Question: There is an elderly gentleman in our Centre. I usually pick him up and bring him to the Centre, but sometimes when I am out of town, I request a girl in our Centre who is enormously helpful to pick him up. I thought it would be all right because he is seventy years old. Is that correct?

Sri Chinmoy: It is absolutely wrong. There is no age limit when it is a matter of men and women. We know many cases where unfortunate things have happened even when the individuals were older.

[About Sri Chinmoy’s relative in Canada] Does my relative come to see you?

Disciple: Guru, we just took him for supper before Celebrations. He is studying engineering at the University of Manitoba. He is a very nice boy, Guru. We like him very much. He has not taken the complete meditation course, and he is not a disciple. But we explained to him about Avatars, and he says that now that he knows about you, he really wants to see you.

Sri Chinmoy: In this incarnation, his father and his grandfather were so close to our family, so close to us. We stayed side by side, in adjoining rooms.

Disciple: His mother is the lady to whom you gave a spiritual name, Guru. I believe you named her Nemi.

Sri Chinmoy: Does he know that I gave the name to his mother?

Disciple: He knew that. He told me the story. They think very highly of you.

Sri Chinmoy: His parents and grandparents were so close, so close to us. Once I went to Calcutta. His grandfather heard that I had visited some friends of mine. Only one family I went to see. There were at least seven or eight families who were very close to me, but only to one particular family I went. They promised that they would not tell anybody about my visit. Alas, they made phone calls and in two hours’ time people came from other places. This was how they kept their promise! This boy’s grandfather could not come to see me, so he was very upset.

When I was young, we had to take malaria injections. It was compulsory. I suffered from malaria, and Mantu also suffered. It is so painful, so painful. All the joints start dancing with pain! Mantu and I got the malaria injections, and we were quite all right. When this boy’s grandfather took the injection, he started turning round and round and round. It was unimaginable. He could not keep his balance. He was tortured with pain, and he was rotating and rotating, spinning and spinning.

This grandfather was very, very close to us. I do hope to see him once more.

Disciple: This boy really wants to come to see you, Guru. He feels that you are a God. I hope he will come this year. I would like to come with him, if that is all right.

Sri Chinmoy: Very good!

Is there anybody who is not God? We are all budding Gods! One God is fully blossomed, and we are all budding, blooming and blossoming. One day we will become that fully blossomed God!

You have ten disciples in your Centre? You are a host in yourself! Please try to make your Centre attractive and spiritually important, so that disciples will not be so inclined to move from there to other Centres. They go to other Centres because those Centres are larger. Please try to get twenty or thirty disciples. And please invite some good lecturers to speak in your city. There are so many excellent lecturers! You have to take the service of some disciples who are excellent in speaking. Whenever you have thirty-one disciples, I will definitely come to visit your Centre.

I understand that you yourself have given excellent lectures! I do not approve of your modesty. Spiritual life is for sincerity. Modesty always abounds in falsehood!

Disciple: Yes, Guru. In fact, the French disciples want me to come to Paris to speak.

Sri Chinmoy: Very good! You have a good command of français?

Disciple: _Oui. But they said they will translate for me. _Sri Chinmoy: Then please go to Paris! Very good. I am very proud of you.

Do not forget that a prophet is not honoured in his own country. You yourself are a prophet! If you are giving talks on our philosophy and you are not getting more seekers in your Centre, you can go to other Centres. As long as you bring seekers to any Centre, it will be good. This is one family, one family. If you cannot bring seekers for your own Centre, no harm. You can go to other Centres to inspire people. Try your best at home, but if you do not succeed in bringing new members to your own Centre, you can go to other Centres and serve them. Some disciples are doing that.