Question: Do you think that Westerners can understand Eastern philosophy?
Sri Chinmoy: Some understand it perfectly. Those who have no interest in understanding it must suffer for their lack of understanding. The Western mind finds it difficult to understand Eastern philosophy because in the East, philosophy is not separated from the true spiritual life and yoga. In the West, this is not the case. Here they say, “This is religion, that is philosophy, this is life. All are something different.” In India, spirituality has a perfect right to call itself philosophy and philosophy to call itself spirituality. Both of them are interlaced.
Sri Chinmoy, Earth’s Cry Meets Heaven’s Smile, part 3, Aum Press, Puerto Rico, 1978