Sri Chinmoy’s New Year’s Message for 1971
1971 will be the year of divine, supreme, manifestation.
Those who have divine obedience will offer their divine obedience to the Supreme.
Those who have divine love will offer their divine love to the Supreme.
Those who have divine devotion will offer their divine devotion to the Supreme.
Those who have divine surrender will offer their divine surrender to the Supreme.
While offering obedience, love, devotion and surrender, the seeker will manifest these divine qualities on earth.
1971 is the year of divine manifestation.
Those who do not have any of these divine qualities — obedience, love, devotion and surrender — must feel that they are total failures in the spiritual life; absolute failures on the spiritual path. In the outer life they may succeed, the outer success they may achieve but, in God's Eyes, they are zero, they are simply failures.
Those who have only obedience can feel that they are babies. Those who have love can feel that they are grown children. Those who have devotion can feel that they are now at the adolescent stage. And those who have surrender can feel that they are strong, stout, determined youth.
Now in surrender, we always say that unconditional surrender and constant surrender are needed. Unconditionally surrendered and constantly surrendered seekers are the seekers who can sit, who can stay on the top of the tree; and those who have just surrendered or surrendered for a day or two or for a few minutes, they are at the foot of the tree.
Others who have devotion, love and obedience, you can say they are running towards the tree and among them obedience — so called obedience — comes third. First devotion, second love, third obedience. But they are running. They will one day reach the tree, then they will stay at the foot of the tree and become surrendered and then gradually, if it is God's Will, they will become unconditionally and constantly surrendered seekers, devotees.
This is the year of manifestation. For those who have faith in God-Realisation, this is the year for them to expedite their inner seeking. The year of manifestation is for those who want the Supreme for the Supreme; who want the Supreme for His Sake and not for their sake. Again I wish to say, this year of manifestation for our disciples, sincere disciples, will be the year of inner glory in God, in the Supreme's highest and transcendental Pride. For the Supreme needs, as we need, many things. He needs totally, unreservedly, unconditionally and constantly surrendered disciples. It is they who will be the torch-bearers of the Supreme, the Supreme Truth. The Supreme is inwardly crying for these constantly, unconditionally surrendered disciples.
— Sri Chinmoy
Notes:
On 31 December 1970, Sri Chinmoy holds a New Year’s meditation at his home and offers the message for the year 1971. At midnight he meditates once more with all the disciples for three minutes.
On 13 January 1971, Sri Chinmoy gives a talk about the New Year’s Message to his students at the Sri Chinmoy Centre in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
This message appears for the first time in print in the January 1971 edition of AUM Magazine. A later version, with editorial changes, is published in New Year’s Messages from Sri Chinmoy, 1966-1994.