Question: Most spiritual Masters have said that without renunciation one cannot get realisation, but your philosophy is that we have to accept and transform life.

Sri Chinmoy: Our philosophy is the philosophy of acceptance. We have to accept life and transform it. That is absolutely true. But in order to accept something, we may also have to reject something. When the higher call came, Lord Buddha renounced his wife and child, for he felt that the whole universe belonged to him. But if he claims the whole universe as his own, very own, is he not also accepting his wife and child, who are part of that universe?

So we have to know what acceptance truly is. If we want to accept the vastness, there are a few things that we have to renounce. But we are not actually renouncing them; we are only keeping them in their proper place so they also can aspire for light. At this moment, let us say, I am ready to aspire for light. But if I wait for my brother or my sister or my dear one, then God will say, “You fool! I have called you; your hour has come. Why are you delaying? When it is your dear one’s hour, at that time I will call him.”

When God’s Hour strikes, at that time we do not even choose to take God’s side. No, God just takes our side. He has dropped the atom bomb of light, and we become so happy that we become one with His Will.

When Lord Krishna played upon the flute, the gopis ran to be with him because they were ready. But people who were not ready did not come. He played upon the flute for everybody, but only those who were ready came running. The Grace of the Supreme is descending; the divine Light is descending. Some people are ready to open their doors and windows, and others are not. Some are invoking that Light to come and enter into them, but millions and billions are not doing this. They say, “We do not need it.” For them God’s Hour has not yet struck.