Question: I was wondering about jealousy. Sometimes I try to convince myself that it doesn't matter if you show more attention to somebody else but it doesn't work.

Sri Chinmoy: It does work, if you think most sincerely about the many times that I have shown you my affection, concern, blessings and so forth. When you are jealous of somebody, you have to try to convince yourself that you are far better, far superior. If somebody says that so-and-so can sing far better than you can, you say, "Oh, I can sing far better if I want to." If you want to conquer jealousy in the ordinary human way, you think, "I can sing far better than that, only I don't want to sing because I don't want to waste my time." This is a clever way of conquering jealousy: making yourself feel that you are a better singer than that other person. That is one way, the human way. Another way, the spiritual way, is to expand your consciousness. Just feel that you are one with the other person. So if she sings well you will feel that it is you who are singing.

Again, since you are a disciple of mine, there is still another way to conquer jealousy which is very easy. Just think, "How can I openly be jealous of that particular person when Guru is in front of me?" Right now you say, "It is happening in my mind, in my own room, and Guru cannot see me. But I tell you, jealousy or any other wrong movement that takes place in my disciples' minds is all being recorded on the golden tablet of your heart. When you are jealous of someone or you are angry with someone, that is all being recorded in your heart. When I meditate early in the morning, if I see a dot on your heart, then I know that it has come from jealousy. When I see another dot, I know that it has come from anger, fear, or doubt. I don't have to watch for three hours, to see if you are jealous of so-and-so. When I meditate on you I will immediately see a dark spot in your heart and I will know.

I am a divine detective. One of the disciples says that whenever he uses two hands I am not there to see him or appreciate him, but whenever he uses only one hand, at that time I catch him. So I told him that I am a divine detective: when you do the right thing I don't have to poke my nose in, because you are doing the right thing and that is what I want. But when you do the wrong thing, that is the time for me to catch you. If I allow you to go on doing the wrong thing, then I will be doing an injustice to your soul.

You have to feel that the things that you cannot do in front of me are things that are instigated by hostile forces. When jealousy is in your mind or in your vital or somewhere, at that time you have to take me there. As soon as you bring me there, you are ashamed, you are embarrassed. "Oh, my Guru is seeing that I am jealous of so-and-so or God knows who." Then your jealousy goes away. But what do you do when jealousy comes? You forget. When you are jealous, already your consciousness has dropped. It has gone low, so you forget about me then. But no, always you have to feel that I am of you and I am for you. In that way easily you can overcome your jealousy.