1^st September

If the Creator of the Universe be bound within His Own laws to work for the sustenance of His creation, then let man be aware that he, too, is bound by the same laws of creation to serve the Almighty Father. His duty is to love. His duty is to place before man the bountiful hand of Nature. His benedictions have lent man the flowers of this garden, the greenery of the earth, and the shine of the sun, moon and stars. His duty is to provide man with eternal happiness.

Man must thank such a generous Father. Man must learn to love Him for His sake. Man must learn to worship Him and have faith in Him. Man must think of Him in every breath that he takes. These are the duties man has towards the Creator of the Universe.

But He is merciful! If man loses sight of his goal and fulfils not his obligations, He does not turn His Face away but goes on fulfilling His obligations to man.

2^nd September

Man asks for many a thing from His Creator, but sometimes the Supreme Lover, the Creator of the Universe, desires that He, too, ask something of man. And He but desires two things.

The first:

“Let My Will prevail over thine, and let it be the greater, always.”

The Second:

“Let My Will enter thy heart, perforce, if necessary, and be Supreme.”

Let the flower bend in the direction of the wind. Let all opposition to the waves cease. If it be bent in a direction it despise, then let it give up its will and bend with the wind. In this way the inner desires of the flower and the wind are united.

The bending of the flower with the wind then promotes a motion of swaying which is an ecstasy of perfect contentment. All worries cease. The flower plays in the lap of the wind, and the drops of rain become the Nectar of Life. The Creator of the Universe orders all powers on earth to come to the aid of such a one, for, says He:

“This flower has understood the laws of My Garden and has given up all opposition to My Will. Let all protect this child of My Garden.”

Bending before the Will of the Creator is a sure way to Salvation.

3^rd September

Look yonder! The garden is full of flowers! All of them have passed through similar stages. All of them stand in the light coming from the same stars, and the same moon showers upon all its life-giving coolness. All have bathed in the light of the same sun and at the same time, for they all stand together in the same garden.

Who, then, is good and who, then, bad? Whom can you call thus? How can you choose and select the colours when all are equally beautiful  in their own way?

If a particular colour holds your heart then go close to it and touch the flower. But prevent not others from choosing their own flowers and their own colours, for each must go to his own. Do not stop the others from inhaling fragrance that you do not like.

If you have all the colours and all the flowers, then possess them all and string them together tightly so that all may be seen at the same time and all may be united. Take them to your house and put them in a vase. Then stand back and look upon the combined beauty of all, the united colour and fragrance. Thus, in a diversity of different flowers, you can perceive the Unity of the vase which contains them all. Your house is well decorated. You have seen Unity in Diversity.

4^th September

Numerous bulbs are lit in the same house. Each bulb has captivated within itself a radiance of light. The wires inside the bulb appear to wrap themselves around the light which rests, glittering, inside the glass. The light hovers around the wires like the beautiful melody that hovers around a string struck by the bow of a violinist. It is like the fragrance of a flower that entwines itself with the first rays of the morning sun. Ah! But the greatest of wonders is this who can captivate light? It dances upon the mirror and showers its golden brilliance on all the objects of the house.. It is like a rain of gold.

And all the bulbs of the house join to multiply the radiance. Their light mingles with itself and is lost upon all the objects in the house. All the things of the dark receive illumination. And who can say that the light of the first bulb is “this” and the light of the second bulb “that”, for it is spread on the floor in a oneness that is reflected even from the walls.

In a like manner, it is the same Reality that manifests itself in numerous souls, in numerous bulbs of human pride, in a diversity which is encompassed by a Unity.

19^th August

Faith is the greatest treasure of life. There is a garden ahead that is full of beautiful flowers, fresh and fragrant, red with the colour of Spring. Drops of dew fallen from overhanging branches of trees, sparkle on the petals of flowers like diamonds. The rays of the Sun are captured in these gems. The branches and leaves sway with the gaiety of Spring. And people wander in the garden, partaking of its freshness and beauty.

And yet, how do you know all this is true? Perhaps you have faith in your eyes which behold this scene. If you doubted even for a moment the reality of the scene before you, you would dread advancing even a step further. You would then be like the traveler who trembles every foot of his way, hesitating and uncertain because he is not sure of his destination, because he knows not whether the route leads to a void or to his home. He is afraid of his uncertainty. Look towards the Creator and think of Him. Connect your heart with Him and then move forward with the light of this Faith, towards happiness.

20^th August

There is, indeed, a letter inside the envelope that the postman hands you. When you see no message written on the envelope you do not conclude that there is nothing inside.

Whatever be the message sent to you it must be within and never visible outside. Yet your mind conceives of its presence within the envelope.

You believe in it without seeing it. The sender’s name is not on the envelope. Of a certainty it must be inside. Even anonymous letters, must, of a necessity have come from somebody. When you receive the letter you read the message contained within and understand it and forthwith reply to the sender. Why, then, do you not see in this mighty creation that exists before your eyes, a message for you, and why then do you not see in it the Sender who is ever-present in this form?

Look at this Universe and then at its Creator and after Beholding Him, behold all the joys of the world within yourself.

21^st August

O, Thou golden Ray of the Sun!

If thou hast left thy abode and have fallen on the ocean with its raging tempest, then be not afraid! The tempest cannot drown thee. Thou art so light and so delicate that, even the pupils of the eyes can contain thee.

Thy beauty is reflected upon the rose and it bends not with thy weight.

It - thy beauty - catches a glimpse of itself in the drop of dew without disturbing it.

O, beautiful golden Ray of the Sun! Fear not that the ocean will drown thee! Fear not that rivers will hear thee away or that the wind will make thee fly off. No storms can ever extinguish thy light.

Look upwards! Look at thy own frailty and at the mighty Sun at thy back, of which thou art a tiny part.

Tied to the Sun by a golden thread, thou, shine and glitter away on everything.

The Sun proclaims every moment that it is with thee and that thou fear nothing, ever. Till time and eternity exist, it is with thee. May thou be filled with Strength and Contentment and Peace.

22^nd August

“Thy Water within me is limited, and I am small,

Shall I spread and till I am no more?”

Thus said the swirling wave upon the surface of the ocean.

Thus said this curling, rising, crest of water.

And spreading, did limitation exceed itself,

To fall upon the shore and deliver thence the pearls, -

The pearls given to it buy the ocean,

And the pearls which it lost now forever,

Hit upon by stony shores, sparks of wat4r did fly and alight,

Upon blooming, radiant, flowers of the earth,

And lay there in silence as drops of dew,

“I am empty now, - Alas! - I have lost what I had!”

Thus lamented the swirling, curling wave of water.

“Bereft of all my things, livest. I now with nothing!

My all have I given to the flower, my all, forever lost.”

Then said the ocean, the ever-silent,

“Thou weepest, now for a pearl of thine, lost,

Thou weepest for fragments thrown on shore,

Yet weepest thou for nought, for nothing lost.

In the depths of saline water, in my heart of hearts,

I have within a storehouse of treasures fine,

Of pearls and gems and diamonds of a varied lot,

Awaiting the coming of the one with empty hands,

Awaiting the coming of the begging bowl.

Thou art mine and art ever with me

I cannot see thee empty or bereft of what is thine.

Behold! These are for thee, these pearls of mine!”

23^rd August

The gardener has his duties to tend to the flower, and the flower, too, has certain obligations to fulfil. One  gives water and cultivates; the other takes up the water and laughs. The gardener says:

“O, Flower!~ Bloom thou with joy in this garden! But be not so intoxicated with joy that thou becomest a beggar unto the drops of dew. Step forward not with such abandonment that thou causest injury to thy petals.

If thou shalt proceed thus, I shall be full of wrath and shall cut off a few of thy petals to maintain thy beauty.

Have faith that I am thy friend and thy protector. Many a hardship have I been through to sustain thee. Thou, too, must fulfil the obligations of this friendship and sway in the garden in the manner which befits thee.

I do not gloat over the destruction of thy petals. I am unhappy when thou art pained. Love me as I love thee. Live in the garden as thou ought to live. Have faith in the friendship of thy friend, the gardener, and do not beggar thyself before the drops of dew. I can fill thy bowl with a wondrous sprinkling of water from my fountain.”

24^th August

The love of God is evident. He created this beautiful Universe much before the coming of man. All He asks of man is that man learn to love Him.

Anyone who receives a gift must thank the benefactor. Why is it that after receiving this Grand Creation, and Life, with which to enjoy it, we fail to thank Him or even think of Him? Is such an attitude justified?

The right path is that which brings love in return for love.

A mother is rewarded for her love by the smiles of happiness upon her child’s features. A slave bows before the Master and thanks him for gifts given.

Can ever ingratitude be more magnified than this, that we live in this world and enjoy its things but care not for Him, to Whom the world and all its things belong?

The Creator Says:

“Love only me. I shall always be with thee and shall never let the Pain of Separation come between us.

I shall grant the things of this world also to him who learns to love me!”

25^th August

The mind runs after the materialistic things of this world and renounces God altogether. The attractions of the world ensnare him to such an extent that he forgets his Creator, the Giver of Life. Even in sorrow, does the Creator lend to us the Grace of His Mercy that alleviates the Soul from sorrow and converts pain into laughter. When man runs towards the world and turns his back towards God, then God is filled with sorrow.

“O, thou Human! I didst make this world for thee. Why leavest thou me for it? These wilt thou get of a certainty, for it was to give them to thee that I made these things of the world.”

When man sleeps and the world is dead to him, the Lord provides him with life-sustaining air. The sun rises at the crack of dawn much before the sleeping eyes awaken.

And thus He says always:

“Think of Me and I shall grant thee all these things of this world even without thy asking.”

26^th August

O Flower! It is evident thou hast risen from the dust of the earth to fill this garden with thy beauty. Thou didst not create thyself. Thy hands did not dye thy petals. Thou hast not snatched this fragrance from another flower. When thou wert not, how couldst thou create thyself?

When thou didst come from “non-existence” to “existence” who can say that thou didst create thyself?

Today thou seest before thee this garden and the numerous flowers around thee. Thou seest not only these flowers, but also the creation of Some Being in them and in thyself.

Why Dost thou not admit therefore that thy Creator is He who raised them from the dust without the least difficulty?

A single thought from Him has resulted in the creation of all these beautiful flowers. Why weepest thou? Art thou afraid that there shall be no water for the? Art thou afraid that thou shalt be plucked from the branch and put in a vase somewhere?

Know then this, that even when thou art put in a vase, He shall send sunlight to thee and He shall send water at thy feet. He shall protect thee even when thou art far from Him.

27^th August

A flower was filled with wrath and vexation as the wind played upon it bending it hither and thither with force. When it sought to bend to the East the wind would benefit to the West. It was filled with anger, reproach and hatred when saw the wind thus dispose of its desires. But what could it do? The wind was invisible. It would touch the petals of the flower and escape. It would bring to the earth drops of dew that lay upon the flower. The petals of the flower trembled with protest.

The flower would say”

“I am the King of this garden. This garden blooms for fear of me. And yet, for as long as this wind persists, I cannot do as I wish.”

The wind passed by again and sighed:

“When I oppose thee, thou art vexed at me. But does ever the moment come when the waves of my desire force thee to bend and thou, seeing the opposition of thy petals and thorns, are vexed at thyself?”

18^th August

Up to the time you are alive, do not think of Death as an existence. But when you turn towards sin or realize the futility of the illusory pleasures of this world, then think of Death.

Where does Death exist in Life?

Yes, when Death comes think of it as a new life. Leave this world then, like a traveler who leaves the compartment of a train and arrives home.

How much better is the smallest, untidiest room of your house than the first class compartment of the train!

How much more pleasure do the smallest details of your house give you than does the compartment of the train!

When you shut your eyes and go to sleep you dream of this world even in your slumberings.

When your eyes close with Death, you must have faith in Heaven and Salvation and dream of this Spiritual World.

17^th August

A ship speeds across the ocean. Numerous are the people aboard it, people from all walks of life. The sight of all to embedded on the approaching shore. Each would wish to set foot on it first.

The others, of course, are not the concern of any one person.

Should they get across it would be of no consequence provided he got across. Should others not get across he would be unhappy but still, it would be no concern of his. And thus thinks each person aboard the boat. Everyone clings to his own life and to his own soul oblivious of the others.

Yet, aboard the boat there is someone who is concerned for all. For him the shore will never come. The ship will touch land, everyone will go across but not he. His task is not yet over. He must go back to the opposite shore to carry across others who are waiting. His task will continue till the last man has gone across. He has fought the ocean and he understands its strength and knows how to fight it. He is the pilot of the ship. He steers the ship back and forth through the storms of Life and he will continue doing so till the last man is across.

14^th August

When the stars disappeared from the sky, the sun takes their place. When the world loses its wealth and pride, it gains an illumination from within.

As the shell breaks, the pearl emerges.

At the time of sorrow, man forgets all else but thinks of some Supreme Help from above, before whom he can shed his tears of sorrow and despair.

When the world shrinks, the Creator is magnified. Cool, refreshing , drops of rain come from dark, formidable clouds. The flash of lightning, which reveals the path, appears too in these dark clouds.

When life is filled with a meaningful shortcoming, then it is the time for the coming of that Divine Pearl which will make beautiful this world once again.

15^th August

Do not oppose what is present before you. Try your utmost to be one with it. Do not oppose it and give place to grief. Think of it as a phase that must come and go. Think of it as a tiny speck in the Grand Creation. It has come to increase the strength of your Soul.

If you cannot add to the strength of your Soul in happiness, then endeavour to do so in sorrow. If your lamp be useless in the light of the sun, then preserve it for the night. If the world will not move according to your wishes then do you move according to its wishes.

If you do not want to become like others, if you do not want to walk with anyone, then why must you want others to be like you?

16^th August

If it is your desire that no one ill-treat you then do you likewise and not ill-treat others. If you dislike intensely opposition to your will, then remember this, that others, too, dislike your opposition to their will.

You have with yourself an infinite treasure of love. Distribute this around yourself. Sow a solitary seed and you will reap a hundred fruits and many more seeds. Each seed will then give place to a multitude of seeds.

Let your limitation surpass itself and go over into infinity, making infinity the greater by this addition. Let the waves sink into the waters and let the waters flow down to the ocean.

Remove all opposition, not by hatred but by love. Hatred is a very petty feeling. It originates in a malformed mind. Love is your own possession.

You love yourself, you love your relatives, you love your country, you love your world. You love this Universe and its Creator.

Why do you torture yourself with hatred? Make yourself and the world happy with your love.

10th August

A wave raced upon the surface of the ocean, twisting dissolving, rolling, restless. It ran towards open shores. It ran towards ships and boats, and asked:

“What canst thou give me?”

It leapt upwards towards the sky and the stars and said:

“What canst thou give me?”

But the stars and the sky remained indifferent, far away and out-of-reach.

Restlessness possessed the wave with greater intensity and it ran hither and thither on the surface of the ocean. It failed to capture the twinkling pearls of the sky. The shores and the ships offered nothing. It caught at the dust of the earth but failed to convert it to pearls.

Suddenly it disappeared completely. It went deep down into the serene depths of the ocean. It joined the serenity of the ocean and was lost in its depths forever. The restlessness ceased. The pearls and the treasures of the ocean now belonged to
The outside world can produce only restlessness. The true pearl of peace exists within the Soul and unites the Soul with God, when found.

11th August

The cool breeze of mercy that blew from the Soul through that Garden Divine brought with it the fragrance of the sweet- scented flowers of the garden.

All thoughts were submerged in unlimited joy. Numerous ideas, new and invigorating, flashed across the mind. There came an infinity of new inspirations, new thoughts for peace of the world and for its salvation.

Wisdom had failed to capture even the smallest inkling of these inspirations before.

But now when these flashed across the mind and disappeared, wisdom did fill itself with pride and thought of itself as the origin of this new sensation. Suddenly there came a darkness of ignorance and all was submerged. The Wall of Pride separated man from God.

The Wall strove to capture the Light of the Sun Divine by rising higher. But the higher it rose the more did it shut out the Light. Only by relinquishing hold of this pride can Man ever hope to secure the thought of God in his soul.

12th August

With the pressing of the switch, current drawn from the Power-House sped with the speed of haste and, entering a solitary glass bulb, manifested itself as light.

The light carried its message to all corners of the room and further. The message was not without effect, and there gathered around the bulb a host of insects and moths, endeavoring to plunge themselves in the flame of light which they saw in the bulb.

The bulb was filled with pride as it saw the insects cluster around it. “They come to me! I must be magnificent!”

Suddenly the lights went out. The current was withdrawn. The bulb stood alone in the darkness of the room. The moths and the insects that had clustered around it a second before, now left it in search of regions with light. The bulb understood.

“Ah! It was not for me that they came!

It was for the light!

The beauty was not mine,

The radiance not mine –

I, a mere shell,

It was the light!”

It is for Man to realize this truth and ingrain it in his mind and heart.

8th August

Look! The sun has risen, dispelling the darkness of the night. Many are the beings that have awakened. The beautiful pictures of this world that were sunk in the shadows are now revealed in light. The Eyes have opened. The flowers appear beautiful in the garden. There is no fear of the thorns now. They cannot hurt now, for they are within the circle of light. All paths are illumined by light. There is happiness everywhere. There are no pitfalls now. Nightmares of a fearful darkness have gone. There are no tears of worry.
And why?
Because the Sun has come up in all its brilliance. Look how it burns and gives light to others! It has avowed of itself to burn till the sands of time run out and the world  is full of happiness from its light. This is the principle of life.
Keep others happy, even if it means plunging thyself into pain.

9th August

A lovely flower blooming in the garden is surrounded by thorns.O, Happiness! Must thy price be paid by a thousand sorrows? Must a single flower that comes into full bloom be accompanied by a thousands thorns?

There is endless pain everywhere! A gust of the wind - and the flower must bend to be pricked by unholy thorns! The drops of dew must fall into the dust below! The colour of the rose must change into that of blood! The fragrant petals scatter away into wilderness.

What sort of a life is this? A single joy is drowned in a multitude of sorrows. A single lightning flash is accompanied by the weeping of clouds.If thou canst invite a thousand sorrows for a single fleeting pleasure, art thou not prepared to undergo even a trifling amount of pain for that Eternal Pleasure?
When thou must look with open eyes, then why sit in a darkened room with only a lamp - why not open the door and step outside to receive the rays of the Sun?

The shell of thine eye has delivered a pearl! Thy eyelashes are holding it back, so that others may behold it and thine eyes too may catch a glimpse of it before it is lost. How beautiful this unique pearl is!

Nothing in the world can create it. Do not let it fall! Thou art fortunate to have gained it. Lose it not till thy Beloved appear before thine eyes.

It shall burst if it fall. It  is valuable only between thine eyelashes, not in the dust. What dost thy heart see in its purity? The pearl contains love, repentance, and an awaiting. This drop of water shall drown thy sorrow and ignorance and pain, and sweep them away. It is priceless.

Thy Beloved shall see Himself in its reflection, and beholding it shall convert this drop of water into a priceless pearl.

5^th August

From whence did pain come into thy heart? Ah, it seems to be the message of Somebody who wishes to awaken thee from thy frightful dreams.

The beauty of this world intoxicated thee and induced sleep that brought forth hideous drams. Remember! This pain is an awakening! And when thou hast been awakened, thou shalt find around thee a world different from any other. A world free of temptations and illusory joys. Thou shall find a different beauty before thee, where thou canst offer thy Heart as a gift. The beauty and happiness that thou shalt perceive shall increase thy pain and decrease it too. Contentment and discontentment shall be thy companions. Thou shall weep and yet laugh.

Remember that this pain shall never go away, for it is this pain that causes thee to seek thy Beloved. He does not wish to erase this pain, and with it thy remembrance of him. Love and Beauty can only find shape when such a pain exists.

2nd August

With the lifting of the curtain of darkness, the early rays of the morning sun played merrily upon the sprinkling of dew-drops in the garden. The sun sought to send its rays through the drops of water, threading them and threatening to lift them up, to the sky.

The sky sought to possess these pearls and draw them upwards. The flowers sought to keep them upon their petals. This conflict continued for a while. And then someone said:

“Drops of dew, what do you on the petals of these flowers? Hast thou come from afar? How long wilt thou stay here?”

The drops of dew gave in reply:

“We are tears fallen from weeping eyes! The light of the sun sparkles in us. Thus, we have seen sorrow and joy mingled as one! We have come only to go. The world is like a drop, too. It is round, and it sparkles like the light of the Sun but shall vanish forever in the darkness of destruction. Our sparkle is momentary. Let not thy hearts be captivated by it.”

3rd August

Thy life is encompassed by limitations. There are many in this world who are bigger than thee, and many who are smaller. Thou, too, are bigger than some and smaller than some. Who, then, is big, and who, then, is small, when the small are bigger than some and the big smaller than some?

O, Flower of fragrance! Why art thou jealous at beholding a flower more beautiful? Look also at the buds whose beauty is concealed from sight! The flower in full bloom shows thee thy future stage, and the flower in the bud shows thee the stage that thou hast passed. The big and the small are all contained in thee.

Be not proud when thou lookest upon those lesser than thee. And be no discontented when thou lookest upon those greater than thee.

This is the route to peace and contentment.

1st August

As the moth flew towards the flame there came a voice that rang out:

“Stay! Before coming any closer answer these, my questions. Why dost thou love me?  What willst thou gain by coming to me? What is it to thee that I exist?”

The moth, bound by the order to stop, halted, tears sprang into its eyes and it said -

“O, Flame!  Askest thou me why I approach thee? What know I of this mystery? But I do know that I love thee intensely. Thy light and thy warmth has won my heart. How can I respond now, with my heart, when thou hast taken it? Ask of it why it loves thee! Leaving me, my heart said this, only, that it loved none other in this world as it loved thee. My heart belonged to thee. Thy beauty has won my heart! I ask of thee only this that thou do accept me. I would place before thee my all. In this annihilation would I take joy. What shall I gain by this?

“Only this, that burning in thy fire I shall be one with thee and shall live in thy light, forgetting forever the darkness in which I sought thee, groping and faltering.”