Table of Contents
Part I
Part II — Interview on WRVR Radio
- Interviewer: Sri Chinmoy, were you the only one in your family to follow the spiritual life?
- Interviewer: How did your family fit into the Indian social scene?
- Interviewer: Does your philosophy demand a disciplined life?
- Interviewer: Did you get religious training as a child?
- Interviewer: What made you decide to leave India and come to the United States?
- Interviewer: What was your first impression of Americans?
- Interviewer: And obviously a lot of Americans have come to you and follow you. About how many followers do you have?
- Interviewer: You said there is no rivalry. In the last twenty years many people have come from India to the United States to be of service. And I must say, to my eyes, some of them are very wise people and some of them would seem to come from Hollywood, not India. I am thinking of one who is currently making big shows and obviously taking in a lot of money from followers. Doesn't this disturb you? If one Master becomes a figure who is either laughed at or considered insincere, then that would in some way make people think that everybody who comes from India is that way.
- Interviewer: Some people feel that to speak of God as the "Father" is prejudiced, especially with all the talk about women's liberation and all that. What do you think?
- Interviewer: In one of your pamphlets you say, "Our path is basically the path of the heart and not that of the mind." And every time I hear this kind of thing, I must admit I have very mixed emotions, because I am rather fearful of all the forces pushing us toward the heart and away from the mind. I always thought of the mind as very useful, whereas feelings might be a very difficult barometer of conduct. Feelings lead some people to kill other people. Why do you say that the path of the heart is better than the path of the mind?
- Interviewer: Suppose your heart judges that I am a bad fellow from my vibrations, and suppose you are wrong?
- Interviewer: A lot of the people who kill and torture others in the name of Truth have successfully avoided the contradictions of mind. On the other hand, sometimes my mental hesitations enable me to be kind.
- Interviewer: Why is it that Westerners are leaving their own religion and going to Indian or Eastern spiritual Masters? What is wrong with the churches?
- Interviewer: Sri Chinmoy, I get the feeling that you are less ready to promise instant enlightenment than some other Gurus.
- Interviewer: If the Indian teachers have some knowledge that is helpful to people, why is India such a mess with its caste system and poverty and disease? I am sure you have been asked this question often.
- Interviewer: Everybody talks about destroying the ego as if it were some terrible thing. But I spent my life creating one and in fact, many people who follow spiritual teachers are looking for self-confidence and a better ability to function. I wish you would explain it to me.
- Question: Is it possible to be spiritual and material at the same time?
- Question: One day while bowling, I felt my consciousness leave myself and become more intent on the ball and pins. And in spite of the fact that I hadn't bowled in a long time, I found myself bowling extremely well. Is that the kind of thing you are talking about when you talk about getting away from that smaller ego?
- Question: Do you think that one needs a certain material basis before one can be spiritual?
- Question: How is it that the people who practise religion don't see this and say to others, "Look, you can't run away from the problems of the world?"
- Question: I feel that the spiritual and the material must be divided fifty-fifty. When one goes too far towards the material things, or too far towards the spiritual things, he gets caught. Do you agree?
- Question: Is it possible to obtain spiritual realisation through some other process besides meditation?
- Question: Could I ask a question about your own personal experience? When you came to realisation, was it a sudden thing during meditation or what?
- Question: I find it very hard to talk about spiritualism and materialism as distinct. There are many things that you might call material, that I will call spiritual. For example, eating is very often a spiritual experience. You can call it material, but I'll call it spiritual; and I think we may be both right.
- Question: I feel that spirituality is essential for everyone and has to come first in our life. What are your thoughts on this?
- Question: Do you see the West as active and the East as passive?
- Question: What about Christ, Buddha and Mohammed? How do they fit into your scheme?
- Question: I would like to ask the spiritual leader if he believes that it is possible to have a perfect universe?
