July 8

Photo by Prashphutita Greco

 

Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert at the University of Auckland, in Auckland, New Zealand.

 

August 15th, 1945

Words and music by Sri Chinmoy

 

The original Bengali poem was written by Chinmoy in Pondicherry, India, on August 14th, 1945 — the day before Sri Aurobindo’s Birth Day. Chinmoy was then thirteen years old. 

The poem becomes a song in New York on July 8th, 1995 — fifty years later. It is the longest song of all Sri Chinmoy’s musical compositions.

Sri Chinmoy began translating this Bengali song into English on June 9th, 1996. He completed the translation on August 4th so that it might be released on August 15th.

 

 

The complete score is published in Sri Aurobindo: Divinity’s Seer-Light

 



Listen to Sri Chinmoy speaking about the poem and the song... 

 

July 8

Aspiration

A talk by Sri Chinmoy
in the Chapel of the Church Centre atr the United Nations

 

What is aspiration? Aspiration is speed.

What is aspiration? Aspiration is the fastest speed.

What is aspiration? Aspiration is Eternity's fastest speed.

What is aspiration? Aspiration is Eternity's fastest speed-communion between man and God.

What is aspiration? Aspiration is silence-vision. It is God the Supreme Beloved's Silence-Vision.

What is aspiration? Aspiration is sound-mission. It is God the Supreme Lover's Sound-Mission.

What is aspiration? Aspiration is the crying man's duty. Aspiration is the smiling God's Beauty. Aspiration is God's constant declaration of man's capacity. Aspiration is man's conscious necessity of God's real Reality within and without him.

Aspiration is not and cannot be the destination. Aspiration is the eternal journey. It is man's eternal journey to self-transcendence in the soul-light of perfection.

Aspiration is God's eternal journey of supreme manifestation in the satisfaction-heart of His transcendental Height, universal Length and unfathomable Depth.

With aspiration God started His journey. With aspiration He asks His children, His creation, to continue the journey.


Published in Union-Vision

 

Stupidity, Insecurity and Fear

A lecture by Sri Chinmoy
at the University of Auckland  in New Zealand 

 

Stupidity, insecurity and fear are three foes of our inner life. Stupidity includes insecurity and fear. As a matter of fact, stupidity encompasses everything that is unaspiring and negative in our life of aspiration. Why am I stupid and why do I remain stupid? I am stupid because I have not yet seen my true form and I have not yet realised my own highest height. I remain stupid precisely because inwardly I cherish stupidity.

There is not a single day when my mind does not cherish authority and supremacy. In my outer life I try to exercise supremacy over others; I show my undue and unauthorised authority. As soon as I show my authority and supremacy, I separate myself from the rest of mankind. With the disappearance of my oneness-life, my stupidity begins.

Why am I insecure and why do I remain insecure? I am insecure because I have not yet felt my inseparable oneness with the rest of the world. I remain insecure because inwardly I cherish insecurity in a very strange and peculiar way: I think that my insecurity is keeping me alert and cautious. I know that I have countless superiors but very few inferiors. But because of my insecurity I am always afraid that even these inferiors are going to dethrone me and start dominating me.

As long as I do not have confidence in the purest sense, I feel that I have to keep insecurity at my heart's door to protect me, which is absurdity on the face of it.

Why am I afraid? I am afraid of certain people for various reasons, but the main reason is that I dislike them. When I dislike anyone, I feel that the person I dislike is always speaking ill of me; I feel that sleeplessly and breathlessly that person is counting my shortcomings. I feel that he is leaving no stone unturned to expose me to the outer world. Because I dislike others, because I have no love for others and feel no oneness with them, I am afraid of the world. Where there is division and lack of oneness, there is always fear. But if I like the world, the world will also like me. If I love the world, my love will be reciprocated. In the life of a person who does not feel oneness with the rest of the world, stupidity, fear and insecurity can never come to an end.

Stupidity, insecurity, fear: These are my problems. But do I sincerely, soulfully and bravely try to liberate myself from these problems? No! I feel in a very peculiar way that my countless problems are keeping me alive. I feel that if I had no problems, by this time I would have become lifeless, inactive, and my life of sloth and inertia would have made me even more miserable. I feel that because I have problems to face, my inner energy comes to the fore. Alas, these are the strange ideas that I cherish.

At times, when I am beset with problems, I go to my friends and dear ones in the hope that they will be able to free me from my problems. But, like me, they too are loaded with problems, and they cannot help me.

Each problem is an inner ailment, an inner disease, and only an inner doctor can cure me. My inner doctor is my Inner Pilot. He tells me, "My son, I can cure you of all your problems, but I have to charge you a fee. The fee that I need is your constant prayer-life. The fee that I want is your constant aspiration-life. If you give Me your prayerful heart and your aspiration-life, I shall cure you of all your centuries-old maladies. Only a life of prayer and a heart of meditation can cure you of your long-cherished ignorance-dream.


Published in My Heart's Peace-Offering

 

July 8

Photo by Adarini Inkei

 

The story of the photo

by Adarini Inkei
adapted from an interview
with Utpal Marshall for Perfection Journey

 

“The photo was taken on July 8, 1988, in Washington, DC, at an outdoor Peace Concert Sri Chinmoy gave at the Jefferson Memorial, overlooking the Potomac River*. 

“Sri Chinmoy was in a white dhoti, and the whole background is kind of white. The blue carpet was giving a feeling of the sea. Everything was white and blue.

“It is one of my favourite photographs of Sri Chinmoy. I took it just moments after he had finished.

“The air was charged with energy as storm clouds roll in across the Potomac. Within minutes the rain will pour down on us.

“Sri Chinmoy at that time was walking back and forth. He said he had to walk back and forth seven times in order to come down from this high plane that he was on.

“The picture is not perfect. It is a little grainy. But the feeling you get from that picture is unbelievable. For me, there is this peace and this vastness.”

*A tidal basin inlet of the Potomac River.


The Jefferson Memorial

Comments by Sri Chinmoy
the next day, 9 July 1988

 

When I went to Washington, D.C., I spent a long time inside the Jefferson Memorial. The design I liked so much, but the statue of Jefferson really disappointed me.

They showed him as a military man — with a heroic spirit. But his so-called outer heroism was nothing in comparison with his inner vision and wisdom-light. These were his main qualities. America loves dynamism, and the outer dynamism of a soldier this statue has. But the inner wisdom of a statesman or true world leader the statue does not show.

On the wall were some significant statements by Jefferson. Unfortunately, he came long before the world, especially America, was prepared for his beautiful and powerful wisdom-light. Always prophets come at least one minute before the world is able to appreciate them. When they are here, they are not accepted. They have such wisdom, but they are not taken seriously. Only afterwards does the world accept and appreciate them.


Published in The World-Experience-Tree-Climber, part 6

 

July 8

 

The Forum becomes a Parliament of Religions

Sri Chinmoy is praying for the oneness of all religions during his Opening Meditation of the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Barcelona on July 7th, 2004.


Published in La Vanguardia, page 56

 

July 8

Photo by Pranavananda Hixon

 

Sri Chinmoy meets with Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, Head of the Sufi Order in the West, at Willow, near Woodstock, New York.

 

Sri Chinmoy and Pir Vilayat Khan

An excerpt from the meeting
a Willow, New York

Sri Chinmoy: I am fortunate and blessed to be here with the supreme Authority on Sufism. He is not only the supreme Authority but also the supreme embodiment of love and truth in the Sufi tradition. He has a heart and I have a heart. The Supreme, out of His infinite Bounty, has granted us two aspiring hearts, and both of us are safe in each other's hearts, are happy in each other's hearts, are illumining and fulfilling in each other's hearts.

I have come here to share with you soulful meditation and also I have come here to be in the company of a supremely holy man, Pir Vilayat Khan. I am extremely grateful to all the seekers of truth and light who have given me the opportunity to be of dedicated service here for an hour or so. Nothing gives me greater joy and fulfilment than to become a server of truth and light in the hearts of aspiring mankind. With your kind permission I will hold meditation.

Pir Vilayat Khan: Sri Chinmoy, it is my privilege to say how open our hearts are to receive you in this temporary abode, where you bless us by your presence. You said so many nice things about me. I wish to say that your presence here is a blessing to our gathering. You are a true representative of the spirituality of our home, India.

Ever since I met you for the first time, the link between us has always grown in strength, although we have seen each other only three or four times. But I want to say how greatly I value the meaning of that bond, because it is the one of true dedication to the service of God.


Published in AUM – Vol.II-2, No. 7, July 27, 1975

 

 

Sri Chinmoy lifts David Lange, Prime Minister of New Zealand, in Auckland, New Zealand.

 

July 7

 

YOGI OPENS LARGEST ONE-MAN ART SHOW IN HISTORY

 

NEW YORK — What is probably the largest one-man art show in history opened July 7 at a block-long gallery in New York’s Soho art district. 

On display were seven thousand paintings — some as large as 9x16 feet — by spiritual Master Sri Chinmoy.

They formed part of the 27,000 works the Yogi completed in an eight-month period.

The exhibit at The Jharna-Kala Gallery, 220 Mercer St. (near Broadway) is open seven days a week and will extend through August 29. On the evening of that day there will be a gala closing, to which art lovers and interested seekers are cordially invited.


Published in Anahata Nada, Vol. II, No. 7, August 1, 1975

 

July 7

 

Sri Chinmoy offers the opening meditation at the Fourth Parliament of the World’s Religions at the Universal Forum for Cultures in Barcelona, Spain.

 

July 7

 

Video by kedarvideo

 

Sri Chinmoy offers the opening meditation and performs a concert at the Fourth Parliament of the World’s Religions at the Universal Forum for Cultures in Barcelona, Spain.

The Council for the Parliament officially asked Sri Chinmoy to lead the opening of this momentous event in silence as a “perfect entry for participants into the Parliament experience.” Adding, “We can think of no one better to do it than you.” This is the fourth such Parliament ever held, and Sri Chinmoy’s second time offering the silent opening meditation. Sri Chinmoy first offered the opening meditation at the 100th anniversary of the original Parliament, held in Chicago in 1993.

 

July 7

The Aspiring Life

A lecture by Sri Chinmoy
at L’Aula, University of Geneva, Switzerland

 

Dear seekers, dear sisters and brothers, I wish to give a short talk on life. Needless to say, I shall speak on life from the spiritual point of view.

Life is a lost opportunity if I do not aspire. Life is a gained prosperity if I aspire. Life is a lost soul if I do not aspire. Life is a gained goal if I aspire. Life is an animal-destruction if I do not aspire. Life is God-Perfection if I aspire.

When I do not aspire, earth does not need me and Heaven does not need me. When I aspire, earth needs me and Heaven needs me; also, God needs me. There was a time when I lived the desiring life. At that time, I wanted to capture the world; I wanted to own the world. Now I aspire. I wish to become a perfect instrument of God. I wish to serve humanity and be constantly dedicated to humanity.

For me, life is a forward march. For me, life is an upward climb. For me, life is an inward dive. When I march forward, I see God's Sound-Power. When I climb upward, I see God's Silence-Power. When I dive deep within, I feel God's Love-Power. God's Sound-Power has awakened my life. God's Silence-Power has liberated my life. God's Love-Power has immortalised my life.

My life needs inner guidance. When I am guided by my Inner Pilot, my life is safe amid earth's storms. When I am guided by my Inner Pilot, I am certain amid the world's insecurity. Life does not mean only to know the truths about God. Life means an intimate connection, an inseparable union, with my Inner Pilot. In order to be guided by my Inner Pilot, in order to know Him intimately, I have to pray and meditate. I have to know that each thought that I think is a prayer. I have to know that each action that I take is a meditation. In order to pray well and have a good meditation I have to offer my gratitude to my Pilot-Supreme. It is His Compassion that has given me the capacity to pray and meditate.

When I pray, I climb up God the Tree. When I meditate, I bring down the mangoes from above and distribute them to aspiring souls. Both my prayer and my meditation are of paramount importance. If I do not climb up God the Tree, then I remain unrealised. If I do not climb down with the fruits, then God remains unmanifested. Perfection dawns only when I am realised and God is manifested.

Countless human beings are afraid of the spiritual life because they feel that it will take them away from the life they are now living. They feel that their present life is a life of satisfaction. At times, when they are mercilessly frustrated by the life that they are now living, they feel the necessity of God and the divine life. But to them, God is a stranger and the divine life is something unknown. They feel that a stranger and an unknown life cannot be trusted. But here they are totally mistaken. God is not and cannot be a stranger. And the divine life is the real life. The real life is something that inspires us and makes us feel that Infinity, Eternity and Immortality are our birthright.

Nothing can be more normal and natural than a divine life. The life that we are leading now is abnormal and unnatural. Why? Because it has made friends with darkness, ignorance and bondage. How can ignorance offer us God-Beauty, God-Light and absolute Truth?

When we make progress in our spiritual life we feel that our life is of God and our life is for God. What we want from life is satisfaction and nothing else. When we live the desiring life, no matter what we gain, there can be no satisfaction. We have an unceasing hunger that constantly wants to devour others and the entire world. By devouring others and devouring the world we cannot have satisfaction. We can have satisfaction only by establishing our inner oneness with the rest of the world. In order to achieve satisfaction we must walk along the road of aspiration and not along the road of desire.

We have seen that the world's richest man wants to become still richer. No matter how much money he gets, his needs increase more, and the more his needs increase, the more he becomes a beggar. The seeker wants to decrease his desires. The more he decreases his desires, the sooner he sees the Face of God. When he decreases his desiring life, only one desire remains; that desire is the aspiration which comes from the very depth of his heart. This aspiration wants only one thing: God. Aspiration feels that just realising God is not enough; it also wants to manifest God here on earth in His own Way. When our aspiration has realised God and manifested God in His own Way, then supreme Satisfaction dawns both in Heaven and on earth.


Published in My Rose Petals, part 4

 

Smile, Love and Claim

A talk by Sri Chinmoy
at Caldwell College in Caldwell, New Jersey

 

Smile, my friends, my soulful friends, smile. Let us smile. True, this world of ours is full of suffering and excruciating pangs, but that is no reason why we should not smile. We must smile in order to unburden the world’s suffering-burden. We must smile in order to diminish its untold pangs.

Love, my friends, my soulful friends, love. Let us love. True, this world of ours is full of hatred and disbelief, but that is no reason why we should not love and why we should not believe. We must love and believe in order to empty the hatred-sea. We must love and believe in order to break asunder the cliffs and peaks of disbelief-mountain.

Claim, my friends, my soulful friends, claim. Let us claim. True, this world of ours has deceived us and betrayed us. Nevertheless, we must claim the world, for it is our bounden duty to change the face of the world. Unless and until we claim the world, we can never transform this world; therefore, we must claim this world as our own, very own, with a view to transforming it.

Finally, we must not forget to smile at our Beloved Supreme, to love our Beloved Supreme and to claim our Beloved Supreme, for He is our Eternity’s own, and we are His Eternity’s own.

We shall smile at our Beloved Supreme precisely because He is divinely great. We shall love our Beloved Supreme precisely because He is supremely good. We shall claim our Beloved Supreme precisely because we are His Eternity’s chosen instruments. Him to please in His own Way, Him to fulfil in His own Way — it is for this we all saw the light of day. He is our Source. In Him we see, in Him we feel, in Him we fulfil our journey’s course.

Smile, love and claim. This world of ours is undoubtedly a projection of our Beloved Supreme, although it is far from perfection. But there will come a time when we shall be able to radically transform the face of this world and turn it into Perfection-Reality.

Let us smile at God, love Him and claim Him, for He is all-where only for us, unconditionally for us.


Published in Everest-Aspiration, part 1

 

I Need

A talk by Sri Chinmoy
at the Logan Campbell Centre in Auckland, New Zealand

 

I need Forgiveness from God. But alas, where are my faith-blossoms, where?

I need Compassion from God. But alas, where is my aspiration-heart, where?

I need Love from God. But alas, where is my oneness-world, where?

I need Affection from God. But alas, where is my surrender-life, where?

I need Peace from God. But alas, where is my silence-mind, where?

I need Encouragement from God. But alas, where is my intensity-eagerness, where?

I need Concern from God. But alas, where is my readiness-response, where?

My Lord Supreme, I have now come to realise that I have not pleased You in any way at any time. I feel that mine is a hopeless case.

"No, My child, yours is not a hopeless case, no!"

My Lord Supreme, do tell me what I must do.

"My child, purify your heart, simplify your mind, energise your vital and awaken your body-consciousness. My child, do not allow yourself to be struck down by stupidity any any more. Do not allow yourself to enjoy ignorance-sleep any more. Do not allow yourself to be paralysed by self-doubt — no, never! Do not allow your mind to remain inside the dark cave within you. Do not offer even an iota of affection to your insecurity. Be a constant prayer-cry and a constant meditation-illumination."

My Lord Supreme, I do not know how to pray. I do not know how to meditate. Is there any way You can teach me how to pray and how to meditate? Is there any way You can shorten the distance to my destination? Is there any way you can expedite my spiritual journey?

"My child, I am telling you the supreme secret: cry like a child, sleeplessly cry; and smile like a child, sleeplessly smile. If you can cry sleeplessly for My Compassion-Eye, then you will learn how to pray. If you can smile sleeplessly inside My Satisfaction-Heart, I shall teach you how to meditate. Only cry and smile, smile and cry, My child!"


Published in My Heart’s Peace-Offering