February 16

Meditation

A talk by Sri Chinmoy
at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York

 

Meditation is invocation. We invoke God's Presence. God's Presence is satisfaction.

Meditation is an act of inner listening. We listen to the dictates of God. When we listen soulfully, devotedly, unreservedly and unconditionally, we derive satisfaction in boundless measure.

Meditation is acceptance. It is the acceptance of life within us, without us and all around us. Acceptance of life is the beginning of human satisfaction. Transformation of life is the culmination of divine satisfaction.

Meditation is self-giving. We give what we have and what we are. To the finite reality we give what we have. To the infinite Reality we give what we are. What we have is concern. This concern we offer to the finite. What we are is willingness. This willingness we offer to the infinite.

Assurance we offer to the earth reality. Acknowledgement we offer to the Heaven-Reality. To the earth-reality we offer our constant assurance that we are undoubtedly and unmistakably for the earth-reality, for the transformation and illumination of the earth-reality. To the Heaven-Reality we offer our most sincere acknowledgement of the supreme fact that we are of the Heaven-Reality, that our source is the Heaven-Reality.

Meditation and prayer are two aspects of one and the same soulful reality. The Eastern world is fond of meditation. The Western world is fond of prayer. Both prayer and meditation lead us to the selfsame goal. Meditation and prayer are like brother and sister; they are divine twins. We can say that prayer is the female and meditation is the male. Prayer says to meditation, "Look, brother, there is something high above. Let us cry and fly, fly and cry, and there above we shall get everything that we have been longing for." Meditation says to prayer, "Look, sister, there is something deep within us. Let us dive deep within and we are sure to get everything that we have been longing for from time immemorial. Let us dive deep within.

Sri Krishna meditated. His meditation-power has taught us many things. But the most important thing it has taught us is this: Truth will ultimately prevail; the justice-light of Truth will one day inundate the entire earth-consciousness.

Lord Buddha meditated. His meditation has taught us that this human life of suffering will, without fail, one day come to an end. The excruciating pangs that each human being undergoes will one day come to an end, and human suffering will be transformed into divine ecstasy.

The Saviour Christ prayed. His prayer has taught us many sublime, soulful and fruitful lessons. It has offered us the message of divinity in its tangible form. But his most essential teaching is that the Kingdom of Heaven is within us. This Kingdom of Heaven is God's creation, God's Vision and God's Reality. God's transcendental Vision and God's universal Reality are within this Kingdom of Heaven.

Let us meditate devotedly, soulfully, unreservedly and unconditionally. From our meditation we shall discover the supreme truth that as we need God, even so God needs us. We need Him constantly to reach our own highest height. He needs us constantly to manifest His own deepest depth.

Published in A Seeker is a Singer

 

Prayer for Ongkar

by Sri Chinmoy
in Kijal, Malaysia

 

My Supreme, my Supreme, my Supreme!
I am a member
Of God’s
Inner Circle.
My Supreme, my Supreme, my Supreme!

Published in Guru the Heart: Ongkar the Soul

 

February 16

Photo by Pulak Viscardi

 

Sri Chinmoy with his dog Chela at Aspiration-Ground in Jamaica, New York.

 

February 16

Albert Einstein, Scientist-Sage!

Lyrics:

Albert Einstein, scientist-sage!
The wonder supreme of a vision-blaze.
A power-tower in a tiny frame.
Energy and mass enjoy their game
Of oneness-fulness, perfection-height.
Einstein, all-where your sleepless light.
In your greatest revolution-role
The world’s fastest evolution-goal.

Published in The Heart-Home of the Immortals

 

Transported by the Organ Music

by Sri Chinmoy

 

Today while I was cycling on my stationary bike, I was listening to a tape of my organ music. I was saying to myself, “How can I be the player? It is transporting me to the highest Heaven.”

I could not imagine that I was playing. I continued cycling for half an hour.

Published in A Mystic Journey in the Weightlifting World, part 4

 

February 16

Photo by Pulak Viscardi

 

On stage at a special celebration at Public School 86 in Jamaica, New York, Sri Chinmoy looks at the photograph of himself taken earlier in the day lifting two 500-lb. dumbbells — a total of 1,000 lbs. — overhead simultaneously, at his home gym in Jamaica, New York.

 

Weightlifting prayer

by Sri Chinmoy

 

My Supreme, my Supreme, my Supreme!
What is Your Grace?
Your Grace
Is Your Omnipotence-Embrace.
My Supreme, my Supreme, my Supreme!

Sri Chinmoy offers this prayer at 8:06 a.m. before lifting 500 lbs. with each arm simultaneously seven times (Total: 1,000 lbs.) New record.

Published in My Morning Soul-Body Prayers, part 12

 

The First Day of my 1,000-pound Lift

by Sri Chinmoy

 

Today I lifted 1,000 pounds with both arms for the first time — 500 in each arm. When it came to the fourth lift, I turned on the camera and it went so well. Then I lifted it four more times.

Can you imagine — 1,000 pounds! Is it believable? It is not physical force; it is supernatural. Luckily my back is all right. No wonder why I am shrinking! From 5’8” why did I have to come to 5’7”?

Normally when weightlifters reach a certain weight, a very appreciable weight, they advance by ten pounds at a time. Many years ago I also did that. Now I go by 100 pounds.

Today my bodyweight is 170½ pounds. So I have lifted almost six times my own bodyweight. No matter how you look at it, the fact is that I am dashing against 1,000 pounds with my 170 pounds.

I am so lucky that today the still pictures worked and the video also worked.

Published in A Mystic Journey in the Weightlifting World, part 4

 

February 15

Photo by Pulak Viscardi

 

Sri Chinmoy having fun with a spinning top.

 

February 15

Weightlifting Stories

by Sri Chinmoy

 

Tom’s transformation

If Tom’s transformation can take place, which it has, you people also can be transformed. The very first time I went to Tom’s gym, I said hello to him but he would not look at me. I was there for twenty minutes or half an hour. His assistant, Dan, liked me. Dan was showing me so many pieces of equipment. But Tom did not come near me and I did not have the heart to go near him.

Since then, how he has changed! He has become our best admirer. A few months ago, his team was in the national championships. A few days ago I told you the story how one girl was unable to lift a particular weight. So Tom told her to meditate on my picture for ten minutes. That was her ‘punishment’! So she meditated and then she came back and lifted the weight. For the last few years, the girls from his gym have won the world championships.

You say that my lifts are unbelievable, but I wish to say that Tom’s comments are more unbelievable than my performances. There is such a difference between my first experience with Tom and how nice he is now. Something clicked inside his heart, something touched his heart. When that special moment arrives, it is God’s Hour. Our famous song is “Dak eseche—Call has come.” When the Call comes, you will be able to run so fast. Tom’s life is the radiant example.

 

Jim Smith’s faith in me

Jim Smith’s oldest son is studying to be an engineer. When he saw the picture of my 7,000-pound lift, he said to his father, “You want me to be an engineer and I am going to be a good engineer. Because of what I have studied, I find it difficult to believe this kind of thing. But since you are my father and you believe, definitely I am going to believe.” He is believing through the eyes of his father!

We have sent Jim Smith three copies of the picture of me lifting 7,000 pounds. One he has kept in his gym, one in his office and one at home. The funny thing is, people who do not believe it come back again and again to look at the picture. For those who believe it, seeing it once is enough.

When I lifted 2,000 pounds, Jim Smith had to fight with his colleagues to give me the certificate. Normally three persons are required to watch the lift. But he said that by seeing the picture, he knew that it was true. So he challenged his colleagues. Good people are on earth. That is why we can remain alive.

Published in My Weightlifting Tears and Smiles, part 3

 

Photos by Pulak Viscardi

 

Sri Chinmoy shoots baskets in New York.

 

February 15

Irina Gorbachev

Lyrics:

Irina Irina Irina Irina
Bajao pitar bijoyer bina
Saralata hiya madhurata hasi
Dao je amare rashi rashi rashi

 

Translation:

Irina, Irina, Irina, Irina!
You play your father’s victory-violin.
Yours is a sincerity-heart.
Yours is a sweetness-smile.
To all human beings
You give them in abundant measure.

Published in President Gorbachev

 

Photo by Pulak Viscardi

 

Sri Chinmoy during his esraj anniversary concert at Public School 86 in Jamaica, Queens, New York.

 

February 15

 

On June 19, 2003, Sri Chinmoy lifted Academy Award-winning actress Helen Hunt at Aspiration Ground in Jamaica, Queens, New York, as part of the ‘Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart’ programme. Almost a decade later, on February 15, 2013, Helen Hunt is interviewed on the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ and speaks about her extraordinary meeting with Sri Chinmoy. The interview is broadcast to millions around the world.