The opportunity to venture into uncharted waters has always been a profound source of inspiration for seekers after knowledge. The creative works of Sri Chinmoy have presented just such a challenge, particularly in the last century when he was newly arrived in the West from India. Scholars who themselves had only recently been introduced to his writings and philosophy sought to place them in context. The challenge did not lie solely in the unfamiliarity of the material, but also in gaining authority to undertake such a pursuit. It was out of the norm to request permission at a conservative house of learning to study a contemporary Bengali writer who chose to express himself in the English language. That this writer was also a musician, a mystic and a philosopher merely compounded the difficulties. But, somehow, barriers dissolved. Traditional universities acceded to topics that had never been attempted before, supervisors were found and examiners ultimately located. The results are listed below — pioneering studies undertaken at universities in Australia, the USA, Iceland and New Zealand. The fact that these dissertations and theses came to fruition is a testament to the enduring power of Sri Chinmoy’s words and music – and to the courage of a handful of scholars scattered around the globe.

 

 

Bennett, Vidagdha Meredith. “Simplicity and Power: The Poetry of Sri Chinmoy 1971-1981.” Ph.D. thesis, University of Melbourne, 1981.
 

Fishman, Aparajita Adam. “A Truth Must Be Lived.” B.A. (Hons) diss., Harvard College, Harvard University, 1984.
 

Clarke, Mrinali Christine. “The Ever-Transcending Quest: A Literary Analysis of the Poetry of Sri Chinmoy.” B.A. (Hons) diss., Monash University, 1989.
 

Siegrist, Saudamini Gigi. “The Writing of Devotion.” Ph.D. thesis, New York University, 1999. [This extract includes the Introduction and the chapter relating to Sri Chinmoy.] 
 

Ramón, Hridananda Andrés. “The Art of Running: Spirituality, Aesthetics and Sports in Sri Chinmoy’s Literature.” M.A. diss., University of Iceland, 2003.
 

Ramón, Hridananda Andrés. “Poetry’s Universality and Humanity’s Divinity: A Reciprocal Soul-Discovery Journey – An Approach to the Concepts of Truth, Beauty, and Delight in Sri Chinmoy’s Poetic Work.” M.A. diss., University of Iceland, 2003.
 

Ramón, Hridananda Andrés. “Reflections on Musical Composition.” B.A. diss., University of Iceland, 2008. (chapter six focuses on Sri Chinmoy’s music)
 

McGuire, Thomas. “Become Another God: Oneness, Love and the Philosophy of Sri Chinmoy.” M.A. diss., The University of Auckland, 2012.
 

Leósson, Suren Torfi. “Poetry-Heart and Prose-Mind: The Style of Sri Chinmoy’s University Lectures.” B.A. Essay, University of Iceland, School of Humanities, Department of English, 2017.
 

Pedersen, Kusumita Priscilla. “World-Story and Soul-Story: Narrative in the English Poetry of Sri Chinmoy.” Presented at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, Panel on Religion and Literature, March 1985.