Question: Is there art in other worlds besides earth?

Sri Chinmoy: Yes, there is art in other worlds and other planes of consciousness apart from earth, but this art is not for manifestation. This art is something that exists for its own sake. It comes spontaneously. Here on earth, whenever we do something, even if we just exist, we do it for the sake of others. Suppose you exist here on earth as a tree. A tree will have flowers and fruits. Even if the tree doesn’t want to give me anything, still I can climb up its trunk and eat its fruits or pluck its flowers or I can just enjoy its shade if I want to. But in the other worlds it is not like that. There you can appreciate the beauty of something, but you can’t have it. You can appreciate the beauty of something, but you can’t claim it or use it for your own purpose. Here on earth, as soon as art is created, you can steal it with force or buy it or plead with the artist to give it to you. In the other worlds, you can at most appreciate it, but you can’t capture the art, you can’t claim it, you can’t acquire it, because it is not manifested.

In other worlds, you see the Gandharvas — the celestial musicians like Narada, who is the most prominent one. There is a particular world of musicians where a constant assembly of musicians is held. There is also a world for artists in the inner world. There are some artists who have not taken incarnations but just remain in this inner world. Again, some great artists, spiritual artists from earth, go to this world to enjoy it when they leave the body.