Question: When does God smile?

Sri Chinmoy: God smiles when a seeker tries to do God's Will even if he fails again and again. God smiles because the seeker is aiming at the right thing and one day will reach the right destination. God smiles when the seeker does the right thing and then cheerfully surrenders the result to God's Will, even if the immediate result is not satisfying.

God smiles when the seeker every day decreases his desires in the material world and increases his aspiration in the spiritual world. If there are five things that I want from the material world today, then tomorrow I will desire only four things. And in the spiritual world, if I have one good quality today, then tomorrow I will try to have two good qualities.

Suppose that previously I wanted to have three cars to show off to my friends. Now that I have become more spiritual, I will give up the idea of three cars and feel the desire for only two cars. Then after some time I will feel that only one car is necessary.

Similarly, in my spiritual life, let us say that today I want only simplicity. If I become more spiritual, tomorrow I will want not only simplicity but also sincerity. Then the day after tomorrow I will realise that I also need purity, and I will pray to God for purity as well. In this way I will increase my good qualities.

If we can decrease our desires in the material life and increase our aspiration in the spiritual life, then God is bound to smile. And each time He smiles, He makes us feel that He really wants us to realise Him, reveal Him and manifest Him in His own Way.