Editor's note

Sri Chinmoy’s invited lectureships at universities include Cambridge, Harvard, Yale and the University of California at Berkeley (the Pacific School of Religion). As a visiting poet, scholar and musician in 1998, he has received special awards for his contributions to the arts and to world peace from the Universities of Washington, Texas, British Columbia and Victoria. In 1993 the Society of Writers at the United Nations offered him their Award of Excellence.

Among Sri Chinmoy’s recent publications are The Wings of Joy (Simon & Schuster, 1997), Heart-Songs (Hazelden, 1996) and The Garland of Nation-Souls (Health Communications, 1995).

In addition to his creative endeavours, Sri Chinmoy is widely respected as a philosopher of peace. He is the 1998 recipient of the Pilgrim of Peace Award (Italy). He has had fruitful peace dialogues in person and through correspondence with many world figures, such as President Mikhail Gorbachev, Mother Teresa, President Nelson Mandela and the third Secretary-General of the United Nations, U Thant. He has also offered Peace Concerts around the globe.

It is said that every age calls forth its poet. That ours is an age beset by spiritual despair and the absence of peace, both inner and outer, none can doubt. It is to such a world that Sri Chinmoy offers his devotional poetry, that we may rediscover the deeper significance of our lives here on earth in our eternal union with the Divine.

No more my heart shall sob or grieve.
My days and nights dissolve in God’s own Light.
Above the toil of life my soul
Is a Bird of Fire winging the Infinite.