Question: Can an individual have a feeling of insecurity because of a feeling of separation from God?¹⁵⁸

Sri Chinmoy: In the beginning, we look upon other human beings as strangers; they seem alien and, therefore, unreal. The rest of the world, we feel, is for someone else or something else; it does not exist for us. Because we feel separated from the rest of the world, naturally we feel insecure. But as our consciousness expands, we will think of our brother, sister, friend and neighbour. Then, after some time, our consciousness will expand further and we will think of the whole world. Each time our consciousness expands, we become less insecure. If eventually we can feel that the rest of the world is of us and for us, if we can feel that there is no difference between our existence and the existence of others, then we will never feel insecure. If we can think of everyone as our very own, as part and parcel of our own existence like the limbs of our body, how can there be insecurity?

After all, what is the feeling of universal oneness? It is the realisation that there is only one Existence, but this One has become many — like a tree with many branches, leaves, flowers and fruits. If we can feel our oneness with our Source, with the root of the tree, then naturally we will feel our oneness with the other branches and leaves. We are bound to feel insecure as long as we do not feel the living Presence of God, as long as we feel that we are separated from our Source. But if we can feel that our Source is Light and Delight and that, at the end of our soul’s journey, we shall return to Light and Delight, then we shall never feel insecure.

We can feel that our Source is God only when we aspire. When we do not aspire, when we do not pray and meditate, we are bound to feel that our Source is something unknown and forever unknowable. But the seeker who has launched into the spiritual life will feel that what is unknown today will become known tomorrow. Today our God is unknown but knowable. Tomorrow our God will be known and the day after tomorrow our God will be at once the Knower and the Known. If we have this kind of feeling, we will never be insecure.

When we know who the Source is and who is piloting us at every moment, we cannot be insecure. When we feel that we are responsible, that we are doing and must continue doing everything, then we are full of insecurity. But if we feel that there is a higher Force guiding our destiny and that we are mere instruments, if we feel that we are cheerfully, soulfully and unconditionally executing God’s Will at every moment, then how can there be any sense of insecurity?