Question: How is it that when you feel you are making spiritual progress, the hostile forces can come?

Sri Chinmoy: When the hostile forces see that you are becoming stronger and stronger, then they give you the last bite. They see that you are going outside their boundary. When they see that you are going to a much higher height, then they give you the last powerful attack. They have been governing a particular area for a long time and you have been in their domain. So when they see you going beyond that boundary, naturally they are going to attack you. You are pleasing God by trying to go beyond. They say, “Where are you going? You have been our subject for such a long time. How do you dare to go?”

Again, God watches to see whether you sincerely want to get out of the mind-prison. If God sees that you sincerely want to break open the jail of the mind, then God opens up a secret door for you. You pass through the door and then you are in the open, free from those hostile attacks.