Question: What about Christ, Buddha and Mohammed? How do they fit into your scheme?

Sri Chinmoy: In my philosophy, I feel that they are all branches of the same Tree: God the Almighty Father, God the Infinite, God the Eternal. This Tree has quite a few branches. One branch we call the Christ, other branches we call the Buddha, Sri Krishna, Mohammed and so forth. A tree needs branches otherwise, we don’t appreciate the tree.

Interviewer: Let me ask you a question. If this tree has all those branches, and things still seem to be pretty terrible, maybe the branches were just weeds.

Sri Chinmoy: No, they are branches. The only thing is that we do not want to be under the branches. If we ordinary human beings had cared for their messages, if we had really followed the messages that Sri Krishna brought or the Christ brought, then we would have made tremendous progress. But even when they were here in the physical plane, how many people believed them?

Interviewer: So you figure it’s people’s own fault?

Sri Chinmoy: Yes, it is our fault. Suppose you have some knowledge. It is up to me to come to you and say, “Please teach me.” If I don’t come to you for instruction, is it your fault? The great world teachers came to inspire us and still they are inspiring us from within. They came with Light in infinite measure, but humanity did not respond. Whose fault was it? And now again the same thing is happening: they are inspiring us from within, but most of the time we reject it. Only if we accept their Light can we also grow into divine Light.