Part IV

SCA 283-284. Two questions asked by Mrs. Hanne Strong, wife of Maurice Strong, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.

Mrs. Strong: The degradation of the earth is so far advanced right now that the great mystics, shamans and spiritual people are saying that we have already crossed the line of no return regarding the oceans, the soil and the forests. What is your opinion?

Sri Chinmoy: If we start doing the right thing, we can always begin making progress again. From the drop we get the ocean. Let us say that because of our stupidity we are destroying the ocean; we are turning it into a few drops. But if we start doing the right thing, then eventually the drops will grow into an ocean again. Sometimes it happens that there are no plants in a garden. But when a most skilful gardener begins working there, once again it becomes a garden with most beautiful plants, flowers, trees and fruits.

Mrs. Strong: But if the soil is dead, it’s dead. If a forest is gone, it’s gone. If the ozone is gone, it’s gone.

Sri Chinmoy: We must not underestimate the power of spirituality. Prayer and meditation mean new life. When we pray and meditate, at every second we are bringing into our life a divine consciousness, which is constantly growing. You are saying that Mother Nature is being destroyed. But Mother Nature is nothing other than God the creation. So we are praying to God the Creator to save God the creation. He who created once can again create a new creation on the strength of our prayers and meditations.