Interview with Sri Chinmoy
on Radio Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland
Interviewer: I would like to ask if you feel only spiritual joy is genuine in this life? Do you deny the existence of physical joy?
Sri Chinmoy: No, we do not deny the existence of physical joy. But we feel that if the physical joy becomes an expression of the spiritual joy, only then will it be lasting. Otherwise, it has no backbone, let us say. If there is no real source, if there is no reality behind the physical, then the physical joy cannot last. The Vedic Seers, Indian spiritual figures, came to realise that it is from Joy that we have come into existence; it is in Joy that we exist; and at the end of our journey's close it is to Joy that we return. But the source has to be spiritual joy, that is to say, God. If God expresses His Light in and through the body, then only will the joy be lasting. Otherwise, if we discard the inner Light, the God-Light, and only care for the physical joy, which is sense-pleasure, then there can never be abiding satisfaction. Right after we indulge in sense-pleasure, we get the experience of frustration; and frustration is followed by destruction. But if the physical becomes a conscious instrument of the spiritual, if the spiritual joy is being expressed through the physical, then the joy lasts.
Interviewer: Joy both physical and spiritual very often emanates from an appreciation of beauty. Now, how are we to recognise beauty and the validity of beauty? John Keats wrote that "Beauty is truth, truth beauty; — that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."
Sri Chinmoy: Right. He also said that "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." We have to know that there is a vast difference between the physical beauty and the spiritual beauty. When we see physical beauty, earthly beauty, we immediately want to possess it, grab it. Even when we look at beauty with our naked human eyes, while we are appreciating it, we try to devour it. So appreciation is immediately followed by destruction. We see a flower which is so beautiful and we immediately want to touch it. But when we touch it, the life-force, the life-principle of the flower goes away. When we touch physical beauty, immediately we destroy the essence of the beauty there. But when we touch the inner beauty, the spiritual beauty, at that time we become part and parcel of the beauty itself. We grow into the beauty that we touch.
When we say that physical beauty is skin-deep, there is much truth in this. But inner beauty, the beauty of the soul, is infinite, because in the inner world we are always growing; we are always singing the song of self-transcendence. In the physical everything is limited. Somebody is beautiful, but he can be more beautiful. Somebody is tall, but he can be a little taller. The physical beauty that we notice in human beings or in nature is always limited. But inner beauty comes from the soul and the soul is the direct representative of God, who is all Beauty. Since the soul derives beauty from God directly, the soul's capacity to express beauty is limitless.
So beauty is truth when we speak of inner beauty. The outer beauty is also truth; but it is temporary and transitory because it fades away. A flower, after one day, fades away. Physical beauty is truth; undoubtedly it is a form of truth, but its capacity is very limited. But inner beauty, which is limitless, is eternal.
Interviewer: Can we turn now to the subject of music? Do you see music as something related to spirituality?
Sri Chinmoy: Yes, I do feel that music has a special role in the spiritual life. Next to spirituality is music. Again, if I have to be sincere, as spirituality encompasses music, so do the higher types of music, soulful music, encompass spirituality. It is through music that the universal feeling of oneness can be achieved in the twinkling of an eye. Thousands and thousands of people come to listen to one person who will play for an hour or so. Now, what is he doing? Through his music he is entering into the heart and soul of the audience. For an hour he is showing his capacity; that is to say, he is bringing down some Light from above. Music is not just playing on an instrument. No, music is receptivity to something higher, something from the higher world. First the musician receives it and then he offers it to the world at large. In an hour, thousands of people can feel it as their very own. So music has the opportunity, the capacity, to claim the universe as its very own.
Interviewer: Reading about your background, I see you entered a place called an ashram. Can you tell me something of your experience there?
Sri Chinmoy: It is a spiritual community. I stayed there twenty years and I prayed and meditated most sincerely. I also participated in sports, because I saw the necessity of having a fit body. The message of the spirit must be expressed in and through the body. Here we are on earth, in the physical body, and the Light we receive from our meditation must be expressed through the physical. The body-consciousness must not be neglected. The higher messages that we get from our meditation must have a channel for expression and the body is that channel.
Interviewer: In this sense, is some kind of punishment of the body necessary? You know, in the rigorous observance of a fitness regime?
Sri Chinmoy: It is not actually punishment. True, we feel it is better to wear out than to rust out. But actually, we do not wear out. The only thing is that if we don't utilise the body, we don't know how much capacity it has. The body needs exercise. If we do not take exercise, we do not know how much we are capable of achieving. If we do not eat, we do not know how much we can eat. The capacity of the body remains fast asleep. But when we take exercise, we allow the body or we encourage the body and inspire the body to play its role in the Cosmic Game.
Interviewer: What were your particular interests in the sporting life there?
Sri Chinmoy: At that time, I was very fond of athletics: running, jumping and throwing. Also, I was a good football player. But now I am so hesitant. Scotland is excellent, excellent in sports, especially in football. Scottish people play football extremely well.
Interviewer: Oh, that's very kind of you to say so. Now that you have mentioned Scotland, perhaps we shall come to a Scottish lady who is sitting beside us. [Speaking to her] In fact you run and organise the Centre in Glasgow?
Disciple: Yes. We call it the Sri Chinmoy Centre and we practise meditation under Sri Chinmoy's guidance. There are ten or twelve of us at the moment and we meet twice a week to meditate. We also make crafts and hope to have a store where we shall sell the things we make.
Interviewer: So there is some kind of practical outlet for this awareness and consciousness of what you are doing?
Disciple: Oh, yes. We are very close. We don't live together, but we do meet very often. We have a theatre group that puts on plays that Sri Chinmoy has written. We also have a choir.
Interviewer: Sri Chinmoy, thank you very much for talking to Radio Clyde and I hope your stay in Scotland will be a happy one.
Sri Chinmoy: Thank you so much for your most interesting and significant questions. I am so grateful to you. This is the only way I and my students can be of service to mankind. If we had not accepted the world, we would not have met together today. I would have remained in the Himalayan caves and you would have remained in Scotland.
Interviewer: Thank you very much.
Published in Sri Chinmoy speaks, part 4