Question: What is the importance of selfless service?

Sri Chinmoy: Dedicated, devoted service is of paramount importance for each disciple. This service can be of various types: It can be physical work or it can take the form of an offering of devoted thoughts, ideas, love and concern. Physically you can do dedicated service and spiritually you can do dedicated service. Financially and materially also you can do dedicated service. Each disciple has the opportunity to serve the Centre, which is his spiritual home, and the Supreme. Each person can be the Supreme's true divine Pride. Physical service, vital service, mental service, psychic service and soul's service can be offered at the Feet of the Supreme.

The greatest service is to have conscious surrendered oneness with the Master and the Supreme. But all these other types of service do help considerably in entering the unconditionally surrendered life. Start where you are now, and each moment offer your dedicated service to the Will of the Supreme.

The greatest benefit you will receive only when you are totally one with me in the inner world. If you are truly one with me in the inner world, you can easily be one with me in the outer world. From the outer world if you enter into the inner world, you may fail, but from the inner world if you come to the outer world, you are always bound to succeed. While working, please try to feel that in the inner world you are marching with me. It is the inner dedication that you are offering in your outer activities. It is my inner breath that you are consciously breathing.

Again and again I wish to tell you that each disciple, if he is sincere enough, can claim to be the most chosen child and instrument of the Supreme. But he consciously has to know, feel and realise that he is an unconditionally surrendered soul of the all-seeing, all-loving and all-fulfilling Guru — the Guru of all Gurus, the Supreme. The Supreme is the only Guru, here on earth and there in Heaven. There is only one Guru and that is the Supreme. Let us try to please Him the way He wants us to please Him. Let us try; we shall succeed. We shall all march toward the goal and shall be fulfilled.