Question: Guru, I wish to share with you an experience I had a few weeks ago. It was an afternoon while I was taking a bath in the river near my house. A voice seemed to call out my name. As I searched for the direction of the sound, a Christ-like figure was sort of delineated in my mind, yet my heart welcomed the vision by saying: "Brother Jesus, I do not need you, your brother Chinmoy is my Master." At this time, the figure in my mind turned into a black bird of prey and flew out of my mind, sounding off its belching screams.

Sri Chinmoy: This is a hostile attack. What was present in you was not the Christ figure but a hostile force that took the form of the Christ. Your aspiration protected you by saying that you had another Master and Teacher. If vision turned into a black bird, that is the proof of it being a hostile attack. My brother Jesus, the real Christ, would have blessed you and smiled at you on the strength of his oneness with me, when you told him that there was no need for his help since Chinmoy was your Master.

This can also be seen in another light, as a test. Even though I never test my disciples, it could be seen as a test of sincerity, strength and faith in one’s own Master. In your particular case it was not a test, but your faith and sincerity came to the fore in rejection of the assistance of one particular Master because you had one already. I repeat that the real Christ would have blessed you for the sincerity and faith bestowed upon me on the strength of his inseparable oneness with me.

Experience is a remover of doubt. Sri Ramakrishna on his deathbed had to assure Vivekananda and purify his doubting mind when he said: “He who is Rama, he who is Krishna in one form is Ramakrishna.” Vivekananda cried bitterly, but his doubt vanished. This was a test. I do not test. I try to inspire and bring forward the soul in silence. In your case, the soul was out and was able to deal with this particular experience. Very good experience!