Historical S-VHS footage of Sri Chinmoy’s Tour through Europe in 1988 with performances in Florence, Antwerp and Den Haag, “Lifting up the world with a oneness-heart” functions in Zurich and Munich, a talk on enthusiasm, a surprise trip to the Swiss mountains, unique improvisations on various percussion instruments and a visit to Natika’s “Oneness-World” bookshop in Zurich. Length: 1:14 h. Filmed and edited by Kedar Misani, kedarvideo Switzerland.
Sri Chinmoy meditates – Vol. 9
kedarvideo Switzerland is offering this full hour video for your inspiration. It consists of clips compiled over the years during various high meditations of spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007).
Today is World Gratitude Day
Every morning
I make a new
Gratitude-heart-garland
For my Lord Supreme.– Sri Chinmoy
The idea for an annual day of gratitude began in 1965 in Hawaii during an international Thanksgiving dinner and it has been celebrated on September 21st for the last 51 years.
Held at the East-West Center, the dinner was hosted by mediation guru, Sri Chinmoy, director of the United Nations Meditation Group. He suggested the idea as a globally unifying holiday and each person in attendance vowed to hold a gratitude gathering every September 21st in their own country. The United Nations Meditation Group formally celebrated World Gratitude Day on September 21, 1977 at the New York Headquarters where Sri Chinmoy was honored for his work. Since its beginnings, World Gratitude Day has been observed in numerous countries around the globe.
There has been an increasing awareness of the benefits of gratitude, appreciation and positive reflection. World Gratitude Day is a reminder and an opportunity to reflect on all of the blessings we have in life. Expressing gratitude has been proven in numerous scientific studies to positively impact our well-being, making us happier, healthier, more social and overall more appreciative people.
Marathon Swim on Lake Zurich
47 solo swimmers and 18 teams from all over the world participated in the 29th International Sri Chinmoy Marathon Swim on Lake Zurich this August. The weather conditions were again excellent with a quiet lake in the morning, only in the afternoon the swimmers had to face some headwind and waves from boats. The water was warm with 23°C, the sky sunny with an air temperature of 26°C. The first swimmers who arrived in Zürich was the team “Rahel und Roger” with Roger Bommer and Rahel Küng in 6h 31m 07s. Only four minutes later the first solo swimmer Till Mesmer reached the goal. The fastest solo swimmer among the women was Georgina Kovacs from Australia with a time of 6h 59min 31s. Anna De Lozier from the USA set a new record in the Masters category with 7h 39m 59s. Steffen Hartig broke the record in the category Men Masters with wet suit with a new time of 6h 43m 22s. Produced 2016 by kedarvideo, Switzerland, music by Parichayaka Hammerl.
Swim-Run Trio in Pomona, NY
Yesterday, the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team organized a special event, a Swim-Run Trio at Harriman State Park, Pomona, NY. The race consisted of three races staged simultaneously on Sunday, September 11th:
* Swim-Run (Aquathlon: 1km swim and 10 km run): Participants can race as individuals, or as part of a relay team
* 10 km road race
* 1 km open-water swim race
The 10 km run and 1 km swim were staged on the same course as the Swim-Run. The swim took place in beautiful Lake Welch; the run was through the forest and followed the shores of Lake Welch. New York based filmer Utpal Marshall was quick, above you find his inspiring video of yesterday’s event.
The Perfect Divine Enterprise: Part 5
Enterprises lead by students of Sri Chinmoy are called “Divine Enterprises”. The workers always try to be in a good consciousness and maintain harmony among themselves. Sometimes it is good to remember what Sri Chinmoy himself wrote about this special kind of devoted service to mankind. Many of his quotes have been collected and published in a book called “A Perfect Divine Enterprise” (The Manifestation-Glow Press, Jamaica, New York, 2003). As it is now out of print we are regularly publishing excerpts from this book for your inspiration in this blog.
If you are trying to operate an enterprise, how can you avoid letting your own consciousness be affected by what goes on?
SRI CHINMOY: Do not think of yourself as the owner or the manager or the boss. You will be affected if you think that you are the boss, the owner, the proprietor. But if you can sincerely feel, “My Guru is the boss” or “The Supreme is the Boss,” then you will not be affected. Just say to yourself, “I am only a worker and an observer. My business is to report to my superior. When I report sincerely to my superior, to my Guru, my role is over. My role is not to judge or criticise or punish others. My role is only to send the message to my Guru.”
Unfortunately, you are affected because you are taking part in what is going on. You are saying, “He has done something very wrong; she has misbehaved.” Do not allow your mind to scold or criticise others. Only feel that an incident has taken place, and that incident you are reporting to your Guru. That is your job. Then let your Guru take care of it. If you feel that as the owner or manager, you have to enter into others’ misdeeds or problems, then your consciousness will be affected.
Your business is only to send the message to me, and not to hold it. When you hold that person’s misdeed in your mind, then you start judging the person. First you harbour; then you judge; then you scold the person. But if you do not allow yourself to keep the incident in your mind, then you are safe. When you see that someone has done something wrong, just feel that you have touched ink. Then what will you do? You will immediately run and wash yourself. Each time you see somebody’s imperfection, before you identify completely with the situation, before the ink can stain the palm of your hand, just go and wash yourself by giving the message to me.
So just because you are the owner and the manager, do not think of yourself as a judge. There is somebody to do that job for you, and that is your Guru. If you did not have a Guru, then this question would not arise. You would be in charge of everything, and you would fire the workers at your sweet will. Other restaurant owners and managers have no superior. Once they become the owners, who can lord it over them? They can fire people; they can do everything they want. But you have taken somebody as your superior, so that superior should make the decisions for you. Then your problem is over. You have to make yourself feel that you are just another worker. The other two titles—“owner” and “manager”– just forget! Tell yourself, “I am a worker and an observer.” More than that if you become, then today you will have a headache and tomorrow you will have a heart attack!
This is exactly what I do when problems arise: I give them to the Supreme. Again, sometimes the Supreme will say, “You deal with it.” Similarly, many times I tell you people when you make complaints, “You deal with it. I will take your side, whatever you say.” When I get all the problems and complaints from the disciples, I refer them to the Supreme; I do not keep them. But sometimes He tells me, “No, you have to deal with it.” Then I deal with it. Otherwise, all the millions of problems that I have got over the years, do you think I could have solved? I would have died long ago! But I gave them to my Boss, the Supreme. I said, “You take them.” Occasionally He will tell me, “No, this one you deal with. I have faith in you.” So I do it. But otherwise, if I had been brave enough or stupid enough to take upon myself all the problems that I have had over the years, if I had tried to solve them, I would not have remained on earth.
Mother Teresa receives U Thant Peace Award
22 years ago spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007) gave the “U Thant Peace Award” to Mother Teresa in Rome. This historic video shows the Award Ceremony.
New Guinness Record: 72,000 burning candles
New York – 27 August 2016. 61-year-old Guinness world record champion Ashrita Furman set a world record in the borough Queens of New York, by lighting 72,000 candles to burn simultaneously on a huge birthday cake. A team of 70 helpers from all over the world spent several hours counting and inserting the thousands of colourful birthday candles in a cake spanning 45 by 10 feet (13.5 by 3 meters). Then the candles were lit in a space of just two minutes. Ashrita, manager of a New York health food store, dedicated the new Guinness Record as an expression of gratitude to Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007), stating: “Our teacher came from India to offer us the light of meditation. With tremendous gratitude we are honouring what would be his 85th birthday with light of 72,000 candles.” Ashrita set 622 Guinness world records in his lifetime – more than any other Guinness figure. His 72,000-candle event will become his 207th currently standing record. The audience of 1000 friends and supporters of Sri Chinmoy’s lifetime of work for peace sang the traditional “Happy Birthday” song. After the candles were extinguished, many members of the audience enjoyed a piece of cake. Ashrita had been waiting to attempt the new record after his previous record of 48,000 candles was upset by a team who lit 50,000 candles in April, 2016. (Photos: Jowan Gauthier)
Today we celebrate Sri Chinmoy’s 85th Birthday
Students of Sri Chinmoy from all over the world celebrate Sri Chinmoy’s Birthday Anniversary – either in Jamaica, Queens (NY) or at home at their respective Meditation Centers. As a special feature Guinness Record holder Ashrita Furman plans to brake the record of a cake with the most candles; in fact he plans to enkindle 72’000 candles. More information to come by tomorrow.
Interview with Ultra-Runner Vajin from NZ
This new episode of the series LIFE Voices (#39) brings you an interview with ultra-runner Vajin Armstrong from New Zealand, who was recently first in the Swiss Alpine Marathon in Davos, Switzerland during July 2016. The interview was conducted in Zurich shortly after his period of running through the Swiss alps. Vajin, a disciple of Sri Chinmoy for 18 years, reveals how he combines sports and spirituality, and gives advice for new runners. One of his favorite races is the 47-hour race conducted every year on Sri Chinmoy’s birthday on August 27 in Queens, New York. The video is produced by Kedar Misani; the soundtrack is by Parichayaka Hammerl.
