- Sri Chinmoy, The hunger of darkness and the feast of light, part 2

I want to realise God, but I also feel there are many world problems I should help solve. How do I reconcile the two aims?

If you really want to realise God; if you feel the burning cry inside you that you need God, then you should realise God first, and then try to solve the world’s problems, You have a wonderful heart, a magnanimous heart, but without accepting the spiritual life you cannot know how God wishes you to help the world. I am not saying that all political leaders must realise God before they start their political lives, far from it. But if one has aspiration for God-realisation, then that should come first.

You are having inner experiences, so in your case God-realisation should be given the utmost importance. Politics is also God’s creation, science is also God’s creation, everything is God’s creation. But if we realise the Creator first, then it becomes easier to deal with the creation.

If we try to create perfection in the outer world and in our own inner world at the same time, then at every moment we shall expect or demand something from God. We will say, “ Why is God not interfering in this particular problem? This family is suffering, that country is starving and there are all sorts of similar problems.” Demanding thoughts will enter into us and we will become God’s judge. We will say, “God is indifferent. That is why He is not doing anything.” But if we approach God with aspiration, love, devotion and surrender, we will feel, “Let me realise the highest and deepest in me, let me realise myself first. Until I know who I am and who others are, how can I dare to judge the world on the strength of my limited knowledge?” We may have more knowledge than a particular person, but at the same time there are others who have far more knowledge and wisdom than we have. But who has the infinite Knowledge, the infinite Wisdom? Only God. If we can enter into God’s Consciousness, […]-sion for God’s Light, Truth and Bliss here on earth.

Spirituality is one thing, but when we say ‘God-realisation’, it is something most important. We may say, “I am spiritual,” because we are repeating the name of God a hundred times daily or because we always tell the truth and try to do the right thing. The word 'spirituality’ covers so many things. But the end of spirituality is God-realisation. If we are actually thinking of God-realisation, then our aspiration for God-realisation should be the first and foremost thing in our life.

- Sri Chinmoy, The hunger of darkness and the feast of light, part 2