Question: How can one become a perfect channel through which the love of God can manifest itself?

Sri Chinmoy: We have an inner consciousness and an outer consciousness. Perfection is already deep inside us. It is within us, not without. If we want perfection around us or in the outer world, then the first thing we have to do is enter into the inner consciousness and stay there permanently. Then we will see that perfection, like a tiny plant, is growing. Eventually this plant grows into a huge tree in the outer world.

How can we become the perfect channel for divine love? We have to feel that in our inner life there is only one thing and that is joy. When we feel that this joy can never be separated from our outer existence, then we will feel that we are growing into a channel for divine love.

To become a perfect channel for divine love, we have to take the path of constant surrender to our Inner Pilot. At that time, the soul will guide, mould and shape our inner and outer life and transform us into a perfect channel to manifest the divine love here on earth. If there is no surrender to the Guru, to the Inner Pilot or to the Supreme, then there can be no perfection in any field; nor can there be a perfect channel for love or peace. The Supreme can make a person a perfect channel only when He sees that this particular person has totally surrendered to the dictates of his own inner guidance which comes from the spiritual Master or from the Supreme Himself.

There is a great difference between the surrender of laziness or utter helplessness and dynamic surrender, which is surcharged with aspiration. If out of laziness or helplessness we say, "I have surrendered. Now I don't want to do anything," this is not enough. Our surrender has to be dynamic, constantly aspiring to grow into or merge into the Infinite. Our surrender has to be done consciously and spontaneously. When we surrender consciously and spontaneously to the infinite Truth, Peace, Light and Bliss, we become a perfect channel for these qualities to manifest in and through us on earth. In the West, surrender has been badly misunderstood. Here surrender is seen as submission to something or to somebody else. It is seen as a loss of individuality, an extinction of individuality. Then where is the question of a perfect channel? But this view of spiritual surrender is a mistake. If we really want to be one with the infinite Ultimate, the Boundless, then we have to enter into it. When we enter into the Ultimate, we do not lose our so-called little individuality. On the contrary, we become the Infinite itself. On the strength of our total oneness, we and the Infinite become indivisible. At this time, we become the perfect channel for love and truth.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Service-boat and love-boatman, part 2, Agni Press, 1974
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/sbl_2