Question: How can I know if an inspiration comes from God or my heart or soul rather than my mind?¹³⁵

Sri Chinmoy: When you approach the Supreme with the mind, all the time you will doubt whether you are doing the right thing. You will think, “Is He going to be nice to me? Will He be kind to me?” All these thoughts and ideas will come to you. If you get the inner message to see your boss, for example, you will simply go and see that person. But if the inspiration comes from the mind, first you will have a hard time deciding whether you should even see him; there will be many questions in your mind. Then, if you finally do see him, if the result does not come out according to your satisfaction, you will curse yourself and say, “No, it was not the right thing to do. I got the wrong message.”

But if the message comes from the soul, you will have tremendous conviction that you are doing the right thing. Also, both success and failure you will take with the same equanimity. While executing a message that you got from within, you will not expect anything in your own way. You will not expect any particular result. No, you will only follow the inner command. If you have this attitude, you will be able to know if a message has come from within.

If you get the message from the spiritual heart, which is identified with the soul, and if you carry out the message, you are bound to feel satisfaction whether the result comes in the form of success or failure. Satisfaction comes from following the inner command, not from any outer result. But if you get the message from the mind, then before you even act, hundreds of questions will enter into you. And if the result, according to your vision, is not satisfactory, then you will be disappointed.