Selected Meetings with Purushottama Boris Grebenshikov
A New Dream Blossoming, February 2006
On 19 February 2006, during a Christmas and New Year’s trip to Malaysia, Sri Chinmoy and the great Russian musician Boris Grebenshikov met for the first time. Boris Grebenshikov performed for the disciples, and afterwards singers performed an arrangement of a song that Sri Chinmoy had written in his honour. Below are excerpts from the conversation that followed.Boris Grebenshikov: It is such a great honour even to be thought about by you. And this song composed by you about me, it’s something that I cannot really imagine or understand. So it bypasses the head and goes straight to the heart. Which I think is the best way. So thank you with all my heart.
Sri Chinmoy: After Boris’ performance, there will be no other performances today. His magnificence is sufficient. He brought down Heaven, that much you can say. Boris brought down Heaven for us. I am still in Heaven. So we cannot bring the mundane world into the spiritual world. He has brought down spirituality, from the Highest Height. I enjoy his spirituality. Each and every song of his is so soulful, so beautiful. It is like he is expressing each time a new dream. Each time a song is sung, a new dream is coming into reality. I felt a new dream blossoming inside the depth of his heart, beautifully and perfectly, for the world to receive and get tremendous benefit from each and every song that he has sung. Soulfulness, beauty and fragrance I have felt from each and every song that he has sung.
(To Boris) I was quite surprised to see that you were singing songs from your memory. You did not need the music in front of you to get the words. I was very proud, very proud, that one after the other, one after the other, you were singing from your memory. Others need papers.
While you were singing, inside your heart I saw a roaring lion. Outwardly I was seeing a very beautiful, most affectionate lamb, on your face, in your eyes, but inside I was seeing and even hearing a most powerful roaring lion. Inside you I saw a roaring lion, outside I saw a most affectionate lamb. This is my observation.
A very sweet, very tender, beautiful lamb I saw on your face, but inside I was seeing a roaring lion, roaring lion. Some singers and musicians make faces while they are singing, but throughout I was observing your face and eyes. They were very sweet, very sweet. Some musicians jump up and down or dance when they are playing or singing music. Unless they twist their body ten different ways their music is not complete. I am so proud of you, that you do not have those unfortunate qualities.
I am offering to you on behalf of all my students gratitude and gratitude and pride. This gratitude is coming from the very depths of my heart, from the inmost recesses of our hearts. We shall cherish you, treasure you, in the very depths of our hearts – not only Boris the great singer and the great musician, but Boris the great God-lover and God-seeker. For all these good qualities, divine qualities, we shall always cherish you and also your wife, Irina, who is a flower, whose heart has become an ever-blossoming flower. We shall cherish both of you at the same time in our hearts of infinite love, gratitude and pride, pride, pride.
19 February 2006 Malaysia
