Remarks at the Change of the White Rose for Peace Ceremony
On 2 July 2005, Sri Chinmoy offered the following remarks at the Change of the White Rose for Peace Ceremony, an event held at the National Palace of Culture that commemorates the signing of the Peace Accords ending Guatemala’s 36-year civil war, on 28 December 1996. Sri Chinmoy had the honour of being only the third non-Guatemalan to participate in the Ceremony.My dear and esteemed friends, I am offering you my heart’s soulful and prayerful gratitude for this signal honour that you have bestowed upon me. This is a very beautiful palace and a very soulful shrine. Here I am feeling the presence of peace in profound measure. I am so happy and proud to be of service to this shrine, this beautiful rose. These beautiful roses will bring to the fore our own beauty and fragrance.
I have come here not only as a visitor, but also as a simple server of the soul, heart and life of Guatemala. The last part of ‘Guatemala’, ‘mala’, has a very special significance in the heart of all Indians. ‘Mala’ means garland in Sanskrit. A garland of gratitude I am offering to all those who have made this great arrangement for me to be of service to you. May my humble service to this august place, to this beautiful shrine and to this peaceful palace grow and glow more, ever more.
Once more, to you and to your colleagues, the Ministers, I am offering gratitude from the inmost recesses of my heart. May we all grow and glow in the Heart of God together, Him to please in His own Way. Not in our own way, but in God’s own Way, let us work together with our heart, soul and everything that we have and everything that we are.
2 July 2005 National Palace of Culture Guatemala City, Guatemala
