Thoughts and Aphorisms 26

26. Sir Philip Sidney said of the criminal led out to be hanged, "There, but for the grace of God, goes Sir Philip Sidney." Wiser, had he said, "There, by the grace of God, goes Sir Philip Sidney." [Sri Aurobindo: Thoughts and Aphorisms]   Sir Philip Sidney was a successful statesman and a poet, and yet he was a man of humility. He was famous for his humble nature. Once, when he saw a criminal when he was going to be hanged, he expressed: "There, but for the Grace of God, goes Sir Philips Sydney." As The Mother has interpreted, Sir Philip Sidney had expressed that he could have been at the place of the criminal to be hanged, but for the Grace of God, that did not so happen. What Sri Aurobindo states here, according to The Mother, is that Sir Philip Sidney would have been wiser, if he would have then said that by the Grace of God, he could have been the said criminal.   Sri Aurobindo is expressing here that whatever happens, it happens by the Grace of God. The Grace of God is behind all happenings, whether it seems to be beneficial or catastrophic. If some happening seems to be catastrophic, it will be then creating some opportunity in future which will prove to be beneficial; for, the World is marching ahead towards a Great Future, a luminous Future, which will definitely be an expression of Truth, Beauty, Goodness and Joy, of satyam-shivam-sundaram, of Ananda.    The Mother has inspired us: "Leaving the past far behind us, let us run towards a luminous future."   The Mother has further said: "For it is only our shortsightedness, our too limited perception and our misguided sensations that, for us, change into suffering what is a possibility and an opportunity for progress."   Some happening may appear to us to be cause of sufferings, but that may create for us some hope and possibility some opportunity for the better and greater Future, for progress towards the luminous Future towards the New World, the New Creation.   OOOOO   The humankind, which is evolving, is moving towards a Luminous Future, as The Mother says. And in the Luminous Future, the Supramental Consciousness shall reign over this Earth.   Nature shall live to manifest secret God, The Spirit shall take up the human play, This earthly life become the life divine. [Savitr: Bk XI, Co I]   Sri Aurobindo and The Mother came upon this Earth in order to lead us all to the next step of Evolution — from Man to Superman. To manifest the Supramental Consciousness and Force upon earth is the Divine Will and the purpose of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother — the Dual Power. The mortal human being will be transformed into the superman —into the supramental being.   The incarnate dual Power shall open God's door, Eternal supermind touch earthly Time. The superman shall wake in mortal man And manifest the hidden demigod Or grow into the God-Light and God-Force Revealing the secret deity in the cave. [Savitr: Bk XI, Co I]   Sri Aurobindo has expressed the purpose of Their coming as follows: To raise the world to God in deathless Light, To bring God down to the world on earth we came, To change the earthly life to life divine. [Savitr: Bk XI, Co I]   According to Sri Aurobindo, Earth is the chosen place of mightiest souls; Earth is the heroic spirit's battlefield,… [Savitr: Bk XI, Co I]   And Sri Aurobindo has also given us the call : Ascend, O soul, into thy timeless self; Choose destiny's curve and stamp thy will on Time. [Savitr: Bk XI, Co I].     Barindranath Chaki 26-12-2009 Please visit   ASPIRATION  The New Horizon  All choice  The New Platform  Barin Chaki