Question: When we express patriotism, how can we still make it clear to people that we feel there is something higher and brighter that they should aim for?

Sri Chinmoy: You can make it clear to people that there is something higher, infinitely higher, and something brighter, infinitely brighter than patriotism when you practise that very thing: spirituality. If you practise spirituality your own face will radiate light. There will be an aura around you and people who are in patriotic life will ask you about the kind of life that you are leading. Spontaneously they will be inspired by the glow of your being. And then you will have plenty of opportunity to tell them on the outer plane that patriotism is undoubtedly a high rung in the evolutionary ladder, but there are rungs that are infinitely higher. But one has to climb up from the lower rungs to the higher rungs. One cannot all at once jump up onto the highest rung of the evolutionary ladder; it is not possible.