March 1
Sri Chinmoy begins meditations for members of the United States Congress, at the Rayburn Office Building in Washington, DC, USA.
February 28
GREEN LEAVES/RIPE FRUITS BLOSSOM IN FEBRUARY
A new series of Sri Chinmoy races for children under 10 and adults over 50 — “Green Leaves and Ripe Fruits” — was inaugurated on 28 February.The 400-and 800-metre events are held every Sunday, rain or shine, at 5 p.m. in Flushing Meadow Park, Queens, and in other cities as well.
The ripest fruit to participate so far has been 82-year old Arati. Several five-year-olds have also entered.
Published in Anahata Nada, Volume 9, Nos. 1-4, January-April 1982
February 28
Sri Chinmoy meditates at the ‘Festival of Joy’, held at the Community Church of New York in New York.
February 29
Sri Chinmoy drawing Soul-Birds at his home in New York.
February 29
Olympic gold-medal-winning sprinter Sudhahota Carl Lewis gives coaching advice to Sri Chinmoy at Annam Brahma restaurant in Jamaica, Queens, New York.
February 28
Sri Chinmoy attends the IAAF Mobil Games at Madison Square Garden to watch Carl Lewis compete in the long jump in New York.
February 27
Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert at Washington Irving High School in New York.
The Esraj is the Source
by Sri Chinmoy
at Public School 86, in Jamaica, New York
We are observing today the anniversary of the source of my music-world. The esraj is the source.
Although I played harmonium before, I claim the esraj to be my most favourite instrument.
Published in Our Sweetest Oneness
February 25
Sri Chinmoy being interviewed about his Jhanra-Kala artworks on New York TV.
February 25
What Does it Mean to be Spiritual?
A talk by Sri Chinmoy
at St. Paul’s Chapel, Columbia University, New York
What is spirituality? Spirituality is a divine subject. Anyone can study this subject; this subject is open to all. This subject is at once theoretical and practical. If one wants to see God only in Heaven, the spirituality is theoretical. If one wants to see God not only in Heaven but also on earth and everywhere, then in his case spirituality is practical.
Spirituality is an inner cry for the Source. Spirituality is an inner cry, an inner decision and an inner determination for perfection. Perfection is not a fixed standard. It is continuous progress. Perfection is the seeker’s divinely surrendered self-expansion in God’s illumining Satisfaction and fulfilling Manifestation. Perfection is self-transcendence. Perfection is the act of piloting Eternity’s Boat in Infinity’s Sea towards Immortality’s Shore. Perfection is self-giving. Perfection is the flower which grows into a God-nourishing fruit.
Napoleon says, “Ability is of little account without opportunity.” Surprisingly enough, spirituality is both ability and opportunity. Ability is an inner and outer oneness with God’s Vision. Opportunity is an inner and outer oneness with God’s manifestation.
What does it mean to be spiritual? To be spiritual is to be normal, natural and spontaneous. To be spiritual is to be simple, sincere and pure. To be spiritual is to be a lover and server of truth and light. To be spiritual is to become a chosen and perfect instrument of God. To be spiritual is to become a God-representative on earth. To be spiritual is to become a liberator of humanity.
What does it mean to be spiritual? It means we long for God-discovery. It means we long for perfection in our body, vital, mind and heart. It means our old friend, desire-night, is no longer with us. It means we have a new friend: aspiration-day.
A spiritual person is he who loves God, not because God is great, not because God is good, but because God alone is.
How do we become spiritual? We become spiritual by loving, by serving and by surrendering.
Whom do we love? We love man in God. Whom do we serve? We serve God in man. To whom do we surrender? We surrender to God the transcendental Vision, God the universal Reality and God the eternal Will.
Why do we love? We love because love is life. Why do we serve? We serve because service is perfection. Why do we surrender? We surrender because surrender is satisfaction.
How do we love? We love soulfully. How do we serve? We serve devotedly. How do we surrender? We surrender unconditionally.
A spiritual person sees only one thing: God’s Beauty. A spiritual person feels only one thing: God’s Responsibility. A spiritual person becomes only one thing: God’s Compassion-Light. God tells the spiritual person only one thing: “You are My Satisfaction.”
You are spiritual; that means God comes first in your life. You are spiritual; that means God is the only reality in your life. You are spiritual; that means God is your heart’s constant choice and God is your life’s constant voice.
He is a great seeker who feels that God loves him. He is a greater seeker who knows that he loves God. He is the greatest seeker who knows that God and he love each other. God loves man because man is God’s creation. Man loves God because God is man’s salvation, liberation, illumination and realisation. God is man’s salvation from sin-consciousness. God is man’s liberation from bondage-life. God is the illumination of man’s darkness-existence. God is man’s realisation; and realisation is self-discovery and God-discovery. Let us cry and cry within. Then ours will be self-discovery. Let us smile and smile without. Then ours will be God-discovery.
Published in Sri Chinmoy Speaks, part 4
Sri Chinmoy’s Final Prayer
with his dear disciple Ongkar in Langkawi, Malaysia
My Supreme, my Supreme, my Supreme!
I am
The reality
Of God’s Dream.
My Supreme, my Supreme, my Supreme!
Published in Guru the Heart: Ongkar the Soul
February 25
Sri Chinmoy thanks Ambassador Birabhongse Kasemsri for his participation in the programme celebrating Rattanakosin (the bicentennial of the founding of Bangkok and the present Chakri Dynasty), at the United Nations in New York.
Sri Chinmoy meets with Maurice Strong, Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Environment and Development, and his wife Mrs. Hanne Strong, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Two Questions
by Mrs. Hanne Strong
answered by Sri Chinmoy
Question: The degradation of the earth is so far advanced right now that the great mystics, shamans and spiritual people are saying that we have already crossed the line of no return regarding the oceans, the soil and the forests. What is your opinion?
Sri Chinmoy: If we start doing the right thing, the earth can always start making progress again. Because of our stupidity we are destroying the ocean; we are turning it into a few drops. But if we start doing the right thing, then eventually the drops will form an ocean again. Sometimes it happens that there are no plants in a garden. But when a most skilful gardener begins working there, once again the garden will start producing most beautiful plants, flowers, trees and fruits.
Question: But if the soil is dead, it is dead. If a forest is gone, it is gone. If the ozone is gone, it is gone.
Sri Chinmoy: We must not underestimate the power of spirituality. Prayer and meditation mean new life. When we pray and meditate, at every second we are invoking God’s Compassion. We are saying that Mother Nature is being destroyed. But we have to know that Mother Nature is nothing other than God the creation. We are praying to God the Creator to save God the creation. So He who created this earth can once again create a new creation on the strength of our prayers and meditations.
Published in My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for Twenty-Five Years