Question: At its best, what does patriotism do for the world consciousness?

Sri Chinmoy: At its best patriotism considerably elevates the consciousness of the world and accelerates its progress. Each country not only aspires but to some extent also embodies aspiration. If a country offers its patriotism to a higher reality or to an inner reality, then its patriotic aspiration definitely goes to God. But we have to know that an individual country can offer to God only what it has and what it is. It cannot offer more than what it has and what it is. A country, let us say, is like a child. A child has only a nickel; he has found a nickel on the road. immediately he sees the mother and runs toward her and gives her the nickel. She is his whole world. So what does the mother do? She gives the child a dollar. Similarly, even if a country has only limited aspiration, if that country offers what aspiration it has to God, He will give the country much more aspiration. If the child gives the father everything that he has, naturally the father will give him much more. But it must go to the right person. Even if its aspiration is very limited, if the country gives it to the Almighty Father, then He will definitely bless the country with infinitely more that He has received from it.