Question: Unless the peoples of the world aspire collectively, will there ever be abiding peace in the world?¹⁴⁸

Sri Chinmoy: Collective aspiration need not or cannot take place all at once. Aspiration has to be spontaneous. You will begin to aspire when the hour has struck for you, and somebody else will begin to aspire two months or two years later, when his own hour has struck. Each day, if some human beings can achieve perfection in the inner world, then it means that these particular human beings are freed from imperfection. No longer are they quarrelling and fighting. Peace will come about in the world from the perfection of individuals. When ten individuals have achieved perfection, then it becomes a collective perfection.

Certainly, it is the ideal for the world to aspire collectively. But the world is not ready. Collective aspiration has to come about slowly — one person at a time. When a number of individuals have established peace in themselves and are ready to bring down peace into the world atmosphere, then you can say that is collective aspiration.