Mr. Inoue: You have just spoken about the importance of prayer and meditation. I am wondering if there are also other things in our everyday life that are important and which we should be attentive to.

Sri Chinmoy: Prayer and meditation include everything, but we have to know that there are two types of prayer. One prayer is only for me: I pray to God to make me a good person; I pray to God to give me this and that. This kind of prayer ultimately will not satisfy me. Even if God gives me everything that I ask for, I will see around me countless people who do not have those things — people who are hungry and poor and unhappy. When I see that others are unhappy, then I will not get joy from my prayer, no matter what the results may be. But if I pray to God to give everybody His Love, His Compassion, His Blessings, then when God fulfils my prayer I will be really happy. So let us pray to our Heavenly Father to give everybody inner food, and when He fulfils our prayer, it will be a real divine feast.

In a family, if the parents give something only to one child and not to all the children, then the parents will feel sad and the other children will cry and become jealous. If there are ten members in the family and the father brings home only one fruit, then nine individuals will not be served. When they show their sad faces, how can the one who gets the fruit enjoy it? For the same reason I shall pray to God to give everyone His Blessings, Love and Concern. Then only shall we all be really happy. If I pray only for myself, then I can never be satisfied. Anything that we do, we must do for everyone.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Sri Chinmoy answers, part 2, Agni Press, 1995
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