Question: To fight hostile forces, does one have to be a very, very great spiritual Master? Or can an ordinary occultist do something?

Sri Chinmoy: Occultists also can do it. But there is a difference between occult power and spiritual power. Occult power can do something immediately. But while doing it, you may be breaking something. Spiritual power may take a few hours more, but spiritual power is more powerful. It is like an elephant. Right now the elephant is sleeping. But when the time comes for the elephant to get up, it will show you its strength. Or you can say it is like those heavy wrestlers. They are very lazy by nature; they don’t move. But when they start wrestling, oh God, how powerful they are! Occult power works faster, but with occult power you have to be very, very careful. With spiritual power also you have to be careful. But if spiritual power is properly used, you can rest assured that you will have almost one hundred per cent success. With occult power, you cannot be sure. Occult power sometimes may even turn out to be your enemy. It is like playing with a knife; it is possible to cut yourself. But this will never happen with spiritual power.