Question: Will some of us qualify to guard you and the Supreme in the inner world and the outer world simultaneously?

Sri Chinmoy: Dear Pravin, some of you have already qualified to guard me and the Supreme in me both in the inner world and in the outer world. Out of forty-five or fifty attendants, four have qualified and are guarding me both in the inner and the outer world, and one has half-qualified. The rest are guarding me only in the outer world. Among those who are doing it in the outer world, some are doing it successfully and some are not. The majority, unfortunately, are doing it unsuccessfully. But if today we are not successful, then tomorrow we will be successful and the day after tomorrow we will be more than successful; we shall be eternally fruitful in the Supreme and for the Supreme.

So right now four and a half disciples have proved themselves qualified both in the inner world and in the outer world to be guards. Others also have the same opportunity, for the capacity is already given. If you avail yourself of the opportunity, then your capacity will come to the fore. I will be extremely proud if all of you are qualified both inwardly and outwardly to be my divine assistants.

Since I have said four and a half are qualified, you as an individual can easily think that you are one of them. Even if it is not true, you will not create problems for yourself or problems for me. But if you think you are not qualified, your anxieties, your worries and your frustration will bring: your consciousness down. You may feel that today you are not my divine assistant in both the inner and outer world, but tomorrow you most assuredly will be. This is a good attitude also. And even if you feel that today you are one of those who are qualified both in the inner world and the outer world, still there is no end to your progress. You can say, "All right, I am there; I am an assistant both on the inner and outer planes. But let me become a better instrument, a more perfect instrument." That you can do.

But never enter into the world of inferiority, frustration, dissatisfaction and self-destruction. No! Be happy! If you are happy, then you will be able to bring forward your inner capacities and get enormous strength, the strength of a lion. Then it will be easier for you to do devoted service cheerfully; your happiness itself will enable you to do more selfless service in a spiritual way. Otherwise, you will work forty hours, fifty hours or sixty hours, but if it is not done in a cheerful, self-giving way you will get zero. It is your attitude that is of paramount importance, not how many hours you work. At the same time, I wish all my assistants to work at least seven hours a week, minimum. If one hour of selfless service you cannot give a day, that is really deplorable. Out of twenty-four hours if you cannot give one hour a day, then it is really unfortunate.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Service-heroes, Agni Press, 1978
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/sh