Question: What do you think of the soul of Russia and of its role in the development of the earth's consciousness?

Sri Chinmoy: For years and years the soul of Russia has suffered a lot inwardly. Now the inner problems have been solved and Russia's soul is awakened; it is fully responding to the higher light — the light that can change and, as a matter of fact, has already started to change the face and fate not only of Russia but also of many, many other countries. Now we see many political problems and other problems, but these are all outer problems. What we notice now in Russia is the outer struggle.

When the soul of Russia wants to act in and through an individual, it does so according to the potentiality and possibility of the individual. The soul of Russia acts swiftly, confidently and self-givingly. It has many, many divine qualities, but its main qualities are tolerance, patience, determination and a one-pointed will to achieve its goal, whatever that goal may be. The goal can be higher than the highest, or it can be not so high. Instead of using the word 'Russia,' let us speak of the soul of the Soviet Union. When the soul of the Soviet Union says "Yes," it is positive in every sense of the term. Some other countries, on the other hand, may also say "Yes," but inside their "Yes" the word "No" looms large.