Question: What are the predominant qualities of the body, vital and mind?

Sri Chinmoy: The unlit physical likes to remain idle. The very nature of the physical is to be inactive. The unlit vital is aggressive. It likes to show off its power. And the unlit mind doubts and suspects everybody and everything.

If we accept the spiritual life, the body has to be active. Even if it runs in the wrong direction at first, at least there should be some movement. The body has to be energetic, but not restless. Otherwise, although the physical body itself may not sleep twenty-four hours a day, the body-consciousness will be sleeping. An aspiring body is an active and energetic body. We are fast asleep when we are not aspiring.

The vital has to become dynamic instead of aggressive. It should try to energise and inspire others, instead of trying to control or destroy others. It should say to others, “Don’t waste your precious time. Get up and do something for yourself or for humanity.”

The clear, pure, divine mind, the mind which is illumined by the soul’s light, will become vast. It will say, “I cannot be bound by anything; I will not suspect anybody. I will not belittle anybody. On the contrary, I shall expand my own consciousness and help others to expand their consciousness.”

If we practise the spiritual life, we get this kind of active body, dynamic vital and illumined mind. If we do not accept the spiritual life, we have to be satisfied with a body which is fast asleep, with a vital which is aggressive and destructive and with a mind which is limited and which wants to doubt, criticise and suspect itself and the world.