Question: Sri Chinmoy, it is very difficult to know what is a spiritual question. How much of the United Nations is a spiritual reality and a secular reality, or are these meaningless distinctions?

Sri Chinmoy: I beg to be excused. When I use the term “spiritual”, I mean that if somebody asks me a scientific question I will not be able to answer it. If somebody asks me some historical, political or mathematical question, I will be nowhere. I use the term “spiritual” in a broader sense, to mean the reality that unites us, the reality that wants to fulfil us in a divine way. “Spiritual” here means oneness, unity. The goal of the United Nations is to unite all nations, all human beings. Real spirituality cannot be other than this: to see all human hearts, all human lives united for one supreme cause, which is to offer satisfaction to the Reality, to God’s Creation and God’s Vision.

“Spiritual” here means the unity of all human beings and all human aspirations. It means a better, more illumining way of life. I am using “spiritual” in a very broad sense, in the purest sense, as world harmony, world peace, world union and world oneness. This is spiritual.

As you know, the goal of the United Nations is unity. But unity is not oneness. First we attain unity, and then we go one step farther, to oneness. After oneness, we try to see satisfaction. Each individual must be satisfied on the strength of his oneness with and sacrifice for the other members of the family.