Question: Guru, if a disciple of yours has love and devotion for you but is in a bad consciousness, if you see him, do you see right through his bad consciousness to his love and devotion? That is, if he is feeling love and devotion and one hour later you see him, but he is in a low consciousness, do you see his good qualities too?

Sri Chinmoy: Your bad consciousness is in your mind and your vital, and your love and devotion are in your heart and soul. Let us say you have a five-room apartment. In the heart and soul rooms you have all good qualities. Now, if you have a fire in one of the other rooms — in the body, vital or mind — then you should take water from the heart and soul rooms to put out the fire.

When I see you, I see all five rooms. I see the good qualities in your heart and soul and I see the unillumined rooms as well.