Concern: A Reality of the Heart

Preface

Precious are the words of a spiritual Master, conveying his message of inner and outer peace in so many forms. This volume reflects the various formal and informal settings in which Sri Chinmoy offered his instructive insights, and complements Sri Chinmoy’s many books of talks, university lectures, questions and answers, plays, stories, poetry and songs.

Compiled from transcripts of recordings and stenographic notes taken during events and functions over the years, this publication includes informal comments and stories which Sri Chinmoy shared at the time. Also included are a few selected photos from some of the meetings that appear in this volume, as well as some of the songs composed by Sri Chinmoy for these occasions, with music made available specially for this publication.

It is hoped that the book’s diverse format can provide a deeper glimpse into the many ways that the Master rendered his timeless teachings.

Meetings with Luminaries

Honouring Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury and His Wife, Mariam

On 25 March 2007 Sri Chinmoy welcomed Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury<html><a href="#fn1" id="fnref1">¹</a></html> and his wife, Mariam, to Aspiration-Ground meditation garden. During the afternoon, Sri Chinmoy lifted them as part of a new series entitled “Perfect Oneness of the Sun and the Moon,” honouring husbands and wives who have offered significant contributions to the world. Before the lift, the Singers performed a special song for the series. Excerpts from the event follow.

Ambassador Chowdhury: I do not know whether it will be appropriate for me, but I will first offer you my greetings in Bangla, in honour of Sri Chinmoy (speaks in Bengali).

I just offered in “our language,” if I may say, my deepest appreciation and thanks to all of you – in particular, Sri Chinmoy – for our being here this afternoon. Speaking for myself and my wife, Mariam, our spirits feel so uplifted every time we come here.

We get physically uplifted by Sri Chinmoy, but in the process, our inner self gets uplifted. That is the charm, that is the magic that we always have when we come and visit him, when we see him and meet with him, and get his blessings. That is always a great pleasure.

But I also feel so wonderful to see all of you from time to time when I have an opportunity to visit you. You have always been absolutely gracious to me, my wife and our children – now our grandchildren also. I am so thankful to all of you to receive your love and affection, and I wish all of you the best of everything.

I will add one more thing: that all of you have given such strong support to Sri Chinmoy in his work for world peace and for the good of humanity. I think that is remarkable. And with Sri Chinmoy leading all your efforts, it makes us very proud that we have in him such a noble heart that feels for the rest of the world. I believe that his service to the cause of inner peace in each one of us and global peace for the world is something which eminently deserves the recognition of the world. In my humble way, as I serve in the world’s most universal organisation, the United Nations, I pay my tribute to Sri Chinmoy on my own behalf and on behalf of the United Nations.

Please accept our most heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for the good work that you do and will continue to do for many years. And please count me as one person who will support your work in the coming years too. Thank you. (Thunderous applause from the gathering.)

Sri Chinmoy: You are my dearest brother and dearest sister. To be of service to one’s dearest brother and dearest sister is like bringing down Heaven on earth, for here our oneness is something most valuable in every sense of the term.

You two are dreamers of peace, lovers of peace, like me. We are all dreamers of peace, we three. Today we are dreamers, but there shall come a time in the near future or distant future when our dreams will be manifested as realities.

Ambassador, you have been serving the United Nations for many, many years. I know and I feel, I feel and I know that your service to the United Nations is most exemplary. You cry for the poor, for the needy. You cry for the upliftment of poor human beings in every way. This is the very best way that you can serve humanity. Millions of people appreciate you, admire you, plus love you, for you have a very, very big heart, and for that I am all love for you, all admiration for you.

I take both of you as true members of my family. When you are in trouble, I most sincerely feel that I am inseparably one with your sufferings. I pray and pray and pray, and I do everything that is possible on the strength of my aspiration and dedication to offer my services most lovingly, most self-givingly, plus most proudly to you both.

Ambassador, it is you who introduced me to Shankar, one of the most eminent writers in Bengal, in Bengali literature, and for that I shall remain eternally grateful to you. He has written such nice things about me. Thousands upon thousands of people have heard about me in Bengal. I hope in the near future he comes to visit us. Unfortunately, he does not appreciate my weightlifting! He personally has told me. But I shall make a special request to him that in his forthcoming biography, I would like today’s performance to be included.

He takes me as a spiritual person. For him, a spiritual person should only meditate, pray and help humanity in a different way, with our heart, with our prayer and meditation. But my philosophy, our philosophy is the acceptance of the world. If I do not accept the physical aspect of life, then I am not valuing something so important in our life. The physical and the spiritual must go together.

Some of my predecessors, let us say great, greater, greatest spiritual Masters, did not value the physical aspect. Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Aurobindo and others were meditating and raising our consciousness higher than the highest. But I feel the body is the temple. If you do not keep the temple clean and pure, then inside, the gods and goddesses, the deities will suffer. So, for me, the inner life has to be brought forward. Otherwise the inner life, which is oneness with God’s Will, will not be manifested in our outer day-to-day life.

We shall pray, but we shall pray for what? For personal liberation, or for the improvement of the world? You can remain in Bangladesh or here. Why do you go farther than the farthest to such poor countries? Your heart compels you to go. The child is crying upstairs on the third floor, and the mother is on the first floor. When the mother hears the child is crying, does the mother say that since the child is hungry, let him come downstairs? No, the mother goes upstairs where the child is crying. Here, our heart compels us to go to various countries. I was just in Turkey, Bulgaria and Thailand. Everywhere I go, I try according to my limited capacity to be of service to those people.

Prayer and service must go together. Otherwise we will only remain in the Himalayan caves to pray, pray, pray! If we do not love one another, if we do not serve one another, then what are we doing? This is what I am doing — serving. Out of His infinite Bounty, God has given me the capacity to be of service. I have written considerably, I have painted, I have created many drawings, I have composed songs. People may say that I am a jack of all trades, master of none. But I wish to say that a flower is only a flower, a real flower, if there are four or five petals. If there is only one petal, we cannot appreciate the flower. Yes, all the petals may not be equally beautiful. One may be shorter. But the flower needs a few petals. A tree is only a tree if there are branches on the trunk; otherwise it does not look like a tree.

I feel that the physical aspect is also one branch of our real life. We cannot ignore it. Some-body can excel in sports, running, jumping and throwing, which I did when I was young. But now my capacity is only in lifting heavy weights. I cannot run, I cannot jog, I cannot even properly walk. But with the little capacity that God has given me to be of service to humanity, I am doing it gladly, gladly.

And I am not confined to the human world. This morning, I lifted seven horses individually and then three together. Earlier this year, in Thailand I lifted 13 elephants, from baby elephants to heavier ones. The heaviest one was 8,600 pounds or some-thing like that. It is all to give joy. When we have a dog or a cat, they come and play with us, we play with them. We give them joy when we play with them, and they give us joy. If you have a dog, they also get joy when you play with them. Similarly, when we enter into the animal world, the animals, such as those elephants, get joy.

By the way, on the 29th of June, I will be lifting the world’s tallest horse, which is eight feet high! That particular horse is now in Texas. When it comes here for the Good Morning America television show, they have made the arrangements for me to lift the tallest horse.

We love human beings, we love animals — any creation of God we have to love with all our heart. Otherwise, if we say, “Oh, they are inferior,” no! Superiority and inferiority, these things do not exist when we are in the world of oneness.

1. Ambassador Chowdhury was the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations from 1996 to 2001. He served as the UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States from 2002 to 2007. He is most noted for his work on development in the poorest nations, global peace and championing the rights of women and children, and is the international community’s leading emissary for a Culture of Peace.↩

Oneness, Perfect Oneness

Oneness, perfect oneness of the sun and the moon.

My friend Chowdhury, my brother Anwarul,

My friend Chowdhury, my brother Anwarul,
O UN Under-Secretary-General,
Your heart is global, your life is global, you are all global.

Bhai Anwarul Bon Mariam (1)

Bhai Anwarul Bon Mariam Anwarul Mariam
Laho laho lago mama kritagya antar abiram

United Nations Is the Most Needed

"The United Nations is the most needed organisation in today's world." — Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury

Honouring James Nachtwey - Award-Winning Photojournalist

On 2 April 2007, Sri Chinmoy honoured James Nachtwey, award-winning American photojournalist and war photographer, at Aspiration-Ground meditation garden. After welcoming Mr. Nachtwey and offering an esraj performance, Sri Chinmoy then lifted Mr. Nachtwey and presented him with the “Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart Award.” Excerpts from the function follow.

James Nachtwey: Thank you so much for this recognition. I’m a photographer, I’m not a man of words, so I’ll keep my comments very brief. But I want you to know how honoured I am to receive this recognition from you, from someone who’s devoted their life to art and healing and peace. I hope my work joins with yours to that end, and all of yours. Thank you very much.

Sri Chinmoy: I am honouring world figures who are inspiring the world to have a better life. Just yesterday I watched a short biography of yours. I enjoyed it very much. There you have said something extraordinary about conviction, that if you cannot convince yourself first, how can you convince others? We need conviction first. This conviction is of paramount importance. If we cannot convince ourselves of what we are doing, how are we going to tell the world, show the world, that this is the right thing? When you felt deep within that you were doing the right thing, then you were inspired to tell the world, “Yes, I am doing the right thing. You also do the right thing in your own way.” That very thing impressed me most.

A Visit with Mahasamrat Bill Pearl and Bhavatarini Judy Pearl

On 13 June 2007, Mahasamrat Bill Pearl<html><a href="#fn2" id="fnref2">²</a></html> and his wife, Bhavatarini Judy Pearl, joined Sri Chinmoy and his students at a function held at the Hilton Hotel in San Diego, California. Following are excerpts from the occasion.

Sri Chinmoy (comment made while talking about lifting the world’s smallest horse, Thumbelina, and the world’s tallest horse, Radar): The significance of a horse is sacrifice, sacrifice. In our Vedas, our ancient book, in the very beginning it says that a horse signifies sacrifice. So many horses have given their lives in Indian history on the battlefield to save their masters.

Sri Chinmoy (comment about Mahasamrat just before he and Bhavatarini arrived): Many years ago in Japan I heard Mahasamrat’s name, Bill Pearl, for the first time. As soon as I heard the name Bill Pearl, something within me, inside my heart, started repeating Bill Pearl, Bill Pearl. My inner existence and my outer existence were repeating Bill Pearl together: Bill Pearl, Bill Pearl, like an Indian mantra. Countless times I repeated both inwardly and outwardly – Bill Pearl, Bill Pearl, Bill Pearl. What encouragement can do! Mahasamrat is the radiant proof in my weightlifting world. In the same way, I encourage you people, and I do expect from you also tremendous, tremendous progress in your inner life and tremendous success in your outer life. Manifestation is of paramount importance to prove that we do love God. This is not our sacrifice. This is the proof of our love for God.

Mahasamrat Bill Pearl is a five-time Mr. Universe and “World’s Best-Built Man of the Century.”↩

Spiritual Music

Sri Chinmoy (after a story was told about a member of the audience at one of Sri Chinmoy’s concerts who had expected Indian classical music): I am totally the wrong person for those who are deeply interested in Indian classical music. What can you do? They want to have a mango, but we supply them with something else. It is like history and geography, two different subjects. If you are interested only in history, then how can you appreciate geography, as they are two different subjects? It is like a musician and a scientist. A musician has his own way of pleasing the world, the music-lovers, and again a scientist will have his own way. When people think of Indian music, unfortunately it is associated nowadays with classical music. But no, vocal music and lyrical songs are also well appreciated by countless people.

Again, if you deal with the young generation, you may get a different response. I remember once I played in Japan. Tagore wrote in his famous book about Japan, that Japanese people do not express their emotion; perhaps they do not have emotion. My experience was totally different. Once I gave a concert at the Budokan in Japan. There were about 10,000 people. When the concert was over, they were so excited, thrilled. That was not enough. They formed a line, a queue. We didn’t ask them to, but thousands of people passed by me in a line, cheering and all that. I had a totally different experience, with thousands of people passing by me. Another time I gave a concert in a Japanese high school. After it was over, the students stood up. They were waving their hands and screaming. What kind of emotion they showed! Tagore wrote about a different experience. He said he gave lectures in quite a few places in Japan, but they did not express their emotion. In my case, the Japanese behaved in a different way. To come back to Indian classical music, I do not have the right to criticise, but again I do have the right to say that classical music is not my forte. I cannot appreciate it. That does not mean that an Indian classical musician is not a great musician. There are many things we cannot appreciate, but we do respect the artists because they are well established in their fields. There are many, many things I do not appreciate, cannot appreciate. But again, I do admire the performers; I separate the art at that time from the performer.

The Qualities of the Heart

In my Ashram life, boxing and wrestling were compulsory on Saturdays. One Saturday there was boxing, and another Saturday there was wrestling. Always on Saturday I said I was sick. One day when there was wrestling, my partner and I decided that both of us would shake hands and fall down at the same time. So we did it, and the coach was furious. Then he fired us. We were so lucky. There are many, many boxers, but I tell you nobody will enjoy the same name and fame as Muhammad Ali for various reasons, but especially for his courage, that he stood for principle. He did not participate in the Viet Nam war. I had such admiration for him.

Muhammad Ali, the man, I really admire. He has such a big heart. When he is fighting, he is somebody else. He is ready to take somebody’s life. But when he is not fighting, he is another person. I have had the experience of meeting with him five times — not once, five times! Sometimes he would start reciting poems he had written. Or he would speak all about spirituality, about Muhammad. Muhammad Ali and I used to speak about God in general. How kind he was to me.

One incident in Manhattan we will never forget. He was going to fight with Ernest Shavers in the evening. Around 3:00 I went to meet with him. Then we decided that we shall meditate together, standing. He and I were meditating together, not for one minute, for 10 minutes, and we were going on meditating together. The manager became alarmed. Finally he said, “Sri Chinmoy, Ali has to fight this evening,” so he ended the meditation.

What actually happened, I thought Ali was so great that if I stopped meditating, it would be an insult. And Ali also felt the same way. I was a spiritual man, so how could he stop meditating? This kind of love we had.

Only two years ago I was able to meet with him again when he came to visit a school in Washington, D.C., the Oneness-Family School. Now he is quite incapacitated. I lifted him and his wife separately with my right hand and left hand. They were standing side by side on the honorary platform. I got such joy lifting them.

Muhammad Ali’s fans will be countless: Ali, Ali, Ali! Others may never get the same name and fame. Muhammad Ali is at the top of the Himalayas. But I am saying that the man I admire is Muhammad Ali the heart. Muhammad Ali, the one who will punch and knock out someone, do I admire? No. This world makes progress only when we can separate something, the person’s heart. Otherwise, if we just take someone’s destructive quality, we cannot appreciate them.

Bringing to the Fore Divine Qualities

Again, the qualities of the heart can be all-embracing, and at the same time outwardly teaching the world how to be strong physically, vitally, mentally – this is my Mahasamrat. His inner heart has encompassed the whole world. And outwardly again, when he teaches people, when he gives classes, how much concern and compassion he has. Some people have good qualities, but these good qualities they cannot bring to the fore. Those who can bring to the fore their divine qualities are very rare. Mahasamrat is one of those.

(Speaking to Mahasamrat) I am saying that the heart, the inner life and the outer life can go together. And what encouragement can do, you are the shining proof. In 20 years at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, only once did I lift 20 pounds. I thought something was wrong with people who lifted heavy weights. That kind of opinion I had. Then again, God made me try weightlifting. You gave me encouragement, encouragement. In everything, children need to be encouraged by the parents instead of being discouraged, “Oh no, you are no good.” Discouragement ruins everything. Everything needs encouragement, encouragement, encouragement.

Tomorrow I will be able to serve both of you together. We now have a new lifting series, the “Perfect Oneness of the Sun and the Moon.” You are the sun, and my sister Bhavatarini is the moon. Together both of you shall stand on the special platform, and I shall lift you with my right arm. It is all grace. This left hand is so bad, so painful. With the right arm I can lift over 700 pounds, but with the left hand, the highest is 250.

I like challenging my spiritual children, if anyone can lift 250 pounds. I know the girls will not even try. Then I was joking with the boys, if they try, maybe they will break their arms. I do not want them to go to the hospital – no! Five days a week for my practice, I lift 250 pounds with my left hand, and with the right hand, 700. And three days I practice with 1,000, only with my right hand, and the weight moves. Daily I take between 15 and 21 exercises, after my morning meditation and prayers. Upstairs I do about 11 or 12 exercises, starting with my ankles. There are two rooms for me to take exercise. Then when I go downstairs, every day I look at your picture with tremendous admiration. I can show you the picture, on the wall there.

Encouragement in Life Achievements

You have no idea how much I value your encouragement — my soul, my heart, my mind, my vital, my body, my life. Like a rocket, your encouragement leads me. Otherwise, if you had discouraged me, I would have given up the weightlifting world long ago.

Then it was you who advised me to lift heavy objects, since people have no idea how heavy iron plates are. But if you can lift a baby elephant, then people say, “My God, an elephant!” In Thailand I lifted elephants. Then in Mongolia I lifted three horses at a time, a total of 55 horses. Just last week in New Jersey I lifted a small plane, a boat and a heavy motorcycle. One man was seated on his own boat, and I lifted it 35 times. He was so happy, almost dancing when I was lifting him.

Now I am telling you a secret. Tomorrow you and my sister Bhavatarini will stand together, side by side, and I shall lift both of you 50 times. We have to count loudly the way you count when I lift, standing next to me.

Mahasamrat and Bhavatarini, I take my lifting as devoted service, self-giving service to mankind. I have lifted over 8,000 people. If it is not my devoted, dedicated service, what else is it? If I had been somebody else, after 10 or 20 lifts I would have said, “This is beneath my dignity. Who is he? Who is she? Why do I have to lift that person?” After 20 I would have given up. That kind of idea I would have cherished if I had been a different person. But being a seeker, being a God-seeker, God wants me to continue. Twenty years ago I started to serve, to serve unconditionally plus irrespective of people’s achievements. Inside children I see the living Presence of God. They are the future. Again, in Mongolia, I lifted five people over 100 years old. I wanted to give them joy, and they were so happy. They became children again.

Then in Mongolia I also lifted the President, the Prime Minister, doctors – so many people in so many careers, from all different walks of life. You can say this was God’s Command. God does not request me. God never requests. God commands, but His Command is again sweeter than the sweetest. Our command is military, but God’s Command is like a sweet dream. We are enjoying a sweet dream. When God tells us to do something, we can take it as God’s Command, or at the same time that God is having a sweet dream in and through us. If He is having a dream in and through us, I continue.

If I lift 10,000 people, perhaps God will allow me to stop and say, “Enough, enough”– I have no idea. Or God may even tell me tomorrow, “Stop, enough, enough.” I will stop gladly. This is our devoted service. This is what I tell my students. Do something gladly, cheerfully, as long as God wants you to do it. Then if God wants you to do something else, do it. Otherwise, to think of lifting 8,000 people! We have everything documented, on such and such a date, along with each person’s weight.

Mahasamrat, I always say I am a jack of all trades, master of none. In Bengali I have composed over 13,000 songs, in English over 7,000. How do I do it? God’s Grace. When I was young, I wanted to write 200 songs. Desire also has some limit. In my case, the desire was to write 200, but it has become 13,000 in Bengali, and I am still continuing. And what is more, I set the music to all the songs – nobody else. In the case of Tagore, India’s greatest poet, he wrote 2,800 songs according to his own authority, his secretary, Amiya Chakravarty, but some of his poems have been set to music by his students.

When it comes to quality, I say, “Quality I leave at the Feet of God.” God has given me the capacity for quantity. Quality, God will take care of. Since God has given me the inspiration to compose 13,000 songs, I leave it at the Feet of God. We share the responsibility. Mine is quality, His is quality.

It is the same with my paintings. It is hard to believe I have done over 200,000, aside from my bird drawings. I am so fond of drawing birds. Now it is fifteen and a half million. It is all documented. I have also drawn many birds for disciples that were not counted. And who has received the most? President Gorbachev. Each time I write to him, I draw on the top of the letter five or six birds, so he has many of my drawings of birds. He likes them, so I like to offer them.

Then I have given many lectures at American Universities and so many other places, such as Oxford and Cambridge. In some cases I have been invited back several times, to speak or give concerts or for lifting programmes honouring professors. And on several occasions, India’s High Commissioner to the UK, Laxmi Mall Singhvi, introduced me, at Cambridge and other places. The High Commissioner is so fond of me. He knows when to start, but he does not know when to end. His introduction does not end. Once I was offering a Peace Concert at the Royal Albert Hall. In his introduction, he said so many kind things. Once he went all the way to Scotland because I was there.

In terms of books, I have written over 1,500, in English, not in Bengali, including countless poems. In life there is something called Grace. For me, G is capital, R is capital, A is capital, C is capital, E is capital – all capital! GRACE. And I can use one adjective – unconditional. Unconditional Grace descended from Above. That is why it is possible – both quality and quantity. If it is desire-life, after some time, desire gets tired, exhausted. When we are in the desire-life, in the beginning we try to accumulate as much as we want to. And then there comes a time when we become exhausted. We say, “Enough, enough, enough, enough!” In any field of life, sports or anything, in the beginning we try to accumulate as much as we can. But there comes a time when we become fed up, that we have done this – enough, enough, enough.

In the spiritual life, it is not like that. In the spiritual life the thirst is different. In human life there is a limit. After that, it is enough, enough, enough. But in the spiritual life, as long as God wants us to do something, there is no limit. Of course, to write a poem, to compose a song, is not a bad thing. Anything that is good, God says, “Continue, continue, continue.” Anything that is bad, God tells us to decrease little by little.

If I smoke a certain number of cigarettes, then God will say at the end of one week to decrease by one. Then every week take away one more. For anything that is bad in our life, God tells us, “Do not stop immediately. It will tell upon your health.” God gives us wisdom. Decrease little by little by little, and then give it up altogether. If I am in the habit of drinking and smoking, if I stop all at once, my health may be ruined. My mind may suffer. So He has given us wisdom – little by little decrease, decrease, then stop. We have no idea when we are going to stop, but finally it stops.

Anything that is good, unlimited, go on doing it until you breathe your last. Good things, God always tells us to continue, continue, continue to the very end. Bad things, slowly, slowly, slowly decrease. Do not be a fool. Do not try to stop all your bad qualities all at once. No, you will suffer.

God gives us the wisdom. Anything that we find wrong in our nature, God tells us to slowly, steadily, unerringly conquer it. But anything that is good, there is no speed limit. With bad things, decrease the speed, decrease the speed, then stop when the time comes.

Mahasamrat, you have infinite wisdom. I surrender to you lovingly, soulfully, gratefully, unconditionally, when it is a matter of wisdom. But when it is a matter of talking sixteen to the dozen, I can defeat you. (Laughter.) I am so happy that both of you could come. You two are so completely one, inwardly and outwardly.

Mahasamrat: Believe me, Guru, the pleasure is all ours. From the bottom of our hearts, we’re so proud to be a part of your family, it’s unbelievable. We love you all.

Sri Chinmoy and Mahasamrat speak privately.

Sri Chinmoy: In Japan when I heard the name Bill Pearl, it became my mantra. Many years ago I did not know anything about you. Only I heard that I would be able to meet with you. Then Bill Pearl, Bill Pearl, like an Indian mantra or incantation, countless times inwardly and outwardly I was repeating.

Mahasamrat: I think it was in 1986, Guru.

Sri Chinmoy: In Japan I heard about you.

Singers perform the Bill Pearl song, which appears here as presented at the function.

Bill Pearl

Bill Pearl, Bill Pearl, Bill Pearl, Bill!
Body builders’ sky-vast thrill.
World's Best Built Man of the Century,
God-Glory’s Himalayan perfection-story.
Your heart-smile has blessed the Hall of Fame.
Your soul-dance adorns God’s Vision-Game.

Special Function Honouring Mahasamrat and Bhavatarini

//The morning of 14 June 2007, Mahasamrat Bill Pearl and his wife, Bhavatarini Judy Pearl, once again joined Sri Chinmoy and his students at a function held in their honour at the Hilton Hotel in San Diego, California. Following are excerpts from the occasion.//

U Thant Peace Award Ceremony

A video is shown of U Thant as guest of honour at the premiere of Sri Chinmoy’s play about the Buddha, in 1973, followed by a video showing previous recipients. The Singers then perform Sri Chinmoy’s song dedicated to U Thant.

Sri Chinmoy: You have a big heart. You have conquered my heart, and I have conquered your heart, as well. You are universal. You deserve the U Thant Peace Award more than anybody else.

Mahasamrat: Guru, to put me in this category, is ridiculous. (Laughter.)

Sri Chinmoy (presenting the U Thant Peace Award medallion to Mahasamrat, as Bhavatarini looks on): The U Thant Peace Award is most lovingly and gratefully presented to our dearest brother-friend and world-server, Mahasamrat Bill Pearl, honouring an important lifetime of self-giving, dedication and leadership. With our deepest appreciation, admiration and gratitude, Sri Chinmoy: The Peace Meditation at the United Nations. (Applause.)

Mahasamrat: My wife and I will treasure this, but I promise you that we will treasure you, Guru, more. Thank you, Guru. Thank you.

“Perfect Oneness of the Sun and the Moon” Lifting Ceremony

Sri Chinmoy: With your blessings, affection and love, twenty years ago I embarked on this weightlifting journey. I have made a little progress!

Singers perform “Oneness, Perfect Oneness of the Sun and the Moon” and “Lifting Up the World” songs.

Sri Chinmoy lifts Mahasamrat and Bhavatarini together as part of his special lift for husbands and wives entitled “Perfect Oneness of the Sun and the Moon.” (Applause.) _Sri Chinmoy offers them a trophy and then presents a painting: This morning I painted this for you, for both of you.

Mahasamrat: Thank you, Guru. We can’t thank everybody enough for all you’ve done for us, but listen, we do not deserve it. (Laughter.)

Sri Chinmoy: You deserve much more than others.

Sri Chinmoy lifts Mahasamrat and Bhavatarini 101 times together with a calf raise, for a total of 45,046 pounds.

Conversation with Mahasamrat

Sri Chinmoy: I read in one book, and I watched a documentary also, that when Canada’s strongest man, Louis Cyr, used to lift very heavy weights, they would place a piece of paper, just one sheet of a newspaper, under the weight. Then when he would lift the weight, they removed the sheet as the proof that he had successfully lifted that heavy weight. So my lifts also will be like that. We can put two or three sheets when I lift heavy weights, like 700 pounds.

Mahasamrat: There’s a lot of mystery about things such as that, Guru. Louis Cyr was such a strong individual. He, like you, in many instances, did lifts at that particular time that other people just could not comprehend. When other individuals were doing lifts along with him, he outdid everybody in every lift that they decided to do. And you’re unique in the fact that you do what you want to do, not what somebody else wants you to do. And I think you’re very smart in doing that.

Sri Chinmoy (after a video of his weightlifting is shown): See what your encouragement can do. I owe everything to you when it comes to weightlifting. This is what your encouragement can do. My goal was 700 pounds. I wanted to stop there. But God has his own Plan, and I practised and practised, and lifted the weight a little higher.

The two discussed the International Federation of Strength Athletes (IFSA Strongman) competition in Philadelphia in several weeks, where the four strongest American men will challenge the four strongest athletes from the rest of the world. The IFSA President had asked Sri Chinmoy to lift the athletes.

Honouring Legendary Indian Dancers V.P. Dhananjayan and Shanta Dhananjayan

On 14 June 2007, Sri Chinmoy honoured the legendary dance couple Vannadil Pudiyaveettil Dhananjayan and his wife, Shanta Dhananjayan, with the “Perfect Oneness of the Sun and the Moon” lifting award, in a ceremony held at the Hilton Hotel in San Diego. They were highly recommended for the award by sitar Maestro Ravi Shankar and his wife, Sukanya, as the “most perfect married couple.” Excerpts from the function follow.

Vasudha introduces the couple: We’re very honoured to have with us today Mr. V.P. Dhananjayan and his lovely wife, Shanta. They are famously known as the Dhananjayans. The Dhananjayans are a legendary dancing couple, and they’ve established their own academy of great esteem in India, Bharata Kalanjali. They’ve collaborated with musicians and dancers and artists all over the world, including our dear friend and brother Ravi Shankar. In fact, it was Sukanya herself who wanted them to be honoured by Sri Chinmoy today. Because she was aware of the “Perfect Oneness of the Sun and the Moon” award, she said they are the most perfect married couple. Welcome. _Sri Chinmoy: I understand that you two are Ravi Shankar’s dearest friends. Unfortunately, he could not come because Sukanya-di is quite sick. With your kind permission, I would like to sing a song about him, which I composed several years ago. (He performs one of his songs dedicated to Ravi Shankar.)

Singers perform the “Perfect Oneness of the Sun and the Moon” and “Lifting Up the World” songs. Sri Chinmoy lifts the Dhananjayans as part of the “Perfect Oneness” series.

V.P. Dhananjayan: Aum Sri Gurubhyo Namah. We are highly thrilled to have this honour today, which was very unexpected. As the scriptures say (chants mantra below):

Aum sahana vavatu
Saha nau bhunaktu
Saha viiryam karavaavahai
Tejasvi Navaditamastu
Maa vidvissaavahai
Aum shanti, shanti, shanti

What Swami-ji is promulgating throughout the world is to establish peace among us, all living beings. The essence of our Sanatana Dharma is to establish peace and make the whole world one family, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. His mission is something very great, what our ancient sages have envisaged. He is continuing the work of those great intellectuals who have given us this philosophy of bringing all the world together and establishing peace. To become part of this mission today, is ordained by the Almighty, as again to quote the Samskrutam, Anyata chinta dam karyam deva manyet chinta diyet.

We don’t know what God has for us. God has His own decisions. After getting the blessings yesterday of Pandit-ji, Pandit Ravi Shankar, we had planned to leave today, but somehow we thought we would postpone our trip until tomorrow morning. Then when we arrived this morning at Pandit-ji’s place again, to spend some more time with him, he said, “There is some honour waiting for you. That’s why you have come back.” That was ordained by God.

And to get Guru-ji’s blessing today, and receive an award like this unexpectedly, becomes the greatest thing in our life. So Swami-ji, we are blessed today. Thank you very much.

A Special Connection with the Fourth UN Secretary-General, Kurt Waldheim

The morning of 14 June 2007, when Sri Chinmoy met with his students at the Hilton Hotel in San Diego before the formal function began, he related the following story regarding an inner experience with the fourth UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim.

Sri Chinmoy: Do you believe in the soul’s connection? That means you do have a soul. Here is the proof. This morning I went out driving with Mahiyan, and Garima was the backseat adviser. I asked Mahiyan to bring me back in half an hour, but Mahiyan did not hear me. So much the better. I meditated and meditated for about 40 minutes. I was in a very high consciousness.

Mahiyan’s phone rang, but out of respect he did not answer. Then again the phone rang after a few minutes. I finished my very high and deep meditation. Then Mahiyan told me that Pulak had called him to give the news that Kurt Waldheim had passed away.

Can you imagine? Five minutes before the phone rang, I was not thinking of Kurt Waldheim – I was in my own consciousness. Then Kurt Waldheim’s soul came and gave me such a broad smile, a very, very beautiful, powerful smile, five minutes before I ended my meditation.

Waldheim very much liked me and appreciated me. When he was UN Secretary-General, the first time he saw me, he gave me a UN medallion. The second time I went to see him as Secretary-General, I presented him with a book I had written about him. Then when he was President of Austria, he was also very kind.

Five minutes before Mahiyan’s phone rang, in my meditation I saw Kurt Waldheim smiling such a beautiful, powerful smile. He was saying that he was not in the body. He was always so kind, so kind to me. I will do what is necessary for his soul tonight. He will see another aspect of mine, not only as his friend, but as a spiritual Master. I will do the needful.

Sri Chinmoy (later in the function, with special guests present): Let us offer for a moment our best wishes to the fourth UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim. He has left for his Heavenly abode. Let us send him our best wishes, and let us pray to God to nurture his soul with infinite Blessings and Love.

Programme Honouring Ananda and Darshanika Guruge

On 21 April 2007, Dr. Ananda Guruge<html><a href="#fn3" id="fnref3">³</a></html> and his wife, Darshanika, joined Sri Chinmoy and his students at Aspiration-Ground meditation garden. Excerpts from the function follow.

The Singers performed songs that Sri Chinmoy dedicated to Dr. Guruge and Darshanika.

Sri Chinmoy (to Darshanika): These songs are my prayerful songs, and I have dedicated them to your souls, to your beautiful, most beautiful, powerful, most powerful souls. We sang to you all the songs that are dedicated to your soul and to his soul, most beautiful, most powerful souls.

(To Dr. Guruge) I love her, I love you, I admire you and I adore you.

Remarks by Dr. Ananda Guruge: Sri Chinmoy, your Holiness, it is with great delight that Darshanika and I look forward to these two events in April and in August. Every song that was sung here has not only been prayerful, but brings memories that are very dear to both of us. We remember the moments when these songs were composed, how they were sung.

I remember when you wrote the song about the glasses and the non-glasses. That day I forgot my glasses in the room in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. When I walked in, you immediately noticed that I was without glasses. Now after thirty years I am reading without glasses. And on the eve of my going to get my operation done for the eyes, you called to say, “I am putting a force, a strong force on you. Everything will go well.”

These are wonderful things that we will never forget. You predicted that I would be one day without glasses. With glasses I have one character, without glasses I will have another character. As I listen to the words of the song, I find that without glasses I am supposed to be more compassionate, and I always try to develop compassion because that is what has driven me. These are memories that go very far, very deep, that bring about great affection, and we always value the sentiments that you express. Darshanika and I have found in you a friend, and more than that, a great brother. That’s why we love you, we have the greatest affection for you.

There is some kind of connection that brings you and Darshanika and me together, and this we always remember. Every incident in our life, there is some way that you come in. We are very grateful to you, and on this occasion too, I want to pay my respects and say you have served this country for 43 years. Humanity you have served even longer. And we wish you the best of health and long life, and the loyalty of all of us. Thank you very much.

Sri Chinmoy: From the depths of my silence-heart I am offering you my soul’s infinite gratitude, my heart’s infinite gratitude and my life’s infinite, infinite, infinite gratitude, for you and Darshanika are so kind to join our family. Now we belong to the same family, and the same aspiration we have to please our Lord Buddha in His own Way. Lord Buddha has showered His choicest Blessings upon us – upon you, upon Darshanika and upon me – His infinite Blessings. We are carrying his inner light. Wherever people are hungry for it, we are extremely eager to offer his light. You have received in measureless measure Lord Buddha’s light.

Five or six times or even more, when I was in Thailand, Lord Buddha came to make me happy, extremely happy, with His blessingful presence. I received his Blessings, unconditional Blessings, in measureless measure. And one kind of blessing I tell you, which you will not believe, is a blessing of scolding. He is my elder brother. He not only loves me, but also scolds me. Swami Vivekananda also loves me, and at times scolds me. Why? I call it my compassion. They call it my utter stupidity.

Many, many years ago I was at that time in Greece. Out of the blue, Ramana Maharshi came to do the same. They love me, forgive me to say, they admire me like anything. At the same time they are very, very strict with me. They say that I am indulgent to the extreme, and I challenged them. I said, “Yes, when you were also on this earth planet, I know what kind of life you lived. There is not a single moment when you did not shower compassion, not only upon your disciples, your children, but upon the whole world.”

When we are on earth, we show compassion. We are bound because we know how much others suffer, how much we suffer. But when spiritual Masters are in another world, Heaven, they become strict. Lord Buddha has such affection and such appreciation. At the same time, I got scoldings because he is my elder brother. Affection I get. Love I get. Appreciation I get. But scoldings I also get.

I can hide it from my disciples and say, “Oh, they come only to appreciate.” They do appreciate, but they feel it is their bounden duty to scold the younger ones. I am helpless when I see my spiritual children. At that time God only blesses me with forgiveness. And then in return I get something more valuable: gratitude, gratitude, gratitude.

Then come the sufferings of humanity. How many cancer patients I have to deal with – four, five, six, seven. Some cases are very, very serious. Sometimes outwardly I cannot concentrate all the time. I have many, many inner beings who are my bodyguards. Outwardly, I have only a few bodyguards I can count on. But I have inside me, you will not believe, thousands of inner beings – not hundreds, but thousands.

These inner beings listen to me, they help me, they protect me, they guide me, so I can deal with thousands of people – my students, my friends, even my well-wishers. I have such love for my well-wishers, such concern for them – for that I need inner guards. These inner guards really save me, protect me. Otherwise, I could not have lived on earth for so many years. They always protect me.

Sometimes my outer guards receive scoldings from me, because I love my spiritual children more than I love myself. Those whom I care for, on the one hand, get tremendous affection, love, encouragement, fondness, sweetness. On the other hand, I am very, very strict with those people whom I really care for. Again, my affection for them cannot be measured.

Please, please feel my constant love, sleepless love, joy and gratitude to you both.

I will be in Oslo at the end of this month. Then in the middle of May I will be in Mongolia. A funnier than the funniest thing is happening. The leader of a poetry club wanted to make all the arrangements for me. He scheduled my programme, what I should do. Then somebody who is in charge of a peace movement in Mongolia wanted to make a programme for me. A fight was going on.

I told the leader of our Centre in Mongolia, Dildar, that I am going there unconditionally. For seven years I have been promising I shall come. This time I have said I am coming there unconditionally. Then I told Dildar, although I am saying unconditionally, do not remain idle. Try to do many things, but if you do not succeed in doing anything, I will not blame you.

Now a message has come from Dildar, our leader, that the President does not want them to do anything. The President will do everything for me. The President did not allow the poetry group, he did not allow the peace movement to make the arrangements. Last week I got the message that the President himself wants to do everything for me.

Dr. Guruge: I could write a letter to President Enkhbayar because I am in communication with him. A few years ago he was Prime Minister. He has taken some action with regard to what he called Buddhist economics. My International Conference the year before last was on Buddhism and economics. And a new book that is coming out a couple of months from now will be on Buddhism, economics and science, and there is a chapter on him. I am going to find out the days that you are going, and write him a letter saying who you are and what you do for the world. He is a great idealist himself. He has applied some principles like Buddhist economics to the country, bringing spirituality into economic development. He is a highly spiritually oriented person. (Applause.)

Sri Chinmoy: Here is a brother’s affection and concern for another brother. Your letter will be of tremendous importance.

Dr. Guruge: I am very happy because he is a person whom you should also come to know. I am very sure that he will be greatly inspired by your message and by what you do. And Mongolia is a beautiful country. I was there a long time ago. You will enjoy your visit.

Sri Chinmoy: Then my last trip may be to Ukraine. There the President came to one of our art exhibits. He liked it very, very much. He wants to have an exhibit at his palace.

I am extremely, extremely grateful to you. When you feel it is the proper time, kindly write to the President of Mongolia. Lord Buddha’s Light has descended upon him, on that country. I will be lifting fifty white horses when I am there. I understand the horses are small, so I will lift two at a time. Recently I lifted quite a few horses, and here I offered gratitude to the fifty states of America, for 43 years here. To the soul I offered my gratitude.

Dr. Guruge: I hope they will arrange a trip to some very important archeological places, something you will enjoy very much. There is a great Buddhist culture.

Sri Chinmoy: The other day Dildar was telling us that they have revised their history. When you study a little bit of history, you hear that Genghis Khan was very ruthless, according to us. Now they are saying he was a saint. Books are coming out, Dildar told us, all in favour of him, such high appreciation. And there was a time when we could not appreciate him.

Dr. Guruge: You will be very surprised also when you go there, that most people will have Indian names, because Sanskrit has gone to Mongolia. We have found a large number of Sanskrit works, both classical Sanskrit as well as Buddhist Sanskrit, in ancient Mongolian libraries. Once upon a time it had been a very rich country as far as literary efforts. It’s a wonderful country. A few years ago Enkhbayar was the Prime Minister, and he is so popular, he became the President.

Sri Chinmoy: I know you are very busy. If your health had been better, I would have invited my sister Darshanika to come. But now I do not dare. Your health should be better. Then only I can invite her to go to Mongolia. We are going on the 13th of May.

Dr. Guruge: I am going on the 27th of May to Bombay. I am giving two speeches, and then I also may have to go to Bangkok. I’m quietly getting back to my normal schedule.

Sri Chinmoy: Only I wish you to recover faster, faster, before you go to Bombay, Mumbai. There the Indian spirit is very fast. There are many places in India where they still believe in bullock cart speed, but in Bombay the spirit is very fast.

Dr. Guruge: It has developed very rapidly, with many changes. Bombay has become almost like San Francisco; it is the financial centre of India.

Dr. Ananda Guruge was Ambassador of Sri Lanka to France, UNESCO and the United States (1985-1994); former Senior Special Adviser to the Director-General of UNESCO; and Dean of Academic Studies and Director of the International Academy of Buddhism, Hsi Lai University.↩

Post-Concert Function with Ananda and Darshanika Guruge

On 14 June 2007, after offering two consecutive Peace Concerts in San Diego, Sri Chinmoy hosted Ambassador Ananda Guruge and his wife, Darshanika, at the post-concert function. Excerpts from the evening follow.

Remarks by Dr. Ananda Guruge: Your Holiness Sri Chinmoy, it’s always a great pleasure for me when I get a chance to speak. And to speak in front of Sri Chinmoy is one of the greatest pleasures that I have enjoyed for the last eighteen years. We met in Paris eighteen years ago, and ever since it has been a wonderful relationship. He has been our brother, our friend, and more than everything else, one on whom we could always depend whenever we had a crisis in life. Whether it is a crisis of a small nature or of a health nature or whatever the nature, there he is. And his timely telephone calls and his prayers have always proved to me and Darshanika to be the greatest of benefits that we have had from this longstanding friendship.

When I mentioned a while ago that I had just come from India, he said, “Oh, you must tell about India and what you did in India.”

Dr. Guruge spoke about being invited as a Special Guest in the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Buddha Jayanti 2500, as one of the few living officials who participated in the 2500th anniversary observance of the birth of the Buddha in 1957. For the 50th Anniversary, Dr. Guruge addressed the crowd of 250,000 untouchables who were changing their religion to Buddhism, at a ceremony held in the Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai.

It was a great thing to address a crowd of 250,000 people. How many heard me, how many understood me, I don’t know, but the very feeling is great, that you are speaking to such a crowd!

Sri Chinmoy: They did feel you. They did feel you. That is of paramount importance.

Dr. Guruge: All these people were looking for something that we all value, the value of dignity, the value of being accepted in society, the value of being treated as a human being. That’s what they were asking for. They were not changing their religion for any other purpose. It was just to say, we are human. Please treat us as human.

Our Guru-ji comes from that part of the country wherein the ideas of harmony had been developed. In fact, in my speech I mentioned Chaitanya, who said that the whole world is one family. Every human being belongs to one single family.

Over his career, which extends to forty years, Sri Chinmoy has brought harmony and peace through inner understanding, through inner peace within us. The importance of this is clear especially when you see the people who have not had the benefits, who have not had the education, who have not been able to have the wonderful opportunities that we all have and be a part of the kind of societies in which we live.

I came back a completely changed man in the sense that all this work we have been doing has a human face now, not just one face – 250,000 faces are telling me, work for peace, work for harmony, continue to carry this dream.

Sri Chinmoy brings India’s spirit to the world, and this is the deep root of the love and the affection that Darshanika and I have for Guru – because we are tied together by great social, religious and spiritual ideals. He is a great example of people who are working towards that wonderful aim: making the life of another individual better than it could have been otherwise.

Please continue your services for humanity. We are always with you, and our blessings and best wishes are always with you. Thank you very much.

Sri Chinmoy: My dearest brother, my most respected brother, your blessings and your love, your goodwill, your compassion, your affection, I cherish in the inmost recesses of my heart. You give me strength when you talk to me. When you inspire me, encourage me, I feel the strength of ten elephants. Seeing your confidence in the comity of nations, I get such joy and I feel enormous, enormous pride in you. There is not a single subject that you cannot speak on, any subject, anywhere. God has bestowed upon you such a gift that you can be in front of anybody, in front of thousands of people. You can express your inmost feelings, and illumine each and every human being. From your very presence people get such confidence and joy. For that I shall remain eternally proud of you. You are an exception, a very rare soul. Lord Buddha has showered upon you his choicest blessings.

Dr. Guruge tells Sri Chinmoy about an upcoming keynote speech he will make in Colombo, as one of the activities of the Golden Jubilee of the Buddha Jayanti.

Sri Chinmoy: Everybody needs you, everybody. You were talking about the untouchables, these Harijan people – they are Mahatma Gandhi’s pride. Who is touchable and who is untouchable? Untouchable is one who has no faith in God. And you were talking about Sri Chaitanya. Sri Chaitanya embraced every-body. For him there was no caste system, no caste. Once you sing the Name of Lord Hari, you are purified. His very Name purifies you.

Following is a song Sri Chinmoy dedicated to Borobudur,<html><a href="#fn4" id="fnref4">⁴</a></html> the largest Buddhist temple in the world and a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site. The Guruges traveled with Sri Chinmoy and his students several times to Buddhist World Heritage Sites, such as Lumbini Gardens in Nepal, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, and other places which Ambassador Guruge had been instrumental in securing for UNESCO, and revisited on occasion to reconfirm protection of sites with presiding government authorities.

Sri Chinmoy, My Aspiration-Heart’s Country-Life-Salutations. New York: Agni Press, 1994.↩

Borobudurer Bhiti Stapan

Borobudurer bhiti stapan
Buddha deber kripar plaban
Moitri dipti shanti tripti
Nai hetha nai nishar supti

Presentation of the U Thant Peace Award to Daw Aye Aye Thant

On 28 June 2007, Sri Chinmoy honoured Daw Aye Aye Thant, daughter of United Nations Secretary-General U Thant and President of the U Thant Institute, with the U Thant Peace Award in a ceremony at Aspiration-Ground meditation garden. Accompanying her was her husband, Tyn Myint-U. At the invitation of U Thant, in 1970 Sri Chinmoy began conducting Peace Meditations at UN Headquarters, which continue to this day. In honour of the third UN Secretary-General, starting in 1982, Sri Chinmoy presented the U Thant Peace Award on behalf of Sri Chinmoy: The Peace Meditation at the United Nations to individuals and organisations that, in exemplifying the lofty spiritual ideals of the late UN Secretary-General, offered distinguished service toward the attainment of world peace. A video was shown of U Thant as guest of honour at the premiere of Sri Chinmoy’s play about the life of the Buddha, performed in Harrison, New York, on 25 May 1973. The Singers then performed Sri Chinmoy’s song dedicated to U Thant as well as the two songs he had composed to U Thant’s immortal utterances. Sri Chinmoy offered the song presentations to Daw Aye Aye Thant and Tyn Myint-U, and then presented the award to Daw Aye Aye Thant. Following are excerpts from Aye Aye’s remarks after the presentation.

Daw Aye Aye Thant: It was such a moving, moving experience for me, and I am really very, very grateful to Sri Chinmoy and to all of you. It was such a pleasure to be here tonight, to see a lot of our long-time friends and new friends from the Peace Meditation at the United Nations. It brings back a lot of cherished memories, like the time that we were in Harrison at the premiere of Sri Chinmoy’s play about the life of the Buddha, and the short boat trip that we made for the groundbreaking ceremony of U Thant Island.

I would like to extend my gratitude to Sri Chinmoy for honouring the memory of my father by recognising individuals for their service to world peace and the betterment of humanity with the U Thant Peace Award. I am greatly humbled to be among such illustrious recipients to receive this award.

Sri Chinmoy: You deserve it more than anybody else! (Applause.) It is my greatest joy and honour to offer it to you. It is your father who is our inspiration and aspiration, and he is a world-illumination.

Daw Aye Aye Thant: You are so kind. Thank you. My father would have been smiling, and would have been saying, “Daughter, you have to work harder now!”

Sri Chinmoy and friends, may I take this opportunity to extend my appreciation to you for your dedication to world peace by advocating the virtues of tolerance, compassion and mutual understanding. These virtues are also reflected in the goal and mission of the U Thant Institute. By reflecting my father’s belief in the need for tolerance and compassion in dealing with global problems, the U Thant Institute has, since its inception, undertaken various programmes to promote increased understanding of our global neighbours and the problems facing them as a means to discern the root causes of conflicts.

My father believed that education played a major role in advancing peace. The Institute’s latest initiative, the Friendship Across Cultures Program, therefore is connecting middle schools in the United States with schools around the world. This programme will promote intercultural understanding and the value of diversity. Since the mission of the U Thant Institute is to promote a spirit of one world, as envisioned by my father, this programme reflects my father’s vision.

In the introduction page of the U Thant Peace Award booklet, it says, “The Award perpetuates the memory of U Thant and his exemplary devotion to peace in both his personal and his political life.” Indeed, in his personal life, for his family, he was a living example of a man of great inner strength, serenity and self-discipline, as he demonstrated during his fight with cancer. His religion, Buddhism, gave him great strength, and among the teachings of Buddha, the ethical aspects of Buddhism greatly influenced him.

Meditation also helped him in his day-to-day function as the Secretary-General. He practised meditation with great devotion. He believed in the importance of having inner peace through meditation before being able to work for peace. He said, “We live in a world of noise, yet our conscience is called the still, small voice. If there is no peace in the world, it is because there is no peace in the minds of men.” He said we should devote, even for one minute, thoughts of good will and peace by setting aside time each day to communicate with ourselves.

My father shared with Sri Chinmoy the value of spiritual development as taught in all great religions: the key to creating a peaceful society. I hope we will all find time in our busy lives to listen to our own inner thoughts of peace and good will, and to hear our still, small voices as we work towards the cause of peace and prosperity for our fellow citizens of the world.

May I wish you all, as my father did in 1973, peace of mind and eternal joy. It is such a moving experience for me to be here today. My father would have been so happy that you all have continued the spiritual journey towards the goal of world peace. Thank you so much. (Sustained applause.)

Sri Chinmoy: I wish to thank you from the inmost recesses of my heart for blessing us with such an illumining talk. All my heart’s gratitude and my students’ gratitude I wish to offer to you.

Would it be possible to bring your whole family one day, when you have a family reunion?

Daw Aye Aye Thant: Yes, yes, yes! Sri Chinmoy, you lifted the whole family overhead, I think in 1988 or 1989 in Thailand. We would be happy to visit here.

Presentation of the U Thant Peace Award to Professor Ibrahim Gambari

On 3 July 2007, the U Thant Peace Award was offered to Professor Ibrahim Gambari<html><a href="#fn5" id="fnref5">⁵</a></html> , United Nations Under-Secretary-General and dear friend of Sri Chinmoy, at a ceremony held in the UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library Penthouse. Excerpts from the presentation follow.

Excerpts from the introduction by Adhiratha Keefe, Master of Ceremonies: It is a great honour and privilege today for Sri Chinmoy to present the U Thant Peace Award to Professor Ibrahim Gambari, on behalf of the Peace Meditation at the United Nations. The Award is given in Secretary-General U Thant’s name to persons who have offered exceptional service and commitment to peace, the ultimate goal of the United Nations.

Professor Gambari is a highly distinguished United Nations Under-Secretary-General, a great statesman, a brilliant negotiator, and a devoted lover and server of Allah. He is a dear Friend and Brother of Sri Chinmoy. We are delighted that he could be with us today to receive the U Thant Peace Award.

The Peace Meditation Singers perform two songs composed by Sri Chinmoy in honour of Professor Gambari, as well as two songs with music set to Professor Gambari’s inspiring words.

Sri Chinmoy (presenting the U Thant Peace Award to Professor Gambari): With my heart’s boundless love, joy and gratitude.

Professor Gambari: I am truly overwhelmed, and I want to thank a great man, a great teacher whom I am proud to call my Friend and my Brother, Sri Chinmoy, and all of you, who are truly my brothers and sisters.

Let me explain briefly. This award was offered to me a long time ago, but I did not want to receive it before my boss, Mr. Kofi Annan, was given an opportunity to have it. This is part of the African tradition of respect for our elders.

But this is coming at a very appropriate time. First, I am one of the few Muslims, as far as I know, to be given the U Thant Peace Award, which illustrates what Sri Chinmoy has always preached: the oneness of mankind, that love and peace are common to all humanity.

Secondly, I am receiving this U Thant Award in the tenure of the second Asian Secretary-General, who has just designated me as a Special Envoy to Myanmar, the home of U Thant. And I am proud to say that when I last visited Myanmar in November, I insisted on visiting the grave of U Thant. My request was only very reluctantly granted to me by the authorities there, but I did lay a wreath, not knowing that I would a few months later receive the U Thant Peace Award.

Once again, thank you and God bless you. I am truly, truly grateful, truly. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

Sri Chinmoy (to Professor Gambari): You have fulfilled my long-cherished dream, Brother – my long-cherished dream! And I am so proud of you, that the present Secretary-General has appointed you as a Special Envoy. For that, I am so happy and so proud of you, so proud of you.

Professor Gambari: I am the only Under-Secretary-General that he has re-appointed.

Sri Chinmoy: Again, I am so proud of you, so proud of you.

Professor Gambari departs to warm applause. Following are two songs composed by Sri Chinmoy in honour of Professor Gambari, as well as two songs with music set to Professor Gambari’s inspiring words.

Professor Ibrahim Gambari, a Nigerian scholar-diplomat, was the first Under-Secretary-General (USG) and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General (SG) on Africa (1999-2005). During this period, he was concurrently the SG’s Resident Special Representative and Head of the UN Mission to Angola (2002-2003). He also served as USG for Political Affairs (2005-2007), when he also operated as the SG’s Special Envoy on Cyprus, Zimbabwe and Myanmar. He continued to serve as USG in various capacities until 2009. Before joining the UN, he was the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN (1990-1999), and Minister for Foreign Affairs (1984-1985).↩

Professor Gambari: UN Man of the Hour

Ibrahim Gambari, Ibrahim!
A God-heart-blossoming dream
Here and there and all-where.
Ignorance-bondage nowhere.
Kindness and power together play
In fond embrace night and day.
Professor Gambari, Professor!
We all love you near and far.
Yours is the mind-firmness high,
Yours is the heart-vastness-sky.
O UN Man of the Hour,
Sweetness-hope, promise-tower.

Be An Ally In The Peace Process

“Be an ally in the peace process.”
— Professor Ibrahim Gambari

Aim Very High

“Aim very high because only the best is good enough for you.”
— Professor Ibrahim Gambari

Angola’s Mediator

Angola, Angola, Angola, Angola!
Finally, a oneness-heart's victory-cupola.
Brother Gambari: mediator-wisdom-light—
Singing and dancing with your ecstasy's flight.

Musical Programme with Ambassador Davidson Hepburn

On 8 July 2007, Ambassador Davidson Hepburn<html><a href="#fn6" id="fnref6">⁶</a></html> of The Bahamas visited Sri Chinmoy at Aspiration-Ground meditation garden. Following are excerpts from the programme, in which the Ambassador delighted the audience by performing several songs.

Sri Chinmoy (after sharing stories about visiting The Bahamas): Now I would like the Singers to come and sing the Bengali song Nrityer Tale Tale, about how God comes to us in different ways of dancing.

The Singers perform Nrityer Tale Tale, first the women’s group and then the men’s group. Sri Chinmoy’s translation follows:

O my Beloved Supreme,
You come to me in dance-cadence.
You smile at me in liberation-cadence.
You strike me in power-cadence.
You give to me in Compassion-cadence.⁷

Sri Chinmoy: Ambassador, please bless us now with your wisdom.

Ambassador Hepburn: I am not a person known to be speechless, but I am certainly speechless today. Sri Chinmoy, there’s an expression adapted from Shakespeare that says, “You have out Sri Chinmoyed Sri Chinmoy.” (Laughter.) I am deeply honoured and pleased to be here. I never knew that I would come into such a situation that would make me feel so humble, and yet at the same time so proud. On July 10th it is the anniversary, the 34th birthday of The Bahamas, so that song was just very appropriate for The Bahamas.

I have so many fond memories of you, Sri Chinmoy, from the days of, I call it the dark ages, the ‘70s, when I first met you and attended the Meditation Group and I enjoyed very much sharing your wisdom and knowledge, that developed some kind of calmness in my own soul. So I’m very happy.

I don’t know how you feel sitting up there, but it’s very difficult for me to sit here and listen to all of the accolades that have been placed upon me and my country. I’m very grateful. The singers are fantastic. In a matter of seconds they learn how to follow your lead, and they have been able to do it with the same kind of feeling that you had incorporated into the music. So today is a very, very special day for me, and I’m very happy to be here.

I wasn’t going to sing, but everybody kept saying that I must sing something. (Applause.) I don’t know exactly what I should sing, because so many different songs are going through my head. As you know, I love music. Music is my life. I think again, to adapt a quote by Shakespeare, “If music be the food of God, play on.” And so this was a treat for me to come and just listen to these beautiful voices. I was wondering, however, when I would hear some men singing, and when they finally came on, the contrast was excellent, and I thought it really heightened the kind of programme that you are doing here.

I thought of one song that I could sing. I don’t know anything in any foreign language, but I can sing English, and it’s called “I Believe,” and some of you may have heard it. And if you haven’t, you will hear it now, if I’m able to remember the words. I have senior moments, so if I forget some words, don’t hold it against me.

Sings “I Believe.” (Applause.)

Sri Chinmoy: You have such a beautiful, haunting, plus I call it sonorous voice.

Ambassador Hepburn: Thank you. Thinking about what I’ve learned from you and the Meditation Group, you have taught me so much. I learned this song a long time ago, at the United Nations in the middle ‘70s. It’s called “This Little Light of Mine,” and that’s what I want to do wherever I go, to make sure that I let my light shine so that others may see God in me – not me, but Him in me. (Sings “This Little Light of Mine” followed by applause.) Thank you, thank you very much.

Davidson Hepburn, Permanent Representative of The Bahamas to the United Nations (1978-1988) and President (2009-2011) of the 35th General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), has been a great supporter of the Peace Meditation at the United Nations.↩

Sri Chinmoy, Journey’s Goal, Part 4. New York: Agni Press, 1978.↩

Ambassador Hepburn, Brother Davidson!

Ambassador Hepburn, Brother Davidson!
Oneness-heart Hepburn,
God-lover Davidson,
Goodness, your inner name.
Greatness, your outer frame.
You we admire, you we love.
You are a special gift from Summit above.

Ambassador Davidson Hepburn

Ambassador Davidson Hepburn!
To brighter light and higher height,
To deeper depth and farther length,
Your oneness-heart’s sleepless cries turn.
Bahama’s vision-glory-song,
Your life’s goodness-smile long live, long!

Dr. Laxmi Mall Singhvi - Ceremonially Honoured

On 12 July 2007, Sri Chinmoy honoured Dr. Laxmi Mall Singhvi <html><a href="#fn8" id="fnref8">⁸</a></html> ceremonially with a new U Thant Peace Award plaque, at a function held high up in the Landmark View Room of the Millennium UN Plaza Hotel in Manhattan.

It should be noted that L.M. Singhvi and Sri Chinmoy had had a very long-standing, warm and noble relationship with each other. They respected each other greatly and had interacted many times during their travels, especially during L.M. Singhvi’s notably long-time posting as Indian High Commissioner to England and in their other shared projects and concerns of the spirit of mankind.

It would be worth noting that Sri Chinmoy’s treasured friend, who was greatly respected throughout India, Laxmi Mall Singhvi (9 November 1931 - 6 October 2007), was paid tribute by his friend Sri Chinmoy (27 August 1931 - 11 October 2007) at that poignant moment and also, sadly, at a later date in memoriam in New York.

Excerpts from the 12 July 2007 occasion follow.

Sri Chinmoy (greeting Dr. Singhvi): I am so happy to have your blessings. I am so grateful to you.

Dr. Singhvi: It is a real privilege to see you.

Sri Chinmoy: It is an honour for me – after such a long time!

Sri Chinmoy performs on the esraj.

Sri Chinmoy: How can I ever forget how kindly and compassionately you introduced me at the Royal Albert Hall in London, then at the University of Cambridge, and again at the Peace Bridge in Scotland, and so many, many places. Your blessings I treasure in the very depth of my gratitude-heart. How compassionately and kindly you often introduced me to the public in those days!

Now my students will sing a few songs, and then I wish to offer you once again the U Thant Peace Award. This is a modified plaque, far better than the previous one. In so many ways you have helped me. I treasure your blessingful support and help in the inmost recesses of my heart.

The two friends are seated in the front row to listen to the Peace Meditation Singers perform a song composed by Sri Chinmoy in honour of Dr. Singhvi, as well as two songs with music set to Dr. Singhvi’s immortal utterances. They also offered songs dedicated to Jainism, including the traditional Namaskar Mantra.

Dr. Singhvi: I will say just a few words. I apologise that I am not in very good health, but I must celebrate the joy of the occasion in meeting you. You are graciousness personified. You are kindness and compassion personified. You have a poetic heart, and you have a musical soul, and that soul touches the core of the hearts of everyone who has come to know you.

It has been my privilege, it has been my honour, to know you for many years. I remember what a great occasion it was when you dedicated one of the most beautiful achievements of engineering, a bridge in Scotland, to peace. You have been building bridges of peace throughout the world and across human hearts, across human minds, and how you have perpetuated the memory of your good friend U Thant, who was a very spiritual person, very deeply Buddhist in his orientation and very deeply humane in his mental makeup. That is something which one can never forget.

You have, Sir, if I may say so with great respect, you have in a sense brought a spiritual resonance to the United Nations, to the whole concept of the United Nations. For without a spiritual resonance, harmony will not establish itself in the United Nations. And how ceaselessly, indefatigably, devotedly and with dedication you have striven for that peace and harmony in the world.

Yours is a presence which brings one close to a spiritual experience. For me, it has been a spiritual experience getting to know you, an experience not merely of the heart and the mind, but of the spirit.

How I remember your participation at my request in the Sri Aurobindo Festival at Kings College, at the University of Cambridge, and how I remember your many acts of kindness and compassion.

I came here for two purposes. One was to attend the Jain Convention. And the other was to hear that beautiful song, the celebration of wisdom, the celebration of perspective and philosophy, the celebration of character, the celebration of sacrifice in that beautiful mantra, the Namaskar mantra. I must say that one of the phrases applies to you beautifully: Namo loe. In the Prakrit language, translated into Sanskrit, it means Namo loke… – that you are the greatest of all the sadhus, the greatest of all people of good will and nobility of mind and character, word and deed.

I do not know how adequately to express my gratitude to you for the opportunity you have given me to see you. In India, everybody knows that darshan is not just seeing somebody. Darshan is a kind of communion with the spirit, and in that communion of the spirit one transcends one’s limitations. In communing with you, I feel emancipated. I feel transcendent.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to you for what you are doing in the cause of peace, in the cause of human understanding, in the cause of advancing harmony, in the cause of understanding peace in all its ramifications and in the cause of spreading interfaith harmony and understanding.

The whole world is grateful to you for what you have achieved and what you have given because it is not in the achievement alone that a spirit like yours is fulfilled. It is in the giving that your spirit is fulfilled, and I have been at the receiving end of that generosity of the spirit that you represent.

For me, you represent the best of humankind, the best of the world, the best of India. India is now on the threshold of a new age, as it were, a new awareness, a new self-awareness. But I feel, Sir, with great respect, that India cannot be merely satisfied with being an economic superpower or a military power. India has to retrieve and go back to its roots in the spirit of humankind, in the spirit of the Vedas and the Upanishads.

I am, once again, very deeply grateful to you for the kindness, the compassion, the affection, the love, the blessings – blessings in song, blessings in words and blessings in spiritual communion. I am deeply, deeply in your debt – a debt which can only be acknowledged, but which can never be discharged.

Sri Chinmoy: Just the opposite! Each and every word of your blessings, each blessingful word of yours I shall treasure in the very depth of my gratitude-heart. I cherish you, I treasure you. I have the deepest love, deepest respect, deepest appreciation and deepest admiration for you, for what you have done for me over the years plus what you have been doing for the upliftment of

Bharat Mata, Mother India. You are in the galaxy of those immortal souls that Mother India treasures. And you have done so much, so much for the betterment of Mother India, plus you are the most powerful bridge between India and England. There have been many High Commissioners, India’s High Commissioners to England, but you will remain unparalleled. Culturally, spiritually, you will remain forever the most glorious achievement between the two countries.

I remember how kindly and compassionately you introduced me to the then Prime Minister John Major. How kind you were! Your unparalleled brilliance of the mind and your sleepless self-giving to the world at large can only be admired and treasured, and cannot be described in words.

Often when Sri Chinmoy was to be travelling in UK, messages were carried between Dr. Singhvi and Sri Chinmoy through Sri Chinmoy’s UK emissary, Bhavani Torpy, who was scheduling their intended meetings.

A documentary is shown about U Thant, and the Singers perform Sri Chinmoy’s song dedicated to U Thant. Sri Chinmoy’s personal secretary, Ms. Ranjana Ghose, presents Dr. Singhvi with a booklet about the U Thant Peace Award. Sri Chinmoy then garlands him with a special medallion and offers the glass plaque and a signed frame saying, “My own gratitude-heart is all that matters.”

Sri Chinmoy speaks about some of his recent lifting programmes.

Dr. Singhvi: I must add that you lift our spirits, and that which is weighty in human life, that which matters in human life. I had the great privilege of being once lifted by you.

Sri Chinmoy: For years and years I basked in the sunshine of your affection. Each time I went to England, how kind, how compassionate, how serving you were. I shall never forget those blessingful days, and I cherish them in the very depth of my gratitude-heart. I am sure you have met with President Gorbachev?

Dr. Singhvi: Yes, I know him and I have met him. We were both given an honorary degree and membership in the Curia in Greece in a town called Thessaloniki. We were both given honorary degrees by the University of Thessaloniki, and we stayed in the same hotel, he and Raisa Gorbachev, my wife and I. So we had the great privilege of knowing him. One thing I should tell you, Sir, that I asked him. He spoke to me through an interpreter, and I asked him, “What went wrong?”

He said – and this is the answer which must be remembered throughout history – he said, “I had a lot of glasnost, but there was not enough perestroika,” There was a lot of glasnost, but there was not enough perestroika – very deep and insightful remark!

Sri Chinmoy: He has been very, very kind to me over the years. For about 19 years we have maintained our very close friendship. He has written me over 100 letters, and we met together 24 times.

Dr. Singhvi: For me, it has been a blessing – not a blessing in disguise, but a blessing in its own guise. For me, it has been the most fulfilling blessing that Providence can provide. And I am grateful to you for being the source of that blessing.

Sri Chinmoy: Please feel the same. I am so grateful, so grateful, and I am extremely happy and delighted to have your blessings here once more. God blessed you with infinite greatness and goodness at the same time. He showered His choicest Blessings upon your devoted head and self-giving heart. We are so grateful to you. We are so proud of you. I understand your son is in the Parliament?

Dr. Singhvi: My son is a member of Parliament. Last time I was a candidate for the President’s Office. It almost happened. At the last minute, some change came about. This time I was not well enough to offer myself. That was five years ago. There was a group of people who somehow felt that they must oppose my candidature, but my candidature was supported by the then President, by the then Prime Minister, by the Cabinet – everybody – so it almost happened. But it doesn’t matter. Office is not the most important thing.

Sri Chinmoy: Prime Minister Vajpayee was extremely kind to me.

Dr. Singhvi: He was the proponent and proposer of the idea, and he had told everybody that he would like me to be the Presidential candidate.

Sri Chinmoy: I met with him in Bali. He was so kind, so kind to me. He was then Prime Minister.

Dr. Singhvi: But the man who was chosen, Sir, is also a good friend of mine: Abdul Kalam. He is now retiring. He is a man with a spiritual background.

Sri Chinmoy: Everything we have to leave at the Feet of God, these sad experiences. As we have learned in the Bhagavad Gita, we have the right to work, but not to the fruits thereof. We place the fruit, the results, at the Feet of God happily. This is the only consolation and joy. I understand there will be a meeting at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. I am sure you will be there.

Dr. Singhvi: I was once the President of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan International. It was founded by my mentor, Dr. K. M. Munshi. I have a very close relationship with that idea and that institution.

Sri Chinmoy: Many years ago I wrote an article on “Bal-Pal-Lal,”⁹ and then I added Sri Aurobindo at the end. I received a letter from K. M. Munshi appreciating my article.

Dr. Singhvi: He was my mentor. I was his pupil. I was also associated with him in law practice, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, and all his cultural and his spiritual activities. I had a very close association with him. He gave me more love than a father can give his child, and his wife always used to say that I had received much more love and affection from Dr. Munshi than his children.

Dr. Kusumita Pedersen (who helped facilitate the meeting with Dr. Singhvi): Guru, Dr. Singhvi’s next meeting is with Mr. Gopal Raju from India Abroad.

Dr. Singhvi: He’s coming to see me, so I thought it would be nice if he came to see you before our meeting. I wish he had seen that beautiful video about U Thant. That video is very, very good.

Sri Chinmoy: K. M. Munshi founded the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

Dr. Singhvi: He reconstructed the Temple of Somnath, and invited Dr. Rajendra Prasad to inaugurate. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru said Dr. Rajendra Prasad should not go and Vallabhbhai Patel should not go. Both of them went in spite of Jawaharlal Nehru, and that created a bit of a rift. He had a great cultural commitment, and was a man of spiritual understanding.

Sri Chinmoy: The Iron Man of India, Vallabhbhai Patel – many, many times he and Nehru could not see eye to eye.

Dr. Singhvi: That is true.

Sri Chinmoy: How difficult it was for Mahatma Gandhi to keep them together.

Dr. Singhvi: Mahatma Gandhi was a rallying figure. That is why Vallabhbhai Patel, who could have been Prime Minister, decided to follow Mahatma Gandhi’s advice and propose the name of Jawaharlal Nehru.

Patel had the majority, but he said, “No, Mahatma Gandhi’s word is the only majority.” In 1946, Patel had the full control of the entire organisation, total control of the organisation. But Mahatma Gandhi said that Jawaharlal Nehru was younger, and he should be the Prime Minister. That Patel accepted in a total spirit of support and without any exception, without any reservation, that is the greatness of that generation. And it is true that actually, ultimately, Patel did not live very long thereafter, so it is as well that Jawaharlal-ji had a fairly long and unquestioned tenure in office and was able to shape the future. But whatever Patel touched, whichever problem he tackled, he resolved it in the national interest and the larger human interest. That was the greatness of his ability.

I have put two big statues, very large and monumental statues of Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo, in the Parliament House, at the very entrance of the main Parliament House Central Hall. That was a very fulfilling sense that I felt because that was bringing spirituality to the sanctum sanctorum of the political process.

Sri Chinmoy: And you know, there was a time when the picture of Sri Aurobindo was not there. All those who fought for freedom were there. Nehru said that artists could not draw Sri Aurobindo’s portrait well, so they did not have his picture. Then Nehru and others came to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, and Dr. S. Radhakrishnan liked a portrait that was there of Sri Aurobindo and put it up in the Parliament House. For years Sri Aurobindo’s picture was not there in the Hall. And there at Cambridge, you brought Sri Aurobindo’s and Mahatma Gandhi’s busts.

Dr. Singhvi: You came to Cambridge for the Sri Aurobindo Festival also. I am establishing, hopefully, if I live long enough, a Bharatham International in India at the tri-junction of Rishikesh, near the airport. It would be a unique project of its kind called Bharatham. As I have conceived it, the entire map of the world will be designed, and then there will be a map of India designed on one acre of land, and there will be ten electronic programmes. They will showcase the pilgrimages of India, the great Spiritual Masters of India. And there will be a boat trip around the country with water on all three sides, so that when people go and visit it, they will have the feeling of the spirit of India. I have acquired the land.

Sri Chinmoy: I shall pray to God – my humble prayer, with utmost sincerity – to grant you a very long life. How many more years for you to complete 100 years?

Dr. Singhvi: Sri Chinmoy, you and I were born in the same year.

Sri Chinmoy (after speaking in Sanskrit): We use the term aspiration, not desire. What you are saying about Bharatham, I take it as burning aspiration-flames of your heart, so God must fulfil your aspiration.

Dr. Singhvi: There is a Bharatham auditorium in Delhi. There will be a Bharatham retreat in Rishikesh. In Delhi I want to put a statuette of yours which I saw. Bhavani Torpy’s husband, Kaivalya, has made one statuette of you. I have been in touch with him, and I am very keen to get it if I can, and put it in India. I would like it because these are spiritual celebrations, and your presence brings that sense of spirituality. It comes alive.

Sri Chinmoy: May I know your birth date?

Dr. Singhvi: 9th of November 1931.

Sri Chinmoy: Oh, you are junior! I am senior.

Dr. Singhvi: In November I will complete 76.

Sri Chinmoy: Yes, I shall complete 76 in August.

Dr. Singhvi: I am very grateful.

Sri Chinmoy: I am very grateful. Thank you.

Dr. Singhvi: I wish I could come to the ashram where I came and where you had lifted me up, but you have always lifted me up.

Sri Chinmoy: You have already lifted me inwardly. I do it outwardly.

Dr. Singhvi (introducing Mr. Gopal Raju of _India Abroad_): Gopal Raju, I want you to meet one of my great spiritual benefactors, Sri Chinmoy, and Sri Chinmoy, I am pleased to introduce Sri Gopal Raju. It is very nice that you had a chance to see Sri Chinmoy. Sri Chinmoy ceremonially presented me with a redesigned U Thant Peace Award, although he gave the award to me a long time ago.

Sri Chinmoy: Last year President Gorbachev came to our place, and when he saw hundreds of people smiling, he was so moved. My students were all very cheerful, so he was very deeply moved.

Dr. Singhvi: He is a lovely man. After Raisa, he has been in a condition of a great loss. Raisa was a great companion for him.

Sri Chinmoy: One year on the 13th of April, Raisa said to me over the phone in English, “Not every day, not every hour, but every minute, I think of you and I thank you.” Her voice was recorded, and when the President was here last year in October and he heard it, he was so deeply moved. We have dedicated a tree in honour of Raisa. I think ten or twelve times we met, and the moment she would see me, at first Raisa Maximovna could not speak, only shedding tears.

Dr. Singhvi: Very charming person. My wife and I spent three full days and nights along with both of them.

Sri Chinmoy: So kind, so compassionate, Raisa Maximovna.

Dr. Singhvi: And very thoughtful, a very thoughtful person.

Sri Chinmoy: Before, the wives were not allowed to come to the fore, but in President Gorbachev’s case, he wanted his wife to be by his side, his inspiration.

Dr. Singhvi takes his leave from Sri Chinmoy. <html>

<hr /> Dr. Laxmi Mall Singhvi was an Indian jurist, parliamentarian, scholar, writer and diplomat who had a lifelong interest in Jain history and culture.<a href="#fnref8">↩</a> The article, “A Great Quartet,” about Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai and Sri Aurobindo, was published in Sri Chinmoy, Mother India’s Lighthouse: India’s Spiritual Leaders. New York: Rudolf Steiner Publications, 1971; and later in Sri Chinmoy, India, My India, Mother India’s Summit-Prides. New York: Agni Press, 1997.<a href="#fnref9">↩</a>

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Traditional Jain Namaskar Mantra
Namo arihantanam
Namo siddhanam
Namo ayariyanam
Namo uvajjhayanam
Namo loe savva sahunam

I bow to the Arihantas – the ever-perfect spiritual victors.
I bow to the Siddhas – the liberated souls.
I bow to the Acharyas – the leaders of the Jaina order.
I bow to the Upadhyayas – the learned preceptors.
I bow to all the saints and sages everywhere in the world.

Traditional Jain mantra
Aum Guru, Aum Guru, Aum Guru, Aum Jay Guru, jay Guru, jay Guru, Aum

Singhvi: Divinity’s Fragrance-Core

Laxmi Mall, Laxmi Mall Singhvi, Laxmi Mall!
Divinity’s fragrance-core for big and small.
I bow and bow to your heart-throne and mind-crown.
Your lion-soul-roar has silenced ignorance-frown.
Ancient tear-sea, modern smile-sky you own;
Infinity’s Delight-Sun in you is grown.

The Entire Universe

“The entire universe is the forum of one’s own conscience.”

— Laxmi Mall Singhvi

The Togetherness of Humankind

“The time for the idea of the togetherness of humankind has now come.”

— Laxmi Mall Singhvi

Sri Chinmoy’s musical renditions to the traditional Jain mantras and his songs in honour of Dr. Singhvi appear in the songbook Jainism: Give Life, Take Not (New York: Agni Press, 1998).↩

Concert by Virtuoso Tabla Player Samir Chatterjee with His Wife, Sanghamitra, on Harmonium
On 25 July 2007, virtuoso tabla player Samir Chatterjee<html><a href="#fn11" id="fnref11">¹¹</a></html> offered an outstanding performance with his wife, Sanghamitra, on harmonium and voice, at Aspiration-Ground meditation garden. Sri Chinmoy then honoured them as part of the “Perfect Oneness of the Sun and the Moon” lifting series. Excerpts from the evening follow.

Sri Chinmoy (after Samir performed solo on the tablas): Now with your soul’s permission, my dearest brother-friend Samir, I would like to exploit you for a few minutes. I will be singing a song. You kindly accompany me. This is my humble request.

Sri Chinmoy sings _“Ami Jabo” and Samir Chatterjee accompanies him on tablas.¹² _The Singers then perform a song Sri Chinmoy composed in honour of Samir on 30 April 2005.

Sri Chinmoy: In the lifting world we have opened up a new series: “Perfect Oneness of the Sun and the Moon.” You are the sun, and your wife is the moon. I would like to lift both the sun and the moon together. Previously I lifted you separately with two hands, each of you. Now this is my offering to you. I would like to lift both of you together with my right arm, and it is called “Perfect Oneness of the Sun and the Moon.”

Singers perform “Oneness, perfect oneness of the Sun and the Moon” and “Lifting Up the World.” Sri Chinmoy lifts Samir Chatterjee and his wife, Sanghamitra.

Sri Chinmoy (before reading from his book about Dilip Roy, _My Dilip-Da Adoration<html><a href="#fn13" id="fnref13">¹³</a></html> _): I wrote a book about Dilip-da and my personal connection with him at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. I would like to offer you a copy of the book. How kind he was, how much affection he lavished upon me, when I was a teenager!

Sri Chinmoy reads from the book and then he and Samir speak in Bengali. Following are the words and music to “Samir” and “Ami Jabo”.

Samir Chatterjee is a virtuoso tabla player whose compositions and writings are widely acclaimed. He is the Founder-Director of Chhandayan, an organization dedicated to promoting and preserving Indian music and culture.↩

This collaboration is one of the special performances in the recording “Sri Chinmoy Sings Ami Jabo – Five Selected Performances.” “Ami Jabo” was a song Sri Chinmoy frequently performed in his Peace Concerts.↩

Sri Chinmoy, My Dilip-Da Adoration. New York: Agni Press, 2007. Sri Chinmoy called Dilip Kumar Roy, the Golden Voice, one of his heroes.↩

Samir

Samir Samir Samir Samir Samir Samir
Tabla jagate oindrajalik tumije amir
Madhur nayan madhur bachan chira amayik
Sabar hriday karecho bijoy deepti pratik
Samir tabla tabla Samir tabla Samir
Nijere danite sabare tushite tumi mahabir

Samir, Samir, Samir, Samir, Samir, Samir!
In the world of tabla, you are, indeed, a summit-thaumaturge-emperor.
Sweetness-eyes, sweetness-voice, a sleepless pride-empty soul.
You have conquered the heart of all, O light-flooded emblem-being.
Samir tabla, tabla Samir, tabla Samir!
In self-giving, and in pleasing the world, you are a hero supreme.

Ami Jabo

Sri Chinmoy’s translation of the lyrics to “Ami Jabo”:

I shall enter into my heart’s citadel-city.
I am a worshipper of the Fire God;
I am a lover of the Fire God.
I have blossomed today
Into the melody of fiery flames.
The bondage of possession-greed,
The iron control of dark attachment,
The torture of penury,
The pangs of my shattered dreams
Have at last disappeared in a twinkling
 into the farthest, remote unknown.
On my finite lap the Infinite is swinging.
The ever-intoxicating and ever-energising
 Flute of Sri Krishna
Is the very origin of my life’s journey.
The Destruction-Dance of the great Lord Shiva
Ushers in a new creation
Encircling fast my earth-bound life.

Bengali words and translation by Sri Chinmoy. The song appears in Silence Speaks Songbook, New York: Agni Press, 1993. The music is based on the Bengali devotional song “Phire Chalo,” which Sri Chinmoy often sang in concerts.

Function Honouring Lelihana Olesya Zykina, 400-Metre Olympic Champion
On 26 August 2007, Lelihana Olesya Zykina, 400-metre Olympic champion, was honoured at Aspiration-Ground meditation garden, when the Singers performed a song dedicated to her. Excerpts from the afternoon follow.

Sri Chinmoy (after giving Lelihana a framed photograph of himself sprinting in Viet Nam): I started my 400-metre run in 1944. Most of you were not born. My time was one full minute. Then the following year I cut off four seconds, 56. Then I went to 55, then 54, then 53. My best performance was 53.6 – not bad! I started at one minute, and ended in 53.6. That was the day of the famous story I have told about Mother Kali bringing my soul back into my body.

Each time I ran 400 metres, the first 300 metres were at a very good speed. Then the last 100 metres, O God – bad, very bad! After I finished practising or competing in 400 metres, I would be lying down, with pain all over my body. O God, 400 metres used to kill me, kill me.

All right, now let us hear from our champion. When did you start running 400 metres, and what is your best performance?

Lelihana (translated by Lotika): When I was 14 years old, my first 400-metre run was 1.05 minutes. When I was little, once I was asked what would I like to run: 100 metres or 400 metres? I don’t know why, but I said 400, and since that time I always run only 400 metres.

Sri Chinmoy: Very good, very good. Then what is your best performance?

Lelihana: 50.15.

Sri Chinmoy: I am cutting jokes now. In my defense, our 400-metre track was cinder. A cinder track is not as fast as a rubberized regular track. Second, I was brought up in an ashram. When I was a child in Chittagong, I came of a moderately rich family. But when we came to the ashram, everything – money, properties, everything – went to the ashram. I did not have running shoes. I ran barefoot. Barefoot, cinder track, then for food, just rice, dhal and one vegetable. I had not one but three disadvantages.

(Referring to Ranjana, his personal secretary, who was sitting next to Lelihana): Ranjana is our all-round champion for over 25 years. Her 400 metres is under one minute.

Ranjana: 59.7.

Sri Chinmoy: Once upon a time, I used to run 100 metres. I would give Ranjana quite a few metres head start, and I used to defeat her. But then in our Sports Day competitions, she was first in 100, 200, 400, 800 metres walking, long jump, shot put and discus. Her discus was so beautiful, like the Olympic champions, the way they throw. Only they throw much, much farther than she did. But her style of discus throw was super-excellent.

In so many items she stood first, first, first. For how many years? More than 25 years. And how old is Lelihana? She is 26, and Ranjana stood for over 25 years as champion. My supremacy was for 16 years, but Ranjana’s supremacy was for a quarter of a century. And her coach was Sri Chinmoy. All of the items I taught her. In those days we gave so much importance to Sports Day. This year I would like if Lelihana could run with the disciples. One race she could run seriously, and in the other she could give the other girls a 40-metre lead. Then we shall see. She will defeat them easily. What was your best time in 100 metres?

Lelihana: Under 11, but it was not an official time because I never officially ran 100 metres.

Sri Chinmoy: It could be 10.7. O God, you have defeated me. My unofficial time was 11.3, 11.4 for many years. With the same judges, at competition time it was 11.7. I have run many times 11.3, 11.4, but in competition time, what happened? It was 11.7. Then I did decathlon. I stood first two years in a row. The third year, rain came right before my performance in pole vault and ruined everything – alas, alas, alas. Then I lost by 34 points. After pole vault was the 1500-metre run. During the whole year, I never practised 1500. I only ran it on competition day, so it was not a strong performance. Anyway, I lost.

Sri Chinmoy told the well-known story of having faith in Mother Kali and standing first in a pole vault competition at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1944.<html><a href="#fn14" id="fnref14">¹⁴</a></html> He also told the story about having faith in an inner message from Sarada Devi, which enabled him to obtain the visa he needed to come to America in 1964.<html><a href="#fn15" id="fnref15">¹⁵</a></html> So you see how faith works. The same thing will happen in your life millions of times. If you have faith, you are going to succeed. Do not struggle. Do not use the doubting mind: “Oh, Guru can’t say these things.” If you are sure that I have said something, if you have a dream about something I have said, take it very, very seriously. That means I am there, I am there. Always have faith, faith, faith, faith. If you follow the spiritual life sincerely, then have faith – faith in the Supreme and faith in your Master. Otherwise, life will not give you satisfaction. Like that, I have quite a few stories where eventually faith reigned supreme. The last story about faith: It was in 1946 or 1947. When I used to practise long jump, I used to do my best performance in practice time: 6.20, 6.25, over 6 metres – again, with no shoes. But can you believe, in competition I was never able to cross 6 metres. My highest is 5.83 or 5.84, I cannot remember. Never, never was I able to cross 6 metres – never! Under 6 always, but in practice, 6.10, 6.25, using the same long jump pit as we used for competition. One day I was practising at another long jump pit, just by the side of the Bay of Bengal. Nobody was there. Our long jump pits were a little over 7 metres, not 8 metres, because nobody did more than 6 metres. Within me somebody said, “Look at the Bay of Bengal, and pray to the Bay of Bengal. Then you will see the result.” I looked at the Bay of Bengal for a minute or even less and prayed. Can you imagine? I did the long jump right from the board, and I crossed the sandpit, about 8 metres. Nobody may believe it, but I believe it because within me somebody told me to look at the Bay of Bengal, to look at the water, and pray. Believe me, I crossed over the sandpit, one metre more. And you know, if you do not land in the sandpit, you can get hurt very badly. In my case I was protected by the prayer. I did not get at all hurt. I completed 8 metres that one day, once, because I did not argue with the inner message. I did not doubt, but I had faith. The Bay of Bengal was perhaps 20 or 30 metres away from me, and I looked at it and prayed. Then I jumped 8 metres, and I did not get hurt at all. Look at this! When I did not argue with the inner voice, this is what happened. I was very happy – only once in my life, in 1946 or 1947, I jumped 8 metres. I am coming back again to the same word: faith. Faith is indispensable, indispensable. If you use the mind, the mind often doubts. But faith is the most important thing in the spiritual life. If you have faith in your Master, the Supreme, our Lord, then there is nothing that you cannot accomplish. <html>

<hr /> Several versions of the story appear in various books by Sri Chinmoy, including: Carl Lewis: The Champion Inner Runner. New York: Agni Press, 1991; and The Inner Meaning of Sport. New York: Agni Press, 2007.<a href="#fnref14">↩</a> Several versions of the story appear in various books by Sri Chinmoy, including: God Made, God Moulded, God Shaped. New York: Agni Press, 2013; and The Path of My Inner Pilot. New York: Agni Press, 2015.<a href="#fnref15">↩</a>

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Lelihana

Lelihana, Lelihana, Lelihana!
O climbing lightning-flame – tumije pakhir dana.
You do not run; you fly and fly in the vastness-blossom-sky.
In the four-hundred metres run, your name has reached the whole world.
Lelihana, Lelihana, Lelihana!
Indomitable – durdamaniya mahananda labilam tomare janiya.
Joy, joy, joy, joy, tremendous joy we have won by knowing you.

Award Presentation by Asimananda Yuri Petrovich Smirnov
On 1 January 2007, Asimananda Yuri Petrovich Smirnov presented an award to Sri Chinmoy at a function in the Kempinski Hotel in Varna, Bulgaria, during the Sri Chinmoy Centre’s annual spiritual retreat for Christmas and the New Year. Excerpts from the presentation follow.

Gagana (introducing Asimananda): The following award presentation will be given by the Vice President of the Russian Academy of Security, Defense and Law; Major General of Security; Member of the Journalist Association of the Russian Federation; and Doctor of Psychology – our dear Asimananda Yuri Petrovich Smirnov.

Asimananda (as translated by Gagana): Dear Guru Sri Chinmoy, dear brothers and sisters, I came to the Bulgarian land only to see you all, and to have the great honour of seeing my dear teacher – Guru. For moments like this, it is worth living. Please allow me on behalf of Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union, on behalf of many scientists, sportsmen, public and political figures, luminaries of culture and medicine, cosmonauts and Olympic champions, to wish you a Happy New Year.

This December I had an opportunity to participate in a Counter-Terrorism Forum in China. I was received as a statesman and participated in the six-member Shanghai Convention, and I have given a presentation there. Here I am a simple disciple, and I am proud of it. In this hall, there are brothers and sisters, but none of them is an insignificant person because each one is talented in his own way, and has a great intelligence thanks to the teachings of Sri Chinmoy. Sri Chinmoy said once that his teachings may be forgotten after 200 years, but please allow me not to agree with you, my dear Guru. Your teaching is eternal. Here we are on Bulgarian land, and, I think, the spirit of the famous prophet-woman Vanga is present with us. But Guru has great foreseeing talent.

Guru also differs from Vanga because of his great gift in being a scientist-philosopher, writer, sportsman and artist, and this is, of course, God’s gift, which we see and feel. It has happened that Russians highly value his talents. In the World Harmony Run in Russia, hundreds and thousands of athletes participated. The Run covered more than 27,000 kilometres. For the second time in a row, we have crossed the border with China, where the Harmony Run was welcomed in friendship. The Chinese people liked the Harmony Run very much, and this year they decided to run across the same border the other way around, to Russia, in honour of the year of China-Russia friendship.

We offer Sri Chinmoy our special love. At times of intense political struggle, at times of great changes in the world, we see how the teaching of Sri Chinmoy is truly immortal, how it helps us to struggle and live in these difficult conditions. For his outstanding achievements, Sri Chinmoy has received many great awards from all over the world. On the occasion of his Jubilee, he has become an honorary Professor and Academic of the Academy of Security, Defense and Law. I have the honour to present this diploma today, and also I will present the diploma of honorary Academician.

I also have the honour to tell you that in Moscow last year there were big celebrations, with representatives from many countries, of the 350th birth anniversary of Franz Lefort, a Swiss-born admiral who became a famous adviser of Peter the Great. On this occasion, a special medal was issued by the Government of Moscow City, which is now awarded to our great Guru Sri Chinmoy. Franz Lefort is still remembered after 350 years, but I am confident that Guru will be remembered for thousands of years. The teaching of Sri Chinmoy, as I said during our first meeting in Moscow in 2004, is valued by and known to the Special Security Forces in Russia. Elements of yoga and relaxation are used in the training of Cosmonauts, who know of Sri Chinmoy and value his work, and also by the Special Security Forces of Antiterrorism-Alpha. Let me pass to Guru the plaque of the Special Security Forces of Russia to keep.

When I recently visited Sofia and met with the representatives of local antiterrorism security forces, they asked me to present a special calendar, which I would like to offer to Guru so that our disciple guards can use it to mark their significant days. My heart is peaceful now. I have passed the best wishes of hundreds and perhaps millions of citizens of our planet. Please, dear Guru, allow me to perform this ceremony of the passing of these small awards, which are just an iota of what you deserve.

(Presents awards.)

Sri Chinmoy: My dearest Asimananda, I really do not know how to thank you adequately. You have blessed me with so many awards. These awards are so significant in every way. There are many things in my life that I have received from people that I do not deserve, but this is how God’s Compassion reigns supreme on a human being. We may feel that we have done something for humanity. In reality, it is God alone who does these things in and through us. We are mere instruments.

The soul of the Soviet Union chose you to play a most significant role in the heart of the Soviet Union. I love you from the depths of my heart. I appreciate and admire you, your dedicated service to humanity. You rightly deserve the name that I have offered you: “The Bliss of Infinity – Asimananda.” You are a great soul. You are a good heart. When greatness and goodness go together, there is nothing that you cannot accomplish in your heart of aspiration and in your life of dedication. May God the Author of All Good shower His choicest Blessings upon your devoted head and self-giving life.

Asimananda (translated): Dear Guru, I am touched to tears. My heart is overwhelmed with happiness. And I promise with my heart that I will serve you and all our brother and sister disciples as long as my heart beats. Let’s live in this world longer. May the Lord keep you safe and give you good health for many, many years to come. Thank you very much.

Presentation of the Lomonosov Order to Sri Chinmoy
On 19 September 2007, Sri Chinmoy offered a Peace Concert at the Lensovet House of Culture in St. Petersburg, Russia. At the post-concert function, Asimananda Yuri Petrovich Smirnov bestowed upon Sri Chinmoy the Lomonosov Order. Excerpts from the presentation follow.

Remarks by Asimananda Yuri Petrovich Smirnov, Vice President of the Russian Academy of Security, Defense and Law; Major General of Security; Member of the Journalist Association of the Russian Federation; and Doctor of Psychology (as translated): Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear great Maestro and Master, today we meet in Russia an outstanding philosopher, scientist, poet, sportsman, artist and musician. We had the honour to be present at his great concert tour in Germany in 2005, when Sri Chinmoy gave a series of eight concerts entitled “Music of the Heart.” Scientists of the Russian Federation, as well as those working in the field of art, had numerous chances to listen to the concerts of Sri Chinmoy.

When I was on business trips in Malaysia and Bulgaria, I had the opportunity to be present at Sri Chinmoy’s concerts as well, and I had a chance to make a closer acquaintance with our outstanding musician, Boris Grebenshikov, and his wife Irina. Boris Grebenshikov gave a spontaneous concert before the representatives of over 50 countries of the world. And now he has reached a new height of aspiration – in Moscow just recently, he had an audience of several thousand listeners in the Olympic Sports Complex. We also were very proud that Boris Grebenshikov gave a concert at the United Nations in New York. Allow me to thank Boris Grebenshikov on behalf of the all the Russian people for this kind of aspiration, which he received from Sri Chinmoy, for his high art.

Dear Master, we hope to once again see you in a most beautiful region of Russia, the region of Baikal Lake and the Yenisey River. Today in this hall there are nineteen representatives of your followers from Baikal and nine from Yenisey. They are ready to receive you at any time to make your art available in those very beautiful corners of the world. In the personal letter that you wrote to me recently, you inspired me when you said that you had specially lifted the tallest horse in the world. Dear Master, in the Baikal region we have a most beautiful horse – the lightest horse in the world – ready for you.

I have the honour on behalf of the National Committee of the Public Awards of the Russian Federation to present you with a special award. For your great personal contribution to the development of the world’s science and culture, Sri Chinmoy is awarded with a special Order, one of the highest Orders of the Russian Federation, the Lomonosov Order. It is also symbolic because St. Petersburg is a city where Mikhail Lomonosov used to live.

Sri Chinmoy: I am offering you, my dearest Asimananda, gratitude and gratitude and gratitude – infinite gratitude. Over the years you have blessed me with so many honours, and today it is the highest honour that you have bestowed upon my devoted head and aspiration-heart. Your life’s greatness and your heart’s goodness I deeply appreciate and admire. Every time I think of you, my soul inundates you with its blessings, love, concern and compassion in infinite measure. Only one thing I can offer to you today and every day, and that is gratitude and gratitude and gratitude. Thank you.

Asimananda: Thank you very much. Dear Master, all the citizens of Russia are most deeply grateful to you for your outstanding contribution to Russian culture.

The Singers perform Sri Chinmoy’s songs dedicated to Asimananda. The Bengali and English versions follow, as well as the Russian translation.

Asimananda Vir

Asimananda Asimananda Asimananda Vir
Bishal hriday mahan jiban garib ashru nir
Klanti bihin nidra bihin Russiar unnati
Ei dharanir pratiti jiber chaha je agragati
Tomar gyaner tomar guner amije prashangsha kari
Russia Bharat bandhu amara ekata nishan dhari

Infinity’s Ecstasy, O Hero Supreme!

Infinity's ecstasy, O Hero supreme!
Vastness is your heart, greatness is your life.
In you are the endless tears of the suffering poor lives.
Tiredness you know not, sleep you know not,
For the progress of your beloved Russia.
You desire the fastest progress-speed
 of humanity's world.
I am a soulful admirer of your stupendous wisdom
 and your teeming virtues.
You and I are inseparable friends,
Hoisting aloft together the banners of Russia and India.

Presentation of the U Thant Peace Award to Ambassador P.A. Nazareth
On 9 October 2007, Sri Chinmoy met with Ambassador Pascal Alan Nazareth of India at Aspiration-Ground meditation garden. Ambassador Nazareth is a noted lecturer on Mahatma Gandhi and author of _Gandhi’s Outstanding Leadership. In 1966, Sri Chinmoy had worked with then Consul Nazareth at the Indian Consulate in New York for several months, just before Sri Chinmoy left the Consulate to devote himself to spiritual teaching full time, and the two continued their friendship over the years.

P.A. Nazareth has served the Indian Government in many countries. In March 1987, he and his wife, Isabel, were special guests at a programme dedicated to India held at the United Nations in New York, sponsored by Sri Chinmoy: The Peace Meditation at the United Nations. Sri Chinmoy met with him again in Cairo in 1989 when P.A. Nazareth was serving as Ambassador of India to Egypt, and P.A. Nazareth visited Sri Chinmoy in Queens on several occasions.

Following are excerpts from the presentation by Sri Chinmoy of the U Thant Peace Award to Ambassador Nazareth. Also below are selections from Ambassador Nazareth’s keynote address for the UN International Day of Non-Violence on 2 October 2012 at UN Headquarters in New York, where he graciously highlighted Sri Chinmoy’s work for peace.

U Thant Peace Award Ceremony
A video is shown of U Thant as guest of honour at the premiere of Sri Chinmoy’s play about the Buddha, in 1973, followed by a video showing previous recipients.

Sri Chinmoy: Most lovingly and most devotedly I am offering these songs to my Indian Consulate boss and to my oneness-heart brother.

The Singers perform Sri Chinmoy’s songs dedicated to U Thant and to Ambassador Nazareth. Sri Chinmoy presents the U Thant Peace Award to Ambassador Nazareth for his lifetime of dedication and world service by promoting the Gandhian values of truth, non-violence, communal harmony and humanitarian service.

Ambassador Nazareth: Sri Chinmoy and dear brothers and sisters, I am really very, very deeply moved, and I am really at a loss for words on this occasion for the honour that has been done to me. I do very much believe that I do not deserve this honour, and for me it is only a token of the love which I have always had from Sri Chinmoy. It is his love and his generosity. How can I be classed in the same category as all the others who have received this award before. But I accept it in all humility because it comes from the hands of Sri Chinmoy, and everything that he does I believe is divinely inspired.

I accept it because it is really a great boost to my efforts, all that I have been doing since I retired in 1994. I decided at that point that whatever years of life God has given to me in the post-retirement period, I was going to devote them to try and revive the memory of Mahatma Gandhi because India needs Mahatma Gandhi.

When we look at the long history of India, all our golden ages were when there was religious tolerance in the country. The moment there is intolerance begins a whole lot of problems. And it is particularly sad and tragic for India because it was India which gave religious tolerance to the world, that the truth is one, although the sages have given it various names. The effort really has to be for us not to quarrel over what path we take, but to make the effort to get to the top of the mountain.

Sri Chinmoy is like a tall tree in the forest. The tall tree in the forest not only rises above all the other trees through all its discipline and its effort, but also sees a vision which the other trees do not see. It sees the sun, the moon, the stars, and to the distant horizon, the galaxies. The tall tree can never explain to the short tree the vision it sees because the short tree has no point of reference. So the only thing the tall tree can teach the short tree is how to grow because as and when the short tree grows, and rises then little by little to the top, it also sees the vision that the tall tree sees.

And this I believe has been the great contribution that Sri Chinmoy has been making. He is leading all of us and teaching us how to grow. And as we grow, we begin to see, and it is a very, very beautiful scene that we see. I believe most of all as we rise to the top, we see what Gandhi saw, that the fundamental law that governs all the universe is the law of love. It’s not the law of hate. It’s not the desire for revenge. It is the oneness-heart, that we are all the manifestation of the supreme energy, what the ancient Indian sages spoke about. “Tat tvam asi” – just three words, but what a deep meaning: “That thou art.” Each of us is a manifestation of the supreme energy that permeates the whole universe.

If only we could therefore have the right approach, the approach of spirituality, which besides in Sri Chinmoy, I have found in Mahatma Gandhi. And that is what got me so interested to research what made this man the great leader that he became. For him, truth was God, and he decided to pursue it with all his effort. And as he grew in spirituality, his leadership also grew, and he became fearless. And he had a simple logic: if you put all your faith in God, you cannot lose because God cannot lose. Of course, you might not live to see the success of the mission that you have undertaken, but that’s not important. The important thing is that your mission will succeed, not that you should live to see it, because each of us has to do our duty – because it is our duty, not because it will succeed. Each of us can make a difference. This is what Gandhi said. Each of us must be the change we wish to see in the world.

Gandhi-ji said that when the practice of non-violence becomes universal, God will reign on earth as He does in Heaven. That is what we should really hope for. We have to learn the message of loving each other, of having the oneness-heart.

And ultimately peace will come, as was stated by the very revered U Thant. Peace will come as and when there is a spiritual regeneration in this world. And I believe maybe it is coming, although it doesn’t seem very obvious, but what with all that Sri Chinmoy has done, with what his holiness the Dalai Lama has done, there is a whole new interest, really, in taking the spiritual path, in finding ourselves, because the truth is not only in a temple or in a mosque or anywhere else. It is all within us. Look within thyself, also is a great Indian maxim. And this I believe is what we need to do.

I am deeply moved, Sri Chinmoy, to be here today. When you come into a holy place, one feels the energies. Each of us radiates either a positive energy or a negative energy. Most of us are radiating negative energies. The more negative energies there are, the more wars we have. All of you seated here, I can see, are radiating positive energies, thanks to the great Guru who is with us and who has taught us how to love each other. I feel very blessed to be here this evening. I feel very, very, very honoured, even though I know I don’t deserve this award. Even more than the award that you have honoured me with, Sri Chinmoy, I request you to give me your blessing. I thank you so much, indeed. (Applause.)

Sri Chinmoy: I will cherish your blessing-words in the inmost recesses of my gratitude-heart.

Sri Chinmoy elaborates on inner experiences he had with Mahatma Gandhi while visiting the railway station in Pietermaritzburg where the Mahatma was evicted from the whites-only first-class compartment of a train in 1893 (see p.172 for full story):

The place in South Africa where Mahatma Gandhi was brought down from the train and was kicked and humiliated, I went to the same station. People showed me the actual place. I prayed and I prayed, and I said to Mahatma’s soul, “You came to awaken the Indian subcontinent, and look what happened. Here begins the ruthless torture of a human being. And in India, now you are adored by millions and millions of people. The God who accepted this ruthless torture in you and through you, the same God gives you the utmost love from each and every Indian soul.”

The immortal souls, souls like Mahatma Gandhi, are omnipresent, not only in the heart of little Gujarat. No, they are everywhere. If you have the vision, Mahatma Gandhi is everywhere. If you have no vision, then Mahatma Gandhi is gone. I am all love, all admiration for Mahatma Gandhi. He is a universal being, and I also try to follow in his foot-steps.

How can we not believe in these spiritual experiences? Let the mind not believe it, but the heart feels it and the heart knows it. I am telling you about this inner experience because you are giving me so much joy. When I get joy, I open my heart. How much goodness there is here on earth, and again, how much sadness. We hope that one day this world of ours will be inundated with light. Now there is darkness, but darkness is not the answer. Light is the answer, we all know.

B. Ramamoorthy (who also worked at the Indian Consulate with Sri Chinmoy and P.A. Nazareth): Gandhi-ji has really done a lot of good things, and now Alan Nazareth is trying to reach the world by giving lectures, by participating in seminars at various universities and colleges around the world. This U Thant Peace Award that Sri Chinmoy gave today to Alan Nazareth is something that we all would cherish for the rest of our lives, because although he says with all humility he does not deserve it, I do feel that he is one of the outstanding personalities that we have met in our lives. And I am really glad that this award is being conferred on Alan Nazareth today because you both worked in the same India House 40 years ago where we met and spent time together. And it is really an honour for me to be here today. It gives me great joy to be here this afternoon and speak to you both, reminisce about some of the old things, and exchange some of our thoughts.

Ambassador Nazareth: I was much more comfortable when I was in the Foreign Service, particularly when I became Ambassador, but honestly I feel so much more fulfilled internally in what I am doing now, and I am really very happy and very grateful that I have this opportunity. Because ultimately unless we have inner joy and inner fulfilment, all that we do is of no use. So I really feel very, very happy in what I am doing.

There is so much interest in Gandhi, people are looking for a way to peace, to find non-violent solutions to our problems. And I feel really happy, and I believe the time has come for people to look seriously at this, to find a way to peace really through a spiritual renaissance. And I believe we are all involved in this. We have to hope and pray that we will succeed, and succeed quickly before this world is destroyed through human acts.

Sri Chinmoy: Light is spreading – in how many places, how many universities you are able to speak on Mahatma Gandhi. This is the second book I am getting in the last few months on Mahatma Gandhi. In May Norway’s most cultured Arne Næss blessed me with a book he wrote on Mahatma Gandhi, and today you are blessing me with your book. I am so happy.

Ambassador Nazareth: It is you who have blessed me, not the other way around.

Excerpts from a Lecture on Mahatma Gandhi
On 2 October 2012, Ambassador Nazareth was invited by the Indian Mission to the UN to deliver the keynote address for the UN International Day of Non-Violence, at a programme held in the ECOSOC Chamber at UN Headquarters in New York. In his presentation, he spoke at length of Sri Chinmoy’s dedication to the UN, as he did when he was keynote speaker at the commemoration of the UN International Day of Non-Violence on 2 October 2017 at the Palais des Nations, the UN Office at Geneva.

Below are a few selections from his talk at UN Headquarters in New York.

Excerpt from the keynote address by Ambassador Nazareth, 2 October 2012, UN Headquarters in New York:

As Mahatma Gandhi had declared soon after the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, “The moral to be legitimately drawn from the supreme tragedy of the bomb is that it will not be destroyed by counter bombs. Non-violence is the only thing the atom bomb cannot destroy…. Unless the world now adopts non-violence, it will spell certain suicide for mankind.” Albert Einstein had made a similar assertion: “The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything but our thinking; thus we are drifting toward a catastrophe beyond comparison. We shall require a new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive.”

This “new manner of thinking” will have to emanate as much from the United Nations as from peace activists all over the world. An enlightened effort to initiate this “new manner of thinking” at the United Nations was made by the farsighted and deeply spiritual former UN Secretary General U Thant in 1970 by inviting Sri Chinmoy, the Indian spiritual Master, to conduct regular meditation sessions at the UN, for diplomats, delegates and staff members representing their countries/working at it. Said meditation sessions and related activities such as lectures, seminars, plays, art exhibitions and sports have continued unbroken since then even though Sri Chinmoy passed away in October 2007.

A biennial Peace Run, instituted by him in 1987, now traverses 70,000 kilometers in 100 countries in all continents and has internationally renowned athletes and Olympic Gold medalists like Olivier Bernhard, Carl Lewis, Katrina Webb, Paul Tergat, Tatyana Lebedeva and Tegla Loroupe participating in them. After one such run Carl Lewis declared “When I carried the flaming torch, I felt so much oneness with all the people of the world.”

The tragedy of the contemporary world is that there is too much religion, particularly of the fundamentalist kind, and too little of the spirituality it so greatly needs. Spirituality that is deeply rooted in truth, justice, love and universal brotherhood could contribute substantially to changing the untruth, injustice, religious and racial hatred plagued international scenario, and in due course bring about the global spiritual renaissance which the revered U Thant firmly believed was an essential requisite for a real and enduring world peace.

Sri Chinmoy’s memorable quote about this says that “world peace can be achieved when, in each person, the power of love replaces the love of power.”

Following is the song that Sri Chinmoy dedicated to Ambassador Nazareth.

India’s Clarion-Call

Consul General Nazareth!
A oneness-heart of fulness-breath.
Your friend, his friend, Alan:
Divinity’s fulfilment-plan.
Indian culture’s clarion-call
To all nation-towers, short and tall.

Stories, Interviews and Commentaries

Nishikanta: A Great Poet
Nishikanta was an excellent poet. When he was 17 or 18 years old, he and his brother Shashikanta went to Shantiniketa, Tagore’s school, to be students there. It later became Visva-Bharati University. Nishikanta eventually came to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and continued to write excellent poems. Dilip Roy ¹⁶ and Nishikanta were very good friends. Nishikanta used to adore Dilip Roy. Dilip Roy used to admire him, and once gave him the money to print his poems in a book.

When I was young, a teenager, 15 or 16 years old, a magazine declared a prize for the best poem. I was young, energetic and enthusiastic, so I sent in a poem, “Ekti Katha Ekti Sur.”¹⁷ Hundreds of poems they got. They were partial: first prize, Nishikanta; second prize, Dilip Roy; and third prize went to Chinmoy Kumar Ghose. I came third.

One evening I went to see Nishikanta read out forty or fifty poems. It was arranged by my cousin, Pushpita. Nishikanta was very kind, and he appreciated my poems.

This is something very significant. When Nishikanta’s days were numbered, he had only one desire – he wanted the Ashram Mother to stand on his chest. In this way he would die with the Mother’s blessings. He came to the Meditation Hall to see the Mother. She came and placed one foot, then the other foot. A few days or a month later, Nishikanta died.

10 March 2007 Aspiration-Ground, New York

Dilip Roy, the famous Indian lyrical singer, lived in the Ashram from 1928 to 1953; Sri Aurobindo called Dilip his dearest son. In Sri Chinmoy’s book dedicated to Dilip Roy, entitled My Dilip-Da-Adoration (New York: Agni Press, 2007), he refers to “Dilip Kumar Roy, the Golden Voice,” as one of his “heroes,” and relates several stories illustrating Dilip’s kindness in encouraging the young Chinmoy in his poetic endeavours. Chinmoy was regularly invited to hear Dilip sing at Saturday evening soirees at Dilip’s house on Perumal Koil Street, on the same block where the Ghose family lived. Dilip’s house was called Trésor House. The building eventually became the Trésor Nursing Home, where some of Sri Chinmoy’s family members received care over the years.↩

Sri Chinmoy, The Garden of Love-Light, Part 1, No. 43. New York: Agni Press, 1974.↩

Ekti Katha Ekti Sur

Ekti katha ekti sur eki jhankar
Nam dhare ke dakchhe jena amai barebar
Kothai achhi kothai jabo nai jena thikena
Ghumer ghare karchhi shudhu ami becha kena
Kata bhangi katai gari katai kari asha
Hiya khani dhekechhe mor andhar sarbanasha
Alor pakhi alor pakhi abar eso phire
Jyotir dhara bahan kare namo amar shire
Dak ditechho urdhe jete jabo keman kare
Bandhi je mor paran khani ekti andhar ghare
Alor pakhi alor pakhi alor pakhi alo
Prane amar rekhona ar ektu andhar kalo

One thought, one tune, one resonance:
Who calls me ever and anon?
I know not where I am,
I know not whither I shall go.
In dark amnesia,
Myself I buy, myself I sell.
All I break; again, all I build.
All I hope to be mine, mine alone.
Alas, my heart is eclipsed by dark and wild
 destruction-night.
O Bird of Light, O Bird of Light,
With your glowing and flowing flames
 do enter into my heart once again.
You are calling me to climb up and fly
 into the blue,
But how can I?
My heart is in prison in the strangled breath
 of a tiny room.
O Bird of Light, O Bird of Light,
O Bird of Light Supreme,
In me, I pray, keep not an iota of gloom.

The Handwritten Magazines
In the Ashram school, in Bengali I used to get 100 out of 100. In English, from 90 to 100. In history, always 100 I used to get. Only in mathematics I did not do as well. How did I always get 100 in history? I would learn the whole book by heart.

I prayed to Mother Saraswati for years to give me a great memory. She blessed me. The history book was about 120 pages. I learned it by heart. In history class, I used to sit in the front row. My teacher was right in front of me so he could see I was not copying from the book or from anybody else. I used to get very high marks from memorising the book.

One incident perhaps some of you know. A teacher who taught in a higher class, was the editor of a handwritten magazine. The name of that magazine was Shikha. A friend of mine and I were the co-editors of another handwritten magazine named Jatri. My poem “Jatri Amara Manina Ratri”¹⁸ first appeared in that magazine.

Both the handwritten magazines were sent to Sri Aurobindo. We were kids, 15 or 16 years old. Sri Aurobindo said our Jatri was far better than Shikha. That created such a sensation. My friend’s name was Debu. He is now a homeopath.

In the evening of her life this teacher/editor became paralysed. Her son, who was a doctor, used to take her out in a wheelchair. One day, during one of my visits to the Ashram, I was 50 or 60 metres away from her. How could she recognise me? Her son, the doctor, called out, “Chinmoy! My mother wants to see you.”

Very humbly I stood in front of her. My humility was sincere. She said, “I knew you were destined to be a great writer and great man.” She knew, that was her comment.

In school I showed my retentive faculty. I prayed to Saraswati. This is the mantra I used to say. (Repeats mantra. Sri Chinmoy often referred to this mantra.)

Saraswati mahabhage vidye kamalalocane
Vidyarupe visalaksi vidyam dehi namostute

There was another Saraswati mantra I used to repeat in my childhood that our servant taught me. But Saraswati mahābhāge I repeated thousands and thousands of times because Saraswati is the Mother of music, Mother of art, Mother of learning.

It is all Mother Saraswati’s blessings that I became a writer, I became an artist, I became a musician. It is all Mother Saraswati’s Grace.

For my weightlifting, if I have to give credit, which I must, it goes to Mother Kali. I owe it all to her.

14 April 2007, Aspiration-Ground, New York

Sri Chinmoy set this poem to music in 1977, and it was published in the songbook Journey’s Goal, Part 10a. New York: Agni Press, 1977.↩

Jatri Amara Manena Ratri Manina

Jatri amara manina ratri manina
Asimer pathe jatri amara satya trishita jatri

We are the pilgrims
Who defy the mandate of night.
We are thirsting for Truth Transcendental
While walking along the beginningless
And endless road of life.

Kabi Karo Shilpi Karo

Kabi karo shilpi karo
Premik karo more
Bandho amai charan tale
Khama kripar dore dore

Make me a divine poet.
Make me a divine artist.
Make me a divine lover.
Let me remain bound
At Your Forgiveness-Feet.
Let me grow and grow
In Your Compassion-Heart.

Sri Chinmoy, Illumination-Song and Liberation-Dance, Part 2. New York: Agni Press, 1976.↩

Nolini Sen’s Passing
The name of this teacher’s husband was Nolini Sen. Her husband was quite fond of me. Once her husband was in the hospital. One day around 10:00 in the morning, my boss Nolini said, “Mother wants to know how Nolini Sen is doing in the hospital.” His name was Nolini Sen and my boss’s name was Nolini Gupta.

When my boss asked me to do something, I did not walk. I would run or walk quite fast. When I approached the main building, alas, a very kind-hearted, very honest man asked me, “Chinmoy, have you heard?”

I asked, “What?”

“Five minutes ago Nolini Sen passed away,” he told me.

I came back hurriedly to my boss and said, “I was ready to go to the hospital. Now this man is saying that five minutes earlier Nolini Sen passed away.”

My boss Nolini said, “No, no, you do not have to go,” because he trusted this man. Nolini went upstairs to inform the Mother that Nolini Sen had passed away.

Alas, this is how rumours spread. My friend was not a liar; he heard it from somebody else. Alas, Nolini Sen was not dead. Eleven hours more he lasted.

This is how my life went. But then, many years later, during one of my visits to the Ashram, his wife talked to me, saying she knew all along that I would be a great writer.

14 April 2007, Aspiration-Ground, New York

Everything Is Your Will, Mother Kali
On 15 June 2007, at a function in the hotel after the Concert in San Francisco, Sri Chinmoy told the following story about opposing articles in an Indian magazine.

Now I am telling you a juicy story. Many years ago I gave a Peace Concert in Washington, D.C., and I was introduced by the then Ambassador of India. His name was Siddhartha Shankar Ray – so kind, so compassionate. He comes from a very noble family. Once he said to me, “We are silly ambassadors. We come for a few years, then we disappear. But you are the real ambassador, literary ambassador. You will remain permanently in the heart of America.”

Before the concert, it was decided that I would meet with a few VIPs, very important people. About nine or ten important people were in the room. I greeted them and gave them flowers. A young woman came up to me and said she wanted to interview me. I said, “I shall have to perform now.” She said, “But I will not be able to stay until the very end.” I said, “I am sorry. Now I shall have to perform.”

In the concert, I started with the song, “Sakali Tomari Ichha.”²⁰ Then I sang “Ami To Tomare Chahini Jibane.” At that time I had practised these two songs many, many times. Then afterwards with the harmonium I sang many songs. On that day I sang very well. A few months later I got a copy of a magazine named Jagari. There was an article saying that I have no singing voice. It went on, saying my music is tolerable, but not my singing voice. The article was written by the lady who had wanted the interview.

The funniest thing is that Jagari_’s editor happened to be my very good friend. He was a disciple of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. He came to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram quite a few times, although he lived in Calcutta. Tremendous admiration he had for me. It was this magazine editor who had declared a prize for a poetry competition when I was quite young, 15 or 16, and I sent one of my poems. In the contest, first was Nishikanta, one of the main Ashram poets, second was Dilip Roy, such a great poet, and then me, a 15- or 16-year-old, came third (see p.137 for full story). Years ago, the same editor wrote me a letter. He wanted to print an article in his magazine about my activities, with information from me directly. He was my friend, but because I was busy, I did not respond. So perhaps he got malicious pleasure by printing an article written by that lady about my Peace Concert in Washington, D.C., about how badly I performed. He knew that my brother Chitta and Mantu lived in Pondicherry. He sent them a copy so I would know that he was inspired to print an article against me. When I heard from my brothers, I laughed and said, “I do not want a copy.” Then five or six months later, he wrote a letter asking my brother Chitta to send him material about my achievements in America. If anybody wants to know anything about me, my brother will give the whole world. Lots of material my brother sent to him. Can you imagine what the editor did? He wrote more than a five-page article about me, all positive, with deep appreciation, using the material he got from my brother. His name was Apurba Kumar Saha. So you go up, stay for five seconds, then you go down, then again you go up. In the poetry competition years ago, hundreds of poems they got in Bengali. I stood third, and the editor and I became friends. Then this is what that lady did. I did not have the slightest idea that she was connected with _Jagari magazine. So never forget: Sakali Tomari Ichha – everything is Your Will, Mother Kali.

“Sakali Tomari Ichha” is a famous devotional song in the tradition of Shyama Sangeet, a genre of Bengali devotional songs dedicated to Mother Kali, composed by Dewan Ramdulal Nandi, Hindu poet of 19th-century Bengal. It was widely sung by Pannalal Bhattacharya and others, with the first line translated as “O Mother, all is done after Thine own sweet Will.”↩

“No Mind, No Form”
Sri Chinmoy made the following comments after a group recited his poem, “The Absolute.”<html><a href="#fn21" id="fnref21">²¹</a></html>

Please listen to the recordings of me reciting “The Absolute.” Try to understand the feelings. You have to feel the words that are written: “No mind, no form.” At that time you have to feel that you are far beyond the mind. Otherwise, you are talking in the mind and saying “no mind.” Try to get the feeling.

Do not forget that “The Absolute” is my third poem. The editor of a magazine called Mother India published “The Absolute.” He and I became very closely connected. The editor was then in Bombay. He came to the Ashram. When he came inside the Main Building, he wanted to know who Chinmoy was. I happened to be quite near him. He was lame, and he used a cane. He dropped his cane and embraced me. Then he said, “I can’t believe, I can’t believe that you have written this poem.” Then he heard that it was my third poem!

Now he is “only” 104 years old – 104 years old! When he was 96 or 97, I went to see him in the Ashram. He was very, very affectionate to me. He has helped me considerably in English literature. He said, “They say you are very strong, but I can defeat you.”

He grabbed my palm and pressed it hard, and I pretended that it was too hard. Then he was quite satisfied that he was stronger than I was.

One funny story: He was very, very fond of me. Once he wrote to me, “Chinmoy, you are very rich now. I want one of my books to be printed.”

I said, “All right. Now you tell me how much you need.” Then I gave him practically double the amount. A month later he wrote to me, “Chinmoy, you gave me the money. But I thought, and also my wife thought, that it would be better for us to buy furniture.” I said, “It is your money. Please use it in your own way.”

Now he is at the hospital, 104 years old. He is a very great scholar.

How did he come to the Ashram? He bought a pair of shoes. The shoes were wrapped in an ordinary newspaper. There was an article about Sri Aurobindo in the newspaper, and Sri Aurobindo’s picture was there. As soon as he saw Sri Aurobindo’s picture, he was so deeply drawn to the picture. Then he wrote to Sri Aurobindo that he wanted to become a disciple.

See how a newspaper can bring such an eminent disciple to the Ashram.

This is how people come to meet their Master. One day I would like to hear from you also funny, funny stories, how you came to know about us and who the lecturer was.

12 April 2007, Aspiration-Ground, New York

Sri Chinmoy, My Flute. New York: Sri Chinmoy Lighthouse, 1972.↩

The Absolute

No mind, no form, I only exist;
Now ceased all will and thought;
The final end of Nature's dance,
I am It whom I have sought.

A realm of Bliss bare, ultimate;
Beyond both knower and known;
A rest immense I enjoy at last;
I face the One alone.

I have crossed the secret ways of life,
I have become the Goal.
The Truth immutable is revealed;
I am the way, the God-Soul.

My spirit aware of all the heights,
I am mute in the core of the Sun.
I barter nothing with time and deeds;
My cosmic play is done.

The Master’s Typing
In this photograph (holding it up at the function), I am typing. When I was my boss Nolini-da’s secretary, I used to use a typewriter. Every day for two hours at least, I used to type – his writings and my writings.

My typewriter belonged to President Wilson’s daughter, Margaret Wilson. The Sri Aurobindo Ashram Mother gave her the name Nishtha. She was a very devoted disciple of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo. When she died, her typewriter went to Nolini. Nolini typed on it for many years. Then he gave it to me and I used it. That was not the same typewriter as in this photograph. At that time in the Ashram, believe it or not, I typed 60 to 65 words per minute.

In this picture you are seeing your Master typing. God knows what my speed was – it was in America on a manual typewriter. Of course, what I used in India also was manual.

There was a lady from Ohio named Maude Smith who taught me typing when I came to America. She was a very affectionate, very tall lady, and she was a very good typist. She used to do 95 or 100 words a minute. She was very, very devoted. She had been a minister. When she was typing fast, she used to say it was magic, magic!

The gentleman who taught me English metre, who was responsible for me being allowed to meditate in Sri Aurobindo’s room every day, used to type 70 words a minute with two fingers, believe it or not. Magic, magic, magic! With two fingers, one finger from each hand, how fast he used to type. I surrender – some people can type very, very fast.

17 April 2007, Aspiration-Ground, New York

The Mother’s Assurance
Sri Chinmoy told the following story after one of his students spoke about praying to him to help her find a lost key while hiking.

In this case, my disciple prayed to me and found the key. Once upon a time I prayed to the Mother of the Ashram about a key. One day I had to go to a place to do some electrical work. It was three or four miles away. I was alone. I went by cycle, and I locked the cycle and did the needful. Alas, when I was ready to go back, I could not open the lock.

There were five or six other workers. They also tried so hard. Nobody could open it. We struggled and struggled with the lock. We were simply helpless.

In my case, many years earlier than this, in the inner world the Mother gave me the assurance that whenever I was in trouble, to think of her. So I said inwardly to the Mother, “You promised me in the inner world. Let me see if your promise was true.” I touched the lock. I did not even put the key properly inside the lock. The key was still outside. Can you imagine? The lock opened up by itself. This is called the inner connection.

Outwardly, on my birthday, when I was here in America, the Mother wrote to me, “Chinmoy, my love and I shall be with you always, wherever you are. My love and I shall be with you always, wherever you are.”

14 July 2007, Aspiration-Ground, New York

My Friend Jyotish
When I became decathlon champion the second time, my friend Jyotish was sitting in the third row of the bleachers. When they made the announcement that I stood first in decathlon, he jumped off his seat. He thought that he would land on the ground. Instead, he fell down on two girls sitting in front of him. He was so excited, he fell down.

Years later, when I was working at the Indian Consulate, Jyotish was dying of leukemia. My family did not want to tell me. A few days before his passing, they informed me. I cried. Then with greatest difficulty I got through by telephone to his room in the General Hospital. Nirod had gone to visit him. I begged Nirod to put me through to him. Nirod said, “He will die in a few hours. He cannot speak to you.” I said, “He cannot speak to me? I am his dearest. Even his dying voice I want to hear.” He said, “No, no, no.” So Nirod did not tell him I was calling.

Then a telegram came about his passing. I cried and cried and cried. A few days later I went to a store. And what did I hear at that moment on the radio? I heard a story about a five-year-old boy who will soon die. He was suffering from leukemia. Right there I started shedding tears.

The owner said, “What is wrong? What are you doing here in the shop crying?”

I said, “My friend died of leukemia about a month ago.” This is what happened.

21 July 2007, Aspiration-Ground, New York

The Moon: My Elder Sister
Sri Chinmoy told several stories about the moon at an afternoon function on 16 September 2007.

These first two juicy stories about the moon happened when I was at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. In 1947 the Ashramites were in trouble. At that time the Pondicherry people went against the Ashram. It was a long story. We were guarding the streets, ten at a time. Then we could take rest for an hour.

During one break, I went with a dear friend of mine to the end of the pier. We were looking at the moon – it was a full moon – and I saw Sri Ramakrishna there. Then Sri Ramakrishna started blessing me and chatting with me. We were talking together. My friend looked at my face, and looked at the moon. He looked at me, and looked up. He could not understand anything. He was only looking at me and looking at the moon. But inside the moon there was no Sri Ramakrishna for him.

This is another important story about the moon. In front of my house in the Ashram there was a small garden. When there was a moon, I used to go and meditate, not for five minutes but for an hour or even more. Seated on a small chair, I used to meditate there. Once I was looking at the moon in my highest meditation, deeply absorbed in the moon consciousness. Alas, then I saw three most beautiful women, beautiful apsara nymphs, coming down from the moon to destroy my meditation. They are the ones who try to ruin the concentration of the great seekers. They will come looking most glamorous in an undivine way. Three were coming down to ruin my meditation. But my Mother, Mother Kali, cut those three beautiful apsaras absolutely into pieces. This was the protection of Mother Kali. At that time I was 17 or 18 years old.

Believe it or not, I have visited the moon many, many times – I cannot count how many times. About two or three months ago, I went up to the moon on the strength of my realisation. And then she, the moon herself, brought me down in her chariot. Hers is a silver chariot, not golden. When I went up to the moon, she was so happy, so delighted, so proud. And when it was time for me to come down, she did not want me to use my concentration, meditation or contemplation to come down. She brought me down in her silver chariot.

About the moon I have said many things. I have written many, many poems about the moon and the sun, and other serious things I have written in my books about the moon. This world is so painful. By narrating some juicy stories, I get joy. Whether you get joy or not, whether you think they are mental hallucinations or not, I get joy by telling these stories.

Indian mythology is wonderful. Some will say the moon is feminine, while others will say moon is masculine. Bengalis especially say +“channa mama.” “Mama” means maternal uncle, so that makes the moon masculine. Again, some will call it _“channa ma.” Ma means mother, so then the moon becomes feminine. Some will say “di” or “didi,” which means sister. Some will say maternal uncle, while others will say mother, and still others will say sister. You can decide whether you will call the moon sister or mother or maternal uncle. With regard to the moon, you can call it anything you like, but the sun is always masculine. If you want to know my opinion, I address the moon as my elder sister. For me the moon is feminine, plus I look on her as my elder, most affectionate sister. She is not my mother, she is not my maternal uncle. She is my dearest elder sister. Again, when I say elder sister, I take her also as one of the cosmic goddesses.

16 September 2007, Aspiration-Ground, New York

Blessings from the Moon
Please let me know when the next full moon is. We will meditate here for hours. It will be a silent meditation, no chatting. Now let us sing a few songs on the moon, starting with “Chandra Ma.”

Sri Chinmoy sings along as the Singers sing _“Chandra Ma” and “Gagane Phutilo Chand.” Sri Chinmoy then asks Saleha to sing Tagore’s song “Chander Hasi” and sings along with her.

Sri Chinmoy: Such an excellent, sweet, sweeter, sweetest, superexcellent song, Tagore’s “Chander Hasi.” I like that song immensely.

According to our Indian astrology, each individual comes down with blessings either from the sun or from the moon. Lord Sri Krishna came down with blessings from the moon. Sri Ramachandra came with blessings from the sun. And I also came down with blessings from the moon. Either the moon or the sun will bless you before you come down into the world.

I understand that some astronomers are saying Pluto is no longer considered a planet. But for me, it is still a planet. Pluto is so beautiful! Other planets are not as beautiful. Over the years I have had contact with Pluto quite a few times. What can you do with these astronomers?

9 June 2007, Aspiration-Ground, New York

Following are two of Sri Chinmoy’s songs about the moon as performed by the Singers: “Chandra Ma” from _Gita Mala (New York: Agni Press, 2000), and “Gagane Phutilo Chand” from Journey’s Ecstasy (New York: Agni Press, 1984).

Chandra Ma…Taba Khama Taba Kripa

Chandra ma chandra ma chandra ma chandra ma chandra ma Taba khama taba kripa taba hasi taba priti Manorama

Gagane Phutilo Chand

Gagane phutilo chand Shuni ongkar nad Amrita asha jage Shutibra anurage

Lord Buddha’s Affection
On 10 March 2007, Sri Chinmoy spoke about inner experiences with Lord Buddha, including some that occurred on the Christmas and New Year retreat in Thailand.

In Thailand, for five days Lord Buddha was coming to me. First, he started with utmost affection, love and appreciation. Then he showed a different aspect. Since I am so much younger, he offered me advice, asking why I am so interested in meeting certain people. He said, “Why, why? You have touched the Feet of God, the highest Absolute. Why do you have to touch the feet of man? You do not know who you are? You do not know who he is?” He loves me, admires me, appreciates me, but then he also offered me advice. I appreciated his children, his disciples, and he appreciated my children. When I saw the monks, I appreciated them, saying, “Your children are so good.” And then he said about my disciples, “No, they are far better.”

The first day when I was lifting the monks outside, I saw Lord Buddha 20 or 30 metres above the ground level. He came like that and went. And then when I entered into Savyasachi’s car, I was meditating. In my deep meditation Lord Buddha came to me and told me, “You have touched the Feet of the Absolute. Why do you have to touch the feet of an ordinary man? Why, why? You do not know who you are?”

Believe me, I talk to spiritual Masters face to face. Such affection, love and admiration Lord Buddha has for me. Once at the Kamakura Buddha in Japan, I saw him going to and fro. What an experience! Then at Borobudur, from the highest stupa he came down during my concert, playing the drum, my victory-drum. He said, “No other spiritual Master has appreciated other spiritual Masters. In your case you honour all your predecessors. You appreciate them. You worship them. But we did not do that kind of thing.” Lord Buddha and Mahavira, of the same era, stayed in two villages, let us say. They called them kingdoms, but they were not like a real city. I have read in a book that they were not more than five or six miles apart. But they did not care to meet. Ramana Maharshi and Sri Aurobindo also were not even 65 miles apart. They never went to see each other.

A very, very close connection I have with Lord Buddha. Swami Vivekananda said, “Lord Buddha was the most perfect man on earth.” I was told once that there was only one picture in Sri Aurobindo’s room, and that was of Lord Buddha. Although I meditated every morning in Sri Aurobindo’s room for two years, I did not see that picture, but I was told it was in another part of his room.

10 March 2007, Aspiration-Ground, New York

Sri Krishna’s Significant Role
Question: _Guru, when you speak about spiritual figures, you usually say Sri Krishna, Sri Rama, Lord Buddha and so on. About most of the other spiritual Masters, we know that they aspired for some time, and then they got realisation. But if you read books written by Krishna’s devotees, they say that he was fully realised right from his birth. Basically, when he was a small child, he was already fully conscious. My question is, was Krishna a regular human being who aspired and then as a result of spiritual practice became God-realised, or was he a projection of God who had never been a human being at all? _Sri Chinmoy: Sri Krishna was definitely a human being. As a human being, he played in Brindaban. But his realisation did not come after he was physically born. He came as a direct avatar of Lord Vishnu, a direct descendant from Vishnu. When he took human birth, in his case from the beginning he was showing miracle after miracle.

Sri Ramachandra did not show that. Sri Ramachandra grew up like a prince. Others like Sri Chaitanya and Sri Ramakrishna, when they grew up, they were showing their divinity. But Sri Krishna right from the beginning was a direct avatar.

Again, they say Lord Buddha was also a direct descendant. These avatars are direct, but at the same time they go through earthly processes. Lord Buddha took human incarnation. He had a wife, he had a child – everything. These avatars are divine; during their meditation they know what they were, what they are. But in order to mix with humanity, they go through human processes. Otherwise, if they show constant miracles, humanity will say, “Oh, you are so great. We are no match for you.” Instead they come down to the human level – although they stay ahead a little so that they can inspire. Otherwise, if they show their full divinity, nobody will accept them, and humanity will say, “Oh, you are somebody else. You are God.”

Sri Krishna showed his divinity to only five persons. He had so many dear ones, but only to five persons he showed his full divinity. If the spiritual figures show their divinity in their highest form, nobody will accept them. They will see such a yawning gulf, saying: “He is on the top of the Himalayas, and I am not even at the foot.”

So these great spiritual figures were very wise. They led humanity little by little, step by step. That was their wisdom. When a child starts walking a little bit, then the mother goes slowly, just one step ahead. If the mother wanted, the mother could go so fast. The child would be helpless because the mother has so much capacity, so she takes just one step a little ahead. Of all the spiritual figures, Lord Krishna played a most significant role with his Bhagavad Gita, the Song Celestial. I do not think any spiritual book on earth can be compared with this small book. Other books are excellent, super excellent. But the basis, the foundation of Indian spirituality, religion, culture – everything – is the Bhagavad Gita, not even the Upanishads. Of course, there are things in the Gita from the Upanishads. But if there is only one book – one small book – that encompasses spirituality in all its magnitude, that is the Bhagavad Gita, the Song Celestial. No other book! Forgive me, there are quite a few other books, but they are no match for the Gita.

Each religion has books. Fortunately they are all translated into English. I am saying that no spiritual book can ever be compared with the Bhagavad Gita. Some people may not agree with me, but I know that the contribution of the Bhagavad Gita will have no comparison.

To come back to your question, from the beginning Sri Krishna was conscious. In so many ways Sri Krishna showed his divinity, which is unparalleled. Again, he played the role of a human being.

That is how he could lead humanity. Otherwise, if he showed miracles all the time in his highest, people would say, “Oh, you are beyond us, it is beyond our imagination.” So spiritual Masters go step by step, step by step.

10 March 2007, Aspiration-Ground, New York

A Visit from Ramana Maharshi
Somebody from a high, higher, highest world came down to visit me and bless me this morning (speaking after a video was shown of his morning meditation). That spiritual Master said to me, “I know who you are. I know who you are. I know who you are.” I said to him, “Please tell me who I am, please.”

He said, “I know who you are, I know who you are, I know who are,” with such affection.

And I have forgotten the name of that spiritual Master.

I said somebody came to bless me this morning (speaking later in the function).

About 38 years ago or so, I was in my highest meditation in Puerto Rico. Many spiritual Masters visited. It was a long story. The first one who came was Ramana Maharshi. Then quite a few times he came after that.

When I was in Egypt, he came. He was very strict. He said, “Some of your disciples are very bad.”

I said, “Oh, if they are bad, I am also bad.”

He even mentioned some names of people I should ask to leave the path.

It was Ramana Maharshi who visited me this morning!

21 March 2007, Aspiration-Ground, New York

Inner Experiences with Mahatma Gandhi
Sri Chinmoy relayed the following inner experiences with Mahatma Gandhi that he had when he was in South Africa during the Sri Chinmoy Centre’s Christmas and New Year annual retreat in 1995-1996. The first instance happened after Sri Chinmoy visited the railway station in Pietermaritzburg where Mahatma Gandhi was evicted from the whites-only first-class compartment of a train in 1893 because of racial discrimination.

I wish to tell you about an inner experience when Mahatma Gandhi personally did me a favour. As you know, Gandhi was in South Africa when they dragged him down from a first-class train compartment, and he was kicked mercilessly. When I was visiting Pietermaritzburg in South Africa, I went to the railway station and stood at the place where he was dragged down from the train and ruthlessly kicked. I saw that the station was so dangerous – dangerous is the right word.

That evening I was giving a talk at a hall in Pietermaritzburg. I was on the stage, when I saw Gandhi vividly. He was warning me, “This place is very dangerous, very dangerous. Be careful.” He also said, “You are in close connection with many cosmic gods. Ask them to protect you,” he added.

I was on the stage, and Gandhi’s grand-daughter Ela, Sita’s younger sister, was also on the stage. She was a distinguished Member of Parliament. I saw vividly Gandhi’s soul, saying, “You need protection here. You need protection.” I invoked Lord Shiva because he is the most powerful. Lord Shiva came and was there on the stage. Then I did not have any fear. There was no problem. I had another inner experience with Gandhi. When we were in South Africa, Sita Gandhi²² sent a message that she would like to become my disciple. It came via Kritagyata – they had become very close friends. In those days early in the morning I used to ride standing bicycles. I was in the hotel, and it was around five o’clock in the morning. I was not thinking of Gandhi, far from it! I was only thinking of my Supreme. I was in the highest height of meditation while riding the bicycle. All of a sudden, I saw Gandhi in front of me. He appeared before me and said, “I am so glad that you have accepted Sita as your disciple.”

These are two of the good things that have happened between me and Gandhi.

When I was 15 or 16 years old, I wrote a play about Indian independence. Alas, in my dream I saw clearly that Gandhi would be assassinated. Then I wrote a play with Gandhi, Jinnah and others, in which Gandhi was assassinated.

In those days, I had many Gujarati friends, and Gandhi was born in Gujarat. I said, “Let me change it.” I saw clearly that Gandhi would be assassinated, but I changed the plot because of my Gujarati friends, and I wrote that Jinnah was assassinated.

My dream was correct, but I had to tell a lie. Gandhi was alive at that time, and my Gujarati friends would not have appreciated it. I changed it and wrote that Jinnah was killed. I still have that Bengali play.

These are called my life’s sweet stories. Politics has no mother, no father. It is all lies, all lies.

15 September 2007, Aspiration-Ground, New York

Sita Gandhi was a granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi who became Sri Chinmoy’s disciple while he was in South Africa. She subsequently visited his Centre in New York several times. On one such occasion, Sita was Special Guest at a programme on 6 September 1996 at Sri Chinmoy’s Jharna-Kala Gallery for the UN Community, where she offered reminiscences of her childhood with the Mahatma.↩

The Meaning of My Poems
Question: Could you please speak about the following poem that you wrote on the Christmas Trip?

I need the gods
Of the present
And not the gods
Of the long-buried past
To guide and lead
My present life.²³

Sri Chinmoy: The God of the past told me to enter into the Himalayan caves. The God of the present tells me to be in the marketplace. One God says to be in the Himalayan caves. That is the past. The present God says, “No, I want you to be in the marketplace, in the hustle and bustle of life.”

In this incarnation I am asked by God to be for all human beings, to be of service to all human beings. It is very clear, that I am asked to be of service to Tom, Dick and Harry, to be of service to the whole world. That is why He says, “You be in the marketplace.” And the other one, the God of the past, wanted me to be in the Himalayan caves.

*

This morning when I was meditating, I got a message: “Today embodies yesterday’s bitterness. And again, today embodies tomorrow’s sweetness.” Today embodies both, yesterday’s bitterness and tomorrow’s sweetness. For me it is very clear. Today embodies both the bitterness of the past and the sweetness of the future.

10 March 2007, Aspiration-Ground, New York

²³ Sri Chinmoy, My Christmas-New Year-Vacation Aspiration-Prayers, Part 58, No.33. New York: Agni Press, 2008.

Marathon Enthusiasm
At a function on 6 April 2007, Sri Chinmoy read out a message he had received from the legendary marathon runner Bill Rodgers, and then made the following comments about marathon enthusiasm.

There was a time, 15 or 20 years ago, when I strongly felt that the enthusiasm, dynamism and eagerness for the marathon were unbelievable. Now when I hear about marathons here, there and everywhere, I personally do not get as much joy. Some others tell me they also feel that the present-day enthusiasm for marathons is no match for those days many years ago.

Some people may feel that there is still the same enthusiasm for the marathon. It is just that many of you have become old men and old women. Yes, when I retired from marathon running, you also graciously retired. When I used to run, at that time you conquered your age. Age was no barrier. When I see our marathon each year at Rockland Lake State Park, alas, I feel there would be many, many more boys and girls running, if I had been in a position to run. For those who disagree with me, I very gladly accept your opinion, if you feel that there is still the same enthusiasm and the same dynamism for the marathon race.

But I am very lucky. I am no longer able to run, but quite a few marathon champions over the years have become my friends, like Bill Rodgers and the Australian marathoner Robert de Castella. Now the reigning world record holder, Paul Tergat, is very, very nice to me, and Tegla Loroupe is so dear. I am her grandfather, she says.

Then I lifted Paula Radcliffe at Aspiration-Ground. And we have an immortal picture with Grete Waitz and Tegla after I offered the opening meditation at the United Nations for the International Friendship Run. Both of them are very, very nice. They are Hutasan’s and Narmada’s very close friends. And the Japanese runner Seko became a very close friend. His Guru and coach, Nakamura, was so nice. When we were visiting Japan, he came to our hotel and gave beautiful gifts to the Singers.

6 April 2007 Aspiration-Ground, New York

Politics Divides, Spirituality Unites
I want always oneness, oneness. Once we enter into the spiritual life, in addition to nationalism, what we need is internationalism, a universal feeling. When I see my disciples from some countries singing together and participating together, it gives me such joy. When I see the disciples from Slovakia and the Czech Republic, from Czechoslovakia, sing together, it gives me such joy. When I see all the countries who are the children of the former Yugoslavia come together, it gives me such joy. Like that, there are a few more countries who participate together. Politics has divided them, but our aspiring hearts will never, never divide them.

England and France can cherish their age-old rivalry, but in their hearts, I am so fortunate to have such wonderful disciples from France and the United Kingdom. Wherever I see and feel oneness, I get such joy.

When I see New Zealand and Australia, Australia and New Zealand, together, I get tremendous joy, tremendous joy, tremendous joy. Then again when I see Germany, one Germany, it gives me such joy. And when I see so many countries join for “German” Joy Days, you have no idea how much divine pride I treasure. The larger German Joy Days get 700 disciples or even more.

I gave the name Oneness-Dream-Boat-Shore for the countries of the former Soviet Union. I hear that sometimes they have Joy Days where over a thousand or more come. They have defeated Germany in their numbers. I give so much value to Joy Days.

I am so proud of my spiritual children, that you believe in oneness. Your oneness gives me unimaginable joy, plus pride, that politics divides, but spirituality unites. How happily, cheerfully and self-givingly you have united yourselves.

20 April 2007 Aspiration-Ground, New York

Service to the Animal Kingdom
On 31 May 2007, Sri Chinmoy lifted the world’s smallest horse in a programme held at Aspiration-Ground meditation garden. Thumbelina, the world’s smallest horse registered with Guinness World Records, came with Michael Goessling, her handler and founder of the Thumbelina Children’s Charity. Below are a few comments that Sri Chinmoy made during a television interview following the lift.

Interviewer: Sir, this is quite a day. You did a lot of lifting. How do you feel after that?

Sri Chinmoy: I got tremendous joy. About a month ago I was in Norway. There I lifted 29 people one after another, in exactly the same way. These were professors and members of the Parliament. They came to my Peace Concert, and I honoured them with the “Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” award.

Interviewer: Why lift someone?

Sri Chinmoy: Life needs joy. But there are many innocent ways to get joy. I get joy by loving people, by embracing people. When somebody does something good and great, we honour him. When a soccer player plays well, his teammates lift him up and give him joy. And while giving him joy, they get joy. Here while I was lifting Thumbelina, I was getting tremendous joy. I feel the heart and the soul of the little horse also got joy because it is an unusual experience for me and for the horse, as well.

Sri Chinmoy (to Michael Goessling): I wish to share with you a piece of good news. At the end of June I shall be lifting the world’s tallest horse, Radar, most probably in Manhattan, with my legs. There will be a platform where Radar will be standing, so I shall lift her with my calf muscles.

Michael Goessling: That’s incredible. Radar is 2400 pounds. In July Thumbelina and Radar will be in the same picture in the Guinness Book of World Records. We did a photo shoot at the farm last September, and Thumbelina doesn’t even come up to his knees. It should be quite a picture when the new Guinness Book comes out.

Sri Chinmoy (after Thumbelina says goodbye): How sweet, how sweet!

Michael Goessling: It’s been a great experience!

Sri Chinmoy: For me, too, it has been a great experience. Here I am meeting with my little sister, full of love, full of affection. I am very happy. It gives me so much joy to be of service to the Animal Kingdom, so much joy.

31 May 2007 Aspiration-Ground, New York

Earth-Room and Heaven-Room
On 15 June 2007, at a function at Ananda Fuara Restaurant in San Francisco, Sri Chinmoy answered the following question about earth and Heaven.

Nirvik: I heard that Achyuta wanted to come back to earth, to take human incarnation again. Why? He’s with you all the time in the inner world. What does he want to come back for?

Sri Chinmoy: In my house there are quite a few rooms. Some people like the meditation room, while others like the porch, and still others like even the kitchen. Achyuta likes both earth and Heaven. But he prefers to live on earth rather than in Heaven, because he loves God the creation more than he loves God the Creator. Some people like God the Creator more than God the creation. Again, some people like this world, God the creation, so that they can become one, completely one, with God the creation. Earth is God the creation, so he likes God the creation more.

In his case, a day or two after he passed away, he told me in the inner world that he would like to come back to earth soon. In Sunil’s case, Sunil did not want to leave the body. He was inside the coffin, and I was looking at him, meditating on him. He said in the inner world that he wanted to come back. Can you imagine? It was just a matter of a few hours, he was still inside the coffin, and he was eager to come back, already the soul wanted to come back. Now he has taken birth after a few years.²⁴

It is a matter of preference. There are two rooms – one of God’s rooms is Heaven, and another is earth. Some people like the earth-room much more than the Heaven-room.

I had a long, long conversation with the soul of my dearest brother-friend-mentor Amritananda.²⁵ He cannot make a decision whether he will come back at all. He is not certain. He has suffered so much. He is not as attached to this world because of his suffering. I said, “Why do you have to make a decision now? You have just left the earth-room. Why do you have to worry?” He wants to live in Heaven. He does not want to make any decision whether he will come back.

He did not want to die, but it is all in the Hands of God. We want, we do not want. God is far beyond our desire, far beyond our expectation-life. Whatever is in His Mind, in His Will, He will execute. Sometimes when He fulfils us, fulfils our desire, we say, “Oh, God is very good.” When He does not fulfil our desire, we say He is very bad.

But again, if you can become a very good seeker, then you immediately feel, “Oh, perhaps for my good, God is not fulfilling my desire.” Today I want to have only one mango, but God, in His Mind, has chosen an hour to give me ten mangoes to eat. But today I want one mango, and God says, “No, I will not give you a mango today. But I am ready to give you ten mangoes on a certain date that you do not know.” How, when, where God is going to fulfil our desire, we have no idea.

Very good question! A few days ago, while I was coming to San Diego on the plane, I saw a file with poetic expressions written by my Ila (Nirvik’s late wife). Tears were rolling down my cheeks. I see her in Heaven, but not on earth. Call it attachment, or call it affection. For a God-realised person it is affection, believe it or not. For those who are not God-realised, it is attachment. For me, my affection is such that people may think it is attachment. When I am so sad after my dogs die, in a human way you can call it attachment. In a divine way it is affection.

Once a great admirer of Sri Ramakrishna passed away, and Sri Ramakrishna suffered so much. He said how painful it was when somebody dies. The admirer’s name was Keshab Sen. The person was not even a real disciple, but he was a great admirer. Sri Ramakrishna saw immediately that the soul of that person was flying high, higher, highest so happily. Sri Ramakrishna started clapping, and then he made a comparison between his Naren, who was Swami Vivekananda, and that man. He said that inside that admirer, Sri Ramakrishna saw only one sun that illumines, but inside his Naren, he saw eighteen suns.

My Supreme has given me many, many more than eighteen suns – I cannot tell the actual figure. That is why it has been possible for me while on earth to do so much manifestation – from my writings, from my paintings, from my music and all kinds of things. The inner suns illumine the world through the manifestation of God’s Light.

15 June 2007 Ananda Fuara Restaurant, San Francisco

Sri Chinmoy had announced that Sunil was born in Russia on 24 January 2004.↩

Amritananda Russell Barber was an NBC producer and host of a television show on world spirituality and religion, who conducted respectful interviews of Sri Chinmoy and was very supportive of his activities.↩

A Perfect Message in the Heart
Question: How can we properly appreciate everything you’re doing?

Sri Chinmoy: Your heart is telling you that Guru can do everything. But at the same time, your mind comes to limit it. The heart says, “Oh, he can do everything.” The heart is telling this, but the mind is doubting whether I can do everything or not. Always live in the heart. When your heart says, “He can do everything,” that is the most perfect message of the heart – always “He can do everything.” Yes, God can manifest Himself in and through me in any way. Today I am suffering in my legs, but let us keep the ultimate message of the heart, that a God-realised soul can manifest God’s Light at every place, in every human being, including in himself.

15 June 2007 Ananda Fuara Restaurant, San Francisco

Successful in Different Ways
Our visits to San Diego and San Francisco were successful in different ways. In San Diego I was so happy to offer the U Thant Peace Award to my Mahasamrat (Bill Pearl). He is dearer than the dearest to me. I embarked on weightlifting with his inspiration, encouragement and most significant advice. I was very happy that he and his wife, Bhavatarini, could join us.

Then at the concert, Frank Zane,²⁶ another champion, played the harmonica for a few minutes at my request. He has made unimaginable progress in his mouth organ performance. After the concert we had a good conversation, and he offered important advice for my weightlifting.

When we came to San Francisco, there was one television station, KRON4, where the anchor was so kind, so affectionate. I lifted him and his wife as part of the “Perfect Oneness of the Sun and the Moon” series. His wife is 18 years younger than he is. He asked me if I had ever heard of anyone whose wife was so much younger. I said Pablo Casals is over 40 years older than his wife. The visit to the TV studio will be televised, and they are also showing our excellent paintings displayed in Ananda Fuara. The San Francisco concert also went well. Both places were quite successful in different, different ways.

16 June 2007 Aspiration-Ground, New York

Frank Zane is a retired professional bodybuilder who is a three-time Mr. Olympia and an acclaimed fitness trainer and author.↩

Songs for America
On 13 April 2007, Sri Chinmoy performed a special lift with 50 roses to honour America. Following are his remarks on that occasion, after the Singers sang “America the Beautiful.”<html><a href="#fn27" id="fnref27">²⁷</a></html>

America the Beautiful, I love you, I admire you, I adore you and I need you. O soul of America, I bow to your all-pervading fragrance. O heart of America, I bow to your all-thrilling beauty. America, my America, you have showered your choicest blessings, concern and encouragement upon my God-aspiring heart and man-dedicated service for long 43 years. America, my America, my soul, my heart, my mind, my vital and my body shall remain sleeplessly and breathlessly grateful to you. I am offering fifty roses from my heart-garden lovingly, devotedly and self-givingly to the beauty, prosperity and divinity of each State.

13 April 2007 Aspiration-Ground, New York

No matter how many times you sing “This Land Is Your Land,”²⁸ I get such an emotional thrill from Woody Guthrie’s song dedicated to America. That song is so dear, so dear to my heart. We honoured his son Arlo Guthrie at Aspiration-Ground.

15 June 2007 Post-Concert Function, San Francisco

²⁷ “America the Beautiful” was one of Sri Chinmoy’s favourite patriotic songs, with lyrics by Katharine Lee Bates and music by Samuel A. Ward.

²⁸ Sri Chinmoy was inspired to write “This Heart Is Your Heart” to the same tune, published in his book of the same name containing folk melodies, some with Bengali words. Agni Press: New York, 1993.

Following is Sri Chinmoy’s song “This Heart Is Your Heart,” set to the same tune as Woody Guthrie’s famous song “This Land Is Your Land” (also below).

This Heart is Your Heart

This heart is your heart, this heart is my heart,
With aspiration-height and dedication-light,
With gratitude-smile and surrender-dance,
This heart was born for you and me.

This Land Is Your Land
Lyrics of Song by Woody Guthrie

This land is your land, and this land is my land
From California to the New York island
From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me

As I went walking that ribbon of highway
And I saw above me that endless skyway
I saw below me that golden valley
This land was made for you and me

I roamed and rambled, and I've followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
All around me, a voice was sounding
This land was made for you and me

There was a big, high wall there that tried to stop me
A sign was painted said "Private Property"
But on the backside, it didn't say nothing
This land was made for you and me

When the sun come shining, then I was strolling
And the wheat fields waving, and the dust clouds rolling
The voice was chanting as the fog was lifting
This land was made for you and me

This land is your land, and this land is my land
From California to the New York island
From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me

Comments on Songs
At a function on 7 April 2007, Sri Chinmoy made the following comments about the concept of freedom in the spiritual life, after the Singers performed the song “Give Me No Freedom.”

Our freedom is obedience, obedience. Our freedom is obedience to our Lord Beloved Supreme. If we obey Him, we become one with His Light, with His Consciousness, with His Universal Consciousness, and it is all freedom, freedom. The kind of freedom unaspiring human beings want is all bondage, bondage, bondage and self-destruction.

7 April 2007 Aspiration-Ground, New York

Sri Chinmoy offered these comments before the Singers performed the song _“Jago Amar.”³⁰

This is one of my most sacred songs. On a very, very lofty plane of consciousness, I wrote the words, and also I set them to music in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

Please sing it as soulfully as possible. In my play about Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda is singing this song. It is a most sacred, inspiring and aspiring song.

12 September 2007 Aspiration-Ground, New York

Sri Chinmoy, Enthusiasm, Part 9, “Give Me No Freedom.” New York: Agni Press, 2005.↩

Sri Chinmoy, Garden of Love-Light, Part 1, No. 17. New York: Agni Press, 1974.↩

Jago Amar Swapan Sathi

Jago amar swapan sathi
Jago amar praner pran
Jago amar chokher jyoti
Rishi kabi murtiman
Jago jago jago
Jago amar bishal hiya
Byapta jaha bishwamoy
Jago amar sei chetana
Bishwatite shesh ja noy
Jago jago jago
Jago amar dhyani swarup
Jago amar badha jib
Sarba jiber tandra tuti
Jago amar mukta Shib
Jago jago jago

Arise, awake, O Friend of my dream.
Arise, awake, O Breath of my life.
Arise, awake, O Light of my eyes.
O Seer-Poet in me,
Do manifest Yourself in me and through me.

Arise, awake, O vast heart within me.
Arise, awake, O consciousness of mine,
Which is always transcending the universe
And its own life of the Beyond.

Arise, awake, O Form of my meditation transcendental.
Arise, awake, O bound divinity in humanity.
Arise, awake, O my heart’s Liberator, Shiva,
And free mankind from its ignorance-sleep.

Janani Chatrala

Janani chatrala janani chatrala
Janani chatrala
Bhitare bahire nabachetanar
Asima nirmala

Amar Sonar Bangla
Translation:

My Bengal of gold, I love you.
Forever your skies, your air set my heart in tune
as if it were a flute.
In Spring, O mother mine, the fragrance from
Your mango groves make me wild with joy-
Ah, what a thrill!
In Autumn, O mother mine,
In the full-blossomed paddy fields,
I have seen spread all over – sweet smiles!
Ah, what a beauty, what shades, what an affection
and what a tenderness!
What a quilt have you spread at the feet
Of banyan trees and along the banks of rivers!
O mother mine, words from your lips are like
Nectar to my ears!
Ah, what a thrill!
If sadness, O mother mine, casts a gloom on your face,
My eyes are filled with tears!

Bangladesh National Anthem Music and lyrics composed by Rabindranath Tagore: 1905. Adopted as the National Anthem: 1972.

Bharater Rabi ³³
(Dedicated to Rabindranath Tagore)

Bharater rabi jagater kabi
Banger hiya chand
Sundar tumi bhitare bahire
Sundar tumi srishti gabhire
Bishwa sabhai tomar asan
Prema onkar nad

O Sun of India’s sky,
O World-Poet,
O Moon of Bengal’s heart,
You were beautiful in your inner life,
You were beautiful in your outer life,
You were beauty incarnate in God’s entire creation.
Gloriously and triumphantly you secure your place
In the world-assembly with your creative force,
Supremely meaningful and fruitful
In various walks of life.

Sri Chinmoy, Journey’s Goal, Part 11a. New York: Agni Press, 1981.↩

Interviews about Lifting the Tallest Horse
On 29 June 2007, Sri Chinmoy lifted Radar, the world’s tallest horse, in Kingston, New York. Below are excerpts from an interview following the lift with Time Warner News Channel 8 for Westchester and Ulster counties.

Interviewer: Why would a 75-year-old man want to do this?

Sri Chinmoy: I do it to inspire people. At the age of 75 or 76, many people give up. They do not expect anything from life. But I feel that age should not be a big barrier. Age is in our mind, not in our heart. Here I lifted Radar on the strength of my oneness. I feel all animals and human beings are one. On the strength of my oneness, I lifted him.

Interviewer: You’re also a promoter and advocate of health and fitness. Why?

Sri Chinmoy: If we do not have physical fitness, in the morning we will not be inspired to get up. We will not be able to perform our daily activities. So physical fitness is of paramount importance. If we are physically fit, then in the morning we shall be inspired to do the needful.

Interviewer: What are your thoughts about the obesity problem that seems to be running rampant all over the world?

Sri Chinmoy: I feel extremely sorry. I sympathise with those who are overweight, and I have lifted a few very, very heavy men, who weigh hundreds of pounds. Fortunately, they are now losing weight. I tell them they are our brothers, and I pray for them, that they will give due importance to their physical fitness.

Interviewer: How important is meditation in all of this? You seem to prepare before you do this, and you sit here very quietly.

Sri Chinmoy: Meditation is of paramount importance. Without meditation, we cannot do anything. We cannot achieve anything significant. I have thousands of students who study with me meditation, prayer and other things.

Interviewer: What form do you practise?

Sri Chinmoy: Each one has to dive deep within. There is no hard and fast rule for everyone. Each one has to dive deep within to find his or her meditation.

Interviewer: Why Radar?

Sri Chinmoy: In the spiritual life we try to go high, higher, highest, and Radar is the tallest. Radar gives us inspiration to go as high as possible and remain in the highest height. Radar is an inspiration for me to reach my own height. Height is extremely important. Without height, we remain useless. In everything we have to dive deep within, or go high, higher, highest. Of all the horses, Radar is the tallest horse. That is why he gives me boundless inspiration to be of service to the height.

Interviewer: You’re also very caring of wildlife and animals. Why is that so important, that all people should care?

Sri Chinmoy: I take all animals as my younger brothers and sisters. We believe in the process of evolution. I believe that once upon a time we were animals. We have all evolved from the animal kingdom, so these animals are my younger brothers and sisters. I take them as my own brothers and sisters.

Interviewer: And we should learn to respect them?

Sri Chinmoy: Certainly, certainly. We have to love them. They are like little children, younger brothers and sisters. What should we do? We should show them abundant affection, love and concern. They are in the same family, but younger.

Interviewer: Do you have a regular exercise programme that you want to encourage people to partake of?

Sri Chinmoy: I take daily two hours of exercise lifting heavy weights. Tomorrow will be my test. Tomorrow I will be lifting the four strongest Americans and four of the world’s strongest men with one arm. They will be 300 or 400 pounds each. I shall be lifting them in Philadelphia tomorrow.

Interviewer: Again, why would a 75-year-old man want to do this?

Sri Chinmoy: To inspire you and everybody. We need inspiration. If we get inspiration, then we can accomplish many, many good things. If we are an artist or in any walk of life, we need inspiration. And prayer and meditation help us to inspire people.

Following are excerpts from Sri Chinmoy’s interview with the Poughkeepsie _Weekly Beat.

Interviewer: How much do you use the mind to accomplish this?

Sri Chinmoy: I do not use the mind at all. For me, if I use the mind, I will be frightened to death when I hear that the weight is 2,400 pounds. But if I use the heart, then on the strength of my identification, I can achieve the lift. I will be frightened to death if I hear that I shall have to lift 2,400 pounds. It is beyond my imagination. The mind is limited because the mind doubts. As soon as I use the mind, I will be a victim to doubt: “It is such a heavy weight, it will break my neck.” But if we use the heart, no matter how heavy or how high the lift is, there cannot be any problem. Tomorrow I will be lifting very, very heavy, 300-pound, 400-pound men, eight of the world’s strongest men. With one arm I will be lifting them. If I use my mind, I will collapse. If I use my heart, then I try to establish my oneness with the strongmen of the world.

Interviewer: You say you use the heart.

Sri Chinmoy: The heart means oneness. The mind means division. The mind is dividing us at every moment. The heart unites. The mind divides. The mind is dividing you as a human being from me, another human being. The heart does not do that. The heart always establishes oneness, oneness, oneness. The mind does not do that. The mind will always doubt. The mind will always say unkind things about others. The heart will not do that. The heart loves each and everybody equally. This is the quality of the heart. The heart does not criticise. The heart identifies with every human being. If you unite, then it becomes very easy. Everything I do on the strength of my heart’s oneness. If I use my mind, I will be the first person to doubt my mind’s capacity, and I will give up. I will not dare to go and lift Radar, 2,400 pounds of heavy weight.

Interviewer: What are your other activities?

Sri Chinmoy: Apart from lifting? I happen to be an artist. My artwork has been displayed at the Louvre in France, at the United Nations, in Australia and many places. Also, I have given talks at hundreds of universities. In America, I have lectured in all 50 States. I have given lectures at Harvard six times, and I have been to Princeton, Yale and other universities. In England, Cambridge and Oxford Universities have invited me nine times to speak and give concerts. I happen to be a musician: jack of all trades, master of none. I have given over 700 Peace Concerts all over the world. And I do not charge any fee. Everything that I do is free. I try to inspire people in different ways, through my artwork, through my lifting, through my music. In various ways I try to be of inspiration to others.

29 June 2007 Kingston, New York

Protection and Compassion
There was a family who lived on our street. One boy was five or six years old. His mother was very devoted to me. His fellow students every day used to beat him up. He used to cry and cry and cry. One day he came to see me. I looked at him and said, “From now on you will not be beaten.”

He said, “How?”

I said, “Whenever they want to strike you, you only utter the name ‘Supreme’ as loudly as possible.”

He asked, “Why?”

I told him, “They will think that your father’s name is ‘Supreme’. They will not be able to strike you when you shout ‘Supreme’ at the top of your voice.”

It worked. They used to beat him near his house, 40 or 50 metres away. But these boys got frightened when he screamed, “Supreme, Supreme, Supreme, Supreme!” They thought the Supreme was in the house and would come running to his rescue. Then those boys, his fellow students, did not strike him and went away.

*

Justice will play its role, but affection has to play its role also. You may or may not believe it, but countless times I have taken upon my two giant shoulders punishments that were meant for the disciples, even so-called serious diseases. Some of the disciples do know that I have taken their punishments in the form of diseases, ailments. Some of them do not know and will never know what I go through for my dear ones. They do not know, and I do not want them to know.

But I know beforehand what ailments they are going to get. Call it affection or call it attachment – call it whatever you like. But at that time, God allows me to use His Compassion instead of His Justice-Light. Out of His infinite Bounty, He allows me to use His Compassion – His Compassion, not my compassion. In that way many, many disciples have been saved over the years.

28 July 2007 Aspiration-Ground, New York

The Prophecy
I honoured one Bengali restaurant owner from Chittagong with the “Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” award. After I lifted him, he said something very prophetic. He said that after Tagore got the Nobel Prize, Tagore became the world poet, bishwa kabi. Then he said, “One day, I tell you, Sri Chinmoy will be known as bishwa Guru – world Guru.” Then he said that he was the one who was telling this, announcing this first.

His prophecy came true. In President Gorbachev’s message to me, he said I am a man of God, and that I am not only the Guru of young people, like Lotika and others. I am the Guru of his generation as well.

There are many, many good experiences. Again, there are a few sad experiences. Life is like that, good and bad. You have to take the experiences and place them at the Feet of God.

3 March 2007 Aspiration-Ground, New York

The Psychiatrist
Years ago there was a psychiatrist from London who was living here and coming to our meditations. Her name was Rosemary, and her husband’s name was Arthur. He was a Barrister, but then he gave that up and started writing poems. I told him that he had been the English poet Wordsworth in a previous life. He was very pleased – his ego was flattered.

When I used to meditate with the wife, she used to cry. When we used to sit face to face for meditation, she used to shed tears. Otherwise, she was very, very dignified, majestic, absolutely British. Her fee for her patients was $47 or something like that. She used to give me $47 as a love offering – no joke in those days.

They started coming to meditation in Manhattan and also came to my house in Queens quite a few times. They were very, very pleased with the meditations. One day they invited me to come to their place for lunch, so I went there. We were chatting. A young lady came to serve us. I concentrated and saw that lady had been Joan of Arc in a previous incarnation. Joan of Arc was a village girl who was so famous – Jeanne d’Arc. Rosemary and her husband became so jealous of her. That was the end. They stopped coming.

From where to where, my psychiatrist story!³⁴

12 June 2007 Aspiration-Ground, New York

A story about this psychiatrist, written in the third person, appears in: Sri Chinmoy, The Master’s Self-Appointed Emissary, entitled “Past Incarnation Resurrected; Spiritual Life Deserted.” New York: Agni Press, 1974.↩

Blessings for Sudha’s Human Birth
Last night at 4:30 a.m. I was meditating. My dearest Sudha from the Puerto Rico Centre came. She was dearer than the dearest. Such love and devotion she had for me. When I started writing my commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, she used to translate it into Spanish, and then every Wednesday she would read out my commentary on the Bhagavad Gita. There were about 35 or even more disciples. When she would read out my words, everyone saw my face. My face is masculine, but my face they used to see right in front of them, not her face.

Last night Sudha said to me, “Guru, Guru, Guru, I am taking human birth. I have come to be blessed by you.” All my love and blessings I gave her. She said, “I will think of you and pray to you. I will manifest you.”

I asked, “Where are you going?”

She said, “Spain.”

After so many years, my Sudha will take birth in Spain with my blessings and my love. She was very fond of Spain. She came from Majorca. She had an aunt, and her aunt was very, very dear to me. Her aunt had a lawyer in Spain, in Majorca, and the lawyer was deceiving her like anything. She had tremendous faith in the lawyer. I told her that the lawyer was very bad.

For me, these are realities, most vivid realities.

16 March 2007 Sri Chinmoy Centre

Concern: A Reality of the Heart
At an afternoon function on 16 September 2007, Sri Chinmoy requested Vijaya<html><a href="#fn35" id="fnref35">³⁵</a></html> to speak about her fourth and ultimately successful attempt to swim the English Channel. Vijaya completed the 20-25 mile swim from Dover, England, to the shores of France on 9 September 2007 at the age of 59, in just under 22 ½ hours. Excerpts from the occasion follow.

Vijaya: I am eternally grateful to Guru for giving me this opportunity, because it is such a remarkable experience. It gives you the opportunity to transcend. You have no choice. One thing I wanted to do, since this was my fourth attempt and I was hoping this one would be the successful attempt, I re-read Guru’s talks on the Channel, given to other swimmers who had not succeeded in their initial attempts. And the one thing that stood out was Grace and “no mind.” I remember reading over and over again that Grace is so powerful, it can even change the tide, so I was really relying on Grace and “no mind.”

Vijaya continues speaking about her successful English Channel swim, in which Sri Chinmoy stayed in constant touch with her boat about her progress. The pilot had said the tide suddenly changed at the last minute, allowing her to finally reach the shores of France.

Sri Chinmoy: Concern can be a reality of the heart. In my case, concern was a reality of the heart for Vijaya’s swim, not a mere dictionary word. I offered tremendous, tremendous concern for her victory.

16 September 2007 Aspiration-Ground, New York

Vijaya Claxton was a UN legal advocate who spearheaded the effort for internal UN justice reform. She was one of the most energetic in supporting the activities of the Peace Meditation Group, prompting Sri Chinmoy to refer to her as his “main envoy” at the UN. Vijaya’s English Channel victory won her the Gertrude Ederle Award from the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation, for the most meritorious swim of the year by a woman, as well as the Cape Storm Award 2007 for the longest solo swim of 2007.↩

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The Sri Chinmoy Library

Concern: A Reality of the Heart

Preface

Meetings with Luminaries

Honouring Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury and His Wife, Mariam

Oneness, Perfect Oneness

My friend Chowdhury, my brother Anwarul,

Bhai Anwarul Bon Mariam (1)

United Nations Is the Most Needed

Honouring James Nachtwey - Award-Winning Photojournalist

A Visit with Mahasamrat Bill Pearl and Bhavatarini Judy Pearl

Spiritual Music

The Qualities of the Heart

Bringing to the Fore Divine Qualities

Encouragement in Life Achievements

Bill Pearl

Special Function Honouring Mahasamrat and Bhavatarini

U Thant Peace Award Ceremony

“Perfect Oneness of the Sun and the Moon” Lifting Ceremony

Conversation with Mahasamrat

Honouring Legendary Indian Dancers V.P. Dhananjayan and Shanta Dhananjayan

A Special Connection with the Fourth UN Secretary-General, Kurt Waldheim

Programme Honouring Ananda and Darshanika Guruge

Post-Concert Function with Ananda and Darshanika Guruge

Borobudurer Bhiti Stapan

Presentation of the U Thant Peace Award to Daw Aye Aye Thant

Presentation of the U Thant Peace Award to Professor Ibrahim Gambari

Professor Gambari: UN Man of the Hour

Be An Ally In The Peace Process

Aim Very High

Angola’s Mediator

Musical Programme with Ambassador Davidson Hepburn

Ambassador Hepburn, Brother Davidson!

Ambassador Davidson Hepburn

Dr. Laxmi Mall Singhvi - Ceremonially Honoured

Traditional Jain Namaskar Mantra

Traditional Jain mantra

Singhvi: Divinity’s Fragrance-Core

The Entire Universe

The Togetherness of Humankind

Concert by Virtuoso Tabla Player Samir Chatterjee with His Wife, Sanghamitra, on Harmonium

Samir

Ami Jabo

Function Honouring Lelihana Olesya Zykina, 400-Metre Olympic Champion

Lelihana

Award Presentation by Asimananda Yuri Petrovich Smirnov

Presentation of the Lomonosov Order to Sri Chinmoy

Asimananda Vir

Infinity’s Ecstasy, O Hero Supreme!

Presentation of the U Thant Peace Award to Ambassador P.A. Nazareth

U Thant Peace Award Ceremony

Excerpts from a Lecture on Mahatma Gandhi

India’s Clarion-Call

Stories, Interviews and Commentaries

Nishikanta: A Great Poet

Ekti Katha Ekti Sur

The Handwritten Magazines

Jatri Amara Manena Ratri Manina

Kabi Karo Shilpi Karo

Nolini Sen’s Passing

Everything Is Your Will, Mother Kali

“No Mind, No Form”

The Absolute

The Master’s Typing

The Mother’s Assurance

My Friend Jyotish

The Moon: My Elder Sister

Blessings from the Moon

Chandra Ma…Taba Khama Taba Kripa

Gagane Phutilo Chand

Lord Buddha’s Affection

Sri Krishna’s Significant Role

A Visit from Ramana Maharshi

Inner Experiences with Mahatma Gandhi

The Meaning of My Poems

Marathon Enthusiasm

Politics Divides, Spirituality Unites

Service to the Animal Kingdom

Earth-Room and Heaven-Room

A Perfect Message in the Heart

Bharater Rabi ³³