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 answers forty-five questions on ‘America’s Bicentennial’, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Sri Chinmoy is interviewed by talk show host Joel Martin in New York, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert together with a piano performance at the Circus Krone in Munich, Germany.
Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert, the second of 39 Peace Concerts dedicated to Swami Vivekananda’s 39 years on earth, at Public School 86 in Jamaica, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy offers the opening meditation at the New York Games, held at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium at Columbia University in New York, NY, USA.
Sri Chinmoy meets with Princess Diana at Kensington Palace in London, England, UK.
Sri Chinmoy offers his 500th Peace Concert in honour of India’s 50th Anniversary of Independence — the 31st in a series of 50 concerts during 1997 — to an audience of 5,400 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, UK. It is introduced by Dr. L.M. Singhvi, India’s High Commissioner to the UK; Countess Mountbatten, daughter of Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last British Viceroy of India, addresses the audience; and messages from outgoing Prime Minister John Major and incoming Prime Minister Tony Blair are read out.
Sri Chinmoy is interviewed on ‘Q&A with Riz Khan’ and broadcast live around the world by CNN International. It is Sri Chinmoy’s first international live TV interview.
Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture entitled ‘Art: The Beauty of Earth and the Fragrance of Heaven’, and also receives an honorary degree from the Rector of the Mongolian University of Culture and Arts, at the State Academic Theatre of Drama in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Sri Chinmoy is interviewed on ‘Q&A with Riz Khan’ and broadcast live around the world by CNN International. It is Sri Chinmoy’s first international live TV interview.
Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert, the second of 39 Peace Concerts dedicated to Swami Vivekananda’s 39 years on earth, in Jamaica, New York.
Sri Chinmoy’s Peace Concert dedication:
As you know, we have started observing Swami Vivekananda's centenary — not his birth centenary, but the centenary of the World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago. It was one hundred years ago that Vivekananda became the supreme hero of the Parliament. It is my wish to offer thirty-nine Peace Concerts and dedicate them to him. He lived for thirty-nine years, and I wish to observe each year of his earthly existence by offering him, his immortal soul, a Peace Concert.
Published in Vivekananda: Divinity's Soul-Rainbow and Humanity’s Heart-Blossom
Sri Chinmoy offers his 500th Peace Concert to an audience of 5,400 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. It is introduced by Dr. L.M. Singhvi, India’s High Commissioner to the UK; Countess Mountbatten, daughter of Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last British Viceroy of India, addresses the audience; and messages from outgoing Prime Minister John Major and incoming Prime Minister Tony Blair are read out.
Sri Chinmoy meets with Princess Diana at Kensington Palace in London, England.
At ten minutes to two on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 21st, 1997, Sri Chinmoy and Mrs. Bhavani Torpy, one of his London assistants, arrive at Kensington Palace at the invitation of Princess Diana. The policeman at the gate makes a telephone call to the secretary, and the secretary confirms, “Yes, they are expected.”
Sri Chinmoy and Mrs. Torpy are greeted downstairs very kindly and compassionately by a nice young man, about 30 years old, who is one of Princess Diana’s assistants, and he asks them to come upstairs where the interview will take place. Sri Chinmoy wants to wait downstairs, but the assistant insists that they come upstairs. He offers them tea, coffee and orange juice. Mrs. Torpy asks for water, but Sri Chinmoy declines his kind offer. Then the assistant asks if he can take their coats. Sri Chinmoy says he prefers to keep his, but Mrs. Torpy asks him to take her coat.
The assistant says, “Do not forget to take it with you. We have hundreds of coats, umbrellas and other things that people leave here. After seeing the Princess, they go into another world and they forget to take their things back. So do not forget to remind me so you can take back your coat on your way out.”
The Palace comprises many very small, historic apartments that are joined together. The rooms in the main building are small, except for the room where the Princess gives interviews. All the rooms are very simply decorated. When Sri Chinmoy enters the interview room, the assistant asks him to sit on one sofa. Next to Sri Chinmoy, a pillow has been placed where the Princess is to sit beside him, and Mrs. Torpy is seated on a sofa facing the first one.
Sri Chinmoy notices that the room is flooded with pictures of Princess Diana and her children. A group of photographs in plain, wooden frames stands on the table beside him. Besides the photographs, the room is decorated very simply and elegantly. A beautiful, white rug with large red roses is on the floor. On two walls are canvas paintings by Michelangelo framed very beautifully. There are books on the table, mostly art books.
In one of the adjoining rooms upstairs there is a long clothes rack with about a hundred gowns in blue, green, red and other colours. At the suggestion of her son, Prince William, the Princess is planning to auction them to raise funds for charity.
Princess Diana enters the room at three minutes past two, dressed in a very smart pink suit. Sri Chinmoy and Mrs. Bhavani Torpy stand up. Princess Diana graciously welcomes her guests.
Sri Chinmoy presents Princess Diana with four beautiful roses.
Princess Diana: Thank you very much. They are beautiful! Thank you. That is very kind.
Sri Chinmoy: With these beautiful flowers, I bow to your illumination-soul, I bow to your compassion-heart, I bow to your dedication-life.
Princess Diana: They are lovely! Thank you very much. I am sorry to keep you waiting. I am about to fly off to Pakistan in a moment to visit children suffering from cancer. Unfortunately, the plane will not wait for me. Please, please sit down.
Mrs. Torpy asks if she can take four or five photographs for Sri Chinmoy’s private collection, and Princess Diana agrees. The camera is a new model that is silent and does not use a flash, but it does not work. So Mrs. Torpy begs permission from the Princess again, and takes some pictures with another camera that Sri Chinmoy has with him.
The Princess is concentrating intensely on what Sri Chinmoy is saying. After Mrs. Torpy has discreetly taken two photographs, the Princess puts up her hand.
Princess Diana: Let us take more outside where the light will be better.
Sri Chinmoy: May I be allowed to meditate with you for a minute?
Princess Diana: Yes, please do! That would be very nice. I do not have the patience to meditate on my own.
Sri Chinmoy meditates with Princess Diana for a few minutes, closing his eyes and folding his hands. The Princess folds her hands on her lap while she meditates.
During the conversation that follows, the Princess is very happy, and she often has a smile on her face and in her blue eyes. She is very eager and anxious to hear what her guest has to say.
Sri Chinmoy: A long-cherished dream of mine, out of your heart’s magnanimity, today you have fulfilled. For the last sixteen years, I have been a most humble admirer and adorer of yours. Sleeplessly your heart cries for the suffering humanity. Down the sweep of centuries, many, many princesses have come and gone, but your love of children, your sacrifice — specially for the helpless, hopeless people — can only be felt and never be described. There are countless people here on earth who appreciate you and admire you. Again, you have some unkind adversaries. But there shall come a time when all your adversaries, all your enemies, will be compelled to bow to you.
Princess Diana: I hope so. (looking down with a mixture of modesty and hope)
Sri Chinmoy: I am a student of peace, I am a man of prayer. I am extremely, extremely grateful to you for granting me this interview.
Sri Chinmoy presents Princess Diana with a copy of a song he has composed for her.
Princess Diana: This is very colourful, isn’t it! (laughing)
Sri Chinmoy: With your kind permission, could I sing the song which quite recently I have composed for you? And these are two additional songs in which I have set music to your own words.
Princess Diana: I am glad somebody listens to what I say! (laughing)
Sri Chinmoy: May I sing them for you?
Princess Diana: Yes, please do.
The Princess listens very attentively while Sri Chinmoy sings “Diana: The World’s Only Fondness-Summit-Empress,” accompanying himself on a small keyboard. The Princess looks from the printed song sheet to Sri Chinmoy’s hand playing the notes. The words to the song are:
Princess Diana, Princess Diana, Princess:
The world’s only fondness-summit-Empress!
Dreamland-beauty’s blue-green reality-glow.
Compassion-heart’s sleepless, streaming river-flow.
Princess Diana: Thank you, thank you very much. (very moved)
Sri Chinmoy: And these are your momentous utterances.
aaa(Reading the words to two quotations)
“I am not a political figure. The fact is, I am a humanitarian figure. I always have been and I always will be.”
“Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give something back, if only they had the chance.”
Princess Diana recognises her words immediately and nods.
Mrs. Torpy: I am very touched by the words to the second song: “Everybody needs to be valued.”
Princess Diana: Yes, yes.
Sri Chinmoy: Princess Diana, your heart of sympathy covers the length and breadth of the world. There shall come a time when the entire world will value you most sincerely, most lovingly and most wholeheartedly.
Sri Chinmoy sings “I am not a political figure” and “Everyone needs to be valued.” He reads the words again, and the Princess repeats the words after him, laughing delightedly.
Sri Chinmoy: Now this is a song I have written in my mother tongue, Bengali. It is dedicated to your sons, William and Harry. With your kind permission, I would like to sing it for you. I wrote the song in Bengali, but the translation is there.
Sri Chinmoy sings the song “William-Harry.” The Princess listens most intensely, following the printed music, which is adorned with a picture of her sons climbing on her shoulders when they were three and five years old. She is very happy and very deeply moved, exclaiming affectionately. The Bengali words and the translation are as follows:
William-Harry William-Harry William-Harry
Dibanishi bajao mayerjayer veri
Great Britener madhur swapan
Amarar jyoti shishu
Karuna pathar tomara dujan
Param prabhur jishu
William-Harry, William-Harry, William-Harry!
Day and night do strike
Your Mother’s victory-drum.
You are at once Heaven’s
Children of Light and the sweet dreams
Of Great Britain.
Compassion infinite you two are
Of the Saviour Lord Jesus Christ.
Princess Diana: Thank you. The song is extremely beautiful.
Sri Chinmoy then presents Princess Diana with a drawing of one large bird facing a smaller bird. Next to the larger bird he had written the letter ‘W’ and next to the smaller bird he had written the letter ‘H’.
Princess Diana: Oh, William and Harry! My boys! My boys! (looking at the two birds)
Sri Chinmoy then offers Princess Diana a framed drawing of dream-freedom-peace-birds that he had done for her on May 16th. Underneath it, he had written: “My Prayerful and Soulful Dedication to Diana, Princess of Wales — Sri Chinmoy.”
Sri Chinmoy: This is an original drawing. I would humbly like to offer it to you. It contains 362 birds. Now I have completed seven million birds altogether.
Princess Diana looks through a brochure about Sri Chinmoy’s art with great eagerness.
Sri Chinmoy: (indicating a photograph in the brochure) This is Raisa Maximovna Gorbachev visiting our art gallery in Manhattan a few years ago.
Princess Diana: Is this all for me?
Sri Chinmoy: Yes, yes. Tonight I shall be giving a Peace Concert at Royal Albert Hall. It will be my 500th Peace Concert. I have performed in 43 countries.
Princess Diana: (looking with great joy at the cover of a book documenting the 500 concerts) Blue is your colour, I take it.
Sri Chinmoy: Yes, blue.
[The Princess laughs delightedly.]
Princess Diana: The High Commissioner for India invited me to your Peace Concert at Royal Albert Hall tonight. Dr. Singhvi is a great admirer of yours. Unfortunately, I cannot attend because of my trip to Pakistan.
Sri Chinmoy: I have read that you are an excellent pianist.
Princess Diana: Well, not really. I play. (laughing)
Sri Chinmoy presents Princess Diana with three new miniature books of his poems published by the Jharna-Kala Card Company. She is very, very pleased to accept them.
Princess Diana: May I keep these as well?
Sri Chinmoy: Yes, they are all for you.
Princess Diana: All for me! My goodness, my goodness. This is marvellous. No more, no more!
Princess Diana holds all the gifts lovingly, to show her full appreciation.
Sri Chinmoy: No more.
Princess Diana: (laughing) Promise! (The Princess indicates the row of garments in the adjoining room.) This is to raise money for children’s causes.
Sri Chinmoy: Princess Diana, your heart of sympathy and oneness with the suffering humanity touches the length and breadth of the world. Your heart of oneness, universal oneness, is expanding and expanding. I am so happy that Mother Teresa is extremely fond of you.
Princess Diana: Where is she at the moment?
Sri Chinmoy:: She is now in Rome.
Princess Diana: I keep trying to find her, but no one knows where she is.
Sri Chinmoy: She is extremely compassionate to me. We are in regular communication. Many times I have spoken to her on the phone. I will have an interview with her in New York shortly. Now she is in Rome. From Rome she will go to Poland, and from Poland she will come to New York. Either on the 2nd or 3rd of June I will be meeting with her.
Princess Diana: Will she come back through Europe, do you think? She normally comes through here.
Sri Chinmoy: I understand she will be going directly to Calcutta. Princess Diana, do you know that Mother Teresa claims you as her daughter?
Princess Diana: Thank you. I also love her dearly.
Sri Chinmoy: You are her daughter and she is all for you.
Princess Diana: I have been trying to track her down so I can see her, but nobody ever knows where she has gone. Can you tell me how I can meet with her?
Sri Chinmoy: I am in touch with her. Perhaps I can be of service to you. The day before yesterday a student of mine spoke to her, and I also speak to her. She writes to me. She is extremely compassionate to me and kind to me. I am sure that it will be possible for you to meet with her before she returns to Calcutta.
Princess Diana: Is her health all right?
Mrs. Torpy: Yes, she is much better. During the time when she was very ill recently, Sri Chinmoy prayed and meditated for her — prayed and meditated.
Sri Chinmoy: She prays for me every day, and I pray for her every day. It is mutual.
Princess Diana laughs happily.
Mrs. Torpy: Sri Chinmoy will gladly talk to her for you.
Princess Diana: That would be lovely. If she is anywhere in Europe, I would like to come and see her. Every time she has a relapse and goes into the hospital, all the British media rather unkindly ask me to write obituaries. And I say, “I am not writing obituaries.” Should anything like that happen, then they will all come like wolves to my door. I adore Mother Teresa. I hope she continues for many more years.
Mrs. Torpy: How horrible the media can be!
Sri Chinmoy: She is so fond of you. Anytime she talks about you, she is all affection.
Princess Diana: Thank you. Well, I try to do her work, but I am at the junior end! (laughing)
Sri Chinmoy: Both of you are sailing in the same boat.
Princess Diana: It is kind of you to say that. There is so much to do, so much to do!
Mrs. Torpy: I will always be ready to help you.
Princess Diana: Oh, but you have so much to do for Sri Chinmoy!
Mrs. Torpy: Sri Chinmoy is in America, and I am based here. Do you know that Mother Teresa has now retired from being Head of the Order of Missionaries of Charity?
Princess Diana: I saw that. I saw the new one, too, Sister Nirmala.
Sri Chinmoy: Mother Teresa’s self-offering to the world is exceptional. According to my own humble opinion, you are another Mother Teresa.
Princess Diana: I am a very, very small Mother Teresa. She does so much good. It is very, very frustrating to be in a country where no one appreciates the good. People in this country do not appreciate the kind of work I am doing for landmine victims and so on. I have to fly out of the country. In other places, people value my work. To be appreciated in this world is really extraordinary.
Sri Chinmoy: A prophet is not honoured in his own country.
Princess Diana: That I know very well.
Sri Chinmoy: Then eventually the same prophet is honoured — not only prophets, even poets and authors, like Tagore. India’s greatest poet, Rabindranath Tagore, won the Nobel Prize in 1913. But before that, he was a victim to hostile attacks from his own countrymen.
Princess Diana: Challenges I call them, not problems.
Sri Chinmoy: Dear Princess Diana, one day, in the near future, your enemies will surrender to you because of your magnanimous heart. The mind divides; the heart unites. In your case, your heart always unites itself with the multiplicity of the world-family. You are inspiring the whole world by virtue of your heart of oneness and sympathy. Eventually your heart will win.
Now the dividing, doubtful and critical minds of some unfortunate people are challenging your heart. But I can clearly see that those dividing minds, the doubting minds, will have to surrender. At God’s choice Hour your victory is certain. Your victory is certain because you are all heart. Your heart will conquer the negative qualities of others. Your heart is bound to win because your compassionate heart has touched the length and breadth of the world. So many individuals think of you or feel through you something that inspires, something that aspires in and through them. Your very name is a source of inspiration to millions of people. In the future, people the world over will admire you and adore you in all your glory.
Princess Diana: (visibly moved) Thank you. That is what we are waiting for.
Mrs. Torpy: You and Mother Teresa are working together in the self-same spirit.
Princess Diana: I am with a different branch, but I do feel our connection. Sri Chinmoy, forgive me, I am running late for my plane. How did you come here?
Sri Chinmoy: I came by taxi.
Princess Diana: I am calling a taxi for you.
The Princess goes out of the room to call for a taxi. She moves with an air of purpose and with afresh, spontaneous energy. When she returns, she grabs Sri Chinmoy’s briefcase from him and will not allow him to carry it. Since Sri Chinmoy had arrived in the interview room before her, she could not know that he had been having trouble walking because of his knee problem. It is her outer spontaneity that compels her to carry his briefcase down from the second floor. Sri Chinmoy follows her, pretending that he is walking without any pain.
On the ground floor, the Princess pauses to show Sri Chinmoy a rare statue of Ganesh made entirely of crystal.
Princess Diana: I am sure you know who this is!
Sri Chinmoy: This is our Ganesh, the elephant god. It is he who removes the obstacles in our path and who fulfils all our desires.
The Princess pauses to pose for a photograph with Sri Chinmoy next to the statue.
At the close of the meeting, Princess Diana very kindly and compassionately carries Sri Chinmoy’s briefcase to the waiting taxi.
Mrs. Torpy: (apologetically) I’m afraid I am not a photographer, and unfortunately I do not take good photographs.
Princess Diana: (referring to the press) Neither do they! They just make lots of money out of it. (laughing)
Sri Chinmoy follows the Princess outside into the sunshine. She is still carrying his briefcase. A taxi has arrived and is stationed about forty metres away.
Mrs. Torpy: Princess Diana, when do you return from Pakistan?
Princess Diana: On Saturday.
Mrs. Torpy: I assure you that Sri Chinmoy will be able to put you in touch with Mother Teresa, sooner rather than later.
Princess Diana: Thank you, thank you so much.
As they approach the taxi, Princess Diana asks Sri Chinmoy where he will sit, and she carefully places the briefcase inside the taxi.
Then the Princess asks Mrs. Torpy to take one final picture. Princess Diana stands by Sri Chinmoy’s side for this immortal photograph.
The Princess waits for Sri Chinmoy and Mrs. Torpy to climb inside the taxi and waves them good-bye.
Afterwards:
When Sri Chinmoy arrived at his hotel and was about to pay the fare, the driver told him, “The Princess called the taxi and she has taken care of it.”
Sri Chinmoy was deeply moved by Princess Diana’s loving concern, affection and kindness in making this meeting so meaningful and beautiful in every possible way. It lasted for 38 minutes in earthly time, but in Heavenly time it was beginningless and endless.
Sri Chinmoy later reflects:
To the world, Diana is the Princess of Wales But, according to my aspiration-heart And dedication-life, She is, indeed, The Empress of the World.
Published in Diana, Princess of Wales. Empress of the World
In a letter dated 21 July 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales writes:
“I know that you too strive to ease unnecessary suffering and indeed, have helped many, many people…I thank you for your generosity of spirit and send to you my heartfelt best wishes.”
Forty-five questions answered by Sri Chinmoy
at the United Nations Headquarters, New York
This is the most significant year for America, the Bicentennial year. It is my sincere wish to answer a few questions on the Bicentennial offered by the United Nations Meditation Group from the spiritual point of view. If each of you can kindly meditate for a couple of minutes and then give me a question, I shall be very grateful. This will help all the members of the Meditation Group considerably. If the questions are meaningful and soulful and the answers also are soulful, then it will be a great service not only to the soul of the United Nations but also to the soul of America. Something more: It will be a great service to the Universal Soul, for America's independence is something most meaningful and fruitful in God's entire creation. — Sri Chinmoy
Question: What could America's contribution be to the family of nations in the next two hundred years?
Sri Chinmoy: In the next two hundred years America's contribution to the family of nations will be equality's universal birthright and reality's transcendental height. America is great. America is good. America's greatness is going to increase in infinite measure in the next two hundred years because America knows what greatness is and where it comes from. Greatness is self-giving and its source is love in peace and peace in love. America's goodness lies in this: God for God's sake, man for God's sake. Aspiration for a higher life is for God's sake. Truth-discovery is for God's sake. Peace-distribution is for God's sake. Delight-manifestation is for God's sake.
America's matchless contribution shall be her supreme universal friendship in which the family of nations will see beckoning hands, oneness-satisfaction and perfection-manifestation. America means contribution. Right now this contribution at times is conditional, at times unconditional. But either in the near or distant future, America's contribution will always be unconditional in the outer life because America is undoubtedly going to make tireless efforts to become a supremely unconditional instrument of the Pilot Supreme.
Question: How can we rekindle the significance of America in our hearts and in the hearts of others?
Sri Chinmoy: We can rekindle the significance of America in our hearts and in the hearts of others by becoming glowing sacrifice in the inner life and growing service in the outer life.
Question: What is the difference between political independence and spiritual independence?
Sri Chinmoy: The difference between political independence and spiritual independence is this: political independence is the individuality of a particular party whereas spiritual independence is the independence of a seeker from darkness, bondage and ignorance.
Question: What is the most important thing America has learned in her first two hundred years and what is the most important thing she has to learn now in order to make the fastest progress?
Sri Chinmoy: In her first two hundred years America has learned the momentous necessity of the childlike heart. Now, in order to make the fastest progress, the most important thing is for her to have a life of conscious and continuous self-giving.
Question: How can other nations of the world feel their oneness with the United States in celebrating our Bicentennial?
Sri Chinmoy: Other nations of the world can feel their oneness with the United States in celebrating the Bicentennial if they feel that they have one goal and that goal is to love God and practise truth unconditionally.
Question: Do the Bicentennial celebrations add strength to the soul of America?
Sri Chinmoy: The Bicentennial celebrations without fail add strength to the soul of America, for a Bicentennial is not a mere celebration but a genuine invocation of the soul of America that liberated the body of America from a foreign yoke.
Question: Has the character of America changed significantly since the nation was born two hundred years ago?
Sri Chinmoy: Yes, the character of America has changed significantly since the nation was born two hundred years ago. Previously a soulful promise reigned supreme; now a fruitful hope reigns supreme.
Question: As our souls come forward on our birthday, does the soul of America also come forward during this Bicentennial year?
Sri Chinmoy: The soul of America comes forward during this Bicentennial year to bless America’s Heaven-climbing aspiration and America’s earth-transforming service.
Question: Is there any special significance to the outer events which will occur this year?
Sri Chinmoy: The outer events will bear special significance only if the inner awareness is conscious and complete. If not, the outer events in this year will have no special significance.
Question: Is there any special quality that Americans can especially work on now to help bring forward all their potential divinity?
Sri Chinmoy: There are two special qualities that Americans can work on to help bring forward all their potential divinity. These two divine qualities are the feeling of universal oneness and constant and cheerful self-giving to the Supreme Pilot, who is man’s own highest Reality.
Question: How can American politics return to the spiritual values that they had during the time of the Founding Fathers and some of our earlier presidents?
Sri Chinmoy: American politics can return to the spiritual values that they had during the time of the Founding Fathers and some of the previous presidents only if the political leaders and other leaders feel the supreme necessity of an inner life that has the capacity to bring about outer success, outer achievements, outer perfection and outer satisfaction.
Question: How can we regain the nobility and wisdom of the Founding Fathers in America today?
Sri Chinmoy: You can regain the nobility and wisdom of the Founding Fathers in America best by meditating on the independence-spirit of America, which was treasured not only by earth’s aspiration but also by Heaven’s illumination.
Question: Is the soul of America like a child that keeps on growing and developing?
Sri Chinmoy: The soul of America, like a child, is growing, glowing, developing, illumining and fulfilling. It is a soul that is most progressive and most striking.
Question: When the soul of America and the soul of the world discuss things, what suggestions and advice do they have to mankind?
Sri Chinmoy: When the soul of America and the soul of the world discuss things, they have many suggestions to make, much advice to offer to mankind. But primarily they have one suggestion, one piece of advice to offer and that is, “Move on, move on! The Goal, the ever-transcending Goal, is ahead and not behind.”
Question: What is the spiritual significance of being two hundred years old?
Sri Chinmoy: The spiritual significance of being two hundred years old is that the journey of America will continue eternally toward the establishment of a better, more illumining and more fulfilling human family on earth.
Question: How can America make the most spiritual progress and how can America be of most service to the world?
Sri Chinmoy: America can make more spiritual progress if it can feel that it has been selected as a choice instrument of the Supreme, for the Supreme. America can serve the world most provided America feels that the service it renders to the community of nations is nothing but its own illumining and self-fulfilling expansion.
Question: What does the soul of America always try to teach its American children?
Sri Chinmoy: The soul of America always tries to teach its American children to be divinely brave and remain so eternally in order to fight against humanity’s outer darkness and inner ignorance. Humanity’s outer darkness is the sense of division; humanity’s inner ignorance is the life of doubt.
Question: In the next two hundred years will the spiritual forces tend to manifest more than they have in the first two hundred years?
Sri Chinmoy: Undoubtedly the spiritual forces will be able to manifest in the next two hundred years much more than they did in the past two hundred years, for not only America’s but also humanity’s aspiration is continuously proceeding forward, upward and inward.
Question: As citizens of the United States, what can we do to help our development in the next century?
Sri Chinmoy: In the next two hundred years, as citizens of the United States you can help yourselves develop just by clearing the mind of the thick forest of doubt and by liberating the heart from its insecurity-cave.
Question: When America emerged as a nation two hundred years ago, she stood forth as a symbol of hope, promise and freedom for the peoples of the world. How can she transmit these qualities to the world-body today?
Sri Chinmoy: America’s hope, America’s promise and America’s freedom — these America can transmit to the world-body today provided America does not claim them as her own personal achievements, but as compassionate boons from above, from the Almighty Father.
Question: Is independence as spiritually significant for other nations as it was for the United States?
Sri Chinmoy: Yes. The spiritual significance of independence is always the same for each nation. But one nation can receive much more Light from above and offer much more sacrifice to God than other nations, on the strength of its inner cry to become one with the universal Reality and the transcendental Vision.
Question: How can the American people realise their love for the soul of America?
Sri Chinmoy: The American people can better realise their love for the soul of America if they discover that the real and immortal reality in each human being, in each nation, is only the soul-reality. Everything else is transitory.
Question: How can we incorporate the spirit and the outer activities of the Bicentennial?
Bicentennial by becoming consciously aware that the spirit of the Bicentennial is carrying the outer activities along with their results to the most illumining and fulfilling Goal.
Question: Is there an art form that is intimately tied to the soul of America, such as music is associated with Germany?
Sri Chinmoy: Yes. There is an art form that is intimately tied to the soul of America, and that is America’s untiring inner and outer efforts to grow into a supreme God-seeker, a supreme peace-lover and a supreme satisfaction-distributor to humanity.
Question: How can American citizens best further America's role in the world in the next two hundred years?.
Sri Chinmoy: American citizens can best further America’s role in the world in the next two hundred years by claiming the rest of the world as their very own. This feeling of oneness can alone bring to America an unprecedented leadership and a unique friendship.
Question: We celebrate the spirit of 1776. What exactly was that spirit, and also what is the spirit of the United States today?
Sri Chinmoy: Previously a soulful promise reigned supreme; now a fruitful hope reigns supreme. The spirit at that time was promise; now it has become hope. The spirit of the past was the discovery of inner adamantine will to fight against bondage. The present spirit is the aspiration for God-manifestation plus the aspiration to become humanity’s brother, humanity’s selfless lover and divinity’s constant server.
Question: What birthday gift would the Supreme want the soul of America to place at His Feet on this Bicentennial?
Sri Chinmoy: The Supreme would like to have a gratitude-heart from each and every American placed at His Feet as the birthday gift.
Question: How can American citizens learn to love their country more?
Sri Chinmoy: American citizens can learn to love their country more by realising the supreme fact that there is no difference between true love of one’s country and true love of God. One’s country is nothing short of God’s concentrated creation.
Question: Will the next two hundred years see the manifestation of the soul's qualities of America and, if so, how will it take place?
Sri Chinmoy: Yes. The next two hundred years will see the manifestation of the soul’s qualities of America. This manifestation will take place in America’s conscious and unconditional leadership of humanity and America’s constant and self-giving friendship with humanity.
Question: What gift will the United Nations give to the United States on its Bicentennial?
Sri Chinmoy: There are two gifts the United Nations may give to the United States on its Bicentennial. One gift is gratitude, for the United Nations is housed in the United States. The other gift is its promise to help and fulfil America the way America’s soul wants to be helped and fulfilled.
Question: When the government of America was young, it seemed to have a greater spiritual aspiration. How can that be regained in the government today?
Sri Chinmoy: Today’s government can regain the same spiritual aspiration if it feels that there is only one thing both on earth and in Heaven that will satisfy and fulfil the real in it, and that is aspiration.
Question: How will the degree of unity in the spiritual community affect the spiritual progress of America?
Sri Chinmoy: The degree of unity in the spiritual community automatically reflects the spiritual progress of America. Spiritual unity is not and cannot be a stagnant pool. It is a flowing, glowing and running river which is going to enter into the universal sea of humanity’s perfection.
Question: Is the soul of America satisfied with America's outer and inner progress?
Sri Chinmoy: The soul of America is satisfied, but since there is no end to outer and inner progress, the soul of America could be more satisfied if America cared more devotedly for its outer and inner progress.
Question: Does the United Nations have a role to play in the celebration of America's Bicentennial?
Sri Chinmoy: Yes, the United Nations has a significant role to play in the celebration of America’s Bicentennial. America’s dynamism, America’s speed, America’s willingness to help mankind toward world success and world progress can be brought to the fore by the conscious appreciation of the United Nations.
Question: What role can gratitude play in America and the world at large during the Bicentennial?
Sri Chinmoy: Gratitude during the Bicentennial can easily expedite America’s dream for fulfilling satisfaction, and this dream will be seen in the transformed face of the world at large.
Question: America gained her independence two hundred years ago. What will the spiritual independence of America be like?
Sri Chinmoy: America gained her independence two hundred years ago by virtue of determined will power. Now her spiritual independence will be founded upon her conscious oneness with God, and this can be established only on the strength of her implicit surrender to God’s divine Dispensation and Will.
Question: We know that the United States is very powerful militarily and politically on the world horizon. In God's scheme of things, what is the role of the United States in the evolution of mankind's spiritual development?
Sri Chinmoy: Militarily and politically the United States is very powerful. Your statement is perfectly true. In the Supreme Pilot’s scheme of things, the United States is going to play the role not so much of leadership as of friendship, nay, brotherhood, in mankind’s evolution. And evolution is another name for mankind’s spiritual development.
Question: After two hundred years, has America accomplished much of her main goals?
Sri Chinmoy: America’s goal, like the goal of all the nations and human beings, is always in the process of self-transcendence. There is no fixed goal. America’s main goal is a flood of satisfaction, inner and outer. This satisfaction has undoubtedly been achieved to a certain extent. But since everything is progressing and evolving, America’s goal is an ever-loving and ever-illumining and fulfilling goal of continuous self-transcendence.
Question: What is the relationship between the American Declaration of Independence and the United Nations Charter?
Sri Chinmoy: The American Declaration of Independence had the pioneer vision of faith, dignity and humanity’s basic needs: equal rights, justice and freedom. Basically, the same things are found in the Charter of the United Nations. Therefore we can safely say that the Declaration of Independence and the UN Charter are two close friends walking along the same road. One came and joined the other later on the road, and now both are walking together to reach the self-same goal, the goal of world peace and satisfaction.
Question: Is America's Bicentennial inwardly significant in any special way?
Sri Chinmoy: America’s Bicentennial is inwardly significant in a special way because it is bringing to the fore once again the all-illumining faith of the soul and the all-fulfilling promise of the heart.
Question: How can the United Nations body derive benefit from the Bicentennial and take part in its activities?
Sri Chinmoy: If the United Nations body feels that America’s Bicentennial is the birthday of its own brother, then naturally it will want to congratulate the brother. This act of congratulation demands cheerful participation in the Bicentennial activities. Needless to say, in doing so the United Nations body will derive not only much joy but also great benefit.
Question: I would be grateful if I could love America much more sincerely and soulfully. What can I do to make this a practicality, especially on America's Bicentennial?
Sri Chinmoy: You can love America much more sincerely and soulfully provided you feel that America is not a vast piece of land and a machine-driven country, but a life-illumining, love-fulfilling, peace-spreading country.
Question: Does America have anything special to offer to the United Nations during its Bicentennial year?
Sri Chinmoy: Yes, America has something special to offer to the United Nations during the Bicentennial year. America is not going to intimidate her weak, small brother and sister nations, even unconsciously. America will offer her unprecedented capacity to the community of nations and make all nations feel that her height and depth and speed and power are for them to claim as their very own, and thus create a satisfying and satisfied world-family.
Question: How should the American Indians celebrate the Bicentennial?
Sri Chinmoy: The American Indians are always looked down upon as inferior. Therefore, they have some inner resistance to throwing themselves heart and soul into pleasing, satisfying and fulfilling other Americans. But in this Bicentennial period, they should forget their sad dispute in the one-family reality. The weaker one should come to the fore and offer his present capacity to the stronger one, for the stronger one badly needs the capacity of the weaker one. It is like a tug-of-war. The stronger one needs the help of the weaker, since the combined strength of the stronger and the weaker naturally surpasses the strength that the stronger one would have if he were alone. So the American Indians should celebrate the American Bicentennial. If they do so, the American heart quality, which is nothing short of oneness, will grant them material wealth as well as spiritual help. The American Indians would be wise if they cared for quick progress in the inner life and success in the outer life by becoming one with the other Americans.
Question: Will this year of the Bicentennial help us to feel the same patriotism Americans used to feel?
Sri Chinmoy: To be very frank with you, the patriotism you are seeing in the Bicentennial is no match for the genuine sentiment that the pioneer American leaders had. The divine feelings, divine sacrifice, divine vision that they had will remain unparalleled. When I think of what took place in 1776, I feel that in those days there was no difference between theory and practice. Now there is a yawning gulf between theory and practice. The genuine enthusiasm of this year should have been infinitely more than what it is. What God wants in the Bicentennial is our determined will power to dive deeper than the deepest, run farther than the farthest, fly higher than the highest. He does not want us to remain self-enamoured by the grandiose achievements of the past but to aspire for higher ideals and higher goals that will promote in a significant way the cause of world-peace, world-perfection and world-satisfaction.
Question: What does the soul of America feel about the different nations eventually making decisions rather than the individual will of America?
Sri Chinmoy: The soul of America can play the role of the mother and feel that all the other nations are her children. The children mix together, play together, sing together, dance together. Then, when it is time to achieve something, if all the members meet together and jointly do something, it is like children coming to a conclusion on the strength of their genuine effort. So, America’s children play in her heart’s garden and come to a conclusion together. Naturally, the soul of America will be highly pleased, for she feels that it is a harmonious family. Together they achieve, together they accomplish, together they fulfil.
Published in The Bicentennial Flames at the United Nations
Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture and also receives an honorary degree from the Rector of the Mongolian University of Culture and Arts, at the State Academic Theatre of Drama in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
A lecture by Sri Chinmoy
at the Mongolian University of Culture and Arts,
in the State Academic Theatre of Drama in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
I am offering this particular talk of mine to the soul of the august Mongolian University of Culture and Arts.
Art: The Beauty of Earth and the Fragrance of Heaven.
Right at the very outset, I wish to speak about how my own art began. In India, truth to tell, I never, never cared for art. Poetry was more than sufficient for me. I studied art only once a week on Friday for four years. But I did not have any special feeling for painting or drawing. At that time, my artistic interests were fully nourished by the muse of poetry.
More than ten years after I came to America, in November 1974, I went to Ottawa, Canada, to offer a Peace Concert. One evening it was pouring rain. I do not know why and how I was inspired to draw a rose.
Two very dear students of mine happened to be there. One of them said, “Art will never be your forte.”
The other one said, “I can clearly see that you can become a great artist.”
The one who has encouraged me the most is the curator of all my art. She is my secretary as well. It was she who immediately rushed out in that downpour to buy the necessary art supplies. And it was at her place, at a private gathering, where I offered the name Jharna-Kala, which means Fountain-Art, for my art collection.
What encouragement can do! Here is the radiant proof. Since that time, I have painted more than 200,000 paintings, and I have drawn more than 15 million birds.
To my great joy, my paintings have been exhibited at museums and galleries all over the world, including the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris and the Mall Gallery in London, as well as at the United Nations in New York, the United States Senate and many national Parliaments, plus at the foot of the immortal Kamakura Buddha in Japan.
At the time I started painting, one artist-teacher of mine happened to be a very close friend of my family in India — Sanjivan Bishwas. When he saw my paintings, he said to my elder brother Chitta, “Tell Madal (my nickname) what a ridiculous waste of time his painting is! Tell Madal that he will never be an artist.”
Two years later in New York, some great artists and curators had a different opinion. They highly appreciated my paintings. My brother Chitta showed some of my paintings to the same artist-teacher in India. This time he exclaimed, “O my God! O my God! Mada! has so much capacity! Tell him to continue. Tell him to continue.” See how he changed his mind when he heard others’ appreciation!
There is a popular adage by Victor Cousin, “Art for art’s sake.” Being a God-seeker and God-lover, I always say that art is for God’s sake. No matter how great an artist is, he has to feel that the Source is God.
So my philosophy is, “Art for God’s sake.”
My art is at once my selfless effort and my Lord’s unconditional Grace.
My art does not seek efficiency as such. But it does seek intimacy, God-intimacy. My art and I cry together for a deep, very deep, God-communion.
Art and heart have to remain always inseparable.
May my art express the blissful innocence of a child’s heart.
The mind can never be a just judge. The mind gets lost between loveliness and unloveliness.
The mind cannot differentiate between earth-beauty and Heaven-Fragrance; whereas the heart easily can. Indeed, the heart never even judges. It only loves, encourages, strengthens and intensifies all that is beautiful and soulful in a seeker artist’s life.
When we look at a work of art with our human mind, the mind shows us the sound-power of art.
When we look at a work of art with our divine heart, we become the all-pervading silence-sound of art.
Doubt, specially self-doubt, has to be banished from the mind, for doubt short-circuits our heart-connection with God’s Compassion.
My request to all art-lovers, if they really want happiness from art, is not to use the thinking mind, but to surcharge the twinkling heart.
A divine artist is God’s Heart.
A supreme artist is God’s Breath.
Each new art of an artist can change his mind and transform his life.
When my heart cries to express the inner beauty through my art, God immediately beckons me to join Him in His universal Play: Art.
As I said before, I have drawn over 15 million birds. Each bird reminds me of freedom in Infinity’s sky.
I have also painted over 200,000 paintings. My paintings are mostly abstract. I wish to offer simplicity, which I feel is next to spirituality, through my art.
Spirituality means God-oneness. In abstract art, I try to see not only the finite in the Infinite, but also the Infinite in the finite. This moment I look at the finite, and I see it is inside the Infinite. Again, with my inner vision, I see the Infinite inside the finite.
It is like a drop and the ocean. If we look at the drop, we see that the drop is inside the ocean. Again, with our inner eye, we can see the entire ocean inside a single drop.
Nature’s art is nature’s untouched beauty and purity.
Divinity’s art descends from beyond the horizon
Our art is, indeed, a God-manifested beauty in every sphere of life.
When we look at a beautiful piece of art, we become exceedingly happy. Unlike other happiness, this happiness cannot be stolen. This happiness forever lasts inside the heart. For what is art, if not a renaissance-consciousness?
When there is an excellent piece of art, and we offer our gratitude for the art and the artist, we enjoy the presence of ecstasy-plenitude.
An artist’s desire-fame-hunger blights his life.
An artist’s aspiration-flame-hunger brightens and enlightens his world.
There are artists who take hours, even days, to complete a piece of art. Along the march of time, if they only perspire in their artistic creation, I am afraid God will not be so happy. God wants the artist to immediately climb up the aspiration-ladder so that he may discover a beautiful piece of art.
If we take art as a God-service of our heart, then this service will always succeed and never err.
The process of thinking must go. The wings of intuition-bird must spread all-where for an artist to reach the acme of art.
In art, intuition can play a major role.
Intuition is the all-penetrating eye of silence.
Intuition reveals and then manifests the beauty of Truth par excellence.
The mind’s determination is not the answer. The heart’s aspiration is the answer of answers to intensify our capacities and fulfil our deep promises to create the art of the Beyond.
My heart watches and washes God’s Feet spellbound, and then I prayerfully start my artwork. I feel this is what a God-seeker artist should do.
I take my artwork as an act of devotion. I try for every heartbeat of mine to pulsate with God-devotion, so that I can create a most beautiful artwork.
An artist’s sole longing is to see his art beyond all heights and beyond all depths. This can only be possible if the artist is the flaming joy of a God-surrendered heart and the blossoming bliss of an unconditional God-loving soul.
If an artist can bathe in the light of gratitude at the end of his art-creativity, he is bound to win a vast Smile from God.
My art is not for self-mastery.
My art is for God-discovery.
Inside my art-life
There are two great art-lovers:
The ancient art-lover
And
The modern art-loverOnce they had a very serious quarrel.
Each one wanted to declare his supremacy.
I was dumbfounded.
Finally, I told them:
“As far as I am concerned,
I do not care to know
Who is superior
And who is inferior.
I am only concerned with
That art-lover inside me
Who is teaching me
The supreme Art —
The Art of unconditional surrender
To God’s Will
In all my activities.”
Published in World-Oneness-Heart-Song in Mongolian Life