Question: What made you decide to come to the West?

Sri Chinmoy: For me, there is no India, no America, no Europe; there is only God's House, God's Mansion, God's Palace. At one moment God may ask me to stay and work in a particular room of His House which is called America. The next moment He can easily tell me to go and work in another room which is called India. The following moment He may order me to go and work in England or Germany or some other place. My task is to accept His Command cheerfully, readily and willingly at every moment. My task is only to be at His Feet and surrender my very existence to Him unconditionally.

When I was born, my whole world was my father and mother. Then, when I grew a little older, my tiny village of East Shakpura was my whole world. Then my city, Chittagong, my province, East Bengal, and my country, India, became my whole world. Each time I became more awakened or developed, my consciousness expanded. Now if you ask me, "Where do you live?" the human in me will say, "I live in New York." But the divine in me will say, "No, I live inside the heart of aspiring humanity. My real home is inside the hearts of my spiritual brothers and sisters, just as they also live in my heart."