Upon waking this morning thoughts streamed from the Superconscious mind that included the phrase, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” Then followed the stream of thought: there are times in life when great trials come, and other times when life has a happier nature; these two alternating experiences can be graphed like a sine wave or a financial chart of rolling stock, as they move up and down—an inevitable movement in a life.
It was Thomas Paine who wrote these words about trying times entitled The Crises. It was toward the beginning of the American Revolution when a small number of militia, farmers and silver smiths untrained in war, took up arms against what at that time was the greatest army and navy in the world—and things were not going well. Not only do such crises occur on fields of military action, but in family life, professional life, and very importantly in our spiritual pursuit. From the first paragraph of Paine’s inspired writing we may borrow its wisdom and strength to meet our own crises when it comes:
“THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated”
Is it not true, “What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly?” My thoughts were then guided to Mother Hamilton and the life she lived, enduring one trial and difficulty after another. It was destined that she would chart a new course largely on her own, unaided by organization and often not understood by those around her. Yet, her determination, the will of steel under her velvet-love for God, guru and humanity never wavered.
We can draw so many lessons of loyalty and strength of resolve from Mother’s life. Life can challenge us to the core, and if the goal is high (And what is higher than God-realization?), then the price must be steep. To paraphrase Krishna in the Gita: fight the good fight with all your strength and be ever focused on God. Whether you win or lose in the outer sense is not in your control, that is up to Me (God). But, whether you win or lose, by staying focused on Me you win the spiritual battle by being aligned with truth and ever advancing in Self-realization.
“Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” When you conquer hell by realizing God, the glory of triumph is not a tickertape parade or your picture in the paper, but it is the bliss that wells up from deep within, it is the Light of your eternal Being blazing, and it is the revelations of inspired wisdom from the Infinite. Anchor yourself in this thought in times of crises and in times of ease, God and gurus and all the saints and spiritual masters who have ever tread this path of realization are with me. Awareness of the fact that I never standalone means that when I touch the fabric of God’s Being through remembrance of Him, I touch the glory of all that He is!