Question: We are human beings; we are not gods. Can we nevertheless discover the astral planes inside or outside of ourselves?
Sri Chinmoy: Yes, we can. But if we are wise, we will not think of entering into the astral planes. We will think only about pleasing God. If we please God, then whatever we need most, He will give us. It is like entering into a big garden. Inside the garden are many kinds of fruits and flowers: rose bushes, mango trees, apple trees and so forth. If I say a few nice things to the owner of the garden, he will be pleased with me and say, "Take anything you like. If you like a particular flower, take it. If you want a mango or a guava or an apple, then just take it."Sometimes we cry only for one thing, for an apple or a rose, and the owner may say, "All right, take it." But if I please the owner, he will say, "Why just take an apple or a rose? Everything that is in the garden you can have." But if I try to take even a single apple from the garden without first pleasing the owner, then he will scold me.
In this particular case, the owner is God, and God will only give us what is best for our spiritual life. So, if you can please your Inner Pilot through your prayer and meditation, then He will give you what you need most. If He thinks it is necessary for you to enter into the astral planes so you can see what is happening in Russia, let us say, then He can let you enter. But that will not make you happy. It will only increase your desire-life. Today if you get the capacity to fly 100 miles in the astral plane to get some messages from a different place, then tomorrow you will want to use the astral tubes to get messages from 200 or 400 miles away. But this kind of ability will not satisfy your heart and your soul; it will only feed your curiosity and take you farther from God.
But if you can please God in God's own Way, then He will give you everything far beyond your imagination. To your greatest joy, He will give you things that you never dreamed of. Once He is satisfied with your aspiration and dedication, once He is satisfied with your love, devotion and surrender, there is nothing that He will not give you. Once you are spiritually ready, He will give you everything. At that time, in the twinkling of an eye you will be able to go farther than the farthest to see what is happening not only in the outer world but also in the inner world. You will have a free access to God's entire universe. So the best thing is to concern yourself only with pleasing God. Once you please God, then He will give you the capacity to see everything and do everything and become everything - in His own Way.
The highest prayer we can offer God is: "Let Thy Will be done." You will try to please God; that is your job. Then it is up to God to please you and fulfil you in His own Way. And this is the only way that will truly satisfy you, because only God knows what is best for you.
