Sri Chinmoy’s Radio Interview
on Radio Orwell, Ipswich, England
Listen to the interview with Sri Chinmoy
Sri Chinmoy's Television Interview
with ITV, Ipswich, England
Interviewer: Yoga is becoming highly respectable. One Guru at least has been welcomed in the corridors of power. He's Guru Sri Chinmoy, who's Guru to the United Nations Meditation Group in New York. Sri Chinmoy was taking a break from his U.N. work today and enjoying a visit to Ipswich. For six years now, Sri Chinmoy has been Guru at the United Nations in New York, ministering to the spiritual needs of a growing number of the U.N.'s official staff. The Indian-born teacher and philosopher sees meditation as essential to world unity and peace, a view shared by his U.N. disciples, who see meditation as "Our hope for mankind."
Today his English disciples meditated with their Master in a room that was heavy with the scent of flowers and incense. Afterwards, I talked with Sri Chinmoy about his role at the U.N.
Sri Chinmoy: At the United Nations they are giving me the opportunity to be of service to them. I am not a teacher; I am a server. There is a great difference between a teacher and a server. I serve the United Nations according to the capacity that the Supreme has granted me, and there are people who are kind enough to accept my service.
Interviewer: Why does there seem to be an increase in interest in what meditation can do for mankind? I notice that on the U. N. Meditation Group book here, they call meditation "Our hope for mankind."
Sri Chinmoy: United Nations members have already tried other ways and have not been successful. So now some of them are trying this way, the inner way. The outer way they have tried; through politics and various outer means they have tried to bring about peace. But, unfortunately, they have not succeeded. So now they are trying to cultivate the inner way.
Interviewer: When you talk about peace are you talking about individual peace of mind or world peace?
Sri Chinmoy: I am talking about both: individual peace of mind and also world peace. The world is composed of you and I, he and she. So if you have peace of mind, I have peace of mind and he has peace of mind, then automatically it becomes universal peace.
Interviewer: So you think that an increased awareness of meditation and interest in meditation in lots of nations throughout the world brings hope for world peace and unity?
Sri Chinmoy: That is the only way, I feel. When a nation cares for peace, then another nation joins it and also cares for peace. In this way all the nations eventually will care for peace. At that time there cannot be any war or any ill feeling among nations.
Interviewer: Thank you, Sri Chinmoy.
Published in My Rose Petals, part 7