Chapter 3: The body and soul of the United Nations

Mr David Rowe: A spiritual figure once referred to the United Nations as a "society for united animals" where people are not interested in religious things. Could you please comment on this?¹⁵

Sri Chinmoy: It is simply impossible for me to see eye to eye with this statement. To say that the United Nations is a society for united animals because people here are not interested in religious things is to criticise the United Nations not only mercilessly but also unreasonably.

First of all, we all know that since the dawn of so-called civilisation, countless people have been killed in the name of religion. At one time or another almost all the religions have fought unreservedly against other religions and, what is worse, often without rhyme or reason. Just to show their supremacy over other religions, most religions have swerved at times from the fundamental principles of truth.

The wisest thing is for us to first solve our own personal problems — to illumine our own darkness and perfect our own nature. This is the only way that either the united or the divided human animals throughout the world can climb up to a higher rung of evolution, which we can unmistakably call proper human life.