Question: Guru, I've been your disciple for a very short time, and during that time I've tried to lead a very spiritual life. But I've found that the undivine forces are much stronger that I ever imagined they were. How can I overcome them?
Sri Chinmoy: First of all, please don't be discouraged. It is like this. Take ignorance as an undivine force, a tiger. Previously, you were not conscious of the tiger, although the tiger was there. When you entered into the spiritual life, you felt that you were about to conquer that ignorance. But you didn't have the correct idea of the enormity, the capacity of the tiger. Now that you consciously want to enter into the spiritual life, the tiger within you is challenging you: "Where are you going?" Or you can take it in this way. For many years you remained at a friend's house; you remained with your so-called ignorance-friend. As a guest you stayed. Now that you want to leave his house, the friend says, "Where are you going? I have fed you according to my capacity. All right, my knowledge is my ignorance; my ignorance is my knowledge. But how is it possible for you to leave me after all that I have given you? I won't allow you."You will say, "I am most grateful to you. You have fed me according to your light, which is ignorance. But right now I have a higher call. Now I have to leave you. When I was unconscious, ignorant, I took shelter with you. I came to your house and you were kind enough to give me shelter. But now I have to leave you because I have a higher call."
It is not the spiritual life that increases your undivine qualities. On the contrary, the spiritual life wants you to conquer all the undivine forces once and for all so that they cannot come and disturb you. Otherwise, two or three undivine forces you will conquer today because of your intense spiritual aspiration; and then, after a few months, there will be again an attack by some other forces. So, if you know that all the forces are going to attack you either today or tomorrow, then you will be fully prepared. You thought that you had only one enemy. How is it that you now have ten enemies? But this should not make you discouraged. On the contrary, you should be happy that all your enemies, all your weaknesses, are coming forward. Only if they come forward can you conquer them.
How will you do it? It is through your constant inner cry. Do not be disturbed, do not be agitated, do not be depressed, do not surrender to these attacks. You simply should be happy that all your weaknesses are coming to the fore. Otherwise, each one will take its own time and bite you and pinch you. Then you will suffer like anything. So let them all attack you. Your faith in the Supreme — who is my Guru, your Guru, everybody's Guru — has infinite power to conquer these undivine forces.
You want to go one step ahead and become totally divine. But the moment you enter the spiritual path, all the undivine, hostile forces attack you. Before, you never had doubt, you never had fear, you never thought that anything named jealousy existed on earth. But where did they come from? They did not come from above. No, they were all dormant inside you. The tiger within you had all these undivine qualities. But the tiger did not use all its power. It had only to use a little power, just a small quantity of its power, in order to frighten you. But now that the tiger knows that you are trying to leave its den, the tiger is ready to show you all its capacity. It will muster all its strength. But at that time, you have to be very devoted to your spiritual life, to the divine life within you, and say, "This is a great opportunity to conquer all my enemies all at once." So you should be courageous and, at the same time, totally surrendered to the Will of the Supreme. The Supreme is bound to take your side because you are taking shelter in His adamantine Protection. Then naturally you will overcome all these obstacles on your way.
