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470. The Spiritual Atmosphere

"Aspiration awakes in me, achieve in me all that I aspire for", wrote a sadhak seventy years ago. In that piece of writing he says, "You have given me more than what I ignorantly asked for."  I have always been saying the Divine never gives what we ask for, but always gives more. This excess is the stamp of the Force that I talk of. Not only that, this Force gives what we do not ask for. It goes further. It gives what we do not know exists as a possibility in our lives or in life. Someone was employed well and came into this atmosphere, took to it seriously, and saw the surprises in life are ever present. She had her share of problems when She faltered, but recovered swiftly. Then she made up her mind NOT to move out of the atmosphere whose novelty and creativity was a standing wonder to her.

Her office offered voluntary retirement scheme with its known features of attraction. There was one more dimension. All those above fifty were entitled to avail of it and would be paid all the salaries they would earn in the rest of their service.  When you are in the atmosphere of the Spirit, things happen like this. To us, it is a surprise, a convenience, an extra benefit and we accept it as such with pleasure and gratitude. To the Force, it is the only way it knows how to act in our lives. It can never give you only what you ask for or know to be usual. We understand it as the Power of this Force. If you are philosophically minded, you would know it is the characteristic of Infinity.

The Gita says It moves NOT, but It is always ahead of you. The Upanishads say when the complete is taken out of the complete, what remains is the complete. That is how Infinity is defined. In mathematics, this is basic knowledge. Sri Aurobindo says Infinity is there not only as a concept of mathematics, but it is there in Mind, Life and Matter. To be able to understand the Voluntary Retirement Scheme with all the salary of the remainder of service as a practical concept of Infinity is to understand this Force in life. If one is determined to avail of this Force and USE it only positively, every aspect of life outside and inside will take on this aspect of getting more than what one has ignorantly asked for.



story | by Dr. Radut