Question: How can I become closer to you, Guru?

Sri Chinmoy: If you feel that closeness means physical proximity, then that kind of closeness will not help you at all. In the spiritual life, if one wants to become close to the Master, then the most effective way is through constant dedicated service. Meditation is indispensable; all seekers have to meditate. But along with meditation, one has to do dedicated service, and he has to do it with utmost love and surrender.

It is not that you will work soulfully only when I ask you to do something for me in my physical presence. That is not dedicated service. It is an injustice, an insult to my inner being, if you care only for my physical presence. Dedicated service comes when you feel my inner presence no matter where you are or I am. The Centres in Puerto Rico, Jamaica, West Indies and Switzerland do dedicated service. But they do not have my physical presence. What they need and what they get is my inner presence. So if anybody wants to become closer to me, he has to cultivate the consciousness of my inner presence.

When you serve, you increase your receptivity. Right now you are very narrow and your capacity for receptivity is very limited. But the more you serve the Supreme, the greater the receptivity you will have. When you have receptivity in abundant measure, you will be able to receive more divine blessings and more divine concern from your spiritual Master.