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Nirvana

circa 1962

This Bengali poem presents an intriguing mystery, principally because the poem itself is missing. We may assume that Sri Chinmoy penned the original in one of his notebooks from this period. We may also claim, with some degree of confidence, that it rightly belongs among his major works. We know that he wrote of sublime, spiritual experiences from direct, firsthand experience. Therefore, the very topic – nirvana – promises a rare insight into this state. And yet, for some reason, after the poet came to the West, he did not transform his words into a song, as was his wont with other Bengali poems written during his Ashram years. In fact, we would not know of the existence of this poem were it not for the fact that a translation of it was published in the Mother India cultural magazine in September 1962. The translation was undertaken by Romen, the very person who taught the young poet English metre. He produced four quatrains comprised of heroic couplets. How closely these sixteen lines correspond to the poet’s Bengali words we cannot say. We can only present this very beautiful translation and hope that one day the original from which it sprang will emerge.

– Vidagdha

Nirvana

The tone and resonance, the gleam and night

Die like echoing chords on a hill’s stark height.

All vanish in that vacancy, you and I;

None is there eager to hear the world’s loud cry.

A bourneless silence, still, unmoving, lone,

Lost beyond thought’s ascent, a mute unknown !

The lines of the unseizable and the quest

Are sensed not in that vast and termless rest.

A calm unspeakable rapture with its heat

Builds no entrancèd solitude’s retreat,

In the deeps of the heaven-artist’s unfathomed force

Before creation with winged motion rose :

When all is regained or all in God is lost

In the beginning’s dawn or the holocaust.

Towards that dazzling eternity of Sun

Wings, called, the bird of flame-dominion.

CHINMOY

_{(Translated by Romen from the original Bengali)}

Notes:

1. Romen Palit was born in 1920. As a young boy, he became the first child to be accepted into the spiritual community of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. He studied English literature under Nolini Kanta Gupta, and Sri Aurobindo greatly encouraged him in his poetic endeavours. About one of his early poems, Sri Aurobindo commented: “As usual the last lines are very fine. The whole has the substance of poetry, and once put into metrical form, succeeds by a very telling suggestion of atmosphere.” A few days later this was his comment on another of Romen’s poems: “A larger vocabulary, a freer choice of words will bring the necessary change, but even as it is, it is remarkable. The lines marked are superb — others are fine, but these would do credit to any poet.”

2. Romen played a most significant role in the young Chinmoy’s life. Chitta Ghose relates:

One day Chinmoy was coming out from the main Ashram building. A young man by the name of Romen caught him on the street and said to him, “You must write poems in English.” Chinmoy said that he would not and could not because he did not know English metre. Romen said, “I am going to teach you.” Then he compelled Chinmoy to bring him to our house for two or three hours. He taught Chinmoy English metre and Chinmoy was able to write his first poem in English, ‘The Golden Flute’. Chinmoy sent this poem to ‘Mother India’ for publication and the manager was very, very pleased. He sent Chinmoy twenty-five rupees for the poem and Chinmoy offered it to the Mother. After Chinmoy submitted his third poem to this same manager, the manager happened to be paying a visit to the Ashram. When he came to know who Chinmoy was, that it was he who had written ‘The Absolute’, he dropped his cane and embraced him. “Did you write it? Did you write it?” he asked. “Yes, I did,” Chinmoy replied. This manager could not believe that ‘The Absolute’ could be written as only Chinmoy’s third poem in English.

_{– Excerpt from Chitta's Notebook, My Brother Chitta, Agni Press, 1998.}

3. “Bourneless” means “limitless”. The word is used by Sri Aurobindo in Savitri, Book I, Canto IV:
“Two seem his goals, yet ever are they one
And gaze at each other over bourneless Time;”

4. “Holocaust” is a word of Greek origin, originally meaning “sacrifice by fire”. In Book II, Canto I of Savitri, Sri Aurobindo uses this word in its positive connotation:
“Our life is a holocaust of the Supreme.”

My Letters

The seven letters in this volume, written by Sri Chinmoy between November 1968 and January 1969, were first printed in a booklet entitled ‘My Letters’.

They provide a unique insight into Sri Chinmoy’s relationship with his students at a time when his mission in the West was just beginning.

The formal style of Sri Chinmoy’s letterwriting is charmingly quaint, yet it is imbued with abundant wisdom and a light-hearted sense of humour that is immediately appealing.

Since these letters were first written, they have largely remained unread. They are published here in their entirety, with the original typed pages displayed in a slideshow format and the unedited text for each letter available through the table of contents.

Contents

ABSENT-MINDEDNESS ABSENT-MINDEDNESS	HUMOUR HUMOUR
ANGER ANGER	LETTER 6 LETTER 6
COMMON SENSE COMMON SENSE	LETTER 7 LETTER 7
NERVOUSNESS NERVOUSNESS

New Year’s Messages

“On the eve of the New Year, a new consciousness dawns on earth. God once again inspires each human being, each creature, with new hope, new light, new peace and new joy.” — Sri Chinmoy

During his lifetime, Sri Chinmoy’s annual New Year’s Message became a tradition. Usually offered in conjunction with a public meditation or concert in the months of November or December, Sri Chinmoy would recite a special message for the coming New Year.

Here, for the first time, is the entire collection of New Year’s Messages from 1966 to 2007, together with Sri Chinmoy’s own comments, photographs from the public meditations, and songs composed. Wherever possible, original recordings of Sri Chinmoy reciting his New Year’s Messages, as well as videos of some of his special New Year’s Eve meditations, have also been included.

Field Sports

Discus

Javelin

1. 7 August 1977

Long Jump

1. 25 August 1976


Sri Chinmoy participating in the long jump at Sports Day in New Paltz.

2. 7 August 1977


Sri Chinmoy practises long jump in the tryouts for Sports Day held at Jamaica High School Track in Jamaica, New York.

Shot Put

2. 7 August 1977

Sri Chinmoy used to like to put these photos side by side to show comparison between the Ashram years and more than 20 years later.

Giant Shot Put


6 lb.		8 lb.		12 lb.


16 lb.		22 lb.		27 lb.


31 lb.

3. 22 December 1990, Hawaii


50 lbs.

4. 1991

Sri Chinmoy on the beach in Bali.

If you have photos to contribute to this section, kindly contact the editor.

Races: • 100 Metres • Track Races • 2 Miles • Middle distance • Long distance • Marathons • Ultramarathons • Field Events
Sports Photos: • Distance Running • Sprinting • Field Sports

Sprinting

2. 1980

Photo by Pavitrata Taylor

4. 1983

Sri Chinmoy at Jamaica High School cinder track, training up for the World Masters Games that were held in Puerto Rico in late September.

5.

7. 11 November 1989


		Photos by Pulak

Sri Chinmoy training in the gully at Aspiration-Ground.

10.

11.

12.

13.

Photo by Pavitrata Taylor

14.

15.

Sri Chinmoy training at Queensboro Community College.

16. January 1992

Sri Chinmoy training on a 100-metre hand-made dirt track in Tenerife, Canary Islands, a week or so before running 14.13 seconds for a 100-metre solo trial at the University of La Laguna track on January 18, 1992.

17. 12 February 1992

Sri Chinmoy training at JFK airport, New York.

18.

19.

20. December 1992

Sri Chinmoy doing a stride workout in Vietnam.

21. December 1992

Sri Chinmoy doing a stride workout in Vietnam.

22. January 1993

23.

24.

Sri Chinmoy running in the gully at Aspiration-Ground in bare feet as in his youth.

25.

Sri Chinmoy training in the gully at Aspiration-Ground.

26.

Sri Chinmoy training at St John’s University.

27.

28. 1995

Sri Chinmoy during winter indoor training.

29.

Sri Chinmoy doing resistance training at Aspiration-Ground

If you have photos to contribute to this section, kindly contact the editor.

Distance Running

1. 1 June 1978

Sri Chinmoy goes for a run at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, marking the beginning of his long-distance running career.

2. 6 August 1978


	Photo by Bhashwar Hart

3. 1978

Sri Chinmoy racing in Antigua.


	Photo by Vidagdha Bennett

5. 17 August 1979

Games Day, Brien McMahon High School, Norwalk, CT. During the day, Databir Watters crawled continuously on his hands and knees for 7 miles in the time of 8 hours 41 minutes.


	Photo by Bhashwar Hart

8. 15 June 1980

Sri Chinmoy running in the 10 km Sri Chinmoy Race in Belvoir Park, Zurich. At the invitation of Sri Chinmoy, the great Czech runner Emil Zatopek officiated at the prize-giving ceremony. [Photo by Kedar Misani]

9. October 1980