thou
art pure, thou art divine. All the forces
of the universe are at thy beck and call.
"Shalt thou struggle for freedom when
thou art free ! Thy aim must be the ac
quirement of spiritual knowledge. A
single ray of the Flame of the Beatific
Vision destroys and eradicates the subtlest
shades of evil. Know that thou art of
the Strength and the Effulgence of the
Eternal ! Thy life is neither here nor
there ! It is stationed in Eternity ! All
this sense of sin, in the deepest sense, is
ignorance. It is a dream. The nature of
sin is weakness ; be thou strong ! One
glimpse of That which thou art, — and
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 51
thou art That, the Effulgent and Omni
potent !"
Then heard I the Voice cry out, as
though in prayer :
"O builder of these tabernacles of
sense and thought, destroy that which
thou hast erected ! Encased in fear, sex,
food and sleep, and the thoughts that
spring therefrom, thou hast, as it were,
willingly enshrouded thyself in the dense-
ness of ignorance, and thou goest on
dreaming. Thy curse is thine own ignor
ance. Break down all dreams ; destroy
both the ideas of oleasure and pain, and
the iron bar of the body-consciousness
will be flung aside. Therefore the task
before thee is prodigious. The web of
Maya is as thin as the spider's, and yet
equally as hard as adamant. O soul,
come to thine own rescue ! This tabern
acle thou hast built ; this tabernacle thou
must destroy ! And the process of such
destruction is thine own Self-realisation.
This involves the divine awareness of the
Oneness. Shall the sun and the stars and
52 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
even space itself swallow up Thy Nature?
The Soul is one-d with Thee ! Out of the
darkness, out of ignorance, O soul ! It is
all self-imposed. Better pain than plea
sure ! Better misery than enjoyment ! For
these mould the forms of thought and
sense into the shapes of fit vehicles for
the revelation of the Spirit. Be thou the
lover of the Terrible, O soul ! And
though in the vision of the Terrible thou
shalt behold Death, — k>, verily, thou shalt
also behold Immortality ! Life is at best
a dream. There is the Great Beyond. In
the end unity is everywhere, a divine, all-
embracing unity. It is all the same Sun
though its rays be manifold. And the ray
is the Sun, and the Sun, the ray. And
thou, — thou art the Sun, — the Sun ! And
even in the darkness there is Light."
Hearing this, my soul passed into the
deeper and yet deeper stages of medita
tion ; and I knew, yea, verily, the ray
itself as the Sun.
Again the Presence came in the hours
of meditation, speaking, —
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 53
"In the Silence, past all sound, in
Eternal Peace thy nature dwells ! Far
from the tumultuous noise of sense, far
from the agony and pain of life, far from
the sense of sin and woe, — and yet even
in their midst, dwells the Divinity that IS.
How wonderful the weaving of the
dream ! And yet, more wonderful is the
Dreamer than the dream ! Immortal,
past the boundaries of death, stainless,
even in the presence of enormous evils,
art thou, O soul, — and rooted in Divinity.
Good and ill, — these are of the measure
ments of thought ; and beyond thought
art thou, the Effulgent and Supreme ! The
splendours of thy nature transcend all
things ! Incomparable art thou, beyond
the terms of speech. O Effulgent and
Celestial and Divine One, crowned in
meditation's and Realisation's height, who
shall call thee sinner, or even saint ; who
can speak or even think of thee !
"O One in all, in all the same un
dying Self, who shall refer to thee in the
terms of mortal life ! Beyond art thou —
54 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
Immortal. And, within even the turmoil
of tempestuous thoughts, know there is
the Silent Watcher of all things. His
Light the will-o'-the wisps of sense can
never blind ; nor can His Peace be re
pressed by all the strife of life. Im
movable, unthinkable is He. beyond the
sun, beyond the moon and stars. He is
the Self ; the Self is He ; He is the victor
in the wars of sense !
"However the mountain-heights of
ignorance loom up, however the deeps of
sin and woe be deep, He is the En~
compasser of height and depth ; He is the
All, the One, the Engulf er of all variance !
Know this and be thcu Free, the Free!"
And the words came unto my soul, —
"Lo, I am ever near. When the net
work of thy sin is drawn closest, and thou
dost labour in utter darkness, know I am
there suffering with thee the enormities of
thy sin. I am conscious of thine inmost
Self, knowing well the workings of thine
inmost soul. Thou canst keep naught
from me, who am ever-present, not even
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 55
a grain of thy secret thought. I am in
thee ; I know thee well. Without me
thou canst not move nor breathe. Re
member I am thy Self, going whither thou
dost go, remaining where thou dost
remain. Come, enfold thine heart in
mine. Make it thy very own. Then all
shall be well. Shadow and Silence, — in
them I dwell, — within, in the tabernacle
of thine heart. Go now ! Go thou into
the world and preach my word as wide
as is the Self, for it is its life. My
blessings thou ever hast, and all-
embracing love ! Mine is as a mother s
love for thee ; as is a dove's love for its
young, such is mine for thee. When
trouble comes or danger threatens, re
member I am thy servitor, the lover of thy
soul ! ' '
When these words had ended, I knew
that the Guru had spoken, washing away
all my sins, and I cried out :
"O ecstasy intense that my heart
knows, being in the Presence of my Lord !
One in Him, one in Him ! How sweet
56 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
the flow of such divinest thought ! ' ' And
with the saints I exclaimed unto my self,
"Plunge into the Sea of the Lord,
O fool ; — plunge into the Sea of the
Lord!"
XIV.
When my soul had entered the Silence
of meditation, the Voice of the Guru
said, —
"My son, do I not know all thy weak
nesses? Why dost thou worry? Is not
life beset with trials and tribulations? But
thou art a Man. Let not faint-heartedness
take possession of thy soul. Remember
that within thee is the Almighty Spirit.
Thou canst be what thou choosest. There
is only one obstacle, — thyself. The body
rebels, the mind wavers, — but of the end
be sure. For nothing can ultimately with
stand the power of the Spirit. If thou art
sincere with thyself, if in the depth of thy
self there is integrity, then all is well.
Nothing can have full or final possession of
thee. Cultivate openness of mind and
heart. Conceal nothing from me with
reference to thyself. Study thy mind as
though it were a thing apart from thee.
58 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
Speak frankly concerning thyself to those
with whom thy soul finds true association.
For the gates of hell itself cannot stand
against a soul which is sincere. Sincerity
is the one hing needed.
"After all, most of thy faults arise out
of the body-consciousness. Treat thy
body as though it were a lump of clay.
Make it subservient to the purposes of thy
will. Character is everything, and the
power of character is the power of will.
This is the whole secret of the spiritual
life ; this is the whole meaning of religious
effort. Behold the civilisations. How
man glories over the pomp of sense
powers and sense realities ! But at
bottom it is all sex and food. The mind
of the majority has arisen out of these two
all-comprising facts. We cover the corpse
with flowers, but it is all the same a
corpse. Therefore, let the child of the
Spirit be deep in his study of what the
world calls great. For at heart it is all
putrid, being grossly corporeal and
physical. Have nothing to do with the
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 59
ephemeral things of the world or with its
attractions. Tear off the masks with
which the body hides its shame. Enter
into that insight where thou knowest that
thou art net of these things. Thou art
the Spirit ; and know that the rise or fall
of empires, the tendencies of cultures or
of civilisations are of little import to the
highest spiritual consciousness, Know
That which is unseen to be truly great ;
know That to be truly desirable.
"Be thou the child of poverty ; have
thou an intense passion for purity. Lust
and Gold make up the fabric of the world
ly spirit. Root these out from thy nature.
Know all tendencies thereunto to be
poisons, one and all. Vomit out from
thy nature all defilement. Wash thy soul
clean from all impurities. See life as it
is ; and then shalt thou know it as Maya,
neither good, nor yet evil, but something
to be utterly given up, for it is all of the
body and of the body-idea. Harken to
each whispering of thy higher nature.
Seize avariciously each message of thy
60 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
Self. For spiritual opportunity is a rare
privilege, and unless thou takest heed,
when the Voice enters the Silence, thou
being busied with the call of the senses
shalt not hear It ; and thy personality shall
fall into the clutches of habits that will
cause it to perish. Only one message
have I for thee ; Remember that thou art
the Spirit. The Power is behind thee.
To be sincere is to be free. Be loyal to
thy spiritual inheritance, for to be loyal is
likewise to be free. Let every step which
thou dost take be a step forward, and as
thou goest along the highway of life, more
and more shalt thou feel that thou art
free. If thou hast integrity behind thee,
thou canst face all men. Be true to thy
self. Then shall thy words ring with the
accents of reality. Thou shalt speak the
language of Realisation. And thou shalt
gain the power which shall make others
whole.
"Each man radiates the force of his
character. One can never hide himself.
If one is physically deformed, all men see
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 61
the deformity. And if thou art spiritually
deformed, likewise intuitively all men shall
know. For when thou speakest of the
things of the soul, men will feel that thou
speakest that which is not in thy heart.
Thou wilt not be able to communicate
unto them anything whatsoever of the
spiritual life. For thou thyself art not in
and of it. Therefore, if thou wouldst be
come a Prophet of the Most High, busy
thyself with self -reform. Keep guard over
thy nature ; watch every impulse ; spiri
tualise thy instincts. Be sincere. But I
would charge thee to keep thy realisations
in reserve. Cast not thy pearls before
swine. If thou dost feel wondrous states
of the Spirit, remain silent, lest by loud
talk thou dost detract from their intensity.
Ponder over what thou receivest. Go with
all things into the silence of the Spirit.
Guard all thy wisdom and all thy realisa
tions as a thief guards his possessions.
Thou must conserve thyself ; and when
thou hast practised silence for some time,
then shall that with which thy heart has
62 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
become full, overflow ; and thou shalt be
come a treasure and a power unto men.
"There is one path of austerity which
I recommend to thee. Meditate on the
Terrible.. For the Terrible is everywhere.
Truly, has it been said by a Sage, 'Every
thing that one touches is pain.' Know
this not in a morbid, but in a triumphant
sense. In all mystical experience, in one
form or another, thou shalt find this wor
ship of the Terrible. In reality, it is NOT
the worship of the Terrible. It is Terrible
only to him who dwells in the senses.
Pleasing and terrible are terms which have
meaning only to one who is the bond-slave
of the body-idea. But thou hast gone
beyond, — at least in thought and aspira
tion, if not in realisation. By meditation
on the Terrible thou shalt assuredly over
come the lust of the senses. Thou shalt
embrace the life of the Soul. Thou shalt
be made pure and free. And thus, more
and more thou shalt become united with
me, who am on the other side of life.
Never see life physically ; study it psychi-
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 63
cally. Realise it spiritually. Then imme
diately the whole purport of the spiritual
life shall be made clear to thee. Thou
shalt know why saints love poverty and
purity, and shun, by fight or flight, any
thing that savours of Lust and Gold.
"Let this suffice. Follow what I have
said. Think over it until the nervous
system takes it up, and the fever of these
ideas and their loftiness and ecstasy course
through thy veins, renew thy personality
and make thee altogether whole."
XV
When all was silence, in the deeps of
meditation the Guru, appearing, said, —
"My son, meditate on the Power which
is the Mother's form, and then transcend
ing all the fear the Power inspires thou
shalt go beyond the Power into the
Mother's Spirit— which is Peace. Tremble
not at the uncertainties of life. Though
all the forms of the Terrible appear, multi
plying themselves a thousandfold, remem
ber, these can only affect the physical and
not the spiritual self.
"Be steadfast and firm at all times,
being fully aware that the Spirit is indes
tructible. Take thy stand on that which
is the Self. Believe in nothing but that
Reality which is innate alike in all. Then
shalt thou remain undisturbed alike in the
tempest or the seduction of appearances.
That which comes and that which goes is
not the Self. Identify thyself with the
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 65
Self, not with the form. Impermanency
predominates in the realm of things, in the
objective world ; permanency endures
alone in that realm of eternal subjectivity
wherein reigns the consciousness of the
Spirit, free from the forms of thought and
sense.
"That which is the True is immeasur
able, like the great ocean ; nothing can
bind or circumscribe it whatsoever. The
predicates of existence do not apply to that
shoreless Ocean of Divinity which rushes
in upon the Self — as the Self — on the
summits of Realisation.
"The misery of the world is in direct
ratio to desire. Have, therefore, no blind
attachment. Bind thyself to nothing.
Aspire to be ; do not desire to possess.
Shall any possession satisfy thy True
Nature ! Art thou to be bound down by
THINGS ! Naked thou comest into the
world ; naked thou goest forth when the
summons comes ! Wherein then shalt
thou have false pride > Let thy posses
sions be those treasures that perish not.
5
66 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
The increase of Insight is its own reward.
The more thou dost perfect thy nature, the
more readily dost thou acquire eternal pos
sessions by which thou shalt, in time,
purchase the Kingdom of the Self.
"Therefore, from this moment, go and
grow inwards, — not outwards. Invert the
order of experience. Retreat from the
sensuous life, as lived for its own sake.
Spiritualise everything. Make the body a
taberrtacle for the Soul ; and let the Soul
be more and more revealed, day by day.
Then shalt that darkness which is ignor
ance be gradually dispersed ; and that
light which is the Divine Wisdom shall
gradually be revealed. All the forces in
the universe are behind thee, working in
harmony for thy progress — if thou wilt but
face Truth. As said the Lord Buddha,
The Tathagatas are only great preachers.
You yourselves must make an effort.
Aye, the Teachers can only impart
wisdom ; the pupil MUST assimilate, and
this assimilation is the making of charac-
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 67
ter ; it is making wisdom one's own. By
himself is one saved, by none other.
"Therefore, arise. Be diligent, and
stop not till the goal is reached. That is
the Command of the Upanishads !
"Even as a wild animal seeks for its
prey, even as the slave of passion seeks
for the gratification of his lust, even as a
man dying from hunger desires food, even
as the man who is being drowned calls
for rescue — with that same intensity and
strength of spirit do thou seek for Truth.
Even as a lion, not trembling at noises,
even as a lion, fearless and free — so do
thou roam about in this world, bent on the
acquisition of Truth. For, infinite strength
is needed and infinite fearlessness. Go
thou forth, knowing that all limitations
shall burst asunder for thee, that for thee
all crooked roads shall be made straight
— if thou dost gather together the forces
of thy soul and if thou dost boldly tear off
the MASK.
"Dost thou search for God? Then
68 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
know — that when thou hast seen the Self,
the Self shall be revealed to thee as God."
"Om Tat Sat!"
And the Guru's Voice entered the
Silence which is Peace, — his Form that
Radiance which is God !
XVI
Again the Voice made itself heard in
the hours of meditation, saying, —
"Peace be with thee, my son. Neither
here nor hereafter is there any cause for
fear. Interpenetrating all things is the
great spirit of Love. And for that Love
there is no other name but God. God is
not far from thee. He is not bound down
by the barriers of space, for He is the
Formless One, reigning within. Resign
thyself utterly to HJITK Give Him all that
which thou art, both good and evil, — all.
Let nothing be reserved. By such an act
of resignation thy whole nature shall be
made pure. Think, how vast is the char
acter of Love ! It is greater than life and
stronger than death ; it is the quickest of
all paths to God.
"Difficult is the path of Insight, easy
the path of Love. Become thou as a
child. Have faith and love. Then no harm
70 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
shall befall thee. Be patient and hopeful.
Then shalt thou be enabled readily
to meet with all the circumstances of life.
Be large-hearted. Root out all small-
mindedness and thought of small self.
Surrender thyself wth aM trust unto Him,.
He knows all thy ways. Trust irj His
wisdom. How fatherly He is ! Above
all, how motherly is He ! He is infinite in
His long-suffering with thee. His mercy
knows no bounds. If thou doest sin for
the thousandth time, lo, for the thousandth
time and ever doth He forgive thee.
"Even should evil befall thee, it cannot
be evil when thou lovest the Lord. Even
the most fear-inspiring experience thou
wilt recognise as a messenger from the
Beloved. Through Love, verily, thou shalt
attain God. Is not the mother at all times
constant in affection? Even so is He, who
is the Lover of thy soul. Believe, only
believe, — then all shall be well with thee.
Do not fear what transgressions thou hast
already committed. Be a man ! Face life
boldly ! Let come what may, do thou
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 71
remain strong. Remember that infinite
strength is at thy beck and call. God Him
self is with thee. What fear canst thou
have?
"Make thy struggle for immortality
here and now. Train the mind. That is
the only important task. That is the great
meaning and purpose in life. Now is the
opportunity to demonstrate immortality by
overcoming the body-consciousness, even
when the Spirit is encased, as it were, in
flesh. Do thou make thyself worthy of
immortality. Even the gods worship him
who has vanquished the body-idea. Death
is only a physical event ; long is the life
of the mind, and immeasurably long is the
life of the Soul. How necessary, then
that thou shouldst think great though tsv
and thus hasten the course of thy spiritual
evolution f 9 Have done with things
external. Even if a man master the whole
universe, still has he to become the master
of himself. Even if he discover all that
is knowable, intellectually speaking, still
he shall have to know himself. For Self-
72 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
knowledge is the aim in life. Consciously
or unconsciously, this is the aim which
gives reason to life. It is this aim that
explains the process of living, the process
of Self -development. That knowledge is
indeed worthy which leads to the improve
ment of the inner Self. Therefore set thy
self bravely to the task of Self-knowledge.
Long, perhaps, shall be the way, but there
can be no doubt of the end. Leaving off
all other words, be thou concerned with
That which is the Highest !
"Stand on thine own feet! Defy the
whole universe, if need be. What can
ultimately harm thee? Be thou content
with the Highest. Others seek for external
riches. Seek thou the treasures of the
within. The time shall corne when thou
shalt know that the empire of the whole
world, aye, even the empire., of the gods,
is as dust before the splendours pf Self-
knowledge. Arise ! Gird thy loins for
the great effort ! Come, great soul, thine
is the heritage of the Divine Life. Thine
are the riches of which no thief can rob
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 73
thee. Thine are the riches of the Omni
potent Soul !"
.
XVII
The Voice, making itself heard in the
stillness of meditation, said : —
"Terrible is the bondage of this world.
Difficult is it to escape from out the net of
Maya. Life teaches us that in order to
live truly one must go beyond life ; pne_
must^cpnquer death. This is the supreme
task, and the way to this conquest is
j through the victory over those physical
I instincts that lead unto death. I speak
deeply to thee, my son, asking thee to
keep wide, wide awake and pay heed to
all that which comes to tempt thee. The
only way in which to progress spiritually is
to anticipate the faintest rise of tempta
tion. Keep strict guard over thy mind.
Constantly busy thyself with that^ which is
great and noble. In this manner, thou
shalt gradually make thyself free.
"When temptation comes, it often
comes, as it were, of a sudden, before the
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 75
mind has time to become aware of what
is happening. One is apparently hurried
on to the point of yielding. All saints
understand this. Therefore they anticipate
evil thought, defeating its strength and the
possibility of its arising by strenuous good
thought. By thought is one made and
unmade. Beware, then, that thou dost
think good thoughts.
"Remember that it is the mind which
thou must keep constantly buoyed up.
Never let it be idle. Idleness is the
counterpart of evil, the nest wherein it
bears itself most fruitfully. Beware of
idleness. Take life seriously. Realise the
shortness of time and the greatness of the
task of Self-unfoldment before thee. Now
is thy time ; now is thy opportunity.
Bitterly shalt thou repent if thou dost allow
thyself to drift carelessly into conditions
of limitation and struggle, worse than those
in which thou dost now find thyself. Be
worthy of a better future, a better birth,
by making thy present life a success of
the Spirit.
76 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
"The world abounds with death. The
law of Karma is inevitable. Take heed,
lest death find thee in the midst of thy
sinning and lest Karma follow thy yielding
to physical desire with increased bondage
and dire misery. My son, after thou hast
once tasted of the nectar of immortality,
how is it possible for thee to feed on the
husks of swine?
"Yet, do not be alarmed. The Grace
of God is greater than mountain-loads of
sin. So long as thou dost believe, so long
is there hope. But the way is almost in
finite in length. Think of the life-times
necessary for the complete eradication of
evil, for the final transformation of the
human into the divine consciousness.
Canst thou, then, not understand how
seriously thou shouldst labour for thine
own good? And if thou dost love me,
wilt thou not, for my sake at least, try to
reach the Goal? How long have I waited
for thee to be made whole and to struggle
manfully ! I have yearned for thy
righteousness. I shall always stand by
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 77
thee ; I shall always love thee, but thou
must shake off thy lethargy. Come out of
thy moral slothfulness; come, be a man !
"Thy love for me is the pole-star of
thy life. It is the basis of thy being. And
there is good reason, for by thy love for
me thou shalt be saved. Devotion to the
Guru is the one thing needed. That will
straighten out all thy difficulties. So be
of good cheer. Know, always, that I am
with thee. My longing for God, my
Realisation, all that I am or possess, shall
be given unto thee, for it is the pleasure
of the Guru to give even himself, if need
be, for the good of the disciple. Once I
have accepted thee, it is for ever, for
eternity. Now, go in peace, and be mind
ful that if thou art true to thyself, thou
dost add even unto my glory and even
unto mine own vision.'
XVIII
The Voice of the Guru spoke unto my
soul : —
"My son, there is nothing so fascinating
as the history of thine own development.
It is the development of personality that
makes life interesting. Be the witness !
Stand aside, as it were, and observe thy
personality as though it were a thing apart.
Study the wayward thought, the fleeting
desire. How transient the importance of
yesterday's experience ! What doth any
thing matter a decade of years hence !
Thinking this, go through life undisturbed.
Nothing which is earthly matters. It
passes. Therefore give thy time up to
things of the Spirit. Be unattached.
Plunge into meditation. Let thine be the
monastic spirit. The value of any experi
ence or of any idea is its tendency in the
way of making character. Realising this,
do thou acquire a new perspective in life.
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 79
"How much time do the worldly give
unto the body, — that fragile bit of clay !
How much are their minds concerned with
ephemeral physical things ! They perish
in perishable things. They are swallowed
up in Maya. Refrain, therefore, from con
cerning thyself with worldly things. Shun
the society of the worldly-minded. How
subtle is theHjy! It erKJgavcMtffr con-
stantly to idealise the physical^ That is
the witchery of Maya. Be not deceived
Iw false beauty and by the gaudiness of
appearances. Lose not thy insight. From
immemorial time this struggle has been
going on. What is all earthly attachment
compared with the love of God for thy
soul? Attachment is of the body, and
therefore is bondage. But thou lovest me
with thy soul. That is the difference. My
son, it has not been amiss that thou
shouldst pass through much pain in order
to realise the danger and falseness of the
world. The more thou dost suffer, the
closer art thou brought to me.
"Cultivate passivity! Thou art alto-
80 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
gather too irresponsible and too aggres
sive. Before thou seest the faults - of
others and dost criticise them without
mercy, discover thine own glaring faults.
If thou canst not bridle thy tongue, let it
rant against thyself, not against others.
First of all, keep thine own house in proper
order. Such precepts as thes.e-are in direct
accordance with the highest philosophy of
Self-realisation. For there can be no Self-
realisation without character. Humility,
meekness, gentleness, forbearance, t^fe
non-seeing of evil in others — all these are
the practical elements in Realisation. Pay
no attention to what others do to thee ;
be busied with thine own improvement.
When thou hast learned this, thou hast
mastered a great secret. Egotism is at the
bottom of everything. Root out egotsim.
And as for passion, keep careful guard.
Thou canst not be SURE of victory over it
until thy body is laid at the burning-ghat.
Make thy mind the shmasana (Funeral
ground) and burn into ashes all thy desires
if thou desirest to be free even in life.
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 81
'Thou must learn 'blind* obedience.
What art thou but a child! Hast thou
any real knowledge? Be led along the
path, even as a child is led. Give thyself
up entirely to my wishes. Am 1 not even
as a mother unto thee in my love? And
yet I am as a father unto thee as well,
inasmuch as I do not spare the rod of
chastisement. ^Ifc^thou wouldst be a
Master, first of all learn how to be a dis
ciple. Discipline is whai thou requirest.
^'Before,* thy enthusiasjn for my cause
was boyish and effervescent. Now it is
becoming tempered by true insight. The
1 ild is thoughtless, the yotTth is wilful ;
?Mrii man that is worth while. My in
tention is to make a man of J&ee in the
spiritual sense. I would have thee deep,
responsible, earnest, well-disciplined, and
make manifest thy loyalty and love for
me in steadfastness and sincerity of
character. March forward. My love and
blessings are ever with thee."
XIX
In the hours of meditation I heard the
Voice addressing me : —
"Have no bitterness in thine heart. Be
candid with thyself. Root out all false
notions with regard to ^kyself. Root out
all false attachment. See Divinity instead
of body. See thyself as others see thee.
Above all, have' no false self-Commisera
tion. Be strong ! If thou must have faults, •
let them be the faults of a lion.
'The Law is mighty. It will crush thy
heart and shatter thy personality in exact
ratio to thy self-will. But it will also lead
thee to true Self-knowledge. Base thy
faith, therefore, on the Law. Action
breeds reaction. Therefore let thy actions
proceed from purity of heart and thought.
Then shalt thou know Peace.
"Under the name of sentiment often
times a multitude of sins is covered; at
bottom the grossest physical instincts may
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 83
be at work. Throwing a cloth of gold
•over them does not mend matters. .One
is liable to idealise the purely physical
sensations as lofty emotions. But des-
crimination tears off the disguise and
teaches that J^lsje__attachmei>t is always
.self-centred, dominating, cruel and con
science-less. It is wilful, blind, and body-
bound. True love, on the contrary, is
pure, related to the Spirit, gives infinite
freedom to the beloved one_ and it is full
of wisdom and self-renunciation. Vomit
out from thy heart, accordingly, all attach
ment and misplaced sentiment. And once
you have done it, as thou wouldst not
as much as look at thy vomit, being
repelled, do not even as much as think of
attachment. It is bondage, terrible
bondage. Remember this, and march on
bravely to Freedom's Goal !
"Monasticism is the highest of all
vocations. By cutting thyself loose from,
all bondage^ thoujdost help alMhat have
known thee shall ever come into thy life.
By Self-realisation the monk fulfils all
84 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
duties. By his self-sacrifice others are
redeemecL Be thou a monk in thy heart
and deeds. Depend on nothing or on no
one. Give others their freedom and be
thou thyself free.
"Be not disheartened because of thy
disadvantages, for thy very disadvantages,
given a spiritual direction, shall be trans
figured into advantages ^ Spiritualise thy
feeling; Then, when no malice or nervous
irritation exists in thy nature, thou shalt
stand on thy ground, and yet be a light
and a help unto many, though thou
shouldst not e'en see them. Be a lion;
then all weakness will fall away from thee.
Aspire to be a God; then the limitations
of thy body-consciousness will disperse.
Thou shalt become pure Spirit. Take thy
lesson from the sublime phenomena of
nature, — the mountains, the vast seas and
shining suns. Become one with strong
things.
"Self-regeneration, my son, is a long
and painful process. Before thou canst
grow, is is necessary that thou be over-
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 85
whelmingly frank with thyself. All veils
of self-excuse or self-commiseration must
be rent asunder by repeated experiences
of pain and the humiliation of thy pride.
There can be no foolishness with God and
no hypocrisy with thine own soul. The
finest and best must come forth. Be
grateful, therefore, for each messenger of
pain, that reveals at once thy weakness
and thy Self to thee. Exclaim, 'Blessed,
blessed pain ! '
"A little learning has made thee an
intellectual egotist; a greater learning will
make thee spiritual. Remember that mind
is not the Soul. So let experience pound
the mind as it will. It will purify it. That
is the main thing. Gradually the Sun of
the Soul will pierce the dark clouds of
ignorance; and then the goal shall be
revealed to thee, and thou shalt be merged
in its effulgence."
XX.
Continuing his instructions, the Guru
said :
"Inch by inch I shall master thy per
sonality. Step by step thou shalt be forced
nearer unto me. For I am thy Lord and
God, and I shall not tolerate any idols of
sense or sense-idealised thought between
me and thee. Rend the veils, my son !
Rend the veils ! * '
Then knew I that the Guru himself
had become responsible for me. A great
burden seemed to have fallen off from
me. He continued :
"The mystical experience is good, but
better than the mystical experience is the
consciousness that character brings.
Character is everything; and character can
come only through renunciation. ^Pain
and affliction draw out the powers of the
Soul ""and make character. Welcome
them ! See the divine opportunities these
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 87
create. 'Diamond cuts diamond,' as the
saying goes, and pain alone conquers in
stinct. Blessed, blessed pain ! The preat
devotee, Kunti, prayed that her lot might
always be afflication, in order that there
by she might always remember the Lord.
My son, hers was a true prayer. Do thou
pray likewise. If thou lovest me, know
that pain will bring thee all the closer unto
me, and thy higher nature will shine forth,
'' The -mortal must be crushed out and
crucified, if the immortal is to be made
manifest. The real 'You* is behind the
temporary configuration of consciousness.
No insularity, my son ! Thyself having
adopted a certain course in the spiritual
Me, why ^become fanatic therein? God
is not to be realised in one way, but in
every way. Wheresoever there is glory
or greatness, there the Lord Himself is
manifest. Break down all walls ! _No
special bounds are assigned to thee. Be
all-sided; thy sole duty lies in self-perfec
tion; Who commanded thee to preach
any one idea to the exclusion of all others !
88 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
Who commanded thee to frreach at all ?
I have opened thine eyes to some extent.
\Before, thy vision was blurred. Now,
Ithou art coming to know that before thou
shalt teach others, thou must train thyself.
Beware of conceit ! Underlying so much
of seeming selflessness and seeming as
piration to do work is this deep-rooted
i passion. Verily, egoism is the greatest
curse. Harness thyself first! With thy
mind running hither and thither, how canst
thou hope to do good unto others? Con
centration is the first thing needed. Thy
surface consciousness is as wayward and
as untutored as that of a rebellious child.
What is wanted is that thou dost bring the
depth of thee, the real man that thou art,
to the surface. This being god at one
moment and slave to passion at another,
will never do ! My boy, character, as I
have said repeatedly, is the only test of
Vision.
"The glamour of romance and idealism
stands between to-day and the days of
Buddha and the Rishis. The earth was
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 89
then the same as now. The summer was
hot, the winter cold, passion held sway in
the hearts of men, and poverty and
wealth, health and sickness were side by
side. There were jungles and mountains
and rivers, and cities and bazaars; and
death then as now stalked everywhere.
The same difficulties were to be contended
with. Buddha looked upon the same
world as thou thyself dost look upon. So
the same realisation is possible. Set thy
self to the task ! The Vedas themselves
were expired in exactly as human an en
vironment as thou seest to-day. Set thy
self to the task, my boy !
"It is the conscious mind that must
be taken in hand. This is the instrument
which, when perfected, will enable thee
to explore the hidden depths of the sub
conscious mind and to burn out old Sams-
karas which, now and then, rush up from
beneath the threshold. And by this same
conscious mind, spiritualised, the highest
Superconsciousness may be atttained.
From the known, man proceeds to
90 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
the Unknown. Knowledge is the con
quest gained through the expansion of
the conscious mind. More and more of
the infinite territory of thought is acquired.
The end is, — Omniscience. True know
ledge, my son, is not material, but spiri
tual. It is the man that is revealed through
knowledge, not the thing I
"True knowledge is always a process
of conscious realisation. The assimilation
of ideas, like the assimilation of food,
touches and acts upon the conscious per
sonality. The nervous system must assi
milate ideas. Then the very body itself
becomes full of chaitanya. The very body
is made Spirit. It was in this sense that
some of the Masters have said, 'Even
physically I am chinmayal' That is why
even physical service to the Guru is privi
lege. The body itself then becomes Spirit
in the process.
"One of the greatest tasks thou shalt
master, my son, is Self-communion. Now
thy concentration is largely dependent on
circumstances and environment. Thou
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 91
findest need to commune with others.
But other minds may give thee only the
stimulus. Thou thyself to thyself dost
speak even when speaking to another.
But knowledge, the true stimulus, should
come from within. Why depend on an
other ! Like a rhinoceros march on
alone !
"Mind itself becomes the Guru, my
child. This is an old teaching. And
why? Because, pressing in upon the
mind for Self-realisation is the Divinity
thou art. I and all others are only aspects
of the Great Reality. The consciousness
that I wore on thy plane, when in the
body, was, as it were, only a window
through which thou dost behold the In
finite. But that consciousness which was
/, I myself make effort to merge in the
Divine. What is Real in me, what is
Real in thee, is that Brahman ! Worship
the Brahman, my boy, Worship that
Brahman alone ! * '
XXI
Then quoth a Voice, speaking of the
glory of the Guru unto my soul :
"Child, have unbounded faith in thy
Guru. Through His mercy, through His
illumination thy very inmost Soul has
been resurrected. He has sought thee
out, and through Him thou hast been
made whole. The realisation of the Guru
descends in torrents upon the disciple. It
is ceaseless ; and nothing can resist it.
His love for thee knows no bounds. To
all lengths He shall go for thee. Never
shall He desert thee. His very love is
proof of His Divinity, and even His curse
is blessing in disguise.
"The Realisation of thy Guru is a
thing, present and concrete before thee !
Through the transfiguration of His Nature,
thou dost verily perceive the Divine.
There is no other path for thee. Give
thyself over wholly and entirely to the
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 93
Guru. What, at bottom, are even all the
Gods? He who has realised His Nature
is the greatest Divinity. Man, seeing the
great glory of Him who has realised the
Self, perceives that Realisation in mani
fold forms. The Guru is more than per
sonality ; through Him, all aspects of the
Divine shine forth. Is He not Siva Him
self ! Of the Great Guru, Siva Himself is
only an aspect. Meditate on thy Guru as
Siva, as thy Ishtam, and at the supreme
moment of Realisation thou shalt find the
Nature which is the Guru merged in thy
Ishtam. Before thee stands one, made
Incarnate Divinity through Self-Realisa-
tion. What then shalt thou have with
abstract Gods or theological conceptions !
Wheresoever thou shalt go, He shall
follow thee. Because, for the sake of
helping mankind, He has renounced even
Nirvana itself. In this He is verily an
other Buddha. That He has realised His
Nature makes His personality all the more
real, all the more powerful. Having at
tained the Brahman-Consciousness, He is
94 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
empowered with superhuman life and
knowledge. All the gods bow down to
Him who has become Brahman. Through
the perspective of thy Guru-worship, see
all the Divinity that IS. Thus all shall
be made one, and the highest Advaita
Consciousness shall be gained. For the
Guru shall be seen in larger and ever
larger perspectives, even according to the
enlargement of thine own Jnanam and thy
Bhakti. Through the supreme expansion
of personality, the Highest Selflessness
which is the Self is realised. There, Guru,
God and thyself, aye, the whole universe,
are made One. That is the Goal. See
the Guru through the perspective of the
Infinite. That is the highest Wisdom.
Through Guru-bhakti thou walkest on the
highest path.
"In one sense, the Divine Man is more
real even than Pure Godhead. Thou
canst only understand the Father through
the Son. Before even thou dost worship
God, worship the God-man ! Apart from
the Brahman-realised Consciousness of
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 95
Man, where is there God ? Guru-worship
is the highest for the disciple, because
through thy worship of the personality of
the Guru, all sense even of personality
shall ultimately be lost. Wider and wider
become the horizons of the spiritual vision.
First the physical presence is required ;
then comes the worship of the person of
the Guru. The next step is the going
even beyond the physical presence and
the worship of the Guru, for the Guru
teaches that the body is not the Soul.
Like a child has the disciple to be edu
cated. From the physical to the percep
tion of the Guru's message and ideas ;
from the person to the principle. Mind
and body cannot count in that supreme
of all intimate relationships. The very
Soul of the Guru is transmitted through
lofty and still loftier realisations. More
and more does the personality of the
disciple merge in the Guru-Nature, while
all the time the Guru's personality is seen
to merge more and more into That of
which even His body had been a mani-
% IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
festation. Then the sublimest Oneness is
attained. The waters of the dual person
alities of Guru and disciple become the
Ocean of the Infinite Brahman ! For the
attainment of that Supreme Beatitude,
wilt thou not go wheresoever He com
mands ! For His sake, if He so wills,
thou wilt gladly go through a thousand
births and deaths. For thou art His
loving servant ; His will is thy Law. Thy
will has become the instrument of His
will. To follow Him — that is thy Dharma !
For, as the Scriptures say, 'Verily, the
Guru is God, the Guru is Brahma, Vishnu
and Mahadeva. He is indeed the Supreme
Brahman ! There is none higher than
the Guru ! '
XXII
Then, in another hour of meditation,
the Guru, spoke : —
"My son, at any moment the hour that
brings death may come ; make therefore
the most of life. When a lofty inspiration
visits thy soul, seize it avariciously, lest
through thy sin of omission it is lost
utterly. For every ideal sentiment, there
is a practical realisation. The method of
realisation is equally as important as the
perception of the ideal itself. What is all
grandiloquent talk compared with an
ounce of practice ? Talk may rouse
emotion, but both time and feeling are
wasted unless thou dost assume the res
ponsibility the ideal demands of thee.
Have no hypocrisy in thine heart. Throw
not a cloth of gold over thy inaction and
call it resignation. Behind all thy lack of
response to spiritual stimuli, be sure there
is always the physical consideration. If
7
98 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
it should enter thy mind to take some
daring course in the spiritual life, it is
likely that thy body shall arise, asking,
*Mind, shall it be comfortable?' Ah, for
the sake of physical reason how far short
hast thou fallen from the ideal !
"My son, courage is as much needed
in the spiritual life as it is in the struggles
which ensue in the world. As much per
severance as the miser has in hoarding
gold, as great courage as the warrior has
in rushing forth to meet the foe, so much
perseverance, so great a courage must
thou possess to accumulate the treasures
that are imperishable and to master once
for all the body and the body-conscious
ness. That is the secret that lies behind
realisation in any form — indomitable courr
age, courage that knows no jear., Develop
the powers for self -analysis, then shalt
thou find that when thou dost fail to take
up bofcRy the life of true renunciation, it
is because of the promptings of thy body
which seeks to satisfy the narrow and
selfish desires of the mortal self.
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 99
"But this body must be rooted ottt.
It must go in some definite resolve to
realise one's srelf as Spirit. Boy, take one
plunge into the dark, and thott shalt find
the very darkness hath become the light.
Cut off all bonds, or rather subordinate
the body to the greatest bonds, that of
the morrow *s uncertainty, and immediate
ly thou shalt find that thou hast gained
the highest freedom and that the body
itself will become the servitor of the Soul.
"Bold steps are needed in the life
spiritual as in the life temporal. He who
risks not can never hope to gain. Throw
the body overboard into the sea of un
certainty ; be like the wandering monk,
attached neither to person, place or
things, and though thou lose the body,
thou shah gain the Soul. Boldness is the
one thing needed, the boldness of a tiger
in the jungle. Only strong hands can
rend the veils of iMaya. Speculation will
never do ; manliness is what is wanted.
So long as there is fear for the body, so
long there can be no realisation for the
100 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
soul. Think of the sacrifices made by
the worldly in worldly pursuits. Wilt
thou not make sacrifice in the spiritual
pursuit? Is God to be realised by
eloquence or by mere form ! Get out
from under all sheltering influences.
Come out into the open. Make the In
finite thy horizon. Let the whole universe
be the field in which thou dost wander !
"Thou must welcome, all gyperience I
Come out of thy narrow grooves ! Fear
lessness will make _thee free^ As it is
certain that in life Dharma alone is true,
so it is equally certain that Sannyasa is
alone the true spiritual path. Renuncia
tion like reh'gHHfrjfr not a form : it is ail-;
inclusive ; it is a condition of conscious
ness,, a state of personality. In realisa
tion thou thyself must come face to face
with God ; in renunciation thou thyself
must find the peace eternal. No one can
realise for thee ; for thee, likewise, no
one can renounce. Therefore, be brave
and stand on thine own feet. Who can
help thee save that which is the Self in
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 101
iheej* Making thine own mind thy Guru,
thine own Inner Self thy God, march forth
fearless as a rhinoceros. Let whatever
-experience come to thee, know that what
is affected is the body, not the Soul.
Have such faith a Ad firmness that nothing
can overpower thee. Then having re
nounced everything, thou shalt find that
all things are at thy command, and that
thou art no longer their slave. Beware of
false enthusiasm, however. Care nothing
either for^ pleasant or unpleasant sensa
tion. Simply go forth, without a path,,
without fear, with-it ™»orr^f Be thou the
true Sannyasin. Do not shelter thyself
under false notions. Tear all veils
asunder ; destroy all bonds ; overcome all
fear, — and realise the Self.
"Do not delay. Time is short and life
is fleeting. Yesterday is gone ; to-day is
flying fast ; to-morrow is already at hand.
Depend on God alone ! By renouncing
tthou obtainest_ajl ; byjrenouncing, thou
fulfillest all obligations^ ; by giving up thy_
life thou dost gain Eternal Life. For,
10? IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
what .c.th Sunce ? — the life of
the senses and sense-fed thought. Go
down into the deeps of thy personality !
There thou shalt see that already a mighty
undertow of the Spirit is at work^ which
shall sometime sooiT"lash &e indifferent
surface into a very tempest of renuncia-
tion and Godj-yi$ion. Believe in thy Self !
Long enough hast thou been indifferent.
Now be sincere ! Be tremendously
.ffflffrr£ ' Then all good things of the Soul
shall be thine."
XXIH
Again the Guru spoke : —
"Already the word has been spoken ;
the commands have already been given
thee. Now action is required. Teaching
without practice is of no avail. How
great would be thy sorrow that thou didst
not put resolution and insight into prac
tice long ago ! Having gained the path,
march bravely^on. What shall stand in
the way of one who has determined on
Self-realisation ! When thou {gtandest
alone, God shall be thy^conipgnion. thy
friend, thy all in all! Is it not better to
forsake all in order that the Presence of
God shall be felt all the more? When
thou dost renounce Nature, Nature her
self shall reveal her true beauty to thee.
Thus to thee everything shall become
spiritual. Even a blade of grass shall
speajk to thee of the
"When thou hast renounced all and
104 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
dost walk on lonely paths, remember that
my love and wisdom shall be with thee
always. Thou shalt be close, very close
unto me. Thou shalt gain further in
sight, increased purpose of will, and a
great increase of the universal sense.
Thou wilt become one with all things.
Renunciation, my boy, is the one path.
Imagine thyself dead to-day.
"However it may rebel, know that
sometime, somehow the body must be
sacrificed as a holocaust unto the Soul ;
the body-idea must be overcome. Thou
canst make the long path, pursued by
the lukewarm in spirit, short if thou art
sufficiently sincere. Take time by the
forelock. Take instant advantage of
opportunity. If by one leap thou canst
cross over the intervening barrier between
thyself as thou art and thyself as thou
shouldst become, hasten to do so. Turn
on thyself like a tiger on its prey.
Have no mercy on thy mortal self. Then
shall the Immortal Self in thee shine forth.
"Pay no attention to trivialities, my
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 105
son. What can details matter when the
Universal Itself has dawned upon thee?_
Details are purely physical. Centre not
thy mind upon them. Be concerned with
the One and not the many. Having the
spirit of Vairagyam, care not what details
of experience may come_to thee. Re
member that thou thyself art thine own
enemy as also thine own well-wisher.
With one stroke thou canst cut off the
bondage of a veritable host of past
Samskaras. The necessary spirit once
aroused in thee, the task wjll_ be_ an^ easy
one. And my grace and blessings shall
be with thee in the making and the
strengthening of thaj^ spirit. Trust, and it
shall be well with thee.
"Why concern thyself as to the
opinion of others? What can such an
attitude of mind avail thee? So long as
thou lookest for the regard of others, so
long thou mayest be sure that conceit
doth still hold the citadel of thine heart.
Be righteous in thine own eyes ; then
others may say what they will, thou shalt
106 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
take no heed. Seek no advice ; follow
thine own higher inclination. Only ex-
perience can teach thee. Waste not thy
time in idle speech. It will avail thee
nothing. Each^ is guided by his_ own
experience ; therefore who can advise
another? Depend on thyself in all ways.
Look to thyself for guidance, not to
another.
"Thy sincerity will make thee steacU
fast ; thy Steadfastness will bring thee__to
the goal. ^Thy sincerity will also make
thee resolute ; and thy resoluteness will
make thee overcome j*ll_fe££. My bless
ings upon thee ! My blessings upon thee
for ever ! ' *
XXIV
And the Voice of the Guru said : —
"My son, draw thyself within the
Innermost ! Outward things are like
darts and arrows that do but bruise the
soul. Make thine Inner Self thy true
abode. The great Magi Solomon hath
said, 'Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!'
Ah indeed so ! What is even the treasure
of the whole world at the moment of
death ! How well also did Nachiketas of
Upanishadic fame know ! He conquered
Yama himself through that great victory
which renunciation brings. _A11_ that which
possesses form must suffer death, —the
fate of all form. Even the mind itself is
a form. It, too, is subject to change and
to disintegration. Go thou, therefore, be
yond both mind and form.
From the highest standpoint nothing
matters. In the supreme sense, once thou
jiast given thine heart to thy Lord, nothing
108 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
<;an bind thee. This should give thee a
wonderful sense of freedom and expan
sion. This should make thee fearless.
Love is the greatest power. By the power
of love all veils which blind thy vision of
the Beloved One can easily be rent
asunder.
"Purify the mind! Purify the mind!
That, once and for all, is the whole and
only meaning of religion. Develop
continuity of thought along the highest
line. More and more develop consistency
of purpose. Then nothing can withstand
thee. Thou shalt move unto thy goal as
readily as the eagle flies. O that one
could think at all times of the Highest !
That in itself would be Freedom.
"Rouse thyself from thy sluggishness!
Reconstruct thy whole nature. Open
thine eyes to the beauty which is every
where. Commune with Nature. She
shall teach thee many lessons, now un
known to thee. She shall bring to thee
great calm of personality. See the
Invisible Divinity even in the visible uni-
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 109
verse about thee. Be the witness ! The
actor is burdened with the effects of ac
tion ; if thou must act, even in action be
thou the witness. Concern thyself with
nothing but Self-realisation and self-
analysis. Strengthen that which in thee
is best. Pay no attention to the opinions
of others. Be strong! Make thy very
own self thy Guru. Saturate it to such an
extent with great purposes and ideas, that
of itself it shall seek and express the high
est. Once strengthened it shall arouse it
self, and things undreamed-of shall be
revealed to thee.
"Refrain from criticism! Art thou thy
brother's keeper ! Art thou the custodian
of his actions ! Who has placed thee as
a judge above him ! Blot out the slight
est memory of another's evil conduct.
Be thou concerned with thyself. Thou
shalt find enough in thee to condemn and
criticise. And yet thou shalt also find
enough to give thee joy. For each unto
himself shouFd be his own universe. ^Let
the human in thee die, so that the Divine
110 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
shall be revealed. Is it not better to be
at peace ! Disturb thyself about nothing !
Trust not in_man, btrt ift GdtTT JHe will
lead and guide thee.
"Stand like a rock in this samsara, the
sea of unrest. Walk through this inter
minable jungle of the manifold like a lion.
Omnipotence is behind thee ; but first
crush out all desire for earthly or purely
physical power. With the sword of dis
crimination cut hi twain all that comes of
Maya within thy path. Dictate to none ;
let none dictate to thee! Be unafraid of
death, for if it should overtake thee even
at this moment, know that thou art al
ready on the Path_and walk on fearlessly.
Death is only an incident in a larger Hfe.__
Even beyond death the possibilities and
opportunities for spiritual progress exist.
There is no end to what one may become.
Everything depends on individual effort,
and the Mercy of God is always at hand.
"Study everything about thee ; and
thou shalt find that for thee in every-
thing there is a spiritual message. The
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 1 1 1
One reigns supreme, the One that is in
every aspect of the Many. Worship the
Omnipresent Unity even when the mani
fold, by its distracting variety, would give
the lie thereto. Appearances deceive, as
the proverb says, but it is man's duty to
detect this deception and see Reality be
hind all appearance. Each is the custo
dian of his own Karma : each is the
breaker of his own bondage ; each must
for himself discover Reality.. There is no
other way. Each stands on his own
ground ; each must fight his own battles .:
and Realisation is always a wholly indi
vidual experience. Ultimately, each is
his own Saviour.and his ownJLo_rd. For
the E^iyinity^That-Is shall shine as the
Unit Whole_ through each^and every frag^
jnent of personality. Such is the teach
ing. That is to be realised. And That
realised, the Great Goal will have been
attained."
XXV
Again the Voice of the Guru spoke
unto my soul : —
"Treat thy body as though it were a
thing apart from thee. If thou shah say
unto it, 'Do this,' that it shall do. The
Master has said, 'Imagine thyself seated
as a clock upon the mantelpiece and
study thy daily comings and thy goings.
Thou shalt find how vain and useless
most of them are.' Therefore cease placing
any undue importance or attachment upon
the incident of the hour. Ignore the
physical, if thou canst not spiritualise it.
To bring Divinity even into commonplace
daily life is difficult, indeed ; but that is
the test. It is not only upon the Heights,
but in the valleys, as well, that we must
come face to face with God. How truly
concentrated that mind that can gather
glimpses of the Spirit even from the most
ordinary circumstances !
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 1 13
"Root out the slightest trace of
egotism. The more thou dost study thy
personality, the more shalt thou find that
egotism rushes forth in almost every ex
perience, whether of action or of thought.
Egotism is not only to be overcome, but
verily to be entirely crushed out. Even
in self-blame or self-pity this cursed
phenomenon is seen to exist. The true
man of Realisation blames neither others
nor himself. He ignores circumstances^
being covered with migntierjjiings.
"See thyself as already dead. Even iri
life separate thyself from the body. See
the spirit, not the form of things. Then,
in thy new and clearer vision the whole
of life shall be seen in a new light and be
made manifest to thee in new, and loftier
and altogether spiritual forms.
"Reflect much on the immense conti
nuity of mental and moral experience.
That man is born and re-born, until pro
gress has become merged in perfection,
will then become self-evident. Each is
creating, through thought, desire and ac-
8
114 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
tion, a world of which he himself should
be the governor. It is not one, but
innumerable bodies which the soul creates
in its effort to sound the very bottom of
the ocean of objective experience and
pass beyond such experience into the full
and subjective consciousness of Pure
Spirit.
"Kill out any hankering for the occult
and merely speculative. The increase of
false knowledge or the acquisition of so-
called psychic powers, in and_Jp_r thpii-n.-
selves, is pernicious as it intensifies the eg<3
and makes for _a^ded_selfishnes.s. The
extension of consciousness in various ways
in the spirituaTprocess is an acknowledged
phenomenon, and strictly incidental.
Wken this, however, is placed superior
to the aim of Self-realisation, the process
on the Path is hampered a myriad-fold.
Beware of the ego as thou wouldst beware
of a mad dog. As thou wouldst not
touch poison, or play with a poisonous
snake, even so keep aloof from psychic
powers and those who pretend to these
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 1 15
Let all the facultie^ofjhy mind and heart
be directed to the Lord. What else shall
be the aim in the spiritual life !
"Be independent! By all means, be
independent! Place diy trusty in thine
own possibilities and the mercy of the
?_upreme- Faith in others will only make
thee more and more helpless and miser
able. If thou dost not believe in thyself.
the most painful experiences will force
flkee^to do so TT^e Law knows nothing
of sentiment or self-commiseration. It
shall grind thy animal nature into spirit
ual shape. It has but one aim, that oi
transforming thy character ! Why tarry,
then ? .Why pufcoff until another life that
which may be realised this very moment}
.Be sincere ! Be tremendously sincere !
Worthiness or unworthiness is not the
question. Thy salvation is assured ; for
thou shalt be forced into the higher life.
That is the destiny of each individual.
Divinity must be made manifest.
^*A glorious spiritual indifference is
likewise necessary. Why take notice of
116 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
the thousand and one irritating details the
day may bring forth? Be thou free ;
realise that all these are only the currents
of that mighty flow of past Samskara from
which thou must for ever sever thyself.
Let come what may ; let concerning thee
bcT~said whaT may. To thee all these
things must become as unsubstantial as a
mirage. If thou hast really renounced the
world, how canst thou be troubled any
longer ! Be consistent in effort as well as
in idea and ideal.
"In the galleries of art, the critic
studies various paintings, some ghastly
tragic, some radiantly beautiful, but he
himself is not actually Affected by the
emotions portrayed. Do thou similarly.
Life is an art-gallery ; experiences are,
as it were, so many paintings hung upon
the walls of time. Study them, if thou
dost choose to do so ; but free thyself
from any emotional interest. Study, but
be unaffected. Bearing this in mind thou
shalt become, in veryjtruth. the witness.
Study thy Tnind andall thy experiences
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 117
as a physician might study the body or
its diseases. Be unsparing in thy criti
cism of thyself. Then shalt thou truly
progress.
"The way is long. The process of
education necessitates repeated lives. But
one may live intensively^ and thus avoid
the circuitous paths which are trodden
by such as live extensively and only on
the surface of their personality. Think-
ing deeply and continuously on spiritual
subjects, and moulding desire into aspi
ration and passion into spiritual fervour,
— these are among the ways and means.
Determine to be consistent each hour
of the day until thy whole nature become
charged with the spiritual idea and inten
tion. Be always on the guard. Resign
everything to Him who is the Dispenser
of all good things. Embrace whatever
will keep thee steady on the spiritual path,
even though it be the fear of death. Thou
art the young plant that needs support; ^
catch hold of anything that makes thee
.strong. Cling unto it with might and
118 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
main. Be steady, sincere, earnest-mind-
ed, righteous, and avail thyself of each
moment and opportunity. Long is the
way; time is flying. Therefore, as I have
counselled repeatedly, set thyself to the
task, devoting thy whole soul to it, and
thou shalt reach the Goal ! ' *
XXVI
The Voice of the Guru spoke :
"My son, thou wilt be compelled to
learn that in this world there are certain
difficulties with which thou must meet
and which, because of thy past Karmas,
will appear for thee insurmountable. Do
not fret and fume over them. Know
that wherever there are worry and ex-
pectations in workA there is also the
blindest form of attachment. Having
done thy task, stand' aside ! Let the
work's own Karma float it as it will down
the stream of time. ^After having com-
pleted thy task let thy motto be 'Hands
offr Work to thine utmost, and then to
thine utmost be resigned. At all events,
never be discouraged, for the fruits of
work, be they good or ill, are all second
ary considerations. Give them up and
remember full well that in work \t is not
so much the perfection of work as the
120 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
perfection of personality^ through work
which should be the goal.
"Over thine own actions thou canst
have sway ; over the actions of another
thou hast no power. His Karma is one,
thine another. Do not criticise; do not
hope; do not fear! All shall be well.
Experience comes and goes, be thou not
disconcerted, Thou standest on sure
ground. Let experience teach thee to be
free, no matter what comes, do thou
never forge any more bondage. And art
Ihbu so foolish as to be bound down by
one from of work? Is not ...the scope of
my work "infinite ? Do not debase the
great ideals of Karma-Yoga and true
work by jealousy and attachment ! Let
not childish emotions have hold over
thee!
n^Pp hot expect; do not anticipate.
Let Samskara float thy personality
withersoever its currents may lead. Re
member^ that thy true Nature is the
Ocean, ,and be unconcernecT Know the
mind to be the body in a subtle form.
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 121
Therefore make thy Austerity a mental
one. Regard all thy moods as mere body-
moods; remain aloof; tlioil! art th* ftm.il.
Be concerned only with thy Self; lead
thou thine own life. Be true to thyself.
"My son, take life calmly. At all
times, be at peace. Agitate jjiyself over^
^notEing^ Thy physical natitre is too
nervously Rajasika. But ':ib$e ^nol thy_
Rajas ; spiritualise it ; that is the secret.
TTave thyself so well under control that
at any moment thou canst quiet thy
active nature and remain altogether in
the meditative state. Be all-sided ! Let
thy relations with those with whom
Karma brings thee into contact be such
tEat : thou dost bear witness to the great-^
ness that is within them. And if thou
must see faults, see first the beam in
thine own eye rather than the mote in
thy brother's eye. Be not overwhelmed
by the experience of the hour. Ten days
hence what doth it matter !
"The whole meaning of the religious
life is to get rid of Ahamkara or egoism.
122 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
So deep-rooted is it that, like the cause of
a deep-seated disease, it is most difficult
to discover. It disguises itself under a
myriad forms; but of all its disguises
none is so treacherous and so evil as the
spiritual disguise. Believing carelessly
that thou dost work for spiritual purposes
thou shalt find, that at bottom it may
often be selfish motives that do influence
thee. Therefore, keep thou a sharp look
out. It is only by the conquest and
utter extinction of personality that the
Sublime Impersonal can be understood
and realised. To die to one's selMn order
that one may truly live, thafc isirtfae aim
or the Jife spiiituaL Satisfied with will-
o'-the-wisps, many fail to see the sun.
Real immortality can be gained only
when ^selfish peooi>ality is completely
destroyed. Remember that ! Fix the
mind on the Impersonal ! It is the Light
of the Most High that shines through a
self-conquered personality. When that
Light shines fullest, then the Effulgence
of Nirvana is made manifest."
XXVII
In the silence of the hour of meditation,
the Voice of the Guru spoke unto my
soul these blissful words : —
"My son, so long as there <nfe ideas, so
long will the form-aspects of idea persist,
For this reason the gods and all spiritual
realities are true essentially. The spheres
of the universe are innumerable. But
in and through them all shines the
splendour of Brahman. When thou dost
realise Brahman, then for thee, all planes
and spheres and conditions of con
sciousness are made one. Therefore,
accept all truths and worship all aspects
of Divinity. Be catholic and universal.
Widen the scope of religion, see the
religious spirit as a possibility in all the
walks of life. WTieresoever experience —
whatever be its character — be interpreted
spiritually, there the Voice of the Lord
may be heard. Learn to see the other
124 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
side in all matters. Then shalt thou
never become a fanatic. Through the
spiritual consecration even the most
menial act may become divine. See the
whole universe as permeated with the
Divine Life. Eradicate all sense of
distinction; destroy all narrowness of
vision; widen the perspective until it' be
comes infinite and all-inclusive. 'Where
soever there is righteousness/ saith the
Lord, 'know that there I am manifest/
The hedge around the young tree is use
ful; but the sapling must become the
wide-spreading banyan, giving shelter and
protection to all that comes within its
shadow. Similarly, the sense of distinc
tion may be useful for the growth of
special ideas, but the time must come
when the particular idea assumes a
universal aspect. Be broad, my son, be
broad. Make it an instinct to be broad-
minded. For what is to be achieved
intellectually must be achieved emotional
ly as well.
"Regard the whole universe with
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION \2">
equal_loye ; through loyalty in thy in
dividual friendship, come to understand
that in each individualised life shines,
potentially, that same beautiful Light thou
dost behold in him whom thou hast called /
by the sweet name of 'brother.' Be
universal ! Love even thine enemy.
These distinctions between friend and foe
are only phenomena of the surface.
Deep, deep, below it is all Brahman.
Learn to see the Divine in everything and
everyone^ and yet be sufficiently guarded
so as to avoid the unpleasantness and
clash of temperament. In the highest sense
the truest relationship is that which is
relationless, and therefore spiritual. Learn
to recognise the Universal instead of the
particular, the Soul instead of the physical
personality. Then to thy friend thou shalt
be bound closer; even death shall not
separate ye, and, having overcome all
distinction, in thine own self there shall
be, also, no awareness of an enemy. See
that which is beautiful in every form, but
worship instead of craving to possess.
126 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
Let every soul and form have a spiritual
message for thee.
"All ideas are relative to the tempera
ment from which they proceed; therefore,
in listening to another, see the realisation-
side instead of the logic of his speech;
then no argument shall ensue and thine
own realisation shall receive new impulses.
Then know, also, that silence is often
times golden and that to speak and argue
is to dissipate thy forces; and remember
never to cast thy pearls before swine.
All emotions are likewise relative to tem
perament; therefore be the witness, in
stead of being the attached one. Know
that both thinking and feeling are in Maya.
But Maya itself must be spiritualised; let
thy self be Self-possessed therefore, and
remain unattached. For what thou mayest
think and feel to-day may not move
thee on the morrow. And above all know
that, in thy real nature, thou art indepen
dent of both idea and emotion. These
only help to reveal that which is truly
thy Self; therefore let thy thoughts and
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 127
feelings be great, universal and above all
selfishness. Then, even in this dense
darkness of the Samsara, thou shalt see, —
though it may be at first but dimly — the
Everlasting Light."
XXVIII
The Guru spoke :
"Make no pjansj it is_only the worldly-
minded that plan. Be independent of
circumstance; make uncertainty thy
certainty and live in strict accordance
with the Sannyasin's vows. Why
any heed to what the n^rrow^m
Live the present as thou dost find it
in the noblest way. Associate the namejjf
thy Beloved One with each single circum
stance of thy past, present or future ex
periences. Thus they will be spiritualised.
Regard them as thou wouldst study paint
ings on the wall. The subjects they
represent may be tragic, commonplace or
fascinating; be thou only the critic. Be
they good or evil, know that the Self in
thee doth stand apart from all experiences.
"And as for organisations, appreciate
their usefulness, the greatness of the ideas
they embody, but remain thou unidenti-
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 129
fied. The religious life is purely^ personal^
and subjective^ It_may be born_in__a
church but it must outlive it. Through
law beyondTaw is the path of Realisation.
Know that and be free. Carry on work
as it doth come to thee and be indepen
dent therein. If there must be organisa
tion, let it be the organisation of ideas;
but never labour for the extension of a
purely organised form. No organisation
can save thee; thou must save thyself.
Generally speaking, organisations, how
ever spiritual and unsectarian their intent,,
degenerate into worldliness. Beware of
any churchianity . Keep aloof from any
dogmatism and fanaticism. Be all-inclu
sive.
"Be always true and loyal to the source
from which thou hast received thy inspira
tion. Have faith and love; have hope
and be patient. All these veils of illusion
shall be soon rent asunder for thee, and
thou shalt behold me, thy Beloved One,
in my true nature. Be not bound down
by my nersonality, or rather thy notion
9
130 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
of it. I am not that which was in earth-
life associated, like thine own personality,
with limitation and human weakness.
That personality I assumed; my real
Mature is That which inspired my
teaching there. Know me as I am, not
I -as I was. Know me subjectively as thy
Self and then thou shalt see the Self in
\ all; then all sense of limitations and mani-
foldness will have no power over thee.
/ am not external; I dwell within the
Innermost. I live in thy thought; I am
with thee in thy aspiration. Space and
time relations have no power over the
Soul, and cannot stand in the way of
spiritual communion. 1 am thy Antary-
min. Know me as such; and whether
thou art born a myriad years apart from
me, whether even at death the separating
veils are not destroyed, that matters not.
In Love and in Realisation there are no
barriers. I may even have need that thou
shouldst labour and exist phenomenally
apart from me; but I see through the veils,
even though thou dost not. I am present
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 131
eternally with thee, whether thou art aware
or not. The time shall come, however,
when thou shalt be made aware. The
tusks of the elephant having gone out~i
ward, never turn inwards; even so the!
love and insight of the Guru, having been|
once bestowed, have been bestowed for|
ever.
"By having become my servant thou,
hast freed thyself. Thy liberation is in
very ratio to thy service unto me. And
know, that though thou dost labour for
me, more precious in mine eyes than thy
labour in my cause is the love and fidelity
thou dost bear for me. The universe is
infinite and time is eternal, but I am
always at thy beck and call.
"Thou standest in need of no forms;
it is the monastic spirit, not the monastic
garb, that is of importance, and the true
Sannyasa is the Vidwat-Sannyasa, — the
Sannyasa which is conterminous with
illumined Insight. Let thy name be that
of one striving for the goal. There is 1
infinite development in the monastic life. 1
132 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
The form is nothing; the life is everything.
"Be like Indra in thy strength. Be
like the Himalayas in thy steadfastness.
Above all be selfless, and hold communion
with thy Self. Let thy Mantram be my
Name. Let thy Yoga be the union of
thy soul with mine, thy Realisation be the
conscious knowledge, that in the heart
of things I and thou are ever One.
Distinction is death; Sameness is Life.
"Thou hast heard my Voice; thou
hast received my teaching; now obey
implicitly ; love infinitely ; work selflessly.
Be thou my instrument ; let thy very
personality be mine. Say, 'Shivoham!
Shivoham!' 'I am He! 1 am He!'
"This whole universe is Brahman;
That which is alike the Brahman in thee
and in me, — seek that Brahman, realise
that Brahman in thyself and in all as the
One Absolute Existence, Knowledge and
Bliss, and be free, be free!"
XXIX
Hearing these words of the Guru in
the hours of meditation day by day, I
was made conscious of the real relation
between the Guru and disciple. An im
movable, eternal Realisation hath become
mine; and in life or in death, near or
apart, I know tKat a Great, Living
Presence is always nigh, Presence that
is unconfined by Time or Space, a Pres-
-jiite that catt:kriow no s^ftafratipn. And
^to^thfi Guru I dried out, the' while a Great
Light surrounded me : —
"Thou hast raised me up from dark
ness by Thy Grace. Thou hast taken me
as I was — a mere nothingness — and hast
made me what I am — a devotee who is
conscious of infinite strength within him.
From long since have I heard Thy Voice,
and I listened as one intoxicated by some
overwhelming music, — some music pre
viously unheard. But my own response
134 IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION
was noisy and effervescent; and I under
stood not that w_hich I had heard. Before,
the Light on Thy countenance was too
august, and I did not behold Thee as
Thou art. Thus, ignorantly and wantonly
I did waste the treasures Thou didst
so freely bestow; and lo, I have sinned
as the vilest sinner even in Thy very
Presence, inflicted my iniquities upon the
very Love and Blessings Thou didst show
unto me. I was most unworthy of Thee.
\Jn my conceit, I forgot Thee and did
place myself on the pedestal of a leader
of men]«o that people might say of me,
'Lo, he is great!' But now, O Lord, I
have come to understand. With impure
hands I defiled Thy teaching and dese
crated Thy Presence. But Thy Mercies
have been infinite; and Thy Love for me
hath been inexpressible. Verily, Thine
is the Divine Nature. Even greater than
a mother's love for her own child,
is Thy love for Thy disciple. O Lord,
Thou hast scourged me with
Power until I am made whole, and
IN THE HOURS OF MEDITATION 135
Jgoulded me as jhe^jtotter moulds his
clay into whatsoever shape he desires.
TKy~Mercy, Thy Patience, Thy Sweet-
ness are Infinite. I adore Thee ! I adore
Thee ! I adore Thee ! Le^my hands, feetT
tongue, eyes, ears — my teiitfce body, let
my mind, will, emotidns^-^my whole
personality, be off ere? aVa
purified in the flames of my Devotion
unto Thee. My good, my evil. — all that
which I was, am or sFiatf be ever. life upon
Treated jjTe—I consecrate to Thee. Thou
alone art my God and Salvation! Thot
art mj^ own' Higher Self! L&T me possess
nothing; let me have 'ho other home than
Thy Heart. Let my life be a radiance of
purity now and for
Hari Om Tat Sat!"
XXX
And ever afterwards in tha hours of
meditation I felt a Living Presence within
and about me; and filled with ecstasy I
heard and repeated the great Mantram :
"Om! Thy very Self am I ever and
ever !
"Thine is the Strength Infinite!
"Arise! Awake and stop not till the
Goal i« reached !
"Thou art Brahman ! Thou art Brahman !'
Om! Om! Om !
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