Question: When you sing in front of us, what are you accomplishing?

Sri Chinmoy: When I sing I do two things. First of all I try to bring down universal Harmony and Bliss into the aspirants, especially into the disciples who are in tune with the cosmic Joy. Next I try to uplift the limited consciousness of each disciple into the limitless consciousness.

If we sing a divine song, a soulful song, it immediately brings purity into our system. The spiritual songs that I sing are prayers to the Supreme to ferry us across the ocean of darkness and ignorance to the ocean of Delight and Immortality. The Supreme is the Boatman and we pray to Him to ferry us to the Golden Shore. Singing immediately inspires us and awakens the slumbering soul in us. Singing purifies our limited consciousness and brings to us universal Harmony. We constantly break the universal Harmony, but when we sing, we build and create this universal Harmony in and around us.

If you can sing, you have the purest consciousness and perfect harmony in your nature. Nothing delights our soul more than soulful singing. Please sing at home; at home you can sing loudly. Sing in the street or at any other place. Of course in the street you will sing inwardly; otherwise, people will laugh at you.

The Supreme blesses those who both inwardly and outwardly sing soulful songs. Some people do not have a beautiful singing voice at all, but their voice is deeply appreciated by the Supreme because they sing soulfully. The Supreme does not care for someone who is a very great singer but who sings without any aspiration or devotion. He cares only for the ones who sing wholeheartedly.

I wish all who have consciously become my devoted disciples to sing “The Supreme” early in the morning, in the evening or once any time during the day. It only takes three minutes and these three minutes pass away in the twinkling of an eye.

Each soulful song leads us to the Highest because it is the purest flower that can be offered at the Feet of God. When we sing, our whole existence actually becomes a garden of flowers ready, ready to be offered at the Feet of the Supreme. This is why I sing.

Sri Chinmoy, God the Supreme Musician, Sri Chinmoy Lighthouse, New York, 1970