Question: Should we try to justify our spiritual practices to others?

Sri Chinmoy: No, that would be a mistake. When we try to convince others that what we are doing is right, in a certain sense we unconsciously try to convert them. If we know that we are doing the right thing, then we should simply do it. For us we know that the right thing to do early in the morning is to pray and meditate. But we will not go to our neighbour, who is fast asleep at the time of our meditation, and tell him to get up just because we feel it is the right thing to do. We will not say, “Look, I am praying and meditating; I am doing the right thing. You must not sleep at this hour; you also must get up!” If we say that kind of thing, then our neighbour will simply say, “Mind your own business!” In the spiritual life we do not try to justify ourselves; we just live for the God within us. God has told us to pray and meditate on Him. When the time comes for others to pray and meditate, then God will illumine and awaken them. But if we go to them prematurely and try to awaken or illumine them before they are ready, we will not be helping their spiritual progress in any way.

Justification is not illumination. The mind is so tricky; it can never be convinced.

But the heart never has any need for justification, for the heart is all illumination. If we know that we are doing the right thing, then we do not have to justify ourselves or our actions to anyone. Let us become like the sun. The sun does not have to justify its light because light is its own justification.