Professor Valentine Sidorov, who has brought many people from the International Association for Peace through Culture to Maharaj ji, is here again to see him. He appeals to Maharaj, “Our country is in very bad shape.” Maharaj advises him,

                You must think how to bring your country up. This will happen only when you are faithful to your country. What is religion? It is to clear our thoughts thoroughly  for the sake of kindness, dharma, and service.

                Some people do not meditate, but they have some faith in dharma. Dharma has many faces. It is an inner thing, hidden wisdom. With that comes a very strong feeling that what is in you is also in others. We don’t like anger, so dharma asks why we get angry at others. We don’t want our feelings hurt, so why do we hurt others’ feelings?

                It is very necessary to bring religion to your country but also to keep society in mind–how to live together, how to uplift the people, how to do good for your country. If you say, “We can do something good only with religion,” people will say, ‘We are starving.’

                Jesus always spoke about love, peace, and kindness. But people crucified him. Why? They thought he was talking in the air. Take both hammers–work as well as spirituality. Both are needed at this time. Some people work for religion, and some for social development. If you take both hammers, then people will come to you and form a team.

                As you know very well, at the time of Marx people wanted worldly progress as well as spirituality. The priests were only talking in the air: “Come and I will show you the way to God.” The priest was talking about peace, forgiveness, and divine orders. Marx was sitting aside, observing. He thought these were impractical, and he also found that all involved money. He thought that if money is involved in these things, then there is no God.

                When those people spoke about God, they seemed to be intoxicated, as if they were drinking. Marx saw people who seemed intoxicated, rather than Jesus, who spoke of service and work as well as love.

                Therefore you have suffered for 70 years (of atheist Marxism). You are tired now. Now please bring the same thing from which Jesus started: work and love joined. With work, your poverty will be removed, and with love you will be able to do good work.

                It is not difficult. Your country is rich in minerals–the richest, and they are still there. You have not gone deep to extract them. Your country is very loving, and some states in your land could supply the whole of Russia. You have to make an effort to produce everything in your country that you need.

                Start. Get up and work together. If you keep talking spiritually, poverty and fighting will increase. You have to give practical form to spirituality, with love and work combined. One thing cannot run the world. These two go together, like two wheels of a cart. Guru Nanak said to love God and work for the uplift of the country. People who just sit idle and eat, eat a lot. Now everything is gone.

                You should become a leader. Take people and start.

                I will not tell you anything theoretical. Throughout my life I have worked on the principal that if one horse is going fast the other has to go fast also, or the cart will not run. We believe 100% in spirituality, but also believe that our society should benefit.

                You are good people with good minds, solid and healthy. Start working. With faith in God, I say to you that a few of you should take the initiative, set your aim, and start working. Don’t be afraid of the fire; try to extinguish it. If it flares up, it will decrease if you put water on it.

                You are very intelligent. You understand that there is decrease in your country, and you also know that something must be done. It is not time for thinking but for beginning action. Don’t think that you should wait for a majority. Good work comes from quality, not quantity. Become of good quality and start working. We both want the progress of your country. But just by thinking your country will not progress. It will progress by work..

                We have a saying that an intelligent person requires only a hint, whereas an unintelligent person requires a speech. I have faith that you understand, so you don’t need a lecture–just a hint.

                Don’t ask for money. It will come by itself. Peace will come because you are asking for peace. From childhood I have seen that there will be peace in Russia, even when I didn’t know anything about Russia. God has told me that peace will come. Have faith, and it will come. The stress has gone too far.

                Professor Sidorov says, “My trip to India is successful after listening to you. You have anticipated my questions..” Maharaj says to him, “When you think, the answers appear here.”

                Sidorov says, “Every time I come your love gives me strength. I will take your love to Russia.”

                Maharaj concurs, “You surely will.”