June 5
Sri Chinmoy delivers an evening lecture, entitled ‘Two Instruments: Faith and Doubt’, at the Quaker Meeting House in Canterbury, England, UK. He also plays the flute and sings three Bengali songs.
Sri Chinmoy runs for the first time in competition — a 3-mile race in a time of 23:08 — in Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
Sri Chinmoy offers a public meditation in Tempe, AZ, USA.
Sri Chinmoy rides with the USA Bicycle Relay through the historic US Capitol area and receives a Certificate of Achievement from Congressman Joseph Addabbo on the US Capitol Building steps in Washington, DC, USA.
Sri Chinmoy offers a concert and a lecture, entitled ‘A Seeker’s Experience-Realities’, at California State University in Berkeley, CA, USA, as part of his ‘Fifty Oneness-State-Songs’ tour.
Sri Chinmoy delivers a talk, entitled ‘Never Give Up’, after a video presentation at a public meditation held at Public School 86 in Jamaica, NY, USA.
The first Sri Chinmoy 1,300-mile race – the longest certified race in history – begins in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, NY, USA. It is part of a triple-race event that also includes 700-mile and 1,000-mile races. Before the start, Sri Chinmoy meditates and addresses the participants with words of encouragement and gratitude. Runners from the US, Canada, Britain, France and Japan go on to establish 22 world or national records during the event, which ends on 23 June.
Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert — the 9th of 39 concerts held in honour of Swami Vivekananda — at the First Unitarian Church in Brooklyn, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy sets a new record for his seated two-arm lift by hoisting 1,200 pounds (600lbs. with each arm) in Jamaica, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy lifts Donovan Bailey, 1995 World Athletics Champion in 100 m sprint and 4 x 100 m relay; 1996 Olympic gold medallist in 100 m sprint and 4 x 100 m relay; and world-record holder for 100 m (set in 1996), in Jamaica, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy lifts the famous Indian tabla player Zakir Hussain in San Francisco, CA, USA.
About On This Day
January 1st, 2011, saw the launch of a special feature on the front page of Sri Chinmoy Reflections — On This Day — a day-by-day account of Sri Chinmoy’s achievements. The accompanying pages expand the theme further by linking specific dates and events to video, audio and literary resources from this and many other related websites, enabling the reader to explore, in a systematic way, the vast catalogue of information about Sri Chinmoy’s life.
Many years ago at Aspiration-Ground, there was a large blackboard that displayed the scores of tennis matches Sri Chinmoy had played. Each morning, before Sri Chinmoy arrived at the court, the board would be cleaned and the date of the new day would be written in chalk at the top. Then, in yearly order, a list of different activities Sri Chinmoy had accomplished or had participated in would follow. Every day a new list would appear, and very rarely would there be a day without something to report.
Just before starting play of his usual round of morning tennis, Sri Chinmoy could be seen walking slowly across towards the blackboard to carefully study the list, and many times he would comment on what had been written. No doubt it brought back many fond memories for him.
Since his arrival in the West in 1964, many disparate lists have been compiled – running times and athletic highlights; poems written and songs composed; concerts performed and lectures delivered; weights hoisted and people lifted; paintings completed and drawings sketched; meditations, meetings, peace initiatives and prayers – viewed altogether, they represent an impressive chronology of achievement that reads more like the combined biographies of several highly talented people rather than one individual.
It is by the dedicated efforts of many who have meticulously recorded these events, which form the narrative of Sri Chinmoy’s remarkable life, that we are able to look back across the decades to take in this grand overview. We are grateful to all those who have collected and preserved this information over the years.
It is hoped that this section will, in some small way, carry on this inspirational tradition.
— Animesh Harrington
The information in the following pages has been compiled from many sources – Sri Chinmoy Library, Sri Chinmoy Songs, Sri Chinmoy TV and Radio Sri Chinmoy; Sri Chinmoy Centre newsletters, magazines, periodicals1; and informational booklets2; newspaper and magazine articles, radio and TV interviews; yearly calendars and index cards; as well as analog and digital recordings.
Bibliography:
1 AUM (monthly magazine)
Jharna-Kala (art quarterly magazine)
Meditation at the United Nations (monthly bulletin)
Anahata Nada (monthly newsletter)
2 A Galaxy of Luminaries, Agni Press, New York, 1978
Sri Chinmoy: The Student of Peace (second edition), Aum Publications, New York
Sri Chinmoy: Emissary of Oneness-Peace
Sri Chinmoy A Global Man of Peace
Sri Chinmoy Dreamer of World Peace, Agni Press, New York, 1998 & 2000
Sri Chinmoy A Oneness-World-Dreamer
Oneness-World Peace-Blossoms, Sri Chinmoy: The Peace Meditation at the United Nations, 25th Anniversary
500 Compassion-Blessing-Blossoms