Sri Chinmoy meditates during a concert for America's Bicentennial Celebrations 4th July 1976. Photo Sarama
The American Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4th 1776. Sri Chinmoy often observed this momentous date in American history, remarking it was a most significant document, in not just in American, but also in global history.
“The American Declaration of Independence had the pioneer vision of faith, dignity and humanity’s basic needs: equal rights, justice and freedom.”
Lighting the Liberty Torch, 1976, photo Sarama Minoli
Speaking at the start of the Liberty Torch relay run on 9 January 1976 to honour the nation's Bicentennial, Sri Chinmoy offered this message
"O divine runners, you are the harbingers of America’s new dawn, America’s new promise, America’s new conviction and America’s new assurance to the world body. Two hundred years ago America received, nay achieved, independence from human bondage. This was not only the freedom of American consciousness but the freedom of all human consciousness to strive for a higher life, a more illumining soul and a more fulfilling goal."
"America: the fairest child of freedom, the first to fight for the divine gift of freedom and win it for the New World. None perhaps has a keener perception of freedom’s worth. America! The whole freedom-loving world salutes you. The holy flame that burned in your heart when you were smarting under the injustices of imperial domination is still alive in you. Your one single claim to Immortality is this flame. You live not for yourself alone. You live for freedom and for those who share your love for it."
"America is my dreamland. It will always remain my dreamland – America, as such, the country, the soul, the heart, but not necessarily the mind. America will forever remain my dreamland. I had the highest hope, and still I maintain the highest hope, all in the inner world. The outer world is frustration. The inner world is the highest hope. When I came to America, a new country, I came with such high hopes, and I shall still maintain my love for America, admiration for America, adoration for America. At that time I hoped for many divine things to be manifested in the outer world. They have not yet been manifested, but the vision that we have in the inner world, that I shall never give up, never.
One man, Thomas Jefferson, showed the light not only to the country, but to the whole world. His vision touched the very length and breadth of the world. It started manifesting here, there, everywhere. Jefferson’s vision, for about 200 years, blossomed in many countries, not only in America. We sow the seeds here; somehow the same seeds go to some other places, far, very far. They enter into Mother Earth and germinate. There are quite a few countries that may be unaware that this vision came from Jefferson."
On America's Bicentennial anniversary, Sri Chinmoy offered a 13-hour meditation for the Soul of America in Central Park, New York, US.
Photo by Sarama Minoli
The meditation begins at midnight on July 4th and ends late in the afternoon. It is the first overnight event the Police Department had ever permitted in Central Park.
The Fourth of July
The Fourth of July, the fourth of July My heart, my life together fly No more stark bondage-night, no more! Arrived at Freedom’s Ecstasy-Shore.
Sri Chinmoy opens the July 4th celebration in lower Manhattan with a short meditation and his students perform several of his songs about America. Photo by Maral Siegel
“The term “united” has always had a special appeal to all human souls, and this transcendent idea has remained in vogue down the sweep of centuries. There was a time when America was under the repressive yoke of Great Britain. Then America fought dauntlessly and sleeplessly for its rightful independence. At first, the newly liberated Americans and their beautiful, vast land were sadly wanting in oneness. But there came a time when a new dawn of oneness-glory broke upon the glowing and illumining horizon. Americans felt the supreme necessity of a “united” country, and the thirteen colonies gradually, steadily, unerringly and selflessly became unified. Similarly, although at the present time peace is not reigning supreme in the United Nations, there shall definitely come a time when peace-flood will inundate the 'united' nations around the globe.”
O polestar Statue of Liberty! Earth-heart’s pinnacle-divinity. America’s proudest vision-pride, Her beauty’s cosmic-fragrance-ride. Freedom-smile-bestower is your soul, World-peace-hunger’s nectar-flooded Goal.
Sri Chinmoy meditates during a concert at the Jefferson Memorial, Washington DC, 8th July 1988.
“There have been many American patriots in the past and there will be many more. The Supreme had a special vision for the soul of America and He revealed it first through the Founding Fathers. The Founding Fathers were definitely spiritually illumined. Of course, their illumination may not have been the illumination of a great Yogi, but they did have great inner awakening and inner illumination.
The light always has to be embodied by great noble individuals. To start with, you have Thomas Jefferson's vision: the Declaration of Independence. But it is not Jefferson's vision alone. Many people saw the reality. It was the vision of that era, the vision of all who surrounded Jefferson. You can call it the vision of Washington, Adams, Franklin, Paine and others. Again, the sense of sacrifice of all those who fought for this country in those days — no matter how little or how much — deserves our special attention.”
The Liberty Torch Relay was a relay run in honour of America's bicentennial in 1976. It was the inspiration of Sri Chinmoy who wanted to honour the 200 year anniversary of America's Independence.
Sri Chinmoy offers a meditation at a ceremony for the "Liberty Torch Relay" 26 June 1976. The map shows the route of the runners across the US. Photo: Sarama Minoli
The Liberty Torch is a human aspiration, a divine realisation and a supreme perfection.
Birthless are the flames of the Liberty Torch, deathless is the light of the Liberty Torch.
On April 13th 2007, Sri Chinmoy lifted 50 roses to symbolically honour the 50 states of the US.
"America the Beautiful, I love you, I admire you, I adore you and I need you. O soul of America, I bow to your all-pervading fragrance. O heart of America, I bow to your all-thrilling beauty. America, my America, you have showered your choicest blessings, concern and encouragement upon my God-aspiring heart and man-dedicated service for long 43 years.
America, my America, my soul, my heart, my mind, my vital and my body shall remain sleeplessly and breathlessly grateful to you. I am offering fifty roses from my heart-garden lovingly, devotedly and self-givingly to the beauty, prosperity and divinity of each State."
Speaking on the significance of this song, Sri Chinmoy remarked:
“Tomorrow is a very significant day for the American soul, American heart, American consciousness and American life. Let us all try to be in a very, very high consciousness the entire day.
Those who sing very, very well “America the Beautiful” will sing the song tomorrow. That is my most favourite American song. That song is very, very significant.”
