Question: Since all our aspiration is the result of God's Grace, what part does personal effort play in total surrender?

Sri Chinmoy: It is true that our aspiration is due to God’s Grace. But again, it is God’s Grace that enables us to play our role, which is personal effort. Right now we say that our aspiration is one percent personal effort and ninety-nine percent God’s Grace. But eventually we will see that it is God’s Grace that gives us even the one percent of personal effort. So, unconditional effort comes not from conditional service, but from continuous and constant loving service. It is from constant, spontaneous, loving service that one day unconditional surrender will come. It is not from conditional surrender that unconditional surrender comes. No, it is from continuous, conscious and self-giving love to the Supreme Cause that eventually one can be blessed with the capacity for unconditional surrender.