A bronze bust of U Thant is presented to Sri Chinmoy by UN Under-Secretary-General Robert Muller and sculptor Domenico Mazzone.
Presentation of Bust of U Thant
Sri Chinmoy’s recent book U Thant: Divinity’s Smile and Humanity’s Cry has pleased and inspired many admirers of the late Secretary-General. Deputy Under-Secretary-General Mr. Robert Müller was so moved by the book and by the many other ways in which Sri Chinmoy has honoured the memory of U Thant that he commissioned sculptor Domenico Mazzone to make a bust of U Thant for Sri Chinmoy. On 18 February Mr. Müller and Mr. Mazzone present the sculpture to Sri Chinmoy in a ceremony in the United Nations’ Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium. Following is a transcription of the presentation.
Mr. Robert Müller: Dear Sri Chinmoy, as a small token of my deep appreciation for all you have done for the memory of our beloved U Thant, I have commissioned sculptor Domenico Mazzone, another great friend of U Thant, to make for you a bust of the late Secretary-General. It is my pleasure to offer it to you in memory of him.
Sri Chinmoy: Dear Mr. Müller, esteemed brother, I am accepting this with my heart’s infinite gratitude. My heart will always treasure this soulful and blessingful gift of yours. This contains the living presence of our beloved U Thant. Each member of the United Nations Meditation Group will treasure this living presence which I have just received from you both. The memory of this blessingful gift will be written and will always remain written on the tablet of our gratitude-hearts. On behalf of all the members of the United Nations Meditation Group, to you I offer our ever-growing gratitude.
You have received in abundant measure aspiration in the inner world and inspiration in the outer world from our beloved U Thant. Today you are blessing us with that inspiration and aspiration. We shall try our best to be more devoted to the cause of the United Nations and to be more worthy instruments of the soul of the United Nations.
You have the same vision as our Secretary-General had. Your oneness-vision with him, with his soul, will be a beacon of light pointing the way to our journey’s ever-transcending goal. U Thant was an extraordinary leader of the world. He was not only a pilot of the United Nations-Boat but also a supremely able pilot of the World-Boat. His was a colossal moral strength. His was an indomitable inner courage which sought to change the face of the world and transform human ignorance into divine wisdom-light.
Now I am holding not a mere bust, but a blessingful personality that guided and still guides humanity’s destiny. U Thant’s illumining soul, his soul of illumination, will always remain within us, and his life of dedication will always remain for us. We are sailing in his boat of dedication, which is bound to reach the Golden Shore, the Shore that has boundless Peace, boundless Light, boundless Harmony and boundless Satisfaction.
Again, to you I offer my heart of infinite gratitude, and this I offer not only on my behalf but on behalf of all the members of our Meditation Group. This we shall cherish as an invaluable treasure in our heart of aspiration and dedication.
(Sri Chinmoy presented Mr. Mazzone with a copy of his book, U Thant: Divinity’s Smile and Humanity’s Cry.) As a token of our deepest appreciation and admiration to the master sculptor in you, I wish to offer you this book.
Mr. Mazzone: Thank you, thank you very much. I am deeply touched by your words. I feel like crying inside, so beautiful is this ceremony. What you said of U Thant is so true: he is the real light of the world. I have met many celebrities, but U Thant is really unique, so unique that I cannot find the right words. All I can say is that in my view he was very, very close to God. Thank you very much. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Published in AUM – Vol. 4, No. 2, 27 February 1977
Sri Chinmoy lifts Russian musician Purushottama Boris Grebenshikov in Langkawi, Malaysia.