The Christ

Sri Chinmoy: He lived, suffered and died because whoever comes into the world to fulfil the message of the Heavenly Father has to accept the suffering of the world. If you want to save someone who is drowning in the sea, you don't stay on the top of a tree. You jump into the sea and stretch out your arms to help him. The Christ endured the suffering of the world, because in order to save the world, he had to live here like any other human being.

Francisco Matos Paoli: There is the contention of Catholicism, that our Lord Jesus Christ has two natures, human and divine.

Sri Chinmoy: Each individual has two natures. The moment I have a good thought, I am divine. The moment I have a bad thought, I am undivine. The moment I become jealous of you, I am undivine. The moment I love you, I am divine. This moment I am divine; the next moment I am undivine. We have millions of thoughts; constantly we are assailed by thoughts. This moment we are in Heaven; the next moment we are in hell. Why? Our thought-world creates Heaven and hell inside us. When we make sacrifices, when we love humanity, when we do something for humanity or for God, then we are divine. But if we are only for ourselves, then we are undivine.

Francisco Matos Paoli: Our Lord Jesus Christ is an incarnation of God, is He not?

Sri Chinmoy: It is true. For God, Heaven and earth are like upstairs and downstairs in His House. When He is upstairs, we call Him 'God'. When He goes downstairs, He becomes 'man'. But it is still the same God who has gone downstairs. When He comes upstairs again, He is again called 'God'.

Francisco Matos Paoli: Yes, but there is a connection between immanence and transcendence.

Sri Chinmoy: Absolutely. They are two manifestations of the same reality. When the bird spreads its wings and flies everywhere, it is immanent. When it soars up high, higher, highest, into the Beyond, it is transcendent.