Summary: Teaches of the infinite potential latent in each soul. Explains that the sadhak should have the will to exceed himself and that in fact it is the very nature of the Eternal, deep within. Further explains that all difficult situations faced from the outside in establishing the Ashram are opportunities for growth.

There is a capacity latent in all of us. The reason why I sometimes push you to exceed yourself is so that you may grow in your versatility, and those potentials, those ‘arms’ may manifest. They are there, present. Of course one knows one’s limitations, but they are limitations, remember – and they can be overcome. This is the growing of life in its versatility and capacity.

Obviously there is a ground of faith and trust in oneself to be able to develop these potential capacities. You work with your limitations and yet remember those limitations can never limit you, for you are infinite – in your manifestation too, not only in terms of arriving at transcendence. And a lot of times you will see, under pressure you tend to produce the genius in you which is present in all. So it is from that attitude that I do: it is only out of love.

M.: It needs a lot of love for life for one to have the will to exceed oneself.

In your childlikeness you do have love for life. See the child in his playfulness? Things are easy for the child and there is a love for life. And you are never old – again this is also up to you, your attitude. Your body may age but your soul is forever young. And you will see, that brings the transformation in the body too – your attitude. This is part of the sadhana. It is easier when you come forth from playfulness, when you try out of playfulness. Then there is no arrogance in it. There is a childlike simplicity which is so akin to godliness. And yet one can try out even arrogance; but it is a different type of arrogance if one must call it arrogance. There is a pride in oneself and not a conceit, a pride that one can meet whatever life brings to oneself.

Deep within you there is the Eternal. If you could continue to seek there, and then from there come into life… Because the very nature of your being is to exceed itself; it has this quality in it, to always live for greater experience in terms of manifestation. It is inherent even in that feeling of wanting to live forever – joyfully, delightfully, increasingly. It is there. It is now maybe a spark – if you could turn that into a flame and then into a blazing fire! This is the process of sadhana. Of course it does not matter how long it takes, if you could remember and then see if it makes sense.

And it becomes easier if you use a support system initially. Say, if you were in love with God and said, “I do it for you my Lord, and for you I can do anything.” When you love someone you do more than exceed yourself at times, don’t you? Even if you were not able to manage, yet you have tried. That try one day will finally bring about the capacity: it has turned you towards the Eternal in you. Because the Eternal in you never says die. That is the power of the Eternal. This is why the manifestation of life is going through a process of evolution, meaning a greater and greater manifestation, greater and greater potentials, capacities that are inherent in it. Of course we do appreciate the due process, the due time factor involved, but the attitude, the right attitude is required.

The arms and heads that you find in Indian mythology, the gods and goddesses are just this: arms representing capacities, powers; heads representing dimensions. That is what they signify. It seems grotesque when you look at these pictures, but they have a tremendous underlying truth. So your capacities are represented by your arms, the powers you have. And your heads represent the dimensions that you are in connection with. If you read the Yogavâsishṭha, the Bhâgawat and certain Purâṇas also, it is mentioned that there are worlds in which Brahma being the Creator has one head, then worlds where Brahma has two heads, three heads, four, five, six – meaning dimensions. They are all latent and potential in you. You have the Brahma in you, you have the Vishnu in you, you have the Rudra in you. I have seen your capacities come to the fore with a little pressure, a little push – maybe you do not see it.

If you were to begin from this premise that there is nothing impossible for you then you have the foundations for an increasing manifestation of your life. You would always exceed yourself. So I would say work with your limits and yet always be ready to exceed your limits. Then you will see the powers will come to you, the powers that abide in the universe. You will surprise yourself and that will increase your faith. That is what makes life an adventure.

S.: What you are saying makes total sense – and yet when I look at my personality I hardly find the ambition to exceed myself. A part of me is not even interested, does not even see why, has no ambition to become a superman, stronger, etc. There is no ambition to become anything actually.

It is like when we are playing ball: in the game you will see sometimes you get a ball that invites you, tempts you to overstretch yourself. And you do. There are times that you do not, you just watch it fall by the side. But sometimes something in you comes up to exceed yourself, to get it, to get that ball over. There is no thought but something innate to your soul. And in that when you get it over there is a certain fulfilment. Even when you do not manage, still there is a certain fulfilment. And sometimes you will see, you do something… Really it seems impossible to get the ball, but you manage.

S.: If I am in the game and I catch the ball, it is good, a real nice feeling. But there is no real ambition to win at all cost.

There the will is required, of course. The will to play, meaning the will to be in that situation and do your best. Really, it is like putting out your best in any situation. You agree to it when you agree to play ball. That is your will – you agree. That is what is meant by will.

I create situations, opportunities…

I would say that even better than having an ambition would be to delight in whatever situation you find yourself – and to do your best. That is why I gave the example of playing ball. Playing ball is always delightful because it is play, and the rest is what we call work. But that work could also become a play like when we brought the planks down the other morning. That is an art basically.

Again, like I said, one has limitations – physical, emotional, mental, psychological. All this has to be dealt with, taken care of. There is also the rest period. Everything. So in that you have to be wise also. In childlike simplicity these things become easier. Somehow it becomes a delight, it becomes effortless. And yet – through a will too: ‘Yes, sure I can try it out!’ You may not be very successful, you may be a failure – but you tried! Really you have been successful – in your attitude, in your growth. It is not ambition. The soul is of eternal temper: always to manifest greater capacities and powers, to manifest more and more. It comes through the response to the outside, to situations and opportunities. Even this process of evolution, how has it happened? It is innate to life. That is why now it stands upright, walks about, thinks. All this was potential at one time, latent. So it was not just satisfied to remain an animal – there was a human in the animal, latent and potential. Up to a point nature has carried the evolution through. But from the human level onwards you can actively participate, that is all, although initially life working to increase itself may work with pride, ambition and such things – this is what you see also. That increases life’s experience, although a lot is lost just in acquiring certain things, while not much experience is gained in terms of growth, inner growth.

I want both of them together – the philosopher and the practical man. That is my ambition for you. That is why I push sometimes. So when the pressure comes even though it is not a comfortable feeling, it brings the genius out. That is why all this, this whole thing, even the difficulties that we meet with all the offices – everything. Now something has come from the Forest department about our water tank which requires to be taken care of and therefore another opportunity for us to meet with life and manifest our capacities and potential – and yet every time out of meditation. But confidence starts to come when you deal with it each time, meet it. A certain genius comes, a certain power and capacity to deal with difficult situations. You are growing. It is no more then whether we will have the tank or whether we will have this place – these are only tools, means for the soul to increase in its capacities. And even those people out there through their contact with us, the way we are dealing with them is bringing changes in their way of thinking – and seeing that a place like this can exist. And that gives me a lot of satisfaction.

S.: I feel this place will stay only if the Divine will wants it to be.

There is another way: you do not require a home, you just wander. But you did your best with this, you put your utmost in strength, you did not leave any stones unturned. Then if it collapses, it collapses. Then it is clean. In that way I can be objective with my desires. That is why Christ said, “No, not my will, Lord, but Thy will.” This is what it means. Then great power comes into you – it is the power of God, the power of the Divine. Then you can move mountains, you have the power to transform. Human power is limited; Divine power is unlimited. So you have to open the door to the Divine in this way, through the works. This is the Kalki, this is the Kalki principle – that is the incarnation of this Age. And you have the potential, but have you the attitude to manifest?

Arya Vihar

16 Mar 1999