Question: If somebody continues to walk along the spiritual path, can that person at the end see the Supreme?

Sri Chinmoy: Definitely. Otherwise why are you taking the trouble of walking along the path? If there is a starting point, there is also a destination. But while running towards the destination, some people get tired. When I used to run marathons, quite a few times I completed the race. Again, a few times after covering only a few miles, I had to give up. My destination was twenty-six miles and a little more. But after eleven miles I had severe cramps, so I had to give up.

In the spiritual life also, if one is prepared to go to the end, definitely he will be able to see the Supreme. But again, even when you see the Supreme, that is not the very end. It is a new starting point. Suppose you are coming from a long distance towards a huge palace. The owner of the palace may be at the door or in one particular room, hiding somewhere. You look for him here, there, here, there. Finally you see him in one room. But the same person can come out and be at the gate of the palace or even two hundred metres or four hundred metres or one mile away from the palace. He knows the way you are walking or running to come to the palace, so he can do you a big favour. If he sees that you are very sincere, then he will come a long way to receive you. He can receive you long before you reach the palace; he can receive you inside one of the rooms; or if he sees that you are not fully ready, he can hide in one room and then you will have to go through thousands of rooms before you finally find him.

It all depends on how ready you are. The goal is to see the Supreme. Otherwise, what is the use of praying and meditating? Definitely when the hour strikes you will see Him, you are bound to see Him, because that is the goal of each and every seeker. But where He has fixed the goal, you have no idea. It can be right in front of you or millions and billions of miles away from you. When the time comes, you will be able to see Him at the place where you are supposed to see Him: inside your heart, inside your soul, inside your mind, inside your body, above your head or in some corner of the world.

When the hour strikes for you, definitely you will see Him. Not only will you see Him, but you will grow into Him. We see a flower, but that is not enough. We have to become the beauty of the flower; we have to become the fragrance of the flower. Then only are we perfect. Anybody can see the flower, but who can have the purity and divinity of the flower-consciousness, plus the fragrance, which is Immortality? So to see the Supreme is the first step, and then to grow into the Supreme will be the ultimate Goal of each seeker. Again, once we reach the ultimate Goal, again we will have to start on a new journey.