Questions and answers

Question: Do you not feel that national boundaries, economic disparity and religious dogmas divide human beings into different camps, creating anti-spiritual environments and making peace, for an individual and so for a nation, a distant star?

Sri Chinmoy: I do strongly feel that these national boundaries, etc. are really impairing the growth of our evolving human consciousness. But it is the clarification of the individual's mind and spirit that must precede the awakening of our social institutions such as churches and governments. It is the spiritual and mental elite who can infuse the general mass with its illumining light. As we know, the policies of institutions and nations are usually the embodiments of the general consciousness. These policies can be influenced considerably by enlightened individuals. Mother India in particular has not lacked in such enlightened souls, nor does she lack them now.

It is a matter of time, and time itself will create an opening in order for the spiritual consciousness to permeate the individual and his society. On our part, a conscious spiritual effort has to be made so that the higher forces from above can come down and touch the very depths of our seeking hearts. The gap that we see now between our aspiration and its fulfilment in society will then no longer exist.