Part V

HDW 12-17. Sri Chinmoy answered these questions on 3 January 2005 at the Hai Tian Hotel in Qingdao during his Christmas Trip to China with his disciples.

Question: If somebody does something first, does he pave the way in the inner worlds for others to follow? If somebody breaks the four-minute-mile barrier, for example, is it easier for others to follow him?

Sri Chinmoy: Definitely, definitely! When a pioneer does something, a new dream blossoms on earth from him. He opens the door for others to come in. Those who come later can also do the same thing, but they have the advantage of knowing that somebody else has already done it. When someone has no predecessor, although others will break his records, he has to be remembered because he has accepted the challenge of doing something very difficult. It is like climbing up the Himalayas. The first individual should always be given credit, special credit. Afterwards, other people will do it more easily. But the first one definitely deserves special credit as the pioneer.