Sri Chinmoy is the Spiritual Father to thousands worldwide. In America, Father’s Day falls on the third Sunday in June, and each year his disciples, friends and well-wishers celebrate this day. Take a look at this special day throughout the years. Here also, is a selection of Father’s Day songs, composed by Sri Chinmoy.
1972
June 18th
Father’s Day Message
“I shall not fail you if you can dare to think that I care for you.”
Sri Chinmoy’s comment:
This is my Father’s Day message to each and every disciple of mine.
Published in AUM – Vol. 8, No. 1, August 27, 1972
1973
June
Father’s Day Message
London, England
It is Father’s Day — a very special day — and I bless each one of you from my highest height and deepest depth.
I am your spiritual Father. You have an earthly father. Your connection with him lasts fifty or sixty years — for one incarnation. But your connection with me will last for eternity. In the ordinary life the father demands of the children and the children demand of the father. But we do not demand anything. In the spiritual life the relationship depends on give and give and give. What you have you give me and what I have I give you. What you have is your aspiration and what I have is my realisation. Here everything is self-offering. I am offering you what I have — realisation, and you are offering me what you have — aspiration. This is spiritual self-giving. Yours is spiritual self-giving and mine is spiritual self-giving. When we do this devotedly our oneness, inseparable oneness, will last for Eternity.
Published in AUM – Vol. 1, No. 6, 27 June 1974
1974
June 13th
365 Father's Day Prayers 1974
Sri Chinmoy writes 365 poems in honour of Father’s Day (June 16). They are written during the 72-hour period from 6:00 p.m. June 10th, while on the plane to Puerto Rico from New York, to 5:45 p.m. June 13th during the time of his visit to the San Juan Sri Chinmoy Centre.
1. Nowhere
Nowhere to live?
Try my heart-home.
I think you will like it.Nowhere to sleep?
Try my soul-room.
I am sure you will love it.
Just love it.
2. A beggar
Yesterday
I acted like a beggar
By asking God
To give me a smile.Today
I am acting like a beggar
By asking God
To give me His Power.Tomorrow
I shall be acting like a beggar
By asking God
To make me His only perfect instrument.
3. Father, do I have a mission
Father, do I have a mission?
Daughter, you have not one
But two missions,
secret and sacred.
Your heart of life is your secret mission.
Your life of heart is your sacred mission.
4. Do you know, daughter
Do you know, daughter,
Why God loves you?
No, Father, I do not know.
He loves you
Because
You are a good player of love-game.Do you know, daughter,
Why God is devoted to you?
No, Father, I do not know.
God is devoted to you
Because
You are a superb player of devotion-game.Do you know, daughter,
Why God has surrendered to you?
No, Father, I do not know.
God has surrendered to you
Because
You are an excellent player of surrender-light.
5. What are they
What is earth,
If not the splendour of sacrifice-might?
What is Heaven,
If not the splendour of vision-light?
What is humanity,
If not the splendour of expectation-soul?
What is divinity,
If not the splendour of ecstasy-sea?
6. You are thinking
You are thinking of yourself.
Lo, you are descending
From
The human life to the animal life.You are thinking of God.
Lo, you are ascending
From
The human life to the Life divine.You have started loving God.
Lo, you are singing and playing
With
God's Silence-Height
And
God's Oneness-Light.
7. A full and complete truth
I love God.
Indeed,
This is a stark lie.
I think of God.
Indeed,
This is a quarter truth.
I do not find faults with God.
Indeed,
This is a half truth.
I never doubt God's existence.
Indeed,
This is a full and complete truth.
Published in 365 Father's Day Prayers 1974
1975
June 14th
Norwalk Father’s Day Meditation
Article in The Norwalk Hour
A special Father’s Day Meditation was held Saturday, June 14 in the garden of the Norwalk Sri Chinmoy Centre, 80 Perry avenue. The program consisted of seven hours of silent meditation led by Sri Chinmoy, director of the United Nations Meditation Group. Present were 200 people, mostly members of the Norwalk Sri Chinmoy Centre. Also attending were members of Sri Chinmoy Centres of Chicago, San Francisco, Miami and Canada who came specifically for this event.
The meditation began at 6 A.M. and ended at 5 P.M. with several intervening breaks. After the meditation a 13 course vegetarian meal topped the festivities.
Several members of the Norwalk group also attended a similar meditation at the Sri Chinmoy Centre in Queens, N. Y. held the next day, which lasted for 14 hours.
Sri Chinmoy conducts regular meditations at the Norwalk centre every Saturday at 1 P.M.
Published in AUM – Vol. 2, No. 6, 27 June 1975
June 15th
A 14-Hour Father’s Day Meditation
Jamaica, N.Y. — Sri Chinmoy and about a hundred of his disciples celebrated Father's Day last month with a 14-hour meditation.
For the final seven hours, the Master gave darshan, blessing each one of his disciples individually.
The disciples filed one by one into a small room where Sri Chinmoy waited, closing the door behind them.
Earlier, he had asked each of them to write on a piece of paper seven spiritual accomplishments or achievements. As each disciple entered the room, the Guru read the list in silence and then blessed the seeker.
Some of the blessings lasted for a couple of minutes, and often the disciples would come out of the chamber deeply moved, sometimes in tears.
The meditation was originally meant to last only 13 hours, but the extra hour was needed to complete the darshan.
The day was broken up into two four-hour sessions, one three-hour session, and a final two-hour session which stretched into three hours. Between the sessions were rest breaks.
The disciples were asked to eat very little, or fast, in order to meditate better. But at two sessions the Master handed out prasad, or blessed food. Once it was an orange and a nectarine, and once it was an ice cream sandwich and an apple.
The evening ended with a 13-course meal.
Only those who had been disciples for at least four years were invited to participate in the meditation, and some came all the way from Canada and Florida for the single-day session.
The previous day Sri Chinmoy held a seven-hour meditation for his other disciples who had been with him for less than four years.
Published in Anahata Nada, July 1, 1975, Vol. II, No. 6
Sri Chinmoy held the 14-Hour (some sources say 14½) Father’s Day Meditation at the Bayside Church in Queens, New York. The post-function 13-course meal for the 100 participants was provided by Annam Brahma.
Sri Chinmoy’s Comments
about the 14-hour meditation
“Here my spiritual children are very hungry. Naturally, they need much food. I bring it down. It is a great joy for me to feed them. The physical is always limited, but the spiritual is unlimited. The spiritual is always good, divine; but the physical creates problems. The physical can revolt; it can develop a headache, a stomach upset or a cold. But luckily today the physical didn't revolt. I am so grateful. Today the physical behaved extremely well. Everybody has received according to his capacity. It is a most successful, most fruitful Father’s Day.
“You people are more than ready, you are really fit for a twenty-four-hour meditation. We shall do it. One day in this incarnation we shall do it.
“As long as you are not jealous, you do not doubt me, that is pure meditation. When you have no jealousy, no doubt, I give you people 100 out of 100. Pure meditation you have done today, all of you.”
Published in Chinmoy Family, June-July / August-September, 1975
1976
June 20th
Father’s Day Message
There was a father
Who tried.
There is a father
Who is trying and crying.
There will be a father
Who will either fail
In the desiring vital and mind
Of his children
Or succeed
In the aspiring heart and soul
Of his children.
Father’s Day: Father with his European children
Sri Chinmoy answers questions
at the Friend’s Meeting House, London
Question: Could you speak of the soul's worlds of the great spiritual Masters?
Sri Chinmoy: Each spiritual Master either has a world of his own or he belongs to a particular, special soul’s world. It depends on the calibre of the spiritual Master. In the inner world, all the sincere Masters are not of the same calibre. So, according to their calibre, according to their standard, they have their source. Spiritual Masters of the highest order have a world of their own, along with their disciples, devotees, admirers, followers and acquaintances. So if a Master is really very great, he has his own world. Otherwise, he belongs to some special soul’s world.
Question: How can one become more competent in fulfilling one's earthly duties?
Sri Chinmoy: One can become more competent in fulfilling one’s earthly duties by doing first one’s heavenly duties. Heavenly duties will never ask you to neglect your earthly duties. Only you have to do the first things first. Your heavenly duty is to remain in Light. If you are inundated with Light, then only can you enter into darkness and do what is needed there. Earthly duties are full of darkness. Heavenly duties are prayer, concentration, meditation, contemplation. If you do your heavenly duties first, you eventually embody Light. Then, with this Light, you can enter into the earthly duties. So first things first. With your heavenly duties — prayer, meditation, concentration — you will invoke Light; and once you are surcharged with Light, then you will attend to the earthly duties. Otherwise, you will never be able to acquire enough capacity to discharge your earthly duties.
Question: What is the spiritual significance of football?
Sri Chinmoy: From the spiritual point of view, football is extremely meaningful, soulful and fruitful. Each sincere seeker should pray to the Supreme to make him His football. When we kick a football, the football is at our mercy. The football is the instrument. We kick right, left, forward, backward and play with it according to our sweet will. Now, look at this football! It is far better than we are. The football does not quarrel with us, it does not fight us. At times the football, as an instrument, can fail us; the air can leak out, the bladder can burst, all kinds of problems can come up. But the main wish of the football is to please the football player.We should consider ourselves to be footballs of the Supreme. The earthly football, the leather football is under compulsion to please its master. The football that we kick is under our control, at our mercy. It has become our instrument and it is pleasing us, although it may not be pleasing us cheerfully. But we should be conscious footballs always trying to please the Supreme cheerfully so that the Supreme can at any moment kick us, shape us, mould us, form us in His own way. We should be real divine footballs so that He can use us all the time in His own way, according to His sweet Will.
Question: What is the difference between God's Compassion and God's Justice?
Sri Chinmoy: The difference between God’s Compassion and God’s Justice is this: When we remain in God’s Consciousness, we feel there is no such thing as Justice: It is all Compassion. But when we remain in our own consciousness, then we feel that there is no such thing as Compassion; it is all Justice. When we live in the human consciousness, we say God is very cruel, unkind. When we live in the divine Consciousness, we realise He is all Compassion. The difference lies in us. If we live in ourselves, God is all Justice. If we live in God, then He is all Compassion.
Question: What is the highest question that a disciple can ask his Master?
Sri Chinmoy: It depends entirely on the development of the seeker. Each will ask the Master a question according to his own standard. The beginner will ask the Master, “How can I make my mind calm and quiet? My mind is bothering me and preventing me from making any progress.” This is a beginner’s question, according to his standard. Then, when one is very, very highly developed, when one is on the verge of realisation, he will ask the Master to tell him the date when he is going to get realisation. One who is on the verge of realisation has reached such a high level that he is begging the Master to tell him when he will realise God. And the other one will ask the Master how to make the mind calm and quiet. So it entirely depends on the standard of the seeker.
Published in Father's Day: Father with his European children
1977
June 19th
Father’s Day Message
“I am your Eternity’s friend.” — Sri Chinmoy
Two Messages from the Beyond
JAMAICA, N.Y. — Sri Chinmoy delivered his Father’s Day message from the skies of the inner world and his disciples replied from the skies of the outer world.
During a morning meditation June 19, the Master entered into a high meditation and then offered his Father’s Day message, repeating it three times: “I am your Eternity’s friend.”
Later in the day, during a soccer game he and his followers were attending, a squadron of planes flew overhead and declared, in white smoke: “Happy Father’s Day Sri Chinmoy.” The skywriting was a gift from some of his students.
Published in Anahata Nada, Vol. 4, No. 6, July 1, 1977
Sri Chinmoy watches a game of soccer in the New York Cosmos stadium where the great Brazillian soccer star Pelé is playing.
May 1st
Tumi Naha Shudhu Pita
Lyrics:
Tumi naha shudhu pita
Tumi shashwata mita
Mama jibaner ran
Shunechhe tomar pan
Samukhe bhase
Pashchate hase
Durbar rati
Tumi chira sathi
Bhoy nai bhoy nai bhoy nai
Tumi je diyechho tha
Taba ananda ankh
Madhu kanchana rakhi
Published in Journey’s Goal, part 4
Listen to an early recording of Sri Chinmoy singing...
This song was one of one hundred Bengali songs Sri Chinmoy composed in the Spring of 1977, to be performed in August of that year. In later years Sri Chinmoy asked for it to be sung on Father’s Day. The translation of the first line is “You are not only my Father, you are my Eternal Friend.”
1979
June 17th
Impromptu Marathon held on Father’s Day
JAMAICA, N.Y. — Sri Chinmoy scheduled an impromptu 26-mile marathon race June 17 in celebration of Father’s Day.
Some 25 of his male disciples, who had expected to run only a half-marathon, completed the 105 laps around the quarter-mile Jamaica High School Track.
The race began around 3 a.m., after the women disciples ran their own half-marathon. Some of the participants had been up the entire previous night assisting the New York Road Runners Club in manning the 100-mile ultra marathon in Flushing Meadow Park.
The race was originally intended to be a half-marathon, beginning at midnight. When the girls' event finished around 3 a.m., the boys assembled at the starting line and Sri Chinmoy surprised everyone by saying that they were to run the full marathon distance, which they did. Every year since then, the Father’s Day Marathon has continued to be part of the Centre’s Father’s Day celebrations in New York.
TALK OF PARSONS BLVD.
The Sri Chinmoy Singers performed several of Guru’s songs at the Mets game at Shea Stadium on Father’s Day ... Guru composed a new Father’s Day song.
Published in Anahata Nada, Volume 5, Number 6, June 1979
1980
June 15th
Father’s Day
Lyrics:
Father’s Day, Father’s Day!
Begins my conscious cosmic play.
I shall not fail Your Compassion-Love.
I shall become Your fondest dove.
Published in Chandelier, part 2
Composing songs
On Father’s Day I asked all of my disciples to meditate once for each year that they had been with me. I am sure they listened to my request. On Father's Day I composed a song. It was translated into twelve languages. The best was an African language. Devadip translated it into Spanish and Haridas arranged it.
I also composed a song on France — "Vive la France." The European disciples enjoyed it very much and now they are learning it.
I gave a name to Projjwal's printing press: "Perfection-Glory." There I composed a song dedicated to his press.
Published in Salutations, numbers 1-4
1981
June 21st
Father’s Day Poem
Father’s Day, Father’s Day!
Begins my conscious cosmic play.
I shall not fail Your Compassion-Love.
I shall become Your fondest dove.
On Father’s Day, Sri Chinmoy composes the song, ‘Children’s Day’. Sri Chinmoy also makes an arrangement for the girls and boys singers.
Lyrics:
Children’s Day, children’s day, children’s day!
Father’s vision-manifestation-day.
Children-Father, Father-Children: oneness-song.
Hark! The Lord’s victory-gong!.
1984
June 17th
Sri Chinmoy invites ‘the father of long-distance running’ Ted Corbitt to officiate at the Father's Day Marathon, beginning at 3 a.m., at Flushing Meadows Park in New York.
Later in the day, Sri Chinmoy composes a song, ‘Father’s Day No, Children’s Day Yes’.
Lyrics:
Father’s Day no,
Children’s Day yes,
All where, All ways.
For that, Father prays.
1986
June 15th
Father’s Day Message
My sweet Lord Beloved Supreme,
It is Father’s Day.
You are our Father,
Our only Father Supreme.
On this Father’s Day
We, Your children, would like to have
A supreme boon from You:
Do grant us the capacity
To be sleepless servitors
Of Your Eternity’s Will.
Weightlifting Prayer
My sweet Lord Beloved Supreme,
It is Father's Day.
You are our Father,
Our only Father Supreme.
On this Father's Day
We, Your children, would like to have
A supreme boon from You:
Do grant us the capacity
To be sleepless servitors
Of Your Eternity's Will.
Published in I Pray Before I Lift, I Meditate While I Lift, I Offer My Gratitude-Cries and Gratitude-Smiles
June 16th
Weightlifting Prayer
My Lord, my Lord Supreme,
Father's Day is over.
But from You, O our Eternity's Father,
Your infinite Compassion-Light
And Your immortal Forgiveness-Delight
Will never, never be over.
Published in I Pray Before I Lift, I Meditate While I Lift, I Offer My Gratitude-Cries and Gratitude-Smiles
1987
June 21st
Father’s Day Message
As your spiritual Father,
I am crying and I shall be crying
Inside your minds for Illumination,
Inside your lives for Liberation,
Inside your hearts for Realisation,
Inside your souls for your attainment
Of God's ever-transcending Vision,
Inside your Inner Pilot for His sleepless,
Birthless and deathless Satisfaction
In you and through you.
Published in Twenty-five Aspiration-Flames
1988
June 19th
Father’s Day Message
Without the leaves, flowers and fruits,
The tree is nothing, absolutely nothing.
I am that nothing.
But with you, my children,
I am the fulness-tree.
The Supreme Father in me is telling you
That your kindness and your oneness
I appreciate far beyond your imagination.
Because of your kindness,
I am successful here on earth.
Because of your oneness,
I shall be fulfilled here on earth
And there in Heaven.
Published in Gratitude-Flower-Hearts
Sri Chinmoy held a meditation at 6:30 a.m. at Jamaica High School track, after which, the Father’s Day Marathon took place.
The evening function began at 7:00 p.m. on the grassy field next to the tennis ground. Kanan’s group stood behind Sri Chinmoy to sing the 56 songs he had recently composed — 56 different tunes to the words, ‘I fly in the heart-sky of my Dear Supreme.’ Then Tanima’s group did the same. (Sri Chinmoy completed 67 songs from June 13-20, which were later published in I Fly in the Heart-Sky.)
Afterwards, the function moved inside the court for an Indian-style banquet on banana leaves. While the meal was being served, Sri Chinmoy read aloud some of his early writings, that had been published by Chinmoy Lighthouse. The evening ended with a display of fireworks.
1989
June 18th
In the evening, Sri Chinmoy walked up and down the tennis court in a high meditative consciousness for half an hour, from 7:45 to 8:15.
He then requested the girls to pass by him in a similar walking meditation, up and down the court; then the boys did the same.
1990
June 17th
Sri Chinmoy meditates at the Father’s Day function, at Aspiration-Ground in New York.
1992
June 21st
Father’s Day Message
Father’s Day. I am offering my soul’s transcendental blessings, my heart’s universal love and my life’s infinite gratitude to each of you, to all my spiritual children.
After offering his Father’s Day message, Sri Chinmoy sings 20 compassion and forgiveness songs to Mata Kali – my Mother Kali.
Sri Chinmoy during a walking meditation on Father’s Day at Aspiration-Ground in New York.
1993
June 20th
Sri Chinmoy meditates at the Father’s Day function, at Aspiration-Ground in New York.
1994
June 19th
Father’s Day means happiness of the father, happiness rendered by the children. This is what I understand Father’s Day means. Again, father’s happiness enters into the children. Let us call it mutual. In my case, being your spiritual father, I do hope to be happy in your hands, in your hearts, in your lives, the way I am happy in your souls, in your Lord Supreme. In exactly the same way, I wish to be happy in your hands, in your life.
1995
June 18th
On Father’s Day, Sri Chinmoy walks past the tennis scoreboard that also serves as a daily display of historical events in his life, at Aspiration-Ground in New York.
1996
June 16th
A Most Unusual Father’s Day
ASPIRATION-GROUND — Sri Chinmoy celebrated Father’s Day June 16 by completing several challenging feats of strength and endurance.
He began by performing 7,000 abdominal crunches — in just under 80 minutes. He then lay on the ground with 302 pounds of weight — twice his own body weight — on his stomach, and used his abdominal muscles to raise the weight 130 times.
Next came a walking meditation, while wearing a 100-pound vest. Then, using a standard calf-raise machine, he lifted a 1,500-pound weight stack. He concluded his three-hour Father’s Day extravaganza with a variety of leg extensions and leg curls with weights ranging from 110 to 200 pounds.
Published in Anahata Nada, Volume 25 April-July 1996
1998
June 20th
Sri Chinmoy holds 13-hour meditation and offers a Peace Concert the day before Father’s Day (June 21st) and delivers a talk that evening, entitled ‘To Have a Sweet Family’, at Public School 117 in Jamaica, New York.
To Have a Sweet Family
by Sri Chinmoy
at Public School 117 in Jamaica, New York
Once you make unconditional surrender to God’s Will, if you want to enter into God’s Manifestation-Game, or Lila, then you cannot come out of it. I am swimming in the sea of sorrows and tears. Each spiritual Master sings in the same vein. There is no spiritual Master who does not suffer ruthlessly at the hands of humanity. There is not a single spiritual Master who has not suffered from humanity, so I cannot be an exception. Again, you suffer, I suffer; we all suffer. There is not a single person, either realised or unrealised, who does not suffer.
Many, many, many times I said to the Supreme, “To realise You is a Herculean task.” It takes countless incarnations to realise God. It is not that God-realisation is like drinking water. We cannot get it for the asking. No, we do not get it for an easy price. It demands many, many incarnations, inner preparations, outer preparations and the mounting flame of aspiration. But always there is hope. God’s own Hope is keeping His Universe alive. If He loses Hope, then the Game is over.
Here I am with you. Ours is a very small world. But again, I have the whole world. When a spiritual Master comes into this world, he gets a few hundred or a few thousand disciples. But in the inner world, he has to work for the entire humanity. Outwardly, he has to take care of a few hundred or a few thousand; but his inner commitment to God is such that he has to work for the whole world.
When you pray most sincerely and meditate very well, you must realise that your prayers and meditations are entering into the soul and heart of the universe. There you are helping, helping, helping those who are crying for light, love and bliss from God.
On our path, the outer manifestation is very beautiful and powerful. We are manifesting here, there and everywhere. But the inner manifestation is oneness, oneness, oneness with God’s Will. At every moment we have to offer God our love, devotion and surrender. At every moment we have to offer Him our loving, cheerful and self-giving obedience. If we neglect to offer these things to God, what can poor God do? He needs us for His Manifestation; we need Him for our realisation. If I am not a good instrument, then He chooses you. And if you are not a good instrument, He chooses somebody else. In exactly the same way, if I am a good instrument of His, then as many years as He wants me to continue His Mission, I must.
A spiritual Master comes into the world to expedite the evolution of mankind. In order to do this, he needs constant, constant, constant co-operation from humanity. Spiritual life is a one-way street, but we have forgotten, or we deliberately forget, and we make it into a two-way street. And what happens if it is really one-way? Then if we try to make it two-way and turn around, there is only collision, collision and nothing else.
Many disciples started very well, with utmost sincerity. There is not a single disciple who joined the path out of curiosity. Each and every one joined with utmost sincerity, according to his capacity, according to her capacity. Then over the years, in some cases, sincerity disappeared, eagerness disappeared, willingness disappeared. In this way some have become indulgent to their own unaspiring life.
I came of a very insignificant village, smaller than the smallest. Shakpura is even smaller than Briarwood. Look at God’s miracle-power! From there I came into existence. Then I lost my dearest ones, my father and mother. But everything happened in accordance with God’s Plan, and I entered into a spiritual community. You people are lucky. Some of you have brought your children to the path. Again, some of you saw something in me, and you felt that I would be able to play the role of your parents. I have tried my best, and you have also tried your best.
In my case, my eldest brother brought me and our whole family to the path. Our mother’s heart and soul were all for the spiritual life, but she was concerned about her children’s higher education. After God took my parents away, the whole family entered into the spiritual life with a spiritual Master.
Again, speed, speed, speed is always a factor. I was the youngest in the family, but I ran very fast. When I think of my eldest brother, in terms of praying and meditating for hours and spending time in the spiritual life, he far, far surpassed me. Long before I came to the Ashram, he spent many, many hours in prayer and meditation. Again, all my brothers were under the guidance of spiritual Masters of the highest order in their previous incarnations. Some were Jesus Christ’s disciples, some were Sri Ramakrishna’s, one was Sri Chaitanya’s and some were Sri Ramachandra’s direct, direct disciples.
One day, when you realise God — which you should, you must and you will — you will be able to tell the whole world that you were once also my direct disciples. You will also be able to claim that you were with me; you were then my contemporaries; you were then my disciples.
I have had millions of sufferings and millions of failures, inner failures, with regard to the disciples. But He who has created me, He who has created you, will not suffer failures eternally. If that were the case, then God would not have created this world — never. Either in the near future or in the distant future or in one of your future incarnations, you will realise God. I will be at that time in Heaven. God is very, very kind to me. Definitely this is my last incarnation. From Heaven I will be able to see you, help you and fulfil my vision in and through you.
My last and only request to you is this: always think that spirituality is a one-way street, not a two-way street. You may go slowly at times if you are tired, but do not turn around, do not turn back. Please remember it is a one-way street.
I do hope that one day you will be the ones who will transform my sorrows into an ocean of delight. You have come into the world to manifest me, but this manifestation can take place only on the strength of your oneness, oneness, oneness with my will. You have to go beyond and beyond and beyond all the barriers, physical, vital, mental, psychic, spiritual — all, all, all. You have to go beyond all earthly bondage. You have to conquer all the forces that are standing in your way. All our enemies are inside us, not outside us. They come in the form of doubt, suspicion, disobedience, fear, jealousy and insecurity. These inner enemies are obstructions on our way.
I have not given up, and I beg of you all not to give up. Let us continue. Let me continue having faith in you all, and I expect the same from you. Let us have mutual faith. I shall give you what the Supreme in me wants me to give you. You will also give me what the Supreme in you wants you to give me. He wants me to give you my compassion, my love, my affection, my divine sweetness, fondness and constant concern to make you happy. At the same time, He expects you to give me your constant readiness, willingness and eagerness in the form of love, devotion, surrender and cheerful obedience at every moment.
What I am supposed to give, I shall definitely, definitely, definitely give, as I am giving. What you are supposed to give, some of you give and then withdraw. For one day you give and then, for months and months, you take rest, you take vacation. But I do hope we can have a good family. To have a sweet family, the father has to give what he is supposed to give and the children have to give what they are supposed to give. Let us turn this family into a very sweet, very illumining, very fulfilling and very satisfying family.
Excruciating pangs let us forget, completely forget. Let us only grow into sweetness, peace, light and bliss.
Published in Live in the Eternal Now
2001
June 17th
Clear the way and then walk, march, run and sprint — that is meditation
Remarks by Sri Chinmoy during a special programme to celebrate Father’s Day at Aspiration-Ground
Let us start our programme with a short story. There were two friends. They were very, very, very, very dear friends. One day, God alone knows why, they had to make fun of each other...
... So here today on Father’s Day I am saying, try to do both concentration and meditation. Concentration clears the road. Otherwise, many, many thoughts come — unhealthy, uncomely thoughts. They can destroy everything. Whereas, when meditation is successful, thoughts can come, but they do not disturb us. They are like a flight of birds. The sky is so vast that these birds cannot do anything. They cannot scratch the skies. Inside the mind, there is a vast sky. When we meditate, if thoughts come, they cannot damage the mind. Whereas, during concentration time, if wrong thoughts come and if you do not concentrate intensely, then you cannot proceed to meditation. So they go side by side, concentration and meditation. If you can concentrate for five minutes and clear the road, then you will be able to run very fast during your meditation.
When you come here to Aspiration-Ground, first try to concentrate for a few minutes — three minutes or five minutes or ten minutes — then enter into meditation. Otherwise, if you try to meditate right from the start, it does not work. Only spiritual Masters and very, very highly developed spiritual seekers can jump into meditation immediately, after a few seconds. But for ordinary seekers, it is always advisable to concentrate a little so that you can conquer the thought-world. Then you can go beyond the thought-world and meditation comes. So all of you kindly try to concentrate for a few minutes when you come here to Aspiration-Ground. Then meditate. That is the right thing to do. Clear the way and then walk, march, run and sprint. That is meditation.
Published in Sri Chinmoy Answers, part 38
The Power of a Happiness-Smile
A talk by Sri Chinmoy
on Father’s Day, at Aspiration-Ground in New York
Today I am seeing that two disciples are really miserable and one is half-miserable. This is my fate — even on Father’s Day they have to remain miserable! Miserable people are no good, no good, no good! I beg of them, on Father’s Day, to become happy, happy, happy.
How can I make everybody happy? It is an impossible task. But please try to be happy, happy, happy. If you are from time to time displeased with me, at least try to forgive me and be pleased today. I am pleased with everybody today. I have no complaints against you today. And if you have complaints against yourself, then get rid of them. At least forgive yourself today. If you do not forgive yourself, nobody is going to forgive you. If you are angry with yourself, forgive yourself wisely. And if you are angry with me, forgive me and be happy, be happy. It pains me when my spiritual children are not happy. Be happy, be happy. Smile, smile, smile! The power of a happiness-smile can never be measured.
Once there was a mathematician who was deeply absorbed in his mathematics. His little son approached and stood in front of him. The father paid no attention to his son for a long time. The father thought that he would go away. He thought that it would be boring for the child to watch him, and so the child would disappear. Five minutes, ten minutes passed and the child remained standing there.
Finally the father said to himself, “Let me give him a dime. Perhaps he has come for money.”
So the father gave his son a dime, but the little boy still remained standing there. Then the father said to himself, “Let me give him a quarter.” Still the child remained standing. Then the father gave him a dollar. Nothing worked.
Eventually the father thought, “Oh, he does not need money; he needs candy.” So he opened up a drawer in his desk and gave the child a large quantity of candies. It was a big handful. Even then his son did not move.
The father was becoming irritated. He said, “What is the matter with you? I gave you money, I gave you candies. Even then, you are not going away. What do you actually want?”
His son replied, “Until you give me what I want, I am not going to leave you.”
The father got annoyed. “Now you are talking like a philosopher,” he said. “What do you want that I cannot give you?”
The son said, “I have come here only to have a smile from you.”
“You silly fellow!” exclaimed his father. “Just to have a smile from me you are waiting?”
So the father gave his son a broad smile, and the son also reciprocated and gave his father a smile. Then the child ran away. When the child ran away, the father felt that something inside him had disappeared. And what was that thing? The whole day he had been depressed and frustrated. He had not been able to solve some complex mathematical problems. But when the father gave one smile to his son, all of a sudden a wave of inspiration and divine Grace descended and he was able to solve his mathematical problems. Previously the father had been wasting so much time. First he was unable to solve the problems and then, when he saw his son, he was only getting more and more irritated, wondering why the son was not going away in spite of getting a larger and larger amount of money. And candies also did not work! What did work? A little smile that he gave to his son, and the smile that he received from his son in return.
God entered into the man’s son and made his son an instrument to ask the father to smile. All the depression and frustration-poison that the father had been carrying disappeared when he gave a little smile to his son and when the son reciprocated. Then the father got everything. All his problems were solved. This is the miracle-power of two smiles.
Here, when I smile at you, if you also smile, then you are perfect and I am perfect. When I smile at you, I am perfect; but when you do not smile at me, you are imperfect. Again, when you smile at me and I do not smile, then I am imperfect. But I must say that most of the time I am perfect in the sense that I smile at you no matter what is happening inside me. But you do not always do that when you are depressed, frustrated and angry with yourself or angry with me. Most of the time, I take the better approach because I smile, smile, smile. When I am in deep meditation, at that time I am serious. But otherwise, when you are passing by me or taking prasad, I smile and smile at you.
When it comes to smiling, I have smiled at you infinitely, infinitely, infinitely more than you have smiled at me. Here I have won the race! If you want to win the race, you can do it by smiling, smiling, smiling. If you smile, the depression and frustration-poison that you carry deep inside yourself will disappear and it will be replaced by my love, my affection, my pride and my gratitude. Once you empty yourself of your depression and frustration, once you give me a smile, you will get so many things from me in return.
Published in Live in the Eternal Now
2002
June 16th
Sri Chinmoy is presented with a huge cake by his spiritual children in honour of Father’s Day, at Aspiration-Ground in Jamaica, New York.
Repeat your spiritual name
Those who have spiritual names, if you remember the date you received your spiritual name, kindly meditate on that date. If you have forgotten, no harm. As soulfully as possible, repeat your name in silence and try to bring to the fore the divine qualities, supreme qualities, of your name.
If you do not have a spiritual name, kindly repeat “Supreme, Supreme, Supreme” most soulfully.
Published in I Wanted to be a Seeker of the Infinite
2004
June 20th
Lyrics:
There is only one Father.
His Name is Supreme,
Supreme, Supreme, Supreme,
Supreme, Supreme, Supreme.
I am His Heart’s dream,
He is my life’s Dream.
At the Father’s Day celebration, Sri Chinmoy signs Jharna-Kala prints for his disciples at Aspiration-Ground in New York.
Our Garden of Eden
Remarks by Sri Chinmoy
during the Father’s Day Celebration Aspiration-Ground
Many, many people have worked very, very hard to create our Aspiration-Ground and to transform it into the Garden of Eden. All those who have worked very hard deserve my very special blessings. Ranjana is the inspiration-source of Aspiration-Ground, and for that I offer Ranjana tremendous gratitude.
Last but not least, the Sun God has been very, very pleased with us today, right from this morning. The sun could have deliberately hidden under the clouds and ruined our festivities. We prayerfully offer the Sun God our gratitude.
Published in Only Gratitude-Tears
2005
June 19th
Father's Day!
Father offers his most
special Blessings. Love
Joy, Concern, Pride and
Gratitude
to his sweet, brave and
self-giving Children.Guru
2005
Every Day Children Strike Their Father’s Victory-Gongs
Lyrics:
Every day children strike their Father’s Victory-Gongs.
Every day children receive from their Father gratitude-heart,
gratitude-heart, gratitude-heart, gratitude-heart-songs.
Published in Miscellaneous Songs 2005
Sri Chinmoy signs Jharna-Kala prints on Father’s Day at Aspiration-Ground in New York.
2006
June 18th
The Human Father ... The Divine Father
Lyrics:
The human father
Gives his children earth-affection.
The Divine Father
Gives His children Heaven-Delight.
Published in Enthusiasm, Part 11
Our Sweetest Oneness
I am useful only when my sweet children are with me, in me and for me. I had aspiration, and with your dedication you have made me known throughout the length and breadth of the world. My aspiration is all gratitude to your service, unprecedented service. I am very, very grateful to you, extremely grateful to you all, and extremely proud of you, proud of you, proud of you.
You have made me what I am today. A tinier than the tiniest village is where I saw the light of day. I saw the light of day in Shakpura. Now you have offered to the world my inner light. It is simply a miracle. With your aspiration and your dedication you have brought my inner light to the fore, and you are helping me unimaginably to spread my inner light here, there, everywhere, everywhere.
Today I am telling you that I am your spiritual father, and throughout Eternity you will remain my spiritual children. Once my soul has accepted you, you can rest assured that you belong to me and I belong to you. I belong to you; you belong to me. There is no third party in between you and me. My children, there is nobody to block our sweetest oneness. You are for me, and I am for you. This is not only our conviction, but also our realisation.
At times the father can be strict. But again, the same father has ever-glowing and ever-growing affection, love, sweetness and fondness for his children, and I am that father. I am that father to love you every day more and more and more and more. And if you have a little bit of imperfection, I gladly take it as my own, very own. Never be afraid of your imperfections or your weaknesses. Just throw them into me, as you throw garbage into the garbage can. Everything that you have, good or bad, my universal heart is more than happy to accept from you. Your good qualities and bad qualities just offer to me. My Universal Consciousness — which I have and which I am, believe it or not — will gladly accept and house all your qualities, good and bad.
Once more I am telling you, my heart’s infinite gratitude, gratitude and gratitude I am offering to each of you. Infinite, infinite, infinite — I repeat — infinite gratitude I am offering to each of you, for you have made me what I am now for world service.
Published in Our Sweetest Oneness
Sri Chinmoy signs Jharna-Kala prints during the Father’s Day celebration at Aspiration-Ground in Jamaica, New York.
2007
June 17th
Sri Chinmoy signs Jharna-Kala prints during the Father’s Day celebration at Aspiration-Ground in Jamaica, New York.
The Riddle
A story by Sri Chinmoy
told at the Father’s Day function at Aspiration-Ground
There was once a king who had a most beautiful daughter. She was endowed with beauty, intelligence, self-giving and many other virtues. When she was of age, her father wanted her to get married. She told her father, “I am ready to marry, but first I shall have to ask the person only one question. Whoever can answer the question correctly, I shall without fail marry.”
Many, many prospective bridegrooms came to the court. They were from different walks of life, and they were all eager to marry such a beautiful, intelligent and pious girl. To each one, she posed the same question. Her question was: “Who is both blind and not blind at the same time?”
Some of the candidates were puzzled; others became angry or disgusted. A few of them even cursed her. All of them said, “Either one has to be blind or not blind. How can one person be both blind and not blind at the same time?”
Published in The Power of Kindness and Other Stories