Question: Is it possible or is it necessary to like everyone?

Sri Chinmoy: You have to be wise. A tree has countless leaves. It is necessary to have the consciousness that you love all the leaves of the tree, but is it possible to go and touch all the leaves one by one and say, “I love you, I love you, I love you”?

Again, you have to know that the tree has a root, and that root is God. We can tell God, “I love You and all that You have and all that You are.” Like a tree, God is dealing with countless people.

You should have goodwill towards everybody, but that does not mean you should go and talk to everybody and show your sympathy and concern. If you try to do that, then you will have no time to think of your own prayer and meditation. Some people have no time to think of their inner life, and God-realisation is still a far cry for them. But they go to this side and that side to help everybody and make themselves feel that they are philanthropists. In most cases, they are only fooling themselves.

Goodwill we shall have for everybody, but we cannot mix with everybody. If I see a snake, I shall offer it my goodwill, I shall try to see God inside it, but that does not mean that I shall go and stand in front of it and be bitten. I will pray that the snake will change its nature, but to do more than that will be unwise.