Sri Chinmoy meets with Prime Minister of Iceland Thorsteinn Pálsson at Government House in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Sri Chinmoy meets with President of Iceland Vigdís Finnbogadóttir at Government House in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Meetings in Iceland
Sri Chinmoy meets with Prime Minister Thorsheim Palsson and President Vigdis Finnbogadottir of Iceland at Government House in Reykjavik, Iceland. Later in the afternoon, Sri Chinmoy meets with the Bishop of Iceland, Pétur Sigurgeirsson.
On 19 March 1988, Sri Chinmoy makes the following remarks:
Three important meetings
For the first time, I met with the President and Prime Minister of a country and the head of their spiritual community, all in a matter of two hours. This happened in Iceland.
First I met with the Prime Minister for about ten minutes or so. He had agreed to meet with me because some Members of Parliament had requested it. But he did not know anything about me. He asked so many questions!
The room where we met was simplicity incarnate. Even the mayors’ offices that I have been to are all decorated very gorgeously. But this room was simpler than the simplest.
Heart-to-heart talk
Next I met with the President of Iceland. Her office was just next to the Prime Minister’s. In the beginning she allowed the newspaper photographers and television people to take pictures, but then she asked everyone to leave. She knew all about me, and she wanted to have a very private talk, with no tape recorders or photographers. So we had a very soulful heart-to-heart talk for about half an hour.
We spoke about peace, and both of us understood one another. Towards the end she was telling me that she wants to lead a spiritual life like us, but right now it is simply impossible for her.
She is very simple, very kind-hearted, very intelligent and quite dynamic. She is also mature, tolerant and self-giving. I was extremely pleased with the interview.
Published in The World-Experience-Tree-Cimber, part 6
Tea and coffee from the Bishop
During my recent visit to Iceland, I met with the Bishop of the Lutheran Church. His name is Bishop Pétur Sigurgeirsson. This Bishop was so nice. From the beginning to the end, he showed me such affection. Our interview lasted for over an hour.
At first he said he wanted a private interview and nobody could accompany me. But then he changed his mind and invited all the disciples to come in.
He was begging everyone to drink tea or coffee and to eat the bread and cheese that he had provided. It was like a family gathering.
He could not understand why I do not drink tea or coffee, so I had to give a long explanation. Then, when he heard that I am a vegetarian, he had a volley of questions.
He knew all about prayer but he had no idea what meditation is. He could not imagine how anybody could meditate without thought. So we had a long discussion about prayer and meditation.
I told him that when I was in India, I used to meditate for six or seven hours at a time. He believed what I told him, but he said that it was impossible for him to keep his own mind quiet for more than a few minutes.
At the end, we meditated for a minute or two and prayed with our heads down. Then he stood up and said, “You know, I am eighty-six years old!” Then he placed his hands on my shoulders and pressed down on them with utmost affection. He was so sweet, so kind and so full of affection, love and wisdom.
Published in My Book of Tea and Coffee Experiences
A Letter to Pope John Paul II
by Sri Chinmoy
Your Holiness:
With such joy I am writing to offer you my heart’s boundless love and my life’s sleepless gratitude on the occasion of your upcoming Birthday.
You are the absolutely divinely chosen instrument of our all-loving Father to guide humanity in His Light. Christians and non-Christians alike love you, adore you and revere you. Your Birthday is a cause for celebration for the entire aspiring world.
Published in Pope John Paul II: God’s Heart-Prize Winner
Sri Chinmoy lifts Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the United Nations Millennium Hotel in New York.
“You are part of the spiritual force of love that emanates from God and which will transform the evil of this world into its counterpart. Thank you for persisting and going on, going on. Perhaps the world continues in existence only because of people like yourselves who help to hold it in being.” — Archbishop Desmond Tutu