Canada blossoms into ‘peace nation’
Sri Chinmoy may not have weightlifted MP Mac Harb as promised, but those who were on hand for the ceremony to mark Canada becoming the first North American 'peace-blossom nation' found it all uplifting anyway. Charles Enman reports.
It’s official now — Canada is a “Sri Chinmoy peace-blossom nation.”
Yesterday afternoon at the Château Laurier, international peace crusader Sri Chinmoy unveiled a plaque that announces Canada as the first North American nation to be so consecrated.
The 300-odd souls in attendance had been promised a demonstration of weightlifting prowess by Sri Chinmoy but were disappointed. Sri Chinmoy had accumulatively lifted several thousand kilograms in New York City only days ago and had strained himself in the process. Alas, sometimes the magic doesn’t work.
But from his first, quiet entry into the Adam room at the Chateau, all eyes and ears were on this quiet man of 67 who seemed so attentive to everything going on, yet somehow removed at the same time.
Standing on a small square of carpet beside the stage, he presented a rose and a wrapped gift to each of several dozen invited guests — parliamentarians, ambassadors, athletes.
Make no mistake, on a good day Sri Chinmoy could have lifted MP Mac Harb as promised. In fact, a video showed him lifting six firefighters at once, then an elephant, and finally a small plane.
But the truly impressive feat he pulls off, speakers asserted yesterday, is getting a fractious world to listen to his appeals for world peace.
“You know, the parties in Parliament rarely come together in one unit to celebrate anything,” Mr. Harb told the audience. “We have been able to do this because of Sri Chinmoy’s leadership for peace around the world.”
Designating Canada as a peace-blossom nation follows the signing of a statement by the five House Leaders in Parliament dedicating Canada to the cause of world peace.
Other designated nations include New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe we, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Finland, Nepal and Malta.
David Kilgour, Secretary of State for Latin America and Africa, said Canada’s peacekeeping efforts “have truly reflected the principle of the peace blossom.” Those efforts will continue, he assured the crowd.
Local politicians, members of Parliament and ambassadors from seven countries paid tribute to the peace- blossom program and to Sri Chinmoy himself.
Indian High Commissioner Rajanikanta Verma was effusive: “I am proud you come from India,” he said, “but people of such greatness really belong to the world.”
And Sri Chinmoy himself? He was listening attentively but seemed immune to sudden increases in hat-band size. He took off the white suit-jacket that seems to be a signature item in his wardrobe, then mounted the stage slowly, limping a bit from his recent exertions and from chronic back and knee problems.
Eyes shut, brow knitted in concentration, he chanted to the crowd:
“Greatness-mind you are, goodness-heart you are, oneness-life you are.” No doubt moving, but you had to be there. The text on the peace-blossom plaque ends with these words: “As Canada opens its doors and its hearts to people of every nation, may this dedication inspire other nations to join us in heralding the message that we are all brothers and sisters of one world family and that world peace begins within the heart of each individual.”
Mr. Chinmoy was born a Hindu in India, moving to New York in 1964.
He has been holding peace meditations at the United Nations for 32 years. His free concerts and lectures for peace have been given around the world.
Leading religious leaders have welcomed his work, including Pope John Paul II and the late Mother Teresa.
Several sites are being considered for the peace-blossom plaque.
Brothers and sisters should eat together, so the ceremony ended with the serving of chocolate cake, a cake in the form of the flag of Canada, the peace-blossom nation.
Caption:
Sri Chinmoy’s truly impressive feat, speakers asserted yesterday, is getting a fractious world to listen to his appeals for world peace. Photo, Chris Mikula. The Ottawa Citizen
Published in THE OTTAWA CITIZEN, Tuesday, December 1, 1998