Question: Has one to abandon the outer life in order to make spiritual progress?

Sri Chinmoy: One does not have to abandon the outer life. One has only to go deep within. Then one has to see how much of the outer life is really necessary in order to lead a spiritual life and achieve God-realisation. There are many silly, useless things which we do in the ordinary life and we have to discard them. Again, there are many things in the outer life which we call duty, soulful duty. But when we enter into the deepest spiritual life, at that time we have no duty. Before we reach that stage, we have to fulfil some earthly duties. But when it is a matter of choosing between the outer and inner life, we have to pay more attention to the inner life — then we will have solid joy, peace, love and power. Then whatever is unnecessary in the outer life we can transform. If we go to the extremes, if we stop talking to people, we will become mentally unbalanced. Outer balance is necessary; we cannot go to the extreme. But we have to know what is really necessary and what is not. Talking to people for hours on end — that kind of thing is unnecessary. But there are things that are of paramount importance in the outer life which we must accept. Things which have to be given up in the outer life we shall give up. We have to simplify our life. God is very simple; we are complex. Inside simplicity is purity; inside purity is divinity.