Sri Chinmoy offers two Peace Concerts, an afternoon concert at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, and an evening concert at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.
During a function honouring the Buddhist monk Luang Por Eed (Paramarthatita), Sri Chinmoy sings his song, ‘I take shelter in the Lord Buddha’ in 15 different languages, at Public Scool 86 in Jamaica, Queens, New York.
The Invocation is our life-breath
by Sri Chinmoy
at Public School 86 in Jamaica, Queens, New York
If you take me as your spiritual Master, please consider The Invocation as my life-breath and your life-breath. The Invocation is the living Presence of our real Guru, our Beloved Supreme. In the morning, start with The Invocation. At that time sing The Invocation, before you go to work, before you leave for your job. If you cannot sing, please recite the words.
Then, during the day, whenever you sing Jiban debata and Bhulite diyona, please sing Jiban debata first. Kindly throw your soul, heart, mind, vital and body into the songs when you sing or recite them.
There is a million and billion-mile gap between The Invocation and other songs, including Jiban debata and Bhulite diyona. The Invocation is not just a song; it is infinitely more meaningful and fruitful. No song of mine can be compared with The Invocation. Each thought, each line and each word is from my aspiration-heart and realisation-breath, so we cannot put The Invocation on the same footing as any other song of mine. It will remain immortal inside my aspiration and inside my realisation throughout Eternity.
Again, I have composed quite a few songs, at least fifty, which will definitely remain immortal. Among them, these two — Jiban debata and Bhulite diyona — will be considered by aspiring humanity as most precious spiritual jewels. The old Bhulite diyona is also very nice: “My Lord, allow me not to forget you.”
Good singers, as many years as you have been on earth, you should sing every day that many songs to please your soul. It does not have to be done all at once, but whatever your age is, you should sing that many songs. I have done many things, and even now I do many things secretly — I do not want to say what they are — according to how many years I have been on earth. Every year I increase the number according to my age.
With regard to singing, every day after The Invocation I sing ten or twelve songs, including Jiban debata and Bhulite diyona, as well as songs on Mother Kali and Lord Krishna. Daily I sing with my synthesizer at least fifteen songs. The Invocation I sing before I come down from upstairs. Sometimes it is four o’clock or four-thirty in the morning when I sing these songs. I turn the volume down on my synthesizer so that the neighbours do not make complaints. In all sincerity I sing these songs, so you also can do it. This is your life-breath; this is your shrine.
I am telling the good singers, for each year of your earthly existence, you should sing that number of songs. Already you have received God’s special Blessings to be good singers, so you should sing. At least a few hundred of my songs are nice! Of those, fifty or sixty songs have really got the stamp of immortality. Jiban debata, Bhulite diyona and Tomare rakhibo are among those. One day I can make a list of those songs according to my taste, not your taste. If I am very, very strict, let us see how many I can get.
I am so grateful to some of the singing groups who have dug deep or dived deep to find songs that have been completely forgotten. How kind of you to sing those songs so beautifully and so soulfully.
Yesterday, how soulfully and carefully the boys were singing the Sri Aurobindo song! Many years ago I used to meditate in Sri Aurobindo’s room early in the morning. It started with two minutes, and from two minutes it went up to two hours. When the boys were singing, I took my body, vital, mind, heart and soul to Sri Aurobindo’s room. Inwardly I was seated in his room meditating while hearing my spiritual children sing the song which I composed on Sri Aurobindo. How soulfully you were singing! I am your worst critic; always I scold and insult you if you do not sing well. But when you were singing this time, absolutely I entered into the sea of ecstasy. I was so proud of my children and so deeply moved.
When I sing juga Avatar in that song, sometimes I use the word nami and sometimes I do not use it. Both ways are correct. From time to time you will find that very sacred and soulful songs have a few extra words, in parentheses. They are not metrically wrong; they are correct.
Dear ones, you are the pioneers in learning my songs. You are with me, in me and for me while I am in the land of the living. You are extremely fortunate to have me, and I am extremely fortunate to have you.
Published in Live in the Eternal Now