The Senate of Puerto Rico Honours Sri Chinmoy
February 20, 1975
Mr President: Senator Marcano
Senator Marcano: I would like to bring to the attention of this Senate the fact that on this day we have the great privilege and honour of receiving the visit of a spiritual leader, whom I would not call a spiritual leader of India, but rather a spiritual leader of the world. I am referring to Sri Chinmoy Kumar Ghose of India.
Sri Chinmoy is the Spiritual Director of the United Nations Meditation Group. He was born in India and has lived in the United States since 1964. He is a man who has dedicated his life to meditation and to the experience of union with God through spiritual discipline. His achievements have reached the extent where he is now conducting meditations at the United Nations twice a week. Undoubtedly he is a spiritual leader who offers guidelines for meditation and for the growth of the life of the spirit. I believe it is a special privilege to receive the visit of Sri Chinmoy in the Senate of Puerto Rico.
He has organised meditation groups in the United States and in various countries of the world and also a centre for meditation in Puerto Rico. In addition, he has visited the major universities of the United States and of the world, offering lectures on the spiritual experience of oneness with God through meditation. His books have been accepted as textbooks for accredited university courses on spiritual philosophy, and he has the special opportunity of presenting to the President of the Senate and our fellow senators one of his many books. I have had the opportunity, Mr. President, of speaking with him a few minutes ago and I feel he is a person of profound simplicity, yet a great spiritual intensity radiates from his being. He is not a militant of any particular sect, but rather an exponent of meditation and of the mystical experience which is of great importance to the spiritual growth of each person.
I bring this information to this Body since we have the privilege of having him here with some of his disciples. He has a special interest in personally knowing every senator that wishes to greet him and receive from him a copy of one of his books.
Upon recessing today, Mr. President, I am going to propose that the President invite all the senators to proceed to the North Gallery to greet this great spiritual leader who honours us by pausing in his work and visiting the Senate of Puerto Rico.
I therefore propose that upon recessing we go and greet him and receive from him a copy of one of his works.
Mr. President: Senator Nazario de Ferrer
Senator Nazario de Ferrer: Before recessing, we would like to welcome this distinguished guest, along with his disciples, who have come to the Senate. Since we believe that no one wishes to hinder the numerous ecumenical movements in the world and also because we deeply respect the maturity of his followers, we welcome him and offer him our solidarity, our greetings and our friendship.
Mr. President: Senator Fernandez
Senator Fernandez: Mr. President and fellow Legislators, with the deep feeling of Christianity which I have always had in my life, it gives me great pleasure to have had the honour and privilege of meeting Sri Chinmoy, one of the people with the most Christian understanding, the most profound realisation, we can say, in terms of knowing God. As our Speaker has said, he is a man of extraordinary simplicity which denotes the highest knowledge of God. For me, as a Christian woman and as a member of this Senate of Puerto Rico, his visit makes me immensely happy and thankful to God for I know that the high, positive vibrations of this great Guru will radiate through the Senate and fill it with peace and harmony during the time we have left.
I, Mr. President, am greatly disturbed by the way we are living, not only here but in the entire world, and if the United Nations is conscious of this and meditations are offered there twice a week, why can’t we meditate in the Puerto Rican Legislature? This will not only benefit the Senate and the House but also I feel that the visit of this great Guru will tremendously benefit the country of Puerto Rico. Here at the Legislature I am sure love, understanding and brotherhood will be felt without any religious differences. I wholeheartedly join our Speaker in welcoming Sri Chinmoy and telling him that his presence has greatly honoured us.
Mr. President: Senator Mendez
Senator Mendez: Mr. President, I would like to add a few short words to the expressions of satisfaction and pleasure that my colleagues have expressed in reference to the visit of Master Sri Chinmoy. He is truly a worker for peace, a worker of the spirit, a mystic from the East who has come to bring his word, experiences, and the message of an extraordinary spiritual civilisation. It seems to me that the world is seeking messengers of peace. The world is seeking those who work for harmony, kindness and order. The world is seeking men who can dedicate their lives to cultivate human harmony, in order to bring us once again the exalted feeling of God’s presence in each and every action in our lives. Therefore, it has been a real honour for me to shake his hand this afternoon.
I have met some of his disciples, and I know of the labour that he has been doing not only as a Spiritual Master, but also as a musician, as a painter and as an exponent of all the things that reveal an extraordinary capacity to understand the human being. That is why today, I am pleased to unite my words with those of my companions.
Mr. President: Senator Marcano
Senator Marcano: Mr. President, I would like to propose two things. First to make clear on record the presence of this Master who honours us this afternoon. Also, to record the Senate’s salutations and our profound appreciation for his visit and to prepare a document expressing the feeling of this Body to be offered to him.
Secondly, I propose that the words expressed here this afternoon of welcome and deep spiritual gratitude for his visit, and the expression of honour that we have felt by his presence be transcribed and the transcription of these words be sent to Master Sri Chinmoy.
So I propose, Mr. President.
Honourable Juan Cancel Rios (President): Anticipating the unanimous approval of the Body regarding Senator Marcano’s motion, the Presidency makes his own each and every one of the tributes that were motivated by the visit of this illustrious son of the world which honours and distinguishes the people of Puerto Rico and our Senate. His very presence is an inspiration to the Senate of Puerto Rico and to every senator. His feet stepping on the land of Puerto Rico is also an inspiration to all the men and women of our country.
May we welcome this distinguished philosopher. May he be our spiritual brother and advisor in the Senate of Puerto Rico today. And when he leaves the Senate may he take the Senate of Puerto Rico and all its members in his thoughts.
Approved.
Sri Chinmoy:
Dear President, beloved son of Puerto Rico, to your heart’s magnanimity, I offer my gratitude-flower of sincerity. You are great. You are good. Your greatness my mind shall always admire. Your goodness my heart shall always treasure.
From this august place, you and your senator friends are steering steadily, unerringly, devotedly and triumphantly the aspiration-boat of Puerto Rico to the Golden Shore of the Beyond. According to my inner feeling, each senator is a divine ambassador who is equally claimed by both Heaven and earth. From here, each senator carries the heart-cry of Puerto Rico to God and God’s Love-Smile to Puerto Rico.
Dear President, in your soulful presence I feel that I am at once loved by the illumining heart of Puerto Rico and blessed by the fulfilling soul of Puerto Rico.
Dear President, most esteemed brother, I pray to the Absolute Supreme to grant you two sublime boons: a glorious success in your outer life of manifestation and a continuous progress in your inner life of aspiration.
Published in AUM – Vol.II-2, No. 2, February 27, 1975.
Sri Chinmoy meets with Mahatma Gandhi’s granddaughters, Ela and Sita in Durban, South Africa.