Questions and answers

The following questions were asked at the Third Eye Centre in Glasgow, Scotland on 16 June 1976

Question: Could you please tell us your views on reincarnation?

Sri Chinmoy: There are some people who believe in reincarnation, and others who do not. I do believe in reincarnation, and I believe in it for various reasons. The most important reason is this: that in a single incarnation one cannot achieve everything. Suppose you had a strong desire at the age of four. That desire may take forty or fifty years for its fulfilment. An ordinary, earthly, human desire can take many years to be fulfilled. This is the world of desire.

But we are dealing with the world of aspiration, with Infinity, Eternity and Immortality. If one aspires to realise the infinite Consciousness, the eternal Reality, the immortal Vision within himself, naturally it will take much, much longer than just to fulfil an earthly desire. Therefore, a seeker will need quite a few incarnations in order to attain his highest aspirations.

Since God will never leave us unsatisfied, since God wants to fulfil Himself in and through us, we will keep on progressing until we reach our goal. Each incarnation is a forward march. It is like a rung of the spiritual ladder. Each incarnation, for a seeker, is a great opportunity, an added opportunity, to make progress toward realising, revealing and manifesting the Highest. It is through the process of reincarnation that we ultimately reach our destination.