Question: When the soul is going to re-incarnate, is it forced to do so or does the soul have the privilege of making this decision?

Sri Chinmoy: When the soul leaves the body, it gradually goes back to its own region, after leaving the physical, vital and mental and psychic sheaths. Nobody can compel the soul to re-incarnate, save the Supreme. The Supreme has the power to compel the soul to re-incarnate, but He does not do it. The Supreme does not compel anybody to do anything. The soul has an inner urge to fulfil the Divine here on earth. Some souls want to take rest for a few years, say ten, twenty, forty or sixty years, while others who are not developed and are full of earthly desires and want to fulfil their countless unfulfilled desires, come back to the physical world sooner. To be sure, they are not going to fulfil anything spiritual here on earth. They just come back to the world of manifestation to fulfil their countless human desires.

The soul, as I have already said, is not compelled, but if a soul wants to descend, before doing so, it investigates the family, the environment, the circumstances and a few other things. Before actually entering into the family, the soul has to have an interview with the Supreme. Then the Supreme either approves of the soul's decision or He may merely tolerate it. There is a great difference between approval and tolerance. I am sure you know this.

Then there are some souls who have had enough of earthly experiences, that is to say, sufferings and frustrations. These particular souls usually take the oath of Nirvana. They do not come down again. They remain in the Void. But there are aspiring souls who will not accept any defeat. They will come down to have the Divine Victory in spite of their repeated defeats. These souls will come and go until the Divine Victory has been fully established on earth. Truly you are one of these divine warriors.

Something more I wish to add. The soul is not compelled. The human father says to his son, "You are my son. You have to listen to me." But the Supreme Father does not do that. It is only the ignorant human being who commands. The higher we go, the clearer it becomes to us. Normally the Supreme puts into our consciousness what he actually wants us to do in order to fulfil Himself in us and through us in infinite ways. Compulsion is only in this world, not in the higher worlds. Earlier I said something about the inner urge, it is the inner urge that compels the soul to re-incarnate and not any outer force. My Father, the Infinite, is the most compassionate Being here on earth as well as in heaven. It is my bounden duty to fulfil Him here on earth, there in heaven. Finally I must realise that by fulfilling Him, I am fulfilling myself unmistakably, totally, divinely and supremely.