Just like this,
day after day -
rays after rays
of light
are pouring in.
For so many eons,
they are coming;
they are coming every day.
This Messenger of Light
in the flower-garden
every day morning
is carrying a single hope;
those buds that have only slightly germinated,
the Messenger is telling them:
'You do not know this today,
but
even you guys,
completely opening up all your petals -
in fragrance,
in beauty,
shall become fully bloomed.'
This Messenger of Light,
placing His Luminous Blessing
on top of the paddy field -
every day,
is saying these words:
'You guys are thinking,
today -
the breeze
that has made you sway from side to side,
and
has made you soothe our eyes
with your verdant beauty -
maybe this
verily completed
all that you had to do;
but,
it is not so;
one day,
from the midst of your own lives -
a ear1 shall rise,
and that ear
shall fill everything
with layer upon layer
of harvest.'
The flower that has not yet bloomed -
Light is coming every day,
carrying the anticipation of that flower;
the crop that has not yet germinated -
Light's Message is filled with the telltale assurance of that crop.
This Luminous Hope -
verily, every day -
is visiting the flower-garden
and
the paddy field.
But this everyday light -
this light
is surely not coming only to the flower-garden
and the paddy field.
This light -
every day morning,
is opening up
the curtain of our sleep.
To us, too,
doesn't this light have
anything to say?
To us, too,
isn't this light
bringing every day
a hope -
the fruitful form of which
is perhaps
lying helplessly ignorant
within us, just like a little blossom,
whose ear2
even now,
has not raised its head up, towards the sky -
from within the kernel of our lives?
The Light -
every day,
is telling us
only one word:
'See.'
That's all.
'Open your eyes for once, and see.'
Nothing else.
We open our eyes, we see.
But
that seeing is but a small blossom of seeing only;
until now,
that seeing is blind.
In that seeing,
the ear3 that rises skyward -
that contains within itself
the assurance of bearing all future harvest
of seeing,
is yet to bloom.
Open seeing is yet to come,
Complete seeing we haven't seen yet.
But still, every day morning
that Light -
coming from many miles away
is telling us:
'See.'
That one single hymn
every day,
It is Uttering in our ears -
within that, there is an untiring assurance that remains hidden -
within this seeing of ours
there is an embryo of seeing
whose complete development -
the experience of that
is still not awake within us.
But,
don't think that
these words of mine
are but figures of speech.
Don't think
that
I'm speaking
using allegory.
I'm not talking about Words of Knowledge,
I'm not talking about Words of Meditation,
I'm simply talking about seeing plainly with our eyes.
The seeing that Light shows us -
that is definitely not a trifling thing.
It does not show us
only our own bed,
only our own room -
in the bright blue platter of the orb of the sky
that spreads until the horizon -
on that platter,
the items It4 Decorates
and keeps in front of us -
how strange is that!
Within that,
we cannot find any end to wonder.
Every day we need only so much;
compared to that,
this is so much more!
This huge affair -
we're seeing every day;
is this seeing
an absolutely needless thing?
Is it absolutely sans any reason,
like the waste of the prodigal rich -
on our four sides -
has it only existed
for being laid waste?
Residing in the midst of such a grand view,
we shall save some money,
we shall accumulate some fame,
we shall wield some power,
and then
one day we shall close our eyes5,
and immediately,
the wonderful opportunity to see such a huge World
with our eyes open -
shall end entirely finally!
In this World,
we had seen every day
with eyes open -
and Light
Had Anointed these eyes
every day -
the full account of that -
can that account
be obtained
in that money
and fame
and enjoyment?
No, it cannot be obtained.
That is why I'm saying,
just like this Light
is telling
a tale of Unthinkable Development
every day,
to the blind blossom -
likewise,
It Is Giving a Hope
to our seeing:
'There is an Ultimate Vision,
there is a Final Vision;
That Vision
Exists within You.
That Vision shall Bloom One Day,
and That Is Why,
Every Day,
I'm Coming to You.'
Are you thinking,
I'm talking about seeing in Meditation,
eyes closed?
I'm talking about seeing with these physical eyes.
If you inveigh physical eyes as physical eyes,
why will that do?
That you shall hate these eyes
for being physical -
who are you
to be such a big person?
I'm saying,
with these eyes,
with these physical eyes
there is a Vision to be seen
which is
the Ultimate Vision;
if it were not there,
then
the Light is waking us up in vain,
then such a huge Universe -
This Universe that is decorated with planets and stars, the sun and the moon -
This Universe that is filled with Life and Beauty -
is Manifesting Itself
on our four sides,
day and night,
in various shapes -
in vain.
To throw our vision on this World -
is Science the Ultimate Success of that?
The Earth is revolving around the Sun -
on Its four sides;
the Stars - each one of them - is a Solar System;
that we shall know these truths -
only for that
in front of
such a huge Universe,
these two eyes of ours -
their lids have opened?
Knowing these,
really,
what shall happen?
Maybe, knowing these -
there shall be many benefits;
but,
the benefits of knowing
benefit knowing only;
they fill the coffer of knowledge - let them.
But, I'm talking about
seeing with these eyes.
I'm saying,
even with these eyes
we shall see something
which we haven't seen
yet.
In front of us,
on our four sides -
whichever exist,
we haven't seen
any of those -
not even that blade of grass.
It is verily our mind
that is occupying our eyes -
the mind exists
with so many bizarre thoughts -
there is no end to them;
with that thought of food and drink,
of dresses and costumes,
it has kept our vision obscured;
it has heard from so many people,
and has stored so many prejudices;
it has so many fixed words,
so many fixed judgements,
there is no end to them;
it does not know what is called body,
it does not know what is called soul,
it does not know what is called inferior,
it does not know what is called superior,
it does not know what is called finiteness,
it does not know what is called the Infinite -
it has no idea;
being occupied with all these prejudices,
our vision cannot
clearly and freely
receive the contact of the World,
at all.
That is why,
the Light -
every day,
rinsing our eyes
off of the lethargy of slumber -
is telling us:
'You see clearly,
you see cleanly6,
like a lotus
being completely open,
sees the Sun -
you see like that.'
You will see whom?
Him, Who is Seen in Meditation?
No, not Him -
you will verily see
Him
Who is Seen
with these eyes.
That Abode of Forms -
from Whom
Uncountable Streams of Forms
have been pouring out
since Eternity.
On all four sides
are Forms -
It is verily a Play
of Transformation
from one Form to Another;
Its End cannot be found anywhere -
neither can we see the End,
nor can we think about It.
Fountains of Forms -
on all sides -
in all points of time -
are only flowing out;
and diving into That Ocean of Infinite Forms.
That Being of Infinite Forms
Who Is Beyond All Forms -
when we shall see Him
in His Play of Forms,
then
in the Light of this World,
One Day -
opening our eyes shall be successful,
our everyday Anointment by the Light
shall be successful.
What we are seeing today,
on four sides -
we have some people -
these people,
we have some things -
these things,
one day -
how we shall see these,
in What Complete Connection with Consciousness -
today we cannot imagine that;
but we know this much -
in front of this seeing with eyes of ours,
Decorating the Whole World,
the Light is Bringing a Message of Hope to us -
that has not been Complete yet,
at all.
That the form of this tree
is the Form of His Joy -
we haven't seen That Vision yet;
that the faces of people
are the Forms of His Immortality -
That Vision is thoroughly incomplete as of now;
Aanandaruupamamritam7 -
this word,
the day these two eyes of mine
shall speak -
on that day,
they shall verily become successful.
That Day,
they shall verily see
that Very Beautiful Face of His,
that Propitious Face of His,
His Dakshinam Mukham;
even while looking towards the sky,
they shall see That Face.
It is then only
that
verily, everywhere,
our heads shall bow down in obeisance;
then,
even in front of plants and trees
our impudence shall be gone;
then,
we shall truly be able to say:
Yo Vishvam Bhuvanamaavivesha, Ya Oshadhiishu Yo Vanaspatishu, Tasmai Devaaya Namonamah.8
4 Paush 1315
(December 18, 1908)
Bengali original: http://www.tagoreweb.in/Render/ShowContent.aspx?ct=Essays&bi=72EE92F5-BE50-4057-6E6E-0F7410664DA3&ti=72EE92F5-BE50-41C7-CE6E-0F7410664DA3&ch=1