Video by Utpal Marshall
On March 3rd 1979, Sri Chinmoy completed his first marathon in Chico California in a time of 4:31:34. Each year since then, his students in New York and around the world have honoured him by running the 26-mile distance.
Video by Utpal Marshall
On March 3rd 1979, Sri Chinmoy completed his first marathon in Chico California in a time of 4:31:34. Each year since then, his students in New York and around the world have honoured him by running the 26-mile distance.
Sri Chinmoy greets the Liberty Torch Runners as they conclude their epic 9,000-mile, non-stop relay through all 50 states of America, at the steps of Federal Hall in New York City, NY, USA. Speaking at the event, New York City Mayor Abraham Beame said, “I am proud of the fact that this super-marathon began here in Battery Park in sight of our Statue of Liberty…”
Sri Chinmoy meets with Mayor Ed Koch and receives a Special Citation from the Mayor on the steps of City Hall in New York, NY, USA.
An exhibition of Sri Chinmoy’s Jharna-Kala artworks opens at 133 West 24th Street, New York, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert (12) at Riverside Church in New York, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy offers the opening meditation at the India Day Parade Cultural Ceremony in New York, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy resumes his sprinting career in Jamaica, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert (234) at Aspiration-Ground in Jamaica, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy lifts 61 people for a total of 9,587 lbs. in Jamaica, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy offers the opening meditation at the India Day Parade Cultural Ceremony in New York, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert (424) — the 24th of 50 concerts held in honour of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations — at Aspiration-Ground in Jamaica, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy attends the closing ceremony of the ‘Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run’ in Manhattan, New York, NY, USA.
Iceland is declared a Sri Chinmoy Peace-Blossom-Nation.
Chad is declared a Sri Chinmoy Peace-Blossom-Nation.
Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert at which he plays on 70 pianos for his 70th birthday at Aspiration-Ground in Jamaica, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy performs ‘Kshamar Adarshar’, (‘Megher Koler’) the immortal Bengali story The Ideal of Forgiveness by Sri Aurobindo that Sri Chinmoy rendered into Bengali verse in 1946 at age 14. At a total of 200 lines, it is Sri Chinmoy’s longest Bengali song, in Jamaica, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy composes the Bengali song ‘Pranati Janai Ravi Shankar’ in honour of the great Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar. Sri Chinmoy’s performance of this song is later released on a CD entitled Pranati–Obeisance and can be heard on Radio Sri Chinmoy.
Sri Chinmoy lifts 19 people, including Reverend Daniel Deane, weighing 585 lbs. in Jamaica, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy spontaneously composes 74 Bengali songs from previously written poems for his 74th birthday. He also sings 26 new Bengali compositions from memory, accompanying himself on the keyboard, at Aspiration-Ground in Jamaica, NY, USA. Sri Chinmoy offers these songs to his brother Chitta, who had taught him how to write poetry.
SOME 275 UN staff and delegates from 80 countries joined in the second Peace Walk for United Nations Charter Day, which was held on 25 and 26 June in the North Garden. By walking through a marked area of the Garden with their countrymen, in silence and re-dedication, they commemorated the 39th anniversary of the signing of the Charter. At the end of each lap, each participant, also signed a copy of the Preamble to the Charter as a symbol of renewed support.
Following the final lap through the Garden — during which nationals from all countries walked together — a closing ceremony was held on the Visitors Plaza.
Here, Sri Chinmoy led a silent meditation for peace, and representatives of India, Samoa and Zambia took turns in reading from the Charter's Preamble, To conclude the ceremony, a message from General Assembly President, Jorge Illueca, was read, a portion of which follows:
“I assure you of my wholehearted support in this effort to renew our dedication to the spirit of the Charter, and I would urge that we avail ourselves of every opportunity of this kind, both as individuals and as representatives of our respective countries, to re-dedicate ourselves to the ideals which we are striving to realize in our devotion to 'the principles and purposes of the United Nations.
“Peace is not a passive state; it is not merely the absence of conflict. It is the effective expression by all nations of a determination to create and continuously support a world of progress and development, governed by justice and understanding.
“We see the United Nations as a church of mankind, dedicated to worshipping the aspirations of men, women and children of all races, nationalities and political and religious beliefs for a better life ...”
Left: Some 275 UN staff and delegates from 80 countries in the Peace Walk.
Right: Mr. W. Almoslechner, Austria, receives a copy of the Charter of the United Nations from Ambassador Jacobs, Antigua and Barbuda.
Published in the Secretariat News, United Nations Headquarters, New York, 16 August 1984
dedicated to the United Nations
Aspiration-Ground, Jamaica, New York
O United Nations, your soul is luminous; therefore, I bow to your soul. Your heart is precious; therefore, I bow to your heart. Your life is gracious; therefore, I bow to your life.
Quite recently Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali made a great announcement: “We are fixing the U.N.” May God grant him success.
— Sri Chinmoy
Published in My prayerful salutations to the United Nations
by Sri Chinmoy
at Aspiration-Ground in Jamaica, New York
Now is my wish to offer you seventy-four extemporaneous songs. One after another I shall sing seventy-four new songs, and then I shall sing twenty-six songs without using the music. I do not think that twenty-six songs I have ever sung without using the music, and these are all absolutely new songs.
These songs I am offering to my brother Chitta, because it was he who taught me how to write poems. When I was eleven years old, not even twelve, he started teaching me how to write poems.
Chitta told me once that our father had written between sixteen and twenty poems. He told me about our whole family. Ahana wrote, I think, about fifteen or sixteen poems. Mantu wrote between twenty and twenty-five. After Mantu comes Lily. She wrote about forty poems, in one notebook. Hriday wrote a little over a hundred poems. I am sure that Chitta wrote more than one hundred fifty. Their youngest brother's songs number in the thousands. It is all their blessings, all their affection.
My eldest sister, Arpita, never, never wrote a poem. She knew only how to cry for me to become a man of wisdom.
She wrote me many, many, many letters, only begging me to come back to the Ashram to give her joy. Even after I had hundreds of disciples, she wanted me to go back, so that she could live her life peacefully. My desire was to set to music some of her beautiful prose lines, but so far I have not been able to succeed.
Published in My golden children
Achetane aj namuk chetana namuk jyotir dhara
Chitta amar nitya jyotite hok atmahara
Published in The Bloom of My Lotus-Heart
Rather than end the run in Washington DC as originally planned, the runners decide to continue on to New York City, where the run began.
There, they are honoured by a parade through the busy Wall Street area and a ceremony on the steps of Federal Hall. Speakers at the ceremony are New York City Mayor Abraham Beame, Mr. Bernard Jackson, Special Assistant to Governor Hugh Carey, Police chief Carl Ravens of Manhattan South Area and Sri Chinmoy. A military Colour Guard is present and the veterans of Foreign Wars Grand National Championship High School Brand, from Milwaukee, play several pieces.
Following are transcriptions of the speeches that are delivered, on the steps of Federal Hall:
Sri Chinmoy: America, the world salutes the beauty of your Soul. America, the world salutes the power of your Heart. O great and good Liberty Torch Runners, you are teaching the world how to appreciate, admire and adore the perennial Spirit of independence-light. You are telling the entire world that the true love of one's dear country and God's supreme Satisfaction-Smile are eternally one and inseparable.
(Sri Chinmoy then meditates for a few minutes, hands folded on his heart.)
Jeff Kamen (MC): Ladies and gentlemen, for the official greeting of the Liberty Torch Runners, Mayor Abraham Beame.
Mayor Beame: Thank you very much, Jeff. Sri Chinmoy, Chief Ravens, Mr. Jackson, David Gershon, and the wonderful team: aren't they great? (Applause from the crowd.) It's really a great privilege for me to welcome the Liberty Torch Runners back to New York City. This is a year in which it seems as though everybody is running for something. But the race run by these 33 fine young men was something unique and quite spectacular. They've run 9,000 miles non-stop through all 50 states, and they did it in 47 days and at their own expense.
They did it as a way of celebrating our country's 200 years of expanding freedom. They wanted to show how America's spiritual values have been rekindled. And by carrying a flaming Liberty Torch wherever they ran, they brought a message of confidence and faith in ourselves to every one of our 50 states. As Mayor of the City of New York, I am proud of the fact that this super-marathon began here in Battery Park in sight of our Statue of Liberty; I am proud of the fact that most of the runners are New Yorkers; and I am proud of their nationwide achievement.
These New Yorkers took a message to every State in the Union and the District of Columbia, namely, that the residents of this city can determine their goals and accomplish them, that they deeply love this great country of ours and that they share the aspirations of people in every part of America. Day after day and night after night headlines in local newspapers and broadcasts on local radio and television stations paid tribute for more than a month and a half to the stamina, will and friendliness of the Liberty Torch Runners. In truth, this was a super Bicentennial event.
Mr. Gershon, New York is proud of you and of all your teammates. And now it is my great pleasure to read a proclamation which makes this day Liberty Torch Day in the city of New York.
(Mayor Beame reads the proclamation.)
Jeff Kamen: Governor Carey had planned on coming today, but one emergency or another has caused him not to be able to come. So today we get to meet somebody new and terrific, Bernard Jack-son, Governor Carey's personal assistant on urban affairs. He's got a special presentation to make to the Liberty Torch Runners from the Governor.
Mr. Bernard Jackson: Chief Ravens, Mayor Beame, Sri Chinmoy and Mr. Gershon: Mr. Gershon, on behalf of the Governor I will read these very brief remarks and make this presentation to you.
“The Liberty Torch will burn forever in the thoughts and dreams of the nation. The young men who carried it 9,000 miles have left a path of light in the hearts of all Americans. I greet you.” Signed, “Hugh Carey, Governor of the State of New ” Thank you.
Jeff Kamen: One of the finest of New York’s Finest is with us here today: Deputy Chief of Police, Carl Ravens, in whose district you are right now — Manhattan's South Area. Let's give a nice hand to chief Ravens, a fine cop.
Chief Ravens: Thank you. Mayor Beame, Sri Chinmoy and Mr. Jackson: the flaming Liberty Torch and its runners have been preceded and followed by the flashing lights of police cars wherever they ran in the 50 states. The police were there, I believe, not only to ensure safety but also to show their oneness with the ideals expressed by this most ambitious athletic event of the Bicentennial. Police officers know the value of teamwork and the challenges of dedicated action. The Liberty Torch Runners have achieved both, and I salute them. Thank you.
Jeff Kamen: One of the Mayor's friends has just sent us a note. We don't usually read out notes from friends, not at public events, but take a listen anyway.
“Although my schedule does not permit my attendance today, I am delighted to have this opportunity to share this great event with you. The spirit of the Liberty Torch Runners is the same spirit that has carried this Nation for 200 years.” Signed, “Jimmy Carter.”
Published in AUM – Vol. 3, No. 8, August 27, 1976
Video by kedarvideo
Sri Chinmoy meditates at the closing ceremony of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run in Manhattan, New York.
Sri Chinmoy honours 588-pound Baptist Minister Daniel Deane in the ‘Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart’ programme at Aspiration-Ground in Jamaica, Queens, New York. Sri Chinmoy lifted him in recognition of his lifetime of ministry to the deaf and disadvantaged.
Daniel Deane:
“I have never known so many people to gather together with one thought, one heart: to serve.
"The world has a lot to learn from you folks."
10.
When I came to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, my brother Chitta taught me Bengali metre. It took him about a week or so. There are four or five main Bengali metres. English also has many metres, such as iambus, trochee and spondee. But Bengali has more metres. Chitta taught me, and my ear was fortunately very trained. He used Tagore’s poems as examples and then he said, “This is how it was done.” There are many, many poems of Tagore’s that are very, very easy to scan. And then there are some metres that Tagore used which are very, very complicated. Those also I learned.
There are two metres that are very common. One deals with the letters of the alphabet, and the other with sound. In India, I wrote both sound and letter metres, but here in America it seems to me I have written the sound metre more than the letter metre. That is how Chitta taught me. When I started writing my song ‘Uthe Jakhan Pub Gagane Savita’, my brother was in the seventh heaven of delight because the metre was correct. Again, I wrote some poems with both metres together — sound metre and letter metre. They were very difficult, very difficult.
Published in Rabindranath Tagore: the moon of Bengal’s Heart