Question: Does the so-called Garden of Eden still exist?

Sri Chinmoy: Yes, in the soul's world, in Heaven, there is a place we call the Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden started long, long ago — far beyond our imagination's beginning. It started as one place, but then it became many. Now it is like a bank which has many branches bearing the same name. I can see that there are at least eleven places that we can call the Garden of Eden. Usually the branches of a bank are not as large or as effective as the main bank. But in this case, the branches — which means the ones that came into being later on — have the same qualities, same capacities, same beauty, same spontaneity, same reality and same divinity as the original Garden of Eden.

Similarly, there are some spiritual Masters who have their own, let us say ashrams or communities in Heaven. We call them Lokas. Traditionally there are a few Lokas associated with the cosmic gods of the highest order. Again, Sri Rama, Sri Krishna, Sri Ramakrishna and other Masters of the highest order have their own worlds. Each Master of the highest order has his own Garden of Eden.

This Garden of Eden gives satisfaction-delight in the will-world, in the compassion-world and in the oneness-world. Very good question.