Question: How long do we have to continue to reincarnate?

Sri Chinmoy: If one aspires, one expedites one’s realisation. Otherwise, an ordinary human being takes hundreds and hundreds of incarnations before actual realisation takes place. Aspirants who consciously enter into the path of spirituality and try to discipline themselves on the strength of their inner cry will naturally gain their realisation sooner than those who are still sleeping and are not yet conscious of the inner life. Now, after one realises God, if it is God’s Will, that person need not take any more incarnations. If the person is tired, then he may say, “No, I don’t want to be of any help to humanity; I only want to realise God. After realisation I would like to stay in some other plane of consciousness.” But some realised souls will want to go back to the earth-consciousness and serve aspiring humanity. It all depends on the individual soul and on God’s Will.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Beyond Within — A collection of writings 1964-1974, Agni Press, 1975
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/bw