Part XII — Professor Carlo Calabrese

PCG 14. Co-Director of Research, Bastyr University Research Institute, Bastyr University Seattle, WA

Professor Carlo Calabrese: For one who has not experienced God or a separate consciousness, how would you suggest a fresh approach to the possibility of experiencing God?

Sri Chinmoy: My esteemed Professor, consciousness has infinite varieties, but primarily, there are two types of consciousness: earth-bound consciousness and Heaven-free consciousness. By virtue of our prayer and meditation, we transform our earth-bound consciousness into Heaven-free consciousness. Once we become the possessor of Heaven-free consciousness, the experience of God will, without fail, be at our disposal.

There are also two kinds of prayer, which we can categorise as "Give me" and "Take me". An ordinary person who uses the first kind of prayer will say to God, "My Lord, give me money-power, name and fame so that I can be inundated with happiness." A seeker who uses the first kind of prayer will say, "My Lord, give me peace, light and delight so that I can have a life of true satisfaction." A seeker who uses the second kind of prayer will say to God, "My Lord, take me. I want to be all Yours, only Yours. Mould me, shape me and use me in Your own Way."

The second type of prayer is totally different from the first. In the first, we use our desire-hunger to possess the world, or even to possess God. Alas, we are so limited that we do not understand that God cannot be possessed like a material object or even a human being. He can only be realised, revealed and manifested.

You would like a fresh approach to God. Such being the case, you will find the second kind of prayer to be all-illumining and all-fulfilling. This approach encompasses each and every action of yours here on earth and its result, in the form of success or failure, victory or defeat. All are placed at the Feet of God with equal delight.