Runners of the Liberty Torch Run, an 8,800-mile Bicentennial Relay inspired by Sri Chinmoy, arrive at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. USA, completing their historic journey. In a ceremony at the foot of the Monument, Sri Chinmoy and the runners are honoured by Mr. Casey Conrad, the President's Advisor on Physical Fitness. Sri Chinmoy is presented with a Letter of Commendation from the White House and a Certificate of Appreciation from the President’s Council on Physical Fitness for his role in inspiring and supporting the runners in their efforts.
The Daily News, New York, publishes a piece in ‘News Briefs’ about the two weeks of festivities leading up to the 16th annual Celebrations for Sri Chinmoy’s birthday on 27 August.
Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert (121) at Aspiration-Ground in Jamaica, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy plays 60 different instruments to celebrate his upcoming 60th birthday at Public School 86 in Jamaica, New York, NY, USA.
A Sri Chinmoy Peace Bridge in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA — originally dedicated in 1989 by Mayor Sarault — is rededicated by Mayor James E. Doyle.
Sri Chinmoy lifts 50 people in Jamaica, NY, USA.
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Artworks
Photo by Adarini Inkei
Sri Chinmoy painting Jharna-Kalas at Aspiration-Ground in Jamaica, Queens, New York.
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Media
Celebration in Jamaica
The 16th annual August Celebrations of the Sri Chinmoy Center will begin tomorrow, with hundreds of the international spiritual leader’s students scheduled to take part in two weeks of festivities.
The celebrations will include free public art exhibits and concerts and will culminate on Chinmoy’s birthday Aug. 27 with a 47-mile ultramarathon.
Published in Daily News, New York, News Briefs
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Music
Photo by Pulak Viscardi
Sri Chinmoy plays 60 different instruments to celebrate his upcoming 60th birthday at Public School 86 in Jamaica, New York. Here, he plays the Chinese cello.
by Sri Chinmoy
dedicated to the United Nations
at Aspiration-Ground, Jamaica, New York
O United Nations, in today’s newspaper report your leader is telling the whole world that you are “completely bankrupt and you cannot meet either current needs or current obligations.”
O United Nations, financially you may be bankrupt, but I pray to my Lord Supreme most soulfully that you never become bankrupt philosophically, ethically, morally and spiritually. You are indeed chosen by the Absolute Supreme to lead and guide the entire world to its destination: a oneness-world-home flooded with the peace of the ever-transcending Beyond.
Sri Chinmoy takes his dog Sona for a walk along the water’s edge at the beach.
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Sports
Liberty Torch Run completed
Mr. Casey Conrad and Sri Chinmoy
On Saturday, August 14, the Liberty Torch Runners arrive at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., completing their historic 8,800-mile Bicentennial Relay Run. In a ceremony at the foot of the Monument, the runners are honoured by Mr. Casey Conrad, the President's Advisor on Physical Fitness.
Sri Chinmoy is presented with a letter of commendation from the White House and a Certificate of Appreciation from the President’s Council on Physical Fitness for his role in inspiring and supporting the runners in their effort.
Mr. Casey Conrad: We have a special award to make to Sri Chinmoy, Director of the United Nation Meditation Group. Sri Chinmoy, will you come forward, please. From the White House, Captain James Lovell, Consultant to the President on Physical Fitness and Sports, has given this Commendation to Sri Chinmoy.
Mr. Conrad reads out the letter.
That’s the message from Captain James Lovell, and it’s accompanied by a Certificate of Appreciation to Sri Chinmoy from the Presiden’s Council on Physical Fitness “in recognition of services which have advanced the causes of dynamic health, physical fitness and sports participation.” It's a great pleasure. Thank you, sir.
Sri Chinmoy: I wish to offer my deepest gratitude to you, Mr. Conrad, and also to the White House. What I have done is next to nothing. This inspiration came from Above, and I just executed it with utmost reverence and devotion to the Soul of America.
Today 33 loving student-friends of mine have achieved something unprecedented. This achievement of theirs will forever and forever shine in the history of the freedom-loving world. These immortal runners have run 9,000 miles around the clock, and have passed through all the 50 states. It has taken them 50 days and 50 nights, but it has given them an experience which can only be felt and never be adequately expressed.
On the outer plane they have achieved a great victory. But today's achievement is not only the achievement of 33 American runners. It is not only the achievement of America's body, vital, mind, heart and soul. It is the achievement of each and every human being on earth. On the inner plane these runners have covered the length and breadth of the entire universe on the strength of their self-giving oneness with the Soul of America.
Most beautiful is the Soul of America. Most powerful is the Heart of America. May America's eternal Soul-beauty bless these pioneer-runners of tomorrow's Golden Dawn. May America's infinite Heart-power guide these runners and pilot their life-boats to the ever-illumining and ever-fulfilling Shore of the Beyond. Finally, I wish to say that our Lord, the Beloved Supreme, is extremely proud of America's Liberty Torch and the Liberty Torch Runners.
Mr. Casey Conrad presents Sri Chinmoy with the Commendation from Captain James A. Lovell.
Rather than end the run in Washington, D.C. as originally planned, the runners decide to continue on to New York City, where the run began. Read more...
Professor of Pathology
School of Basic Health Sciences
Health Sciences Cente
State University of New York
at Stony Brook
August 14, 1975
Master Sri Chinmoy
Dear Master:
Some paintings can be translated in a language albeit inadequately. Therefore a reviewer has difficulty in expressing the perception of the art. Abstract paintings cannot be translated in a language.
Any description of such art will be just distantly related to it.
I believe that abstract painting communicates indefinable subjects to the viewer. Consequently, the viewer should experience the artist's undefinable intentions. However, the first impression of abstract art suggest to the viewer something of the viewer's previous experience. In this context I found your art remarkable in its diversity. This diversity reflects culmination of evolutionary diversity of mankind (homo sapiens species) where each individual, even identical twins, are different. This principle of diversity for me as a biologist is highly significant although I do not fully understand its consequences. Your paintings communicate an organisational unity, aesthetic integrity and clarity. I believe that they reflect those noble aspirations that the Master is approaching and teaching his students.
I was deeply impressed by your speech on coexistence of science and religion. I believe that religion is a specific human quality in biological evolution - otherwise our presence and our future may be or become very unhuman.
Although a few among my friends are students of Indian mysticism, I have not experienced such "a sincerity and integrity in a group of people as your students last night. They seemed to me representing a bright light in our present time of search for a better future for mankind. Your presence among us and your teaching will contribute considerably to this goal.
With kindest regards and best wishes,
J V. KLAVINS, M.D.. Ph D.
Director,
Department of Laboratories
Queens Hospital Center
Affiliation of Long Island
Jewish-Hillside Medical Center
The day before yesterday, in the morning, I had covered about two miles when a car with a little girl and her father approached me. The man said, “Look, look, Sri Chinmoy is running!” When the child looked outside the window, she was so delighted and excited to see me running.
Fifteen minutes later I was running near Bohack. Very slowly a car came toward me and finally stopped. A black lady and a black man were inside the car. The black lady was driving. She said to me, “Hi, Sri Chinmoy. You are running, you are running!”
One minute later another car with two middle-aged men slowly drove by. The driver asked me where a particular street was. I said, “Sorry, I do not know.”
Five minutes later I was running on the street where the Greek school is — the one which leads to Agni Press. As I was running, I passed a young girl of sixteen or seventeen who was riding a bike. She came up to me and said, “Hi, Sri Chinmoy.” She was smiling and smiling. Then for about 150 metres she rode beside me, and then she pedalled away quite fast.
When I came up to Agni Press, I saw her talking to a few of her friends, some boys. As soon as I came by, they all started shouting my name, and clapping and jumping with such cheerfulness. They were cheering me at every step: “Sri Chinmoy! Sri Chinmoy!”
When I got home I asked one of my disciples to bring me twelve apples and twelve oranges immediately. But he didn’t hear the word “immediately.” Twenty minutes passed and I said, “By this time those divine children will have disappeared.” So I asked another disciple to drive me in the car. Then I saw the first disciple. He was walking very slowly. I said, “What are you doing? I asked you to come ‘immediately’.” He said, “Guru, I didn’t hear the word ‘immediately’, I just heard ‘go and bring’.”
Anyway, I went to the spot to see if those children were still there. To my great surprise, the girl was sitting on the steps in front of the Greek School, with a friend of hers. Since both of them were girls, I didn’t think it would be proper to go and speak to them. “Best thing is for us to go to Guru Stationery and bring some girls,” I said. So we brought back two girl disciples who were working there to the spot where the two girls were talking.
When the girl saw our car approaching her, she stood up and jumped towards the car. “Sri Chinmoy, Sri Chinmoy,” she said. She and her friend were both jumping for joy.
I said to them, “Can I give you some fruits?”
The girl who was then standing beside the car said, “Of course. You are such a sweet, nice man. Can I kiss you on your hand?”
I said, “Oh, no!” I gave them each an orange and an apple. Then I asked, “Where are your friends?”
They said, “We'll go look for them.” They went into the school, but their friends were not there. When they came out, the other girl said how happy she was to see me running. She was also a runner, and she said that she had run in one of our ten-mile races in Connecticut. She had come into Guru Health Foods that morning to ask when our next race would be. Both girls were excited.
I asked if they would see their friends soon, so they could give them apples and oranges, but they said, “No, we will not see them.” I said, “Then I would like to give you again another orange and apple.”
A young boy was watching the scene. He was not one of those who had cheered me, but he said, “Can I also have an orange? I don’t care for apples, however.” He came up to me all excited, and I gave him an orange.
