The Sword-Lily: Of Gladiators and Receptivity
The same word Gladius is the root for gladiator, a fighter who fights against wild beasts with the help of his sword. A sword by itself wields no strength, unless the hand that holds it has immense courage. While the gladiator has the courage to receive the wild beasts knowing he can fight against them with total strength and surrender, a man who is on a spiritual quest does the same and is no less than a gladiator.
A Deep, Intense, Constant and Total Gratitude
In addition to exploring Gratitude in a variety of hues, the issue also features pieces on the inner significance of Navaratri, the festival of Devi, and the cultural significance of Ramayana. Other highlights include a reflection on patriotism and leadership in the light of recent events in Afghanistan, and ‘The Real Gandhi’, an insightful essay approved by Sri Aurobindo.
Gratitude, a Hue of the Essential Vibration of Love
In these passages from the Mother’s works, we find a rich variety of the various hues of the soul-quality that is gratitude. Gratitude that helps us connect with the Divine, that is a humble recognition of all that the Divine has done and is doing for us, that helps us cure our egoism, the movement that can bring us unalloyed joy.
Grace and Gratitude – Words of the Mother
In these passages, the Mother guides us that in order to accept the Grace with a pure feeling of gratitude, one must have a certain inner humility which makes one recognise one’s helplessness without the Divine Grace. She also points out that for most people blows in life are needed to know to the very depths that there is no entity without the Divine Consciousness and the Grace.
Sādhanā: A Prayer for Those Who Wish to Serve the Divine
We begin with a prayer of the Mother, dated October 23, 1937. This is followed by a beautiful audio-visual offering on Gratitude created by the Art Studio-12 Qualities. This meditative experience takes one to a deep and quietly joyful place within where gratitude for the Divine is a spontaneous vibration of one’s inmost being.
Morning Glory and the Varied Colours of Gratitude
In our flower-meditation series, Sheeba Naaz reflects on her own experience and a few other gratitude stories she has heard and witnessed around her. She reminds us that it is not really the happiness which makes us feel grateful but on the contrary it is gratefulness that makes us happy. The Mother’s ‘handkerchief’ story also finds a special place of honour in this beautiful piece.
