Part II — Material success

Question: What response would you give to a person who asks, "How does the spiritual life benefit the man on the street, the man who is more concerned about getting bread and maintaining his life?"

Sri Chinmoy: If he is more concerned about earning his bread, that means that he needs money-power. If he has money, then he can buy bread. Now, we have to know what helps us in getting money. It is energy, labour, strength and effort. All these things come from within. If a person follows the spiritual life, he will be surcharged with energy. The spiritual life can inspire people in any sphere of life; it can help anybody on earth. Spirituality, in the strict sense of the term, is for God-realisation. But if one does not want to go so far, if one only wants to make some progress in the material life in order to become prosperous, he can use prayer. Prayer is a form of spirituality; meditation is a form of spirituality. His prayer and meditation will help him to make more money and become more prosperous. But that is not the real aim of the spiritual life. The aim of the spiritual life is to get the infinite treasure, the infinite Light of the Supreme, which is always for us to use. But if worldly people practise meditation and prayer, the things that they want will not be taken away. On the contrary, they will get them in abundant measure.