An Escalation Of Violence

Senator Shahani: Don't you feel, Sri Chinmoy, there is so much escalation of violence these days?

Sri Chinmoy: Has there ever been a time in world history when there was no conflict, no violence, no war? These wrong forces reached the height of imperfection in the Second World War at Hiroshima, Nagasaki and other places. How the undivine forces attacked! Japan had to come all the way to the Philippines to destroy your country!

There was a time 40 or so years ago when the undivine forces, the destructive forces, reigned supreme. They were like a mad elephant going this way and that way. Now those forces are not so destructive. An iota of light, an iota of illumination, has entered into them. That's why a third World War has not taken place. Before we saw countless elephants. Now we are still seeing wrong forces, but they are not constantly thinking of world-destruction.

Thirty or 40 or 50 years ago the countries wanted supremacy. They wanted to conquer the whole world. Still the supremacy tendency is there, but it is not as destructive as before. For quite a few years, forgive me, some countries didn't pay any attention to the U.N. They neglected the wisdom and message of this world body although it had the capacity and the vision. But now they take the U.N. into consideration because they are afraid of world criticism. They may not always listen to the U.N., but at least they bring the U.N. into the picture and try to get the U.N. to approve or sanction their actions. Although still it is not able to play its role most satisfactorily, slowly and steadily the U.N. is getting its due importance and the countries are taking it seriously. So this is humanity's progress.

Senator Shahani: What qualities do you like in the Philippines?

Sri Chinmoy: I see here sweetness, kindness and the willingness to make very fast progress. These are all divine qualities. These divine qualities deserve appreciation and admiration from those who are dreamers of peace.

Around 4 o'clock I was inspired to compose a short song about you. My prayerful and soulful words are:

Senator Shahani, wisdom-fountain,

Within, without, mankind's progress-captain.

Your life-boat plies between

Compassion-shore and perfection-shore

In your light-flooded core.

Ranjit, Chandra, Lila: your fragrance-flowers.

May they all grow into fulness-towers.

Sri Chinmoy sings the song.

Senator Shahani: Thank you. It's a beautiful song.

They speak about Sri Chinmoy's music and Peace Concerts.

Sri Chinmoy: What do you think of President Gorbachev?

Senator Shahani: I still respect and admire him a lot. I was ambassador to a Communist country, Romania, from 1975 to 1978. It is very hard to bring about change in a system like that. Gorbachev came from within and made changes in the system. So it was a very big political achievement. Of course, he also paid the price because then they told him he was too slow for the reforms that he had started.

Sri Chinmoy: He was caught between two parties. One wanted him to run at breakneck speed—faster than the fastest—and the other party wanted only to sleep. In the tug-of-war he was in between.

Senator Shahani: But he is still young. We can't predict what will happen.

Sri Chinmoy: De Gaulle came into power again after many years. So Gorbachev also has a great chance.

Senator Shahani: I was in Russia last July. Quite a number of young people were starting to realise that they wouldn't have this kind of freedom if it were not for him. They wanted him out, but now they are realising that he did do something that they wanted, and they are starting to appreciate what he has done.

Sri Chinmoy: President Gorbachev and I have developed a very close friendship. We are both in the same boat; we both want peace. But sometimes people can be misunderstood. A prophet is not honoured in his own country. But his vision is infallible.

In terms of spiritual light, his country was fast asleep. He aroused the people, but then he said, "Let us go slowly." For he saw that spiritually they were still in their infancy. But they wanted to run the fastest, so he was misunderstood. Slow and steady wins the race. They will come to realise that he was right.

Senator Shahani describes a personal project involving Indian writers who write in English and she and Sri Chinmoy speak about India and Indian culture. At the end, Sri Chinmoy presents her with the "Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart" award.