Question: How many times have you visited Japan in the past?
Sri Chinmoy: Since 1969 I have visited Japan many times. Each time I come, my appreciation, my admiration and my love for Japan only increase. People say if you see something twice, you may not appreciate it the second time the way you appreciated it the first time. In my case, Japan gives me a totally different experience each time I visit.Being a seeker, when I come to Japan, I see Japan as the most beautiful flower. For me, Japan is nothing other than a most beautiful flower. And what does a flower have? A flower has fragrance as well as beauty. This beauty and fragrance Japan offers to the four corners of the globe.
As soon as we see a flower, our own good qualities come forward to appreciate the beauty and fragrance of the flower. Before we see the flower, we feel that our heart is not so pure. When we think of our mind, we feel that it is full of fear, doubt, anxiety and many, many other undivine qualities. But the moment we see a flower, we feel purity inside our heart, and clarity and luminosity inside our mind.
When I come to Japan, I see the beauty of Japan and the purity of Japan. And Japan gives me another experience which is so significant in my life. Japan is a small country composed of a few islands. There are many countries which are infinitely vaster than Japan. But what does Japan do? Japan embodies the message of the Infinite. Inside these tiny islands, we see the achievements of the Infinite. Look at Japan and the achievements of Japan! How many things Japan has created! That is why I say that Japan gives us the message of the Infinite.
Inside a drop, we can see the ocean. Inside a flame, we can see the morning sun. This is the unique message that Japan offers to the world: that inside the finite we can see the Infinite, and the Infinite can sing in and through the finite. This is something that Japan is offering to the world at large, something that no other country can claim. It is Japan’s unparalleled, unique contribution to mankind.
