Question: Inner silence is equated with prayer and meditation?

Sri Chinmoy: Prayer, meditation, concentration, and contemplation are the inner silence. Outer silence is dedication, service, action. Dedicate yourself, fulfil the Will of God, but only after knowing the Will of God. We can know the Will of God only by practising inner silence. Otherwise, if we try to help mankind in our own way, we think that we are serving God but really we are just aggrandising our own ego. We say, “I have done this, I have done that.” But the important thing is, “Was I inspired by God? Was I commissioned by God?” If our actions are not inspired by God, they are inspired by our ego. Then the service that we offer to the world will be full of darkness and imperfections.