Question: Guru, when the Supreme comes to visit earth as an Avatar and suffers so much, does anything in the Supreme's Plan change as a result of that direct experience of earth's suffering?

Sri Chinmoy: Each Avatar has to suffer tremendously, if he is a real Avatar. Avatars are the direct representatives of God. Again, all the Avatars are not of the same height, just as all yogis, all disciples and all seekers are not of the same height. All of you here are not of the same height. Some are higher, some are lower. All the Avatars have reached a most sublime height — high, higher, highest — but again, some are much more powerful in self-giving and God-manifesting.

There is not a single Avatar who has not suffered. Some suffered for a longer time. Sri Ramakrishna was fifty years old when he left the body. Sri Chaitanya had a short time on earth. Some say that Sri Krishna lived for one hundred and eight years, some say one hundred and twenty; it was definitely over one hundred. Sri Aurobindo was seventy- eight. Lord Rama was seventy-three or seventy-four. The Saviour Christ was only thirty-three, and he completed his manifestation in only three years. Then he was crucified, he suffered and he died on the cross. Some spiritual Masters suffered for such a long time. Unbelievable suffering they went through.

Many years ago at Harvard University I sang a song, and since then I have again sung that song many, many times. You also have sung it many times. Je besechhe bhalo: “He who has loved this world has only got excruciating pangs…Yet the hero marches along.” ²⁴