Question: Guru, you have spoken of realisation as a tree. What determines how high a soul climbs on that tree?

Sri Chinmoy: Realisation is a very, very tall tree; it is always transcending its own height. The capacity of the soul and the patience of the soul determine how high the soul climbs. It depends on how much light the soul embodies. The soul may become tired after climbing for some distance and then it can take rest. There are many souls who have achieved partial realisation and now they don't want to come back into the world. They are afraid of the world. They feel the ignorance of the world will again try to devour them, so they don't come. They have reached a certain height and they don't want to go further. They have got limited or even vast Peace, Light and Bliss. But they don't want to come down again and work for earth, so they will never reach the Highest.

Either you have to reach the Highest and then come down, or you go up a little, come down and do something for the world, and then go up again. First you get for yourself and then you distribute; or while distributing, you empty yourself and then create more receptivity in yourself. If you are giving what you have — some inspiration, some aspiration — then naturally God will give you more. So, realisation is such that if you realise something and then offer it, while offering it, you are going up. Again, the higher you go, the more you can give. The realisation-tree is like that.