Question: Do you think that precognition can restrict man's free will? Knowing the future, will he no longer be able to decide freely any more?

Sri Chinmoy: Precognition does not necessarily restrict man’s free will. It entirely depends on the wisdom-light of the one who has the knowledge of the future and on his capacity to deal with the prediction. It may be helpful to have the capacity to know the future, but people should not pray to God to give them this capacity. They should pray to God only for the fulfilment of His Will.

To know the future is good only if you have patience, faith and the wisdom to use this knowledge in the proper way. Suppose you see that something discouraging, disheartening and destructive is going to take place in your life in the near future. Because you know in advance, you have the opportunity to pray to God to avert the calamity. If you pray devotedly and sincerely, God may listen to your prayers. In this case, knowing the future is a great help because it allows you the time and gives you the inspiration to pray to God to save you. And even if God does not answer your prayers in the way that you ask, He will illumine your mind in a very special way so that you can bravely face the calamity.

On the other hand, if you see that something good, divine, inspiring, illumining and fulfilling is going to take place in the near future, then you can start offering your sincere gratitude to God, and also you can pray to God to expedite this fulfilling manifestation. God may listen to your prayers and accelerate the process if He sees that you truly value His Blessings.

So if God blesses you with inner vision or with the capacity to know the future, then you have to utilise it properly. There are people who have the vision, but who are not wise enough to use it carefully. When they predict disastrous future events, they create useless and destructive fear in people, instead of inspiring them to pray for protection or illumination.