Question: In practical terms, how can we give the world love and concern?

Sri Chinmoy: A practical thing is something that comes spontaneously from within and not from without. When you get up in the morning, if the thought comes to your mind to show love or concern for the world, that is a practical idea. How can you transform this practical idea into fruitful reality? In the morning or in the evening, during your regular prayer, you can add to your prayer this: “O Lord, I wish this world to be better, more illumining and more fulfilling, by Your infinite Grace.” God is the creator and sustainer of the world. If your prayer reaches the Creator, which it will certainly do if it is sincere and intense, He can easily carry your concern and love for the world into the field of manifestation.

As an individual you are here; you cannot be somewhere else at the same time. But your prayer, your aspiration, can approach Someone Who is omnipresent. All of us have been praying and meditating here in this room, but spiritually we have been spreading peace and love into the world. Physically we are bound in this tiny room, but spiritually we are flying like birds; our wings are widespread with peace, joy and love.

When you feel something, when you see something, you may call it a practical experience. Here we have been meditating for fifteen or twenty minutes. During that time, our experience of inner peace and love was absolutely practical. To us these things were most tangible. While you are praying or meditating here next week, look at yourself. Is it not a reality — the peace, the joy, the love that you are getting?

What we get we can easily give to others. But the process is an inner process. And the best way to carry out this inner process is to approach the Source. We know that we cannot go everywhere and we cannot approach everyone during our prayer. But there is Someone who can do this on our behalf, and that is God. During our prayer, if we ask Him to offer peace, concern and love to the world at large, He can do it. If He is pleased with our request, naturally He will do it. So our daily communion with God is the best way for us to offer the world our love and concern.