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 delivers a talk entitled ‘Conscience’, at Sherwood Hall Boys’ School, Stuart Avenue, Forest Town, Nottinghamshire, Mansfield, UK.
Sri Chinmoy completes 500 Jharna-Kala paintings in 100 minutes, in Jamaica, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy offers a silent meditation at the start of the 9,000-mile Liberty Torch Relay, at Battery Park in Manhattan, NY, USA. New York Lieutenant-Governor Mary Ann Krupsak lights the torch, which the runners will carry day and night for the next six weeks through all 50 American states.
Sri Chinmoy’s song ‘Welcome’ is named an official welcoming song of the City of Albany by Mayor Erastus Corning when it is played on the Carillon at City Hall in Albany, New York, USA.
Sri Chinmoy meets Ambassador Ilinome Tarua of Papua New Guinea following a programme for United Nations Charter Day, at the United Nations in New York.
Sri Chinmoy begins his weightlifting career with an overhead lift of 40 lbs. at Aspiration-Ground in Jamaica, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert (155) at his third weightlifting anniversary, where he inaugurates the Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart Award by lifting Mahasamrat Bill Pearl, 5-time Mr. Universe, at Julia Richman High School in New York, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy holds a 10:30 a.m. morning meditation to commemorate the 44th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter at London’s Westminster Methodist Central Hall in Westminster Abbey in London, UK. (This is especially significant because in that same hall on 26 June 1944 the first General Assembly of the United Nations took place.) Afterwards, Sri Chinmoy holds a ‘Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart’ programme, at which he lifts pianist Andre Desponds and others.
Sri Chinmoy composes a song, entitled ‘Oxford University’.
Sri Chinmoy offers an evening Peace Concert (193) with an organ recital (51), preceded by a short talk entitled ‘A Conversation with My Lord Supreme’, in the Sheldonian Theatre, at the University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. Sri Chinmoy’s special guest at both his concert and the organ recital is Sir George Trevelyan, the grandfather of the Movement for Spiritual Regeneration in Britain. (The famous theatre was designed by Sir Christopher Wren around 1664.)
Sri Chinmoy gives an afternoon organ recital (50) at Christ Church Cathedral, Christ Church College, in Oxford University, followed by a ‘Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart’ programme in the home garden of, antiquarian and missionary in India, Mr. Robin Waterfield in Oxford. Sri Chinmoy honours Professor Dame Dorothy Hodgkin (1964 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, University of Oxford); Professor B.K. Matilal (Professor of Sanskrit and Indian Studies, University of Oxford); Dr. Nicholas Goodrick-Clark (historian and author, University of Oxford); Sir George Trevelyan (educator and founder of the Wrekin Trust); and host of the function Mr. Robin Waterfield.
Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert (353) — the 15th of 39 concerts held in honour of Swami Vivekananda — at the Paul Robeson Theater in Brooklyn, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy visits three of the five Canberra Sri Chinmoy Peace Capital signs that are placed at the road entrances to Australia’s capital city. The next afternoon, Sri Chinmoy visits the other two signs. Canberra was dedicated as Sri Chinmoy Peace Capital on 16 March 1995 by the Federal Minister for Sport Ros Kelly.
Sri Chinmoy visits a display of his ‘Soul-Bird’ artworks in the Senate Foyer of Parliament House in Canberra, Australia. Prior to Sri Chinmoy’s arrival in Australia, the public exhibition had been on display since 7 June and continues through to 30 June 1995.
At the invitation of Prime Minister Paul Keating, Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert (408) — the 8th of 50 concerts held in honour of the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations — in the Great Hall of Parliament House in Canberra, Australia. (The concert coincides with the exact date of the signing of the United Nations Charter 50 years earlier in San Francisco, CA, USA.)
Sri Chinmoy hosts a special banquet for Environmental Ministers — the Bangladesh Minister for Environment and Forests, Mrs. Sajeda Chowdhury; Ghana’s Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, J. E. Afful; and Zimbabwe’s Minister of Environment and Tourism, Chen Chimutengwende; as well as representatives from the Bahamas Moldova and Sweden — at Annam Brahma restaurant in Jamaica, NY, USA. Sri Chinmoy presents his honoured guests with an environmental and peace award on behalf of ‘Sri Chinmoy: The Peace Meditation at the United Nations’, which he leads.
Sri Chinmoy achieves a lift of 900 lbs. using a seated calf raise, in Jamaica, NY, USA.
Uganda is declared a Sri Chinmoy Peace-Blossom-Nation.
Sri Chinmoy lifts Jim Smith, World Masters Weightlifting Champion, in Standlake, Oxfordshire, UK.
Sri Chinmoy lifts 26 people, including numerous professors, at Oxford University in Oxford, UK.
Sri Chinmoy recounts ‘Two Sweet Incidents’ in the Bronx, at an informal gathering of his students at Aspiration-Ground in Jamaica, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert at Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans, LA, USA.
JAMAICA, NY — The top Environmental Ministers of Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Ghana took a break from their Earth Summit + 5 meetings at the United Nations on June 26 to visit peace advocate Sri Chinmoy and accept awards on behalf of their countries.
Sri Chinmoy honored the Ministers at a special banquet and presented their countries with an environmental and peace award on behalf of ‘Sri Chinmoy: The Peace Meditation at the United Nations’, which he leads.
“I cannot find the right words to ... acknowledge the honor done to my country,” declared J. E. Afful, Ghana’s Minister of Environment, Science and Technology. “I am deeply touched by this wonderful gesture and I accept the award in all humility ...”
The Bangladesh Minister for Environment and Forests, Mrs. Sajeda Chowdhury, voiced a similar sentiment. Speaking through a translator, she said, “I find peace when I come here,” and said she hoped Sri Chinmoy and the Meditation Group “will continue with your message of peace and love for all the people of the world.”
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Environment and Tourism, Chen Chimutengwende, also was “very touched,” he said. The Minister had met Sri Chinmoy a year and a half ago in Harare, when the peace advocate had visited President Mugabe.
“We in Zimbabwe recognize the good work you are doing in the United Nations and internationally in promoting love and peace,” he declared.
Representatives from Sweden, the Bahamas and Moldova also attended the banquet and received awards from Sri Chinmoy.
Published in Anahata Nada, Volume 26, April-August 1997
Listen to the New York singers performing Welcome
Welcome, by Sri Chinmoy, is named an official welcoming song of the City of Albany, capital of New York State, by Mayor Erastus Corning, when it was played on the Carillon at City Hall.
Welcome will be performed to greet dignitaries and state officials visiting Albany. It is one of the Four Universals, four songs composed by Sri Chinmoy for special occasions: Welcome, Congratulation, Thank You, and Farewell.
Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert in the Great Hall at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia.
Excerpts from a letter dated 24 April 1995 from His Excellency Mr. Paul J. Keating, Prime Minister of Australia, regarding the Peace Concert in Australia:
Your activities in inspiring a vision of peace are recognised around the world, as is your special contribution to the United Nations. It would be a privilege to have one of your Peace Concerts performed in Australia.
Peace Concert dedication by Sri Chinmoy:
Today’s Peace Concert I am soulfully offering to the all-illumining soul of the United Nations. Precisely fifty years ago the United Nations saw the light of day in San Francisco, California. The Charter of the United Nations was signed there. Many visionaries were present, but a beloved son of Australia, Dr. Evatt, was endowed with the vision supreme. His vision was clear; his vision was perfect. He wanted the young and the old alike to express their illumining values, to share the truth with the rest of the world. Many were not certain of the destination of the United Nations, but Dr. Evatt's vision was absolutely clear. He was certain that the boat of the United Nations would arrive at the destined goal at God's choice Hour. This world of ours would one day be flooded with peace. A oneness-world would definitely be established.
O Australia, O ancient land, you take a drop from the rest of the world, and in return you offer an ocean. You take a streak of light from the world, and you offer the sun. Your heart's magnanimity forever and forever remains unparalleled in the inner world of aspiration and in the outer world of dedication.
To you, to your heart, to your life and to your soul I bow and bow and bow.
Published in My prayerful salutations to the United Nations
Sri Chinmoy meditates at his Peace Concert in the Great Hall of Parliament House in Canberra, Australia. The backdrop for the concert was designed by Sulman-Prize-winning Australian artist Pranavanta John Montefiore.
A talk by Sri Chinmoy on Tuesday evening
at Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, New York
Today we have inaugurated something very beautiful and very, very, very meaningful. I am extremely grateful both to the officials and to the runners. Again and again I am thanking you from the very depths of my heart. You all have my special love and gratitude. I shall be very, very grateful if you can come regularly; I shall offer you my heart of love and gratitude. Unless you are severely injured, you should run regularly. If you cannot run, please come here as spectators. Especially the officials must come regularly. Those of you who are officials, please take this as part of your devoted and selfless service.
I am very, very happy, very pleased, very proud of my children. I sincerely feel that this has been a tremendous success. By next week we will be able to announce this race to many organisations, and they will join us. Two miles is nothing. Invite your friends!
One other thing: I would like both the officials and the disciples who are not participating to please be extremely kind and sympathetic in every possible way to all the runners.
Sri Chinmoy begins his weightlifting career with an overhead lift of 40 lbs. at Aspiration-Ground in Jamaica, New York.
A prayer by Sri Chinmoy
before weightlifting training at his home in New York
My Lord Supreme, my Beloved Supreme, my Eternity's All, today marks the first anniversary of my weightlifting career.
There was a time when You made me a runner, a sprinter, an athlete.
Now You have turned me into a bodybuilder, a weightlifter.
My Lord, soulfully, devotedly and unconditionally I shall become what You want me to become.Bodybuilders of the highest magnitude, weightlifters of the highest magnitude, Olympic heroes, are here to celebrate my weightlifting anniversary.
I know, I know, my Lord Supreme, what they are actually doing.
They are sharing their sincere love for Your infinite Compassion in me.
They are all seekers.
Some are conscious seekers, while others are going to be conscious seekers before long.
What do I learn from them?
I learn something most significant.
This lesson I have been learning from You since I was four, when I started praying and meditating with Your infinite Grace.My Lord, You are the Infinite.
You become the finite, yet You do not lose Your Eternity, Infinity and Immortality.
The finite is also You.
Inside the heart of the finite, You play the role of the Infinite.
Here on earth, when the supreme authorities on bodybuilding and weightlifting come to see me and be part of our oneness-family, I feel that the Infinite and the finite, the big and the small, together can sing the song of oneness-peace-family and thus make You happy, offering You satisfaction in Your own Way.My Lord, my Lord, my Lord, may my outer name and my inner name be gratitude, gratitude, gratitude — sleepless gratitude, breathless gratitude and deathless gratitude — my Lord, my Eternity's Lord, my Absolute Beloved Supreme.
Published in I Pray before I Lift, I Meditate while I Lift, I Offer my Gratitude-Cries and Gratitude-Smiles
CANBERRA
A SRI CHINMOY PEACE CAPITAL
Sri Chinmoy visits three of the five Canberra Sri Chinmoy Peace Capital signs that are placed at the road entrances to Australia’s capital city. The next afternoon, Sri Chinmoy visits the other two signs.
Canberra was dedicated as Sri Chinmoy Peace Capital on 16 March 1995 by the Federal Minister for Sport Ros Kelly.
A talk by Sri Chinmoy
at Sherwood Hall Boys’ School, Stuart Avenue, Forest Town, Nottinghamshire, Mansfield, England
Dear sisters and brothers, dear members of my spiritual family, here we are all seekers, seekers of the infinite Truth. When I say my family, I literally mean it. Because we are all seekers, I claim to be a spiritual brother of yours, an Indian brother of yours. Let us go deep within and try to realise what has prompted us or inspired us to be seekers.
There are millions of people on earth who do not have the inner urge to lead a spiritual life. How is it that we are crying for Light, Delight, Love and Compassion from the Absolute Supreme? How is it that we are trying to lead a better life, a more illumining and fulfilling life, a spiritual life? It is because we have been awakened by the infinite Grace of the Supreme.
The moment we are awakened our conscience plays its most significant role. The Sanskrit term for conscience is viveka. Conscience is the inner voice. It is the voice of inner light. The difference between inner light and outer light I am sure all of us know. Outer light immediately exposes us. If we do something wrong, it will expose us and we will immediately be caught. But inner light acts in a different way. Inner light will never, never expose us. On the contrary, inner light will illumine us. If we make a mistake, if we commit even the worst possible Himalayan blunder, the inner light will come to our rescue. It will illumine us so that we will not do the same thing again.
The inner light tells us what to say, what to do and what to become. What to say? God is for all. God is not only for me, but He is also for you, for everyone. What to do? Love God in every human being. What to become? Conscious, constant and unconditional instruments of God. When we do the right thing, God blesses us. When we say the right thing, God smiles at us. When we become the right thing, God embraces us.
The inner light constantly inspires us and, at the same time, warns us not to go back to our animal life. We all came from the animal kingdom. Even now animal propensities quite often reign supreme in our human consciousness. But the inner light warns us not to go back to the animal life. It tells us to stay at least in the human life proper. There are people on earth who quarrel and fight and lead an animal life. Because we are seekers we have already transcended that life. Now it is our bounden duty to transcend the human life and enter into the divine life. In human life the animal consciousness and the divine consciousness both play their roles. But the animal consciousness plays its role most powerfully and most vehemently, whereas the role of the divine consciousness is very insignificant. Only in an infinitesimal measure do we notice the role of the divine life. But since we are all seekers, we are well determined to do away with our animal life, to transform our human life totally and to enter into the domain of the divine life — the life of light and delight.
It becomes easier for us to illumine the animal life provided we know what the animal life was. The animal life was destruction; the human life that we are now leading is nothing short of frustration; the divine life that we are aiming at is the life of selfless dedication. It is to please our Inner Pilot that we have entered into the world-arena. If we are totally, selflessly and unconditionally dedicated to the Inner Pilot, then we discover the meaning of life. Life is not a chimerical mist, a fantastic dream. Life is a solid reality awaiting transformation; and it is we who can bring down the Kingdom of Heaven into the immediacy of today to transform the earth-consciousness.
The inner light is our creative and conscious evolution. Who is actually evolving in us? God the man is evolving. That is to say, man is ascending towards the topmost height, the pinnacle. And God the Saviour, God the Liberator, is descending into the abyss to transform the darkness-ignorance of millennia with His supernal, infinite Light.
When we are in the process of creative evolution, we notice that God is constantly standing in front of us and pleading with us to enter into His Boat so that He can carry us to the Golden Shore of the Beyond. When we are in the process of conscious evolution, we see God constantly within us and without us, guiding us in our multifarious day-to-day activities.
When the inner light of conscience guides us, we do not care for success; we care only for progress. Success is always limited but progress is unlimited. Success very often plays its role in the vital world, but progress always plays its role in the psychic world, in the inner world. When we make progress we have to know that there is no such thing as failure; success always looms large. If we aim at success, then we shall be bound by our very, very limited vision. But if we aim at progress, then we are aiming at something that is ever-transcending — an ever-transcending reality of the Beyond.
Conscience is our confidence — inner confidence and outer confidence. Inner confidence tells us that we are of God. Outer confidence tells us that we are for God. This confidence is not vital aggression. This confidence is the revelation of our soul's light inside the heart. This confidence is perfection in life, and perfection is the transformation of our earth-bound consciousness. When our earth-bound consciousness is transformed into the Heaven-free Consciousness, at that time God-satisfaction dawns both in Heaven and on earth.
Without the evolved, transformed consciousness we cannot realise the Highest. Conscience is just like a tiny drop, whereas consciousness is the mightiest ocean. Consciousness is always present in the spiritual life; consciousness and the spiritual life are synonymous. Consciousness drops and consciousness rises. When the consciousness is low, that means that the inner light is not operating. When consciousness is high, it means that the light of conscience is operating most significantly in that individual.
The desiring man derives satisfaction from his pleasure-life. The aspiring man derives satisfaction from his dedicated and surrendered aspiration-life. For the true seeker there is no such thing as compromise between these two lives. An ordinary human being will always try to make a compromise. Early in the morning he needs God. But when evening sets in, he encounters all the forces of temptation and desire. At that time he hankers after earth-bound limitations. He wants fifty percent God and fifty percent ignorance. But a seeker of the highest Truth cannot do that; he has to be totally uncompromising. For him, there is only God and God alone.
There are some human beings who are very clever. They want to remain neutral — neither for God nor for ignorance. But if you enter into the inmost recesses of their hearts, you are bound to notice that they have already taken one side; yet because they fear the consequences of choosing one side, they do not support any path. They do not take God’s side; they do not take the side of ignorance. In the ordinary human life, we appreciate the person who is neutral. But in the spiritual life there is no place for a person with a neutral feeling. If you cannot accept God wholeheartedly, you are bound to wallow in the pleasures of ignorance. Millions and millions of people are wallowing in the pleasures of ignorance. You can also add to their ignorance; you can offer your own contribution. But if you are really hungry for Light, for the Truth of the Beyond, then accept God wholeheartedly. You will see how He fulfils your longing — not your temptation, not your desiring life, but your life of aspiration.
When a seeker becomes sincerity itself, God the Infinite plays His role inside the finite consciousness of the seeker. In this case the finite houses the Infinite and the finite becomes the conscious channel, the chosen instrument through which the Infinite operates here in the earth-consciousness. It is the receptivity of the seeker that allows God to manifest in and through him and that enables Mother Earth to be inundated with infinite Peace, Light and Bliss.
I understand there are quite a few teachers here who are teaching Hatha Yoga. That is extremely good. Hatha Yoga is the first step in our spiritual life. In the highest form of spirituality, Hatha Yoga is like kindergarten. We need not start in kindergarten, but we cannot skip all the levels and expect to get our Master’s degree. That is impossible. On the other hand, if one thinks that he can complete his kindergarten course and not go any higher, not take any higher courses, then he is making a deplorable mistake. He has to eventually go on to high school and college and take the highest course. In the spiritual life the highest course is God-realisation. Physical discipline is important in the spiritual life. But if we expect God-realisation from Hatha Yoga, then we will be badly disappointed. In any Indian village you will find hundreds of Hatha Yoga experts. But for most of these people, God-realisation is a far cry.
The necessity of physical discipline nobody can deny. But beyond the physical is the spiritual. We have to raise our consciousness to the spiritual. It is inside the spiritual that Divinity, Infinity, Eternity and Immortality are constantly singing and dancing. We have to climb up the mango tree, pluck mangoes and then climb down and eat. If we stay at the foot of the tree and do not climb up, how are we going to get the mangoes?
In no way am I throwing cold water on those who are teaching and practising Hatha Yoga. But please feel the necessity of going on to the highest course. That is to say, you have to go to the inner high school, college and university. The course at the university consists of three subjects: concentration, meditation and contemplation. These three subjects are most important. They are taught through the inner awakened and developed consciousness. First we have to learn how to concentrate. Then we have to learn how to meditate. Finally, we have to learn how to contemplate.
When we concentrate we must not allow even an iota of thought to enter into our mind. We have to focus our concentration on a particular object or subject and nothing else. Then we must enter into it and go beyond it. When we go beyond it, we feel that we have reached the soul. We started from our physical existence. When we reach the soul’s plane we see that the soul-consciousness is observing the body-consciousness, and the body-consciousness is entering into the soul-consciousness. When the body-consciousness is entering into the soul-consciousness, the body is realising the Highest. When the soul is concentrating on the body, the soul is manifesting in the physical consciousness the Light of the Beyond. This is concentration.
The next step is meditation. In meditation the first thing we do is to make the mind absolutely calm and quiet. Then we empty the heart so that God can fill it with His message of Light and Delight. When we meditate, we become the listener and God becomes the talker. God will offer us a message from the Highest and we shall listen to His message. But in order to receive this message we have to make our mind absolutely calm and quiet; we have to make our mind as vast as the sky or the ocean. The aim of meditation is to bring down the Infinite into the finite and carry the finite to the Infinite. The finite enters into Infinity for its highest realisation, and the Infinite enters into the finite for its supreme manifestation.
The third step is called contemplation. This is done only when the seeker is far advanced. We started our studies with concentration. As we became expert in concentration, we began meditation. But contemplation takes years and sometimes incarnations to learn because contemplation can be properly done only when the seeker is on the verge of realisation. Here the seeker totally merges with the Supreme. The divine lover becomes totally one, inseparably one with the Supreme Beloved. The finite totally loses its separativity and becomes one with the infinite Peace, Light and Bliss. At that time infinite Peace, Light and Bliss are housed perfectly in an earthly being.
Published in My Rose Petals, part 3
A talk by Sri Chinmoy
at The Sheldonian Theatre, University of Oxford, England
Peace is in the beauty of my silence-mind. Peace is in the fragrance of my surrender-heart.
A new flame of aspiration inside my heart needs a new awakening of my self-giving service: peace for mankind.
My Lord Supreme, I would like to ask You a few soulful and spiritual questions. Will You kindly answer them, my Lord Supreme?
"Certainly, My child. I shall answer all your questions."
My Lord, I am a Truth-seeker and I am a God-lover. My Lord, I wish to glorify You. Please tell me how I can glorify You.
"My child, if you sincerely want to glorify Me, then never be afraid of Me, but be all love. Love Me soulfully, love Me sleeplessly, love Me breathlessly and, finally, love Me unconditionally if you want to glorify Me here on earth."
My Lord, please tell me how my spiritual life can deal with Your Greatness-Mind and Your Goodness-Heart.
"My child, never, never try to understand My Infinity's Greatness-Mind. Never. Try to feel at every moment My Immortality's Goodness in your heart of aspiration and in your life of dedication."
My Lord Supreme, You know I have an animal vital, a human mind and a divine heart. How can I use them properly?
"The animal vital of yours, never, never use. Never use it to challenge the world, to devour the world. Never.
Your human mind, never use it to lord it over others, to achieve supremacy. No, never. Your divine heart, use it at every moment to establish oneness-peace here, there and everywhere throughout the length and breadth of the world. Use your divine heart to establish oneness-peace, peace universal."
My Lord Supreme, out of Your infinite Bounty, You have given me Your Joy, Blessings and Compassion. These are Your Gifts supreme to earth. Quite often, I forget that I have received these Blessings from You. I do not remember them. Do You feel sad when I do not remember Your supreme Blessings?
"No, My child, I do not feel sad if you do not remember My Blessings supreme which I have bestowed upon you. But I do feel sad when you forget the things that you have done for Me since you entered into the spiritual life: your aspiration-heart, your dedication-life, your willingness and your gratitude-heart. Always try to remember the good things you have done. Only by remembering the good things that you have done for Me will you be able to increase your good qualities. By thinking of your good qualities and meditating on your good qualities, you are bound to increase them and you are bound to improve your spiritual life. You will be able to run fast, faster, fastest and this will make Me happy, divinely happy and supremely happy.
So, My child, always remember the things that you have done for Me most devotedly and soulfully. What I have done for you and what I will do for you is all done unconditionally. I do not expect anything in return from you. Always try to remember what you have given Me so that your present achievements can be the foundation of your supreme life-temple that will reach high, higher, highest."
My Lord Supreme, what is the difference between outer education and inner education?
"My child, the outer education tells you how to scrutinise Me. While scrutinising Me, you are unconsciously trying to crucify Me. Your outer education also teaches you how to possess the world. To your utter surprise, while trying to possess the world, you are possessed mercilessly.
Your inner education is an eternal thirst, an eternal hunger. This eternal thirst and this eternal hunger bring you into My Heart of complete Satisfaction. My child, if you want the life of spirituality, if you want to make yourself divinely and supremely happy, then your inner education is of paramount importance."
My Lord Supreme, my last question: what do You think of me?
"My child, I think of you exactly the way I think of Myself. I think of you as another God. In Heaven you are My dreamer-partner, and here on earth you are My action-partner.
Together we dream of a better and more illumining creation. On the strength of your unconditional surrender and your gratitude-heart, My child, we have become inseparably one. Each seeker-heart is inseparably one with Me for My manifestation here on earth."
In my silence-mind is the peace-seed. In my gratitude-heart is the peace-plant. In my surrender-life is the peace-tree.
Published in The Mind Loves the Heart, the Mind Becomes the Heart, part 1
Reminicences by Sri Chinmoy
at Aspiration-Groundin Jamaica, New York
I shall tell two sweet incidents about the Bronx.
A very, very stout lady from the Bronx came a few times to the Indian Consulate when I was working there. She immediately became like my grandmother! She took me to her place and gave me so many things to eat. She became my real grandmother. That was my first Bronx experience.
I had a very, very devoted disciple from the Bronx in the early days. I gave her the spiritual name Ballabha. She used to come to meditate at my place in Manhattan. In those days there were about fifteen or twenty disciples. I used to stand in front of each and every disciple offering a rose. First I would give the rose and then I would look at the person and meditate. I was standing and they were seated. It was very nice.
One day this lady invited me to come with a disciple to her place in the Bronx. Can you imagine, she had kept all the roses, dried, in a jar. So beautifully she had decorated the jar. The dried petals of all the roses that I had given her she had kept. I was extremely, extremely moved.
Then she started talking about her brother. Again and again she was using the word “belligerent, belligerent!” Perhaps I had heard the word before, but it was not striking a chord. She was telling me, “My brother is belligerent, belligerent!” That word, “belligerent,” I learnt from her.
Published in The Temple and the Shrine