Part II

SCA 581-585. On 18 January 1990 in Athens, Sri Chinmoy invited questions from the large group of his Yugoslavian disciples who had made the trip to Greece to see their spiritual Master for the very first time.

Question: How can we avoid criticising someone?

Sri Chinmoy: Always we have to see what happens to us when others criticise us. It is like two boxers fighting. I am a boxer and somebody else is a boxer. When I criticise someone, it is like hitting them and hurting them. And when they criticise me, they are hurting me by making me feel sad. If we can remember how we feel when we are criticised, then we can sympathise with others. If we do not like being attacked by others, why should we attack them? Try to think of others as flowers. Feel that you are entering into a garden. You can enjoy the beauty of the flowers, or again, you can destroy the petals one by one. If you criticise others, you are destroying the flowers. What kind of beauty, purity and other divine qualities will you find in the garden when all the flowers are destroyed?

How can you prove to the world that you are very wise if you are constantly criticising others? Anything that helps you in your spiritual life, you have to do as often as possible, and anything that does not help you, you have to give up. Before you came to the spiritual life, you did many undivine things. When you enter into the spiritual life, it means that you are ready to give up those bad qualities. When you are eager and willing to do the right thing, automatically the bad qualities will leave you.