Question: I find it difficult to distinguish between the small "I" and the divine self. Are there any meditations or practices I can use?

Sri Chinmoy: The small “I” will always make you feel that you are most important — not the Centre, not the Mission, not your spiritual brothers and sisters, but you. If something is to be done, the little “I” says, “I will do it and take all the credit.” But the big “I” will say, “No, let us do it together.” The little ego is thinking only of your own progress; it cares only for your realisation, for your illumination. But the big “I” will say, “If it is God’s Will, I will remain absolutely useless. But I want God to be fully manifested on earth.” If God-manifestation comes first, that is the big “I”, the big heart. “I will remain obscure, but God should be fully manifested. Our Mission should be fully manifested. Our Centres should be well-known so that we spread Light. Our brothers and sisters should be together so that we can have a very strong family.” These are all big “I”s. The little “I” will say, “Let me remain in a Himalayan cave and realise God. Why should I be bothered?” That is the little “I”. When you care only for your own self-perfection, your own liberation, and you ignore the rest of the world, then you are gone. You have to take the entire body as a whole. If you pay attention only to your eye or nose, then you are lost. If you make your nose totally perfect while your arms and ears are imperfect, then what will people think? Do you think people will appreciate you? No, they will see your arms are defective, your forehead is defective, everything is defective; only your nose is perfect. But if it is the big “I” that is operating, then you will care for full perfection: “We shall be perfect together. Eye, ear, nose, leg, knee — everything will be perfect.” The big “I” will tell you, “Go together,” and the small “I” will tell you, “Go alone.” So during your prayer, always first think of the Supreme, then think of the Mission, then think of the Centre, then think of the disciples, then think of yourself. If you do that, immediately you will be able to separate your little “I” from the big “I”.