Question: Do you have to go through the seven planes of consciousness in order to arrive at ultimate Freedom?

Sri Chinmoy: Yes! The human soul has to go through the seven planes of consciousness in order to arrive at the ultimate Freedom. The soul is like a bird that has to fly up from one branch to another until it reaches the highest branch. The human soul has to fly up through the seven planes of consciousness and then it has to descend again to distribute the fruits from these seven branches. First it ascends for realisation then it has to descend for manifestation.