Question: Is it spiritually destructive to spread rumours and gossip?

Sri Chinmoy: Many people get tremendous pleasure, malicious pleasure, by distributing juicy stories or spreading wild, unfounded rumours. But today’s rumour-mongers definitely, definitely, definitely will themselves fall victim to rumour tomorrow. Today you may be deliberately spreading rumours about somebody, with the idea that you are purer than the purest and better than the best. But, before long, you yourself will be the helpless victim. Why? Because when you think of others’ weaknesses, their weaknesses actually enter into you; and then you will suffer the same fate that they have suffered.

So try to think of others’ good qualities, divine qualities, self-giving qualities. If you are always thinking about their bad qualities, you are only digging your own spiritual grave. Before long your spiritual life will touch rock bottom — the abysmal abyss.