New statue of Sri Chinmoy in Mazatlan, Mexico

A life-sized bronze statue of World Harmony Run founder Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007) depicted holding a World Harmony Run torch was inaugurated in a colourful ceremony on the evening of November 26, 2009 in Mazatlan, Mexico. The statue is on the edge of the Pacific Ocean ringed by palm trees located adjacent to a busy coastal plaza featuring other statues and lookouts over the ocean. Eventually its environs will be further landscaped with benches and additional information about the late spiritual leader’s contributions in various fields. Other statues by the same sculptor, British artist Kaivalya Torpy, are located in Norway, Bali and the Czech Republic. The statue unveiled in Mazatlan is the first in the Americas and the first ever of the spiritual leader holding a torch.

The Mayor was in attendance to unveil the statue and he was presented with the Harmony Run Torch Bearer Award during the ceremony. Students of Sri Chinmoy representing various countries attended the event. The Mazatlan Fire Department band and gymnastics team performed a stirring drum and trumpet performance and ascended heavenward with gravity defying human pyramid formations. The World Harmony Run torch was held aloft from atop one such human pyramids. Related activities continued the following day with visits by the World Harmony Run to three elementary schools culminating in the school children running the torch to the foot of the statue where they were greeted by the Secretary of the Mayor. A World Harmony Run ceremony including school children also visited a large Mazatlan shopping mall where Sri Chinmoy’s Jharna-Kala artwork was on exhibit inside the mall.  The local daily newspaper Noroeste featured an article about the statue dedication on November 28th and a second article about the World Harmony Run festivities on the sports page in the same day’s paper. - Text and Photos by Sharani Robins

Feeling as a 20 year old boy

For me, as the years advance sailing on life’s river seems to have become ever more smooth. I don’t think it has anything to do with me really. I just can’t escape the notion that we’ve passed through some dark times in recent years and that an inevitable new dawn is seeping through the veneer of everyday life. That’s just my take on it. Starting out as a spiritual seeker was quite a trying time. The changes I went through in that initial stage were often sudden and rapid. The people around me hardly had time to adjust, but I had become a different person practically overnight. Or had I? There is a famous Zen saying that says that before you study Zen mountains are mountains and oceans are oceans, while studying Zen you realize that mountains are not mountains and oceans are not oceans, but when you complete the study (attaining enlightenment) mountains are mountains again and oceans are oceans. – I find that very beautiful. We change, but at the same time we remain the same. My values, my view of the world and my role in it, that all changed when I accepted the spiritual life. But I’ve never felt that the real me, that core truth in me which I carry with me since my birth, has ever changed. Like Nayak writes in his post on the “Sri Chinmoy Inspiration Group” on Yahoo, I also still feel the same twenty year old boy when I look in the mirror. (Although for me the memory perhaps is fresher.)

Studying acting didn’t really make things much easier. The theatre is a world that also plays with consciousness, but it’s not necessarily the same game I was learning at the time. In a miniature version of that Zen koan I also had to realize that the world I lived in, in the end, was still my world. But there was definitely a period when my inner and outer lives clashed and I was caught in the midst of the collision. That lasted perhaps a few months. Then the two pictures overlapped again as I finally got things sorted out within.

Social acceptance has never really been a problem. Like  Tejvan from England I have mainly experienced sincere interest and respect. I did go through the short, frantic phase where you wonder why everyone else cannot see that beautiful light even when you’re repeatedly telling them about it, but fortunately I quickly mended my ways and learned to be quiet when I had to. Still people came with questions, but by then I had learned to differentiate between mere curiosity or politeness and sincere interest. When the latter was in play, speaking about my inner life became a revelation, a blessing and a joy. In the acting school some of my classmates were quite interested and we had a few spiritual conversations that I still remember with fondness. To the others I was perhaps a bit different, and there were times when the opposites were sharply emphasized, but underneath I always felt loved for who I was. Mountains became mountains again.

It’s fun being a little different sometimes. Not in a vainglorious way, but because it can create valuable moments. This past weekend I went on a training weekend with people from my running club and we spent two days together in a hotel. In between training, eating and sleeping (and for me, meditating) there was ample time to talk and play games. Although I still go by my old name there, they also know that I have a spiritual name. While playing a board game in the evening some athletes asked me about the name, what it meant and why I have it. I said the name represents my soul’s quality. As soon as I mentioned the word ’soul’ a person sitting across the table from me grew wide-eyed and said ‘Oh, I feel a lot of questions coming. Can I ask you some other time?’ And I felt that little ant Nayak spoke about in his post, the stirrings of the soul. The moment passed again and although it was short it was somehow very precious. A little awakening occurred. I love these little miracles. They make all the temporary challenges worth facing. -Abhinabha

Writing as Sadhana

Sri Chinmoy often encouraged us to write – write about the spiritual life, write about our experiences with Guru. On one occasion Guru said to us: “Can disciples not write for one hour every day?” Later Guru, modified this to: “Can disciples not write for half an hour every day?” Perhaps Guru said this in the hope we might write for perhaps half an hour every week or even half an hour every month….

When I think about what brought me to the spiritual life, a large part was reading accounts by disciples of great Masters – disciples of Ramana Maharshi, Sri Ramakrishna and Yogananda. They all inspired me to practice meditation and the spiritual life. Now, I am also fortunate to read so many accounts by disciples of our own Guru. – Like Gunagriha’s book, the many miracle stories, Arpan’s function reports and even just short reminiscences from Joy weekends.

There can be something intimidating about writing that first sentence; the mind is adept at finding a 100 excuses / reasons / justifications to delay. But, once we clear some space and devote it to writing, we can often be surprised at how beneficial writing is. I feel it is somewhat like talking to new disciples. As Guru says, when we talk to new seekers, it brings to the fore our good qualities, and reminds our forgetful mind of all the many good experiences we have had in the spiritual life. It is the same with writing, it helps to relive profound experiences and strengthen our aspiration.

Perfection and Speed

Both perfection and speed are aspects of Sri Chinmoy’s path. Guru, of course embodied both; with tremendous dynamism he could also work with great perfection. However, if we start with an idealised model of perfection, our

clever mind may just use this as an excuse never to start. “I’m not a writer, other people can do it better e.t.c.” But, we need to start where we are. It’s best just to write and allow the words to flow; it can always be improved later. (and thanks to all those who send me corrections for my second grade grammar standards… )

I remember one experience as a new disciple. It was my first family Christmas after becoming a disciple. I found the party atmosphere difficult; I just couldn’t enjoy the same things I used to before being a disciple. I remember becoming somewhat wistful and unhappy, but, then I just started writing on a spiritual topic. I don’t think the article was any good, but, it did my consciousness alot of good! The mild unhappiness left and, for the first time, I realised the power of writing as an aspect of spiritual sadhana.

-Tejvan

Source: www.srichinmoyinspiration.com

34th Anniversary of TRANSCENDENCE-PERFECTION

This Sunday it was exactly 34 years since Sri Chinmoy established a poetry record by writing 843 poems within 24 hours – and 1 day later a book with all poems was published entitled “Transcendence-Perfection”. This is the cover of the original edition. The poems can also be read online on srichinmoylibrary.com.

Let me quote 2 of the poems:

HE IS PLEASED WITH EVERYTHING

He was pleased with nothing;
Therefore God was not pleased with him

He is now pleased with everything;
Therefore God has given him two things:
Satisfaction-throne,
Perfection-crown.

I LIVE IN THE HOPE

I live in the hope of meeting Him.
I live in the hope of loving Him.
I live in the hope of pleasing Him.
I live in the hope of fulfilling and manifesting Him.
I live, I live.

- SRI CHINMOY

60 x Gratitude

To celebrate my 60th birthday I would like to offer 60 personal gratitude-prayers:

1. Gratitude for being on this lovely Earth
2. Gratitude for having the opportunity to realize God
3. Gratitude for 60 years of life in this incarnation
4. Gratitude for meeting my master 30 years ago
5. Gratitude for getting a second life after my accident in Sabah
6. Gratitude to have a healthy body
7. Gratitude for living in beautiful Switzerland
8. Gratitude for all the beautiful nature on this planet
9. Gratitude for having a lovely and soulful wife
10. Gratitude for having all I need for my living
11. Gratitude for working in a divine enterprise
12. Gratitude for having a meditation Centre in our town
13. Gratitude for our powerful sun that gives us energy every day
14. Gratitude for having produced 105 DVD’s on the live of my master
15. Gratitude for my daily meditations
16. Gratitude for the fruits of our garden
17. Gratitude for the air we can breath every day
18. Gratitude for having met my master numerous times personally
19. Gratitude for all that I can manifest daily
20. Gratitude for all the countries I could travel
21. Gratitude for our nice apartment
22. Gratitude for not having material problems
23. Gratitude for having met so many beautiful people
24. Gratitude for Mother Earth
25. Gratitude for Father Heaven
26. Gratitude for God who is guiding us all
27. Gratitude for all the colors that surround us
28. Gratitude for peace
29. Gratitude for being happy
30. Gratitude for our universe in which we live

31. Gratitude for all the flowers we can see daily
32. Gratitude for the beauty of all the trees
33. Gratitude for all the kind animals
34. Gratitude for all the masters that descended on Earth
35. Gratitude for getting a new life every day
36. Gratitude for the joy I can experience
37. Gratitude for all the people I could interview
38. Gratitude for the nature that I could film and photograph
39. Gratitude for the mineral kingdom
40. Gratitude for the plants that I have in my home
41. Gratitude for my spiritual life
42. Gratitude for my mother and father
43. Gratitude for the many books my master wrote
44. Gratitude for all the songs my master composed
45. Gratitude for all artworks that my master created
46. Gratitude for all creativity I experience daily
47. Gratitude for the fragrances of this world
48. Gratitude for the spiritual songs I learned by heart
49. Gratitude for the technique that allows me to preserve my creations
50. Gratitude for all moments I could capture in my life
51. Gratitude for the new energies that will be revealed soon
52. Gratitude for the mountains and their beauty
53. Gratitude for the springs that offer us fresh water
54. Gratitude for the birds that are singing
55. Gratitude for the vastness of the sea
56. Gratitude for all experiences I had in my life
57. Gratitude of experiencing the new age of Aquarius
58. Gratitude for the aspiration I have
59. Gratitude for learning more every day
60. Gratitude for the awareness of being one with God

“My own Gratitude-Heart is all that matters” – Sri Chinmoy
PHOTO BY MANDU

An Eternal Smile

This beautiful photo made by my brother friend Prashphutita in Sydney in the year 1989 shows better than a 1000 words what kind of smile Sri Chinmoy gave us all his live and through which he poured his eternal love and concern into our hearts and souls… This photo has a special meaning to me because I later purchased this track suit from him and I still use it almost daily. I got access to this photo today, 3 days before my birthday on October 11th. - Kedar

My 105 DVD’s on Sri Chinmoy’s activities

I created 105 DVD’s on the various activties of Sri Chinmoy and his students. The first one goes back to the Seventies when a beautiful 16mm film featued a “Day in the Life of Sri Chinmoy”. The collection contains many concerts, meditations, films of Christmas Trips, Celebration festivities in the New York area, art exhibitions, weight-lifting and other sports events. Check out the whole list on a special blog called “Sri Chinmoy on DVD”, and click on this link to see a larger version of the collection. - Kedar Misani

50th volume of 77,000 Service-Trees published

“Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees” was the latest major poetry project, realized by spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007). More than one year after his Mahasamadhi the 50th volume was published and presented together with the whole book series at “Aspiration-Ground” in Queens, New York, where more than 1000 of his students met for a week long celebration of his coming to the West 45 years ago. The poems in this final volume were mostly written by Sri Chinmoy while he was visiting Malaysia in January and February 2007. The author embarked upon this marathon poetic odyssey on 24 January 1998 at 4:30 am, just three hours after completing his first big poetry series “Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspration-Plants”, which had taken him some 14 years to write. By contrast, he wrote the 50,000 poems of the “Service-Trees” series in just over 9 years – a truly remarkable achievement. Sri Chinmoy began his “Service-Treees” project while he was visiting Cancun, Mexico. He got an inner command to start this ambitious poetry although he knew from the first moment that he might not finish it. The 50th and last published volume opens with the poem: “My life is full of God-hopes and God-dreams” and closes with these words: “My heart’s gratitude-tears every day I place at the feet of my Lord Supreme”.

Sri Chinmoy – Early photos of the 1980s

I recently was inspired to browse through my old slide and b/w picture archive of Sri Chinmoy and daily I am discovering new visual treasures that you can find on my blog “Photos of Sri Chinmoy”. So if you want to see how Sri Chinmoy looked in the 1980s, that’s the blog to visit!

“Wings of Joy” now published in Korean

Sri Chinmoy’s book “Wings of Joy” is certainly one of the most popular ones, published in the US by Simon & Schuster, NY. In the meantime the Korean Publisher Solkwahak was inspired to make their own edition, and they did a beautiful job. The book is hardbound and each chapter is on a different colour paper with many illustrations. And what is most surprising for me, they took all photographs from my portfolio on the Sri Chinmoy Gallery page and even some black and white photos of me as a child on the opening page of the content. Thanks to Govinda, one of Sri Chinmoy’s early students, who is currently learning Korean, I got access to a copy of the book. Watch the shots I did from the 264-page book (ISBN-89-87794-86-5). As it is also the case with Japanese books we Westerners cannot read one word but the whole lay-out and presentation is beautiful in itself. -Kedar Misani

Click on the pictures to view them larger