Professor Reynolds: How long have you been conducting these peace programmes?

Sri Chinmoy: I am a student of Socrates. He said "I am not an Athenian. I am a cosmopolitan." In my case also, I have come to serve the world. In 1964 I came to America from India. Then, in 1970 I started conducting meditations twice a week at the United Nations for the delegates and staff members who are interested in the spiritual life. There we also honour different countries, because we feel that each country has a soul and this soul is the direct representative of God. So we honour the different countries and try to bring to the fore their soul's qualities.

I have gone to many places and given talks on spirituality. Nineteen years ago I came to Silliman University and gave a talk at the Medical College. Doctors and nurses asked me questions, and I told them that spirituality and medical science are not enemies because their goals are the same. Both the doctor and the spiritual seeker are trying to cure human suffering. So they should stand on the same side in the tug-of-war against imperfection-disease. If doctors and spiritual people all pull together, then they are bound to win. In a family somebody may be a doctor, somebody may be a lawyer and somebody may be an engineer; but all are members of the same family, and when necessity demands, all have to stand together against ignorance.

Over the years I have given many talks at universities, but I did not succeed to my satisfaction in bringing to the fore the consciousness of the seekers. Then I decided to give Peace Concerts; I didn't want to be a talker any more. I wanted to be a man of spirituality and silence. We know that music is next to spirituality. So I play a number of musical instruments, and through music I try to offer peace. I cannot expect each and every individual to like the same thing. That is why I play a number of different instruments. I usually play about twenty. My goal is to be of service to mankind, and I feel I am amply rewarded if I can be of inspiration to a few people on earth.