Question: I have heard that if a disciple is close to the Master, he can achieve God-realisation in twelve years. Is this true?

Sri Chinmoy: God-realisation depends on the disciple. Believe it or not, Christ’s apostle Peter is still in human incarnations. Two thousand years ago Christ appeared, and still Peter has not realised God. God knows how many incarnations he has had since then. Then there was a great spiritual Master named the Buddha. His dearest disciple, Ananda, has appeared in my life. Ananda is with me; in this incarnation he goes by the name of Dulal. So, Ananda has realised God or not? Two thousand five hundred years ago Ananda was with the Buddha. How many incarnations have gone by? Like that, there are many spiritual Masters whose really close disciples are not yet realised.

Again, there was one spiritual Master who had a disciple who pleased him to such an extent that in thirty-nine days the disciple got realisation. Not thirty-nine years but thirty-nine days! I have “forgotten” the Master’s name and I have “forgotten” the disciple’s name; that is the trouble. Otherwise, I could tell you.