Question: You said that the process of successfully realising God is ninety-five per cent God's Grace and five per cent personal effort. But when we realise God, you said we realise that even our five per cent was God's Grace. That being the case, how can a seeker be responsible for his success or failure?

Sri Chinmoy: When you realise God, at that time you will see that everything was unconditional from God. Why did you get up at six o’clock to pray and meditate, whereas your friends and acquaintances did not? It was because something within you responded to God’s Wish or God’s Will. God was able to inject His Will into you, whereas someone else was not receptive enough. The moment you feel God’s Will operating in and through you, at that time you are responsible to do prayerfully and soulfully what God asks. If you do not do it prayerfully and soulfully, then only will you be blamed.

God will not blame you if you do not succeed, but God will definitely blame you if you do not try cheerfully, soulfully and self-givingly. God will blame you only if you do not try with a divine, self-giving spirit. You are responsible only for making the journey with the right attitude; you are not responsible if you do not meet with success. Success and failure are at His Feet, and you have to offer the results happily and prayerfully to Him.

What does this mean? Suppose you expected something to happen in your own way; you worked very hard for it, but it did not take place. Let us say you expected your daughter to pass her driving test, but she has failed very nicely. With so much hope, eagerness and joy you taught her. If you want to do the spiritual thing, when she fails you have to place at the Feet of God the same amount of energy or feeling that you had when you were hoping that she would succeed.