Question: What should be the attitude of a world-disciple in relation to dictatorships, imposed will and restriction of individual rights and liberties? To refuse any contact or compromise in the hope of their evolution?

Sri Chinmoy: A world-disciple will never compromise. His is the life that will soulfully and dauntlessly fight dictatorship, imposed will and the restriction of individual rights and liberties. Compromise can never be the answer. When we make a compromise with darkness and ignorance, then it is half-and-half: ignorance gives half and light gives half. But the half that ignorance keeps is destructive, so ignorance has to be totally transformed. The entire ignorance has to come and take shelter in light. So there can be no compromise between truth and falsehood. If there is a compromise between the two, then falsehood will rule half the world.

There is no such thing as compromise in the inner life — either God or Satan, either ignorance or light, either day or night. If you compromise with darkness and hope that eventually darkness will change into light in the process of evolution, then I wish to say that this is a false hope. Night will not change, darkness will not change. It is the light that has to operate consciously in and through night. Otherwise, night, as such, on its own will never give way to light. It is the power of light that will have to compel the night to surrender for its own good.