Question: If we have some kind of mystical experience, do you give it to us or do you know about it?

Sri Chinmoy: One of my inner beings will definitely know about it. Without my approval or without the assistance of one of my inner beings, my disciples will not get any experiences. My physical mind may not be aware of all of them, but this is not necessary. Again, I wish to say that if you have mystical experiences, it does not necessarily mean that you are one step further towards God-realisation. I always say that there are two roads that lead to the destination. One road is full of trees and beautiful flowers, and the other road is extremely barren, but it does bring the seeker to the destination. It depends on the individual.

An individual will make progress on the road which inspires him to reach his destination. One may prefer the road which is full of trees, flowers and beautiful scenery. He will say, “The road is inspiring me; that is why it will be very easy for me to reach the Goal, and the Goal will be much more beautiful, more meaningful.” Another will say, “What shall I do with these flowers and trees? I may become totally enamoured of their beauty and then I may be satisfied here and not go farther. Let me walk along the road that does not have anything to tempt me or fascinate me. If the road is narrow or if the road is barren, it is a great blessing because then the road will not tempt me.”

Mystical experiences are absolutely nothing in comparison to the highest divine realisation. But again, here one seeker says, “If I get a morsel of food, then only can I look forward to a big feast.” The other one will say, “No, I don’t need anything. Either I will get the full meal or I don’t want anything to eat.” So in this way two roads ultimately reach the same destination. It is the individual seeker who has to make the choice. Again, if you have any real higher experiences, my inner beings will definitely know, for they come from one of my inner beings. This is only for my disciples. Others can get mystical experiences through other sources.