Question: Why do you always speak of God in masculine terms?

Sri Chinmoy: When I say “Father”, I do not exclude the Mother. God is both masculine and feminine. It is only that the term “Father” is more familiar in the Western world because the Christ always said “Father”. So I use the term Father because it is familiar to you. In the East we approach the feminine aspect quite often. We think of the Supreme Goddess, the Divine Mother. We have so many goddesses: Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati and Maheshwari, so it is very easy for us to think of God in feminine terms. But when I am with you, I have to use a term which is quite familiar to you, for I feel that this will make it easier for you to share my experiences. In truth, God is both masculine and feminine. Again, He is neither masculine nor feminine; He transcends both. He is what He eternally is: His Vision and His Reality. This Reality transcends both the masculine and the feminine form and, at the same time, it embodies both the masculine and the feminine.