Part II

SCA 763-765. Sri Chinmoy answered these questions on 18 June 1999.

Question: What does it mean to be born into a spiritual family that is already following a spiritual path?

Sri Chinmoy: It is a great advantage to take birth in a spiritual family and to enter into the spiritual life from one’s very birth. It shortens the road considerably. When you take birth in a spiritual family, the road becomes very, very short. But again, hostile forces do exist. These hostile forces try to attack more vehemently the parents who are already on a spiritual path. Each time they see a little child, they feel that one more soldier has joined the army. There are two armies: the spiritual side and the hostile side. So the hostile side feels that the spiritual side has got one more soldier and, who knows, this soldier can eventually become very, very powerful; he may even become a commander. At that time, the hostile forces will really be in trouble, so they feel the best thing is to attack when he is young.

That is the negative side. But on the positive side, the road is definitely shorter for those who are born into a spiritual family. The family life-tree has already started bearing fruits. Then if a child is born, he can start eating those fruits right from the beginning. This will strengthen him. If he starts eating those fruits right from the beginning, there is every possibility that in his childhood and adolescent years, his very presence will inspire others. He will not remain aloof; he will mix with others, but they will see something very, very special in him because spirituality has its own vibration and aura. Some will feel this vibration around him unconsciously, while others — very few — will feel consciously that there is something unusual in that person.

To come back to your question, it is a great, great advantage to take birth in a spiritual family because the spiritual alphabet — the ABCs — one learns very quickly. Again, it may happen on rare occasions that someone can take birth in a spiritual family and then, unfortunately, that person may become undivine to the extreme. He may not follow any spiritual path. He may go his own way and do all kinds of undivine things. This kind of sad experience can happen. Suppose there are two sons in the family. One can be spiritual to the extreme and the other one, in spite of having the promise to become just like his brother, may take a wrong turn in his life. Then he is lost.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Sri Chinmoy answers, part 21, Agni Press, 2000
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/sca_21