Nils Lodin: I always try. Do I understand correctly that activity and meditation form the essence of your teaching?

Sri Chinmoy: Our philosophy does not negate either the outer life or the inner life. Most human beings negate the inner life. They feel that the inner life is not important as long as they can exist on earth. Again, there are a few who think that the outer life is not necessary. They feel that the best thing is to enter into the Himalayan caves and lead a life of solitude, since the outer life is so painful and full of misunderstanding.

We do not believe in living either a life of solitude or an ordinary human life, the so-called modern life that depends on machines and not on the inner reality, the soul. We would like to synthesise and harmonise the outer life and the inner life. The outer life is like a beautiful flower, and the inner life is its fragrance. If there is no fragrance, then we cannot appreciate the flower. Again, if there is no flower, how can there be any fragrance?