Question: At our United Nations meetings, should we meditate on specific themes related to United Nations conferences and other things, as well as on general qualities like peace and love?

Sri Chinmoy: It is advisable for seekers to meditate on divine qualities such as peace, love, light and bliss. This is our way, the way of the soul. The other way is perfect according to the wisdom, the understanding, the realisation of those who follow it. Our way is perfect according to our understanding, our wisdom, our inner cry. We feel that if we have peace, light and bliss within us, then we can bring it into our outer life. Others may feel that if they can organise a peaceful situation, then they can have a peaceful life. They feel that they have to bring the world into order first. They start from the outside. They want to dive into the world from outside. We are trying to start inside and bring what is within to the fore. So these are two different approaches. Some feel that if they approach reality from the outside, then they will be fulfilled and we feel that if we can come from the inner world to the outer world, then we will be fulfilled. There is no contradiction. We are both aiming at the same goal: peace, love, light and bliss. The approaches are different but the achievement will be the same.

One approach is from the outside world to enter into the inner world, but we feel that as soon as we achieve something in the inner world, only then shall we be able to bring it and give it to others. Otherwise, if we enter into a conference dealing with politics, we will be totally lost. Politics is dying to get inner light; it wants to be illumined by inner light. But on the mental plane, politics is only a constant fight, constant battle: “I know better than you.” “No, no, I know better; I am right.” Politics here is the battle of ego. “My nation is better; you have to listen to me.” But spirituality is the flow of oneness. When there is oneness, there is no supremacy. Oneness never quarrels. In the outer world there is tremendous misunderstanding, but in the inner world we always sing the song of oneness. Oneness is achievement, oneness is self-giving and self-giving is God-becoming. In the outer world it is all division: I and mine. “You have to surrender to me. Then only you will know what the truth is.” In the inner world it is all oneness. In the outer world division and a constant sense of separativity is satisfaction. In the outer world, binding myself to someone else is satisfaction. In the inner world satisfaction is oneness. Satisfaction comes by liberating myself, expanding myself.

So if we pray and meditate on peace, light and bliss, then we will definitely be able to serve those in the political world. And those who are serving the United Nations according to their own understanding will not be in conflict with us. Our approach will be different. But we will not say that ours is superior, that ours is the best way, no. Only we feel our approach will satisfy us without conflicting with their ideas, and their approach will satisfy them without conflicting with our ideas.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Flame-Waves, part 10, Agni Press, 1978
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/fw_10