Spiritual Discipline

By Sri Chinmoy

A God-seeker, like an Olympic athlete, must manifest his dream through daily spiritual discipline and practice. His prayer is his discipline. His meditation is his discipline.

In this book, Sri Chinmoy--an Olympian soul who reached the Golden Shore of God-realisation--conveys in simple yet soul-stirring words the importance of discipline in the spiritual life. He provides the sincere God-seeker with practical methods of establishing and maintaining the kind of daily, disciplined spiritual practice that will take the seeker to his Destined Goal.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sri Chinmoy
• Release date: Nov 2, 2013
• ISBN: 9781934972366

Sri Chinmoy

Sri Chinmoy was born in the small village of Shakpura in East Bengal, India (now Bangladesh) in 1931. He was the youngest of seven children in a devout family. In 1944, after the passing of both of his parents, he joined his brothers and sisters at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, a spiritual community near Pondicherry in South India. He prayed and meditated for several hours a day, having many deep inner experiences. It was here that he first began writing poetry to convey his widening mystical vision. He also took an active part in Ashram life and was an athletic champion for many years. Heeding an inner command, Sri Chinmoy came to the United States in 1964 to be of service to spiritual aspirants in the Western world. During the 43 years that he lived in the West, he opened more than 100 meditation Centres worldwide and served as spiritual guide to thousands of students. Sri Chinmoy’s boundless creativity found expression not only in poetry and other forms of literature, but also in musical composition and performance, art and sport. In each sphere he sought to convey the diverse experiences that comprise the spiritual journey: the search for truth and beauty, the struggle to transcend limitations, and the supremely fulfilling communion of the human soul with the Divine. As a self-described student of peace who combined Eastern spirituality and Western dynamism in a remarkable way, Sri Chinmoy garnered international renown. In 1970, at the request of U Thant, third Secretary-General of the United Nations, he began the twice-weekly peace meditations for delegates and staff members at UN headquarters that continue to this day. He offered hundreds of peace concerts, always free of charge, in the U.S. and many other countries. He founded the World Harmony Run, a biennial Olympic-style relay in which runners pass a flaming peace torch from hand to hand as they travel around the globe bearing the message of universal oneness. And he established the Oneness-Heart-Tears and Smiles humanitarian organization, which serves the less fortunate members of the world family by supplying food, medical and educational equipment and other urgent support. On 11 October 2007, Sri Chinmoy passed behind the curtain of Eternity. His creative, peace-loving and humanitarian endeavours are carried on worldwide by his students, who practise meditation and strive to serve the world in accordance with his timeless teachings.

Book preview

Spiritual Discipline

Spiritual Discipline

Compiled from the Writings of

Sri Chinmoy

AUM PUBLICATIONS NEW YORK

Sri Chinmoy’s first book,

Meditations: Food for the Soul,

was published in 1970.

Copyright © 2010 Sri Chinmoy Centre

Copyright © 2011 Sri Chinmoy Centre (ebook)

ISBN 978-1-934972-36-6

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced

without express written permission of the publisher.

Aum Publications

8610 Parsons Blvd.

Jamaica, New York 11432

Smashwords Edition

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part 1. Spiritual Discipline: A Seeker’s Guide

Part 2. Spiritual Discipline in Practice

Part 1.

Spiritual Discipline:

A Seeker’s Guide

Only a life of discipline

Has the capacity to run

Faster than the fastest

To the Infinite.

* * *

A life of discipline

Simplifies all the seeker’s human problems

And expedites his Godward journey

Far beyond the seeker’s own imagination.

Spirituality means discipline. Discipline means conscious progress. Conscious progress means the transcendence of nature. Man’s transcendence of his nature is his awareness of his immortal self for God-satisfaction in God’s own Way.

Discipline is always indispensable, especially in the beginning of the seeker’s spiritual adventure. Today we call something discipline; tomorrow we call that very thing a natural and spontaneous habit. Today’s forward movement carries us to tomorrow’s door. Once we are at the door, we do not even have to knock at the door. The Divine Owner opens the door from inside and then takes us inside to introduce us to three most important friends: Eternity’s Beauty, Infinity’s Delight and Immortality’s Light.

You will refuse to own yourself,

You are such a coward!

This is not something that your soul wants.

Your soul wants you to accept your life,

Discipline your life,

Fulfil your life.

Your soul wants nothing but that.

What the mind calls discipline, the heart calls a process by which we achieve something or gain something. The soul does not even call it a process. The soul feels that what we call discipline not only embodies the reality-delight but is the reality-delight itself.

Whenever we want to do something, immediately the mind vetoes it. Even if the mind itself wanted it two days ago or two years ago, that same thing the mind is now ready to veto. This is our tricky mind. Even if it wanted something yesterday, today it takes away its conscious willingness. With our heart or our vital we want something, but our mind immediately says, No, do not take it. So discipline in our ordinary life is nothing short of punishment, precisely because of the mind’s unwillingness.

Here in America you have not suffered from malaria and I hope nobody ever suffers from that disease. In India, how I suffered from malaria! Once my elder brother and I were attacked on the same day. You cannot imagine how painful it is. All the subtle nerves and gross nerves start dancing. Such pain! You simply shout and scream. Previously perhaps you did not know any acrobatics or special exercises, but as soon as you get malaria you become an expert. All our best acrobats you can challenge with your exercises. Pain compels you to do it. At any other time if you had asked me to do that kind of exercise, I would have said, Impossible! But when I had malaria, I was in such pain that I could do all kinds of acrobatics.

The only medicine for malaria is called quinine. It is extremely, extremely bitter. No other medicine is as bitter as quinine. But quinine is the saviour. If we do not accept the medicine, then how are we going to get rid of our fever?

Right now, ignorance lords it over us. Ignorance is our master, but we do not want this master anymore. We need somebody stronger than our present master who can overthrow him. We want knowledge to be our master. Knowledge comes in the form of discipline, which is like quinine. If we accept this discipline, then only can we conquer ignorance.