Question: I would like to know which you consider to be the more useful form of spiritual activity — to meditate and offer good will to humanity or to participate in outer manifestation?

Sri Chinmoy: Both are equally important. However, you have to know what kind of service you are offering. Many Indian spiritual Masters and realised souls have spent their time in Himalayan caves and secluded places offering good will to mankind. They did not give public lectures or write books. They have sent their good will to mankind and that was their dedicated service. However, if one meditates and offers good will and also offers dedicated service on the physical plane, he is offering more. When I meditate with my disciples, I offer them my light and inner wealth. When I go to the United Nations and various universities to give lectures and hold meditations, this is my dedicated service. There are some spiritual figures who do not want to mix with humanity, so they offer their good will at the time of meditation. If one offers a good thought this is a form of dedicated service. However, if a spiritual Master offers something on the outer plane, like meditating with others and bringing down peace, light and bliss for seekers, then naturally his dedicated service is more than that of the person who only offers good will in the inner world. Although both are important, if one can use both hands — inner good will and outer dedicated service — then one can offer more. He who offers both makes a greater contribution to Mother Earth than one who only offers on the inner plane.

From:Sri Chinmoy,A twentieth-century seeker, Agni Press, 1977
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/tcs