Question: Is it true that almost all spiritual figures are doubted even by those who are close to them?

Sri Chinmoy: Some of you may at times doubt me, but this kind of unbelief or disbelief all spiritual Masters have gone through; I am not the exception. As soon as a Master takes the human body, he is subject to others’ doubt. No matter who comes into the world with tremendous occult power and spiritual power, it is like this. Sri Krishna had four or five disciples who felt he was a God-realised person; but others doubted him and said many things against him. It was the same with Sri Ramakrishna and the Buddha.

I have a human body with eyes, a nose, arms, hands, legs, everything, but I can do quite a few things which most human beings cannot do. Tomorrow you will also be able to do these things, but I can’t blame you for doubting my spiritual capacity because this is human nature. The spiritual Master is always misunderstood. Only when he leaves the body is he worshipped and adored. While in the body, he is a victim to criticism even by his dear ones. The Upanishads say about the spiritual Master: “He is this and that, and again he is beyond both. This moment he is a child, the next moment he is a grandfather and the next moment he is the transcendental soul.”