Question: Is it possible to have complete knowledge and wisdom of God in one lifetime?

Sri Chinmoy: It is absolutely possible to have complete knowledge of God, provided the aspirant has the most sincere aspiration. Also, the aspirant must have the capacity to hold the knowledge and wisdom of God. Third, the aspirant must have a very high spiritual Master, a God-realised Yogi of the first rank. Fourth, it must be the Will of God that the seeker receive this complete inner wisdom and knowledge. If all these four conditions are fulfilled simultaneously, then it is absolutely possible.

But if one just enters into the spiritual life and wants to realise God without the help of a Master, it is impossible. For an ordinary human being, hundreds and thousands of incarnations are required. Even if one has a good Master, if the disciple is not one hundred per cent sincere, it may take six, seven, ten or twenty incarnations. But the very best disciples get realisation either in one incarnation or in a few incarnations, under the constant guidance of the Master.

Occasionally someone realises God without having a spiritual Master. How is it possible? In his past incarnation, perhaps he had a very, very powerful Master. In this incarnation his Master has not taken human incarnation, but from the inner world this Master is constantly guiding him, moulding him and instructing him. The seeker knows that his Guru is instructing him during his dreams and during his meditation.

Then, of course, there is also another possibility. If a seeker has been meditating for quite a few incarnations and God is most pleased with him, and if the seeker is not favoured with a spiritual Master in this incarnation, then God Himself plays the part of a spiritual Master, even during the seeker’s waking hours and in his day-to-day life activities. If the seeker needs to drink a glass of water, God will tell him, “Go and drink a glass of water.” And if he has to shut the windows, God will tell him. God will take the form of a very, very luminous being and will guide him in this way.