Question: You say that the undivine forces are always vigilant, full of energy and looking for an opening, whereas the divine forces are more complacent because they know that ultimately the Supreme will be victorious. Is there anything that we can do in our lives to inspire the divine forces to be as vigilant and energetic as the undivine forces?

Sri Chinmoy: A child has such love and admiration for his father that at every moment he tries to imitate him. If the father walks one way, the child also wants to walk that way. If the father sings a particular tune, the child tries to sing the same tune. When the father sees that his child’s entire world, his whole existence, is his father, at that time the father not only becomes happy and proud of his child, but also tries to act in a more divine way. It is not only the father who has the capacity to inspire the child. The child also has the capacity to inspire the father by trying to imitate his good qualities.

If we are doing something and another person comes and observes us, we immediately try to do it better. While we are meditating, if somebody looks at us, our meditation goes up high, higher, highest. Similarly, if the cosmic gods and goddesses see that they are being observed, appreciated and admired, their dormant good qualities are aroused to start functioning more dynamically.

The Supreme Mother is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. But according to certain schools of Indian philosophy, she becomes dynamic when one of Her children feels and appreciates Her infinite Capacities. It is not because of the devotee’s flattery, but because the devotee has reminded Her of Her Capacity, that she showers him with the blessings of Her Compassion. He may not be the possessor of even one of those capacities himself. But just because he has noticed Her divine Capacities, She exercises these Capacities on his behalf. So when we sincerely appreciate, admire and adore the cosmic gods and goddesses and their capacities, they are more inclined to use these capacities to help us.

We can appreciate, admire and adore certain world figures, but we do not love them, and we certainly do not want to become them. In the case of the Supreme, not only do we appreciate and admire Him, but we also love Him. And by loving Him we become one with Him. While we are observing His divine Qualities and Capacities with love and devotion, we are becoming consciously one with them. From appreciation we go to love, and from love we go to oneness. So by loving all the good qualities of the cosmic gods and goddesses and of the Supreme, we can acquire these qualities in our own lives.