Question: Would you make that same comment if you took the subway this evening and were robbed by a homeless person?

Sri Chinmoy: If we use the mind, life is all frustration, because we are seeing that somebody needs this and that. We see that there is no justice in the world. It is absolutely true. But we have to go one step beyond this. As I said before, let us take this suffering world as a barking dog. The dog is barking and at any moment it can bite. But God has given us the wisdom to climb up a tree, to raise our consciousness, so the dog cannot bother us.

Let us say somebody comes and takes away the five dollars that I have in my pocket. Outwardly I feel miserable because they have taken away my five dollars. But inwardly if I say, “All right, God wanted me to have this experience,” then I will be happy. The robber got happiness by stealing my money, and I am getting joy by becoming one with God’s Will.

We do not know what God’s Will is — whether God wanted me to be robbed or not. Only let us say, “Let Thy Will be done.” Then we will feel only joy no matter what happens. I have faith that God is not going to give me an experience that will lower my consciousness. If I have that kind of love for God and faith in God, then no matter what outer experiences I get, my inner experience will always be positive.

I will say, “O God, what Your Will is, I do not know. I am only praying to You to make me one, absolutely one, with Your Will.” If this is my prayer, who can steal my happiness? The robber’s happiness lasts for five seconds; then he will go to steal somebody else’s money and be caught red-handed. Eventually he is bound to be caught and punished, and then where will his joy be? But the joy that I get by becoming one with God’s Will will last and last.