Sri Chinmoy taught the practice of concentration and meditation could be applied to any field of life. A new video – ‘ Surfing Monk’ shows how a few students of Sri Chinmoy incorporated their love of surfing into their search for enlightenment.
The video has been selected as an official film for the New York surf film festival and features Kelly Slater, Jack Johnson, Titus Kinimaka and Sri Chinmoy.
“..When you are surcharged with infinite energy, then no matter what you are facing, you will not be frightened. When you have divine energy in boundless measure, your divine energy enters into the wave before you touch that wave…”
Sri Chinmoy writes that “…Hope is the bridge between Heaven and earth…” (1)
Recently, the Governor of New York, David Paterson, quoted three short poems on hope during the 9/11 memorial service of 2010. The poems and video are available here. – Poems on Hope
Hope is sweet.
Hope is illumining.
Hope is fulfilling.
Hope can be everlasting.
Therefore, do not give up hope
Even in the sunset of your life.
Between April and August, the US World Harmony Run, travelled through all 50 US states meeting people from all walks of life, spreading a message of goodwill, peace and harmony.
The run began in New York, before travelling down to Florida. Then it passed through the mid west of Oklahoma and Sante Fe, then on the to the east coast of San Francisco to Seattle, before returning back to the East coast finishing outside the United Nations, New York in August. See: Map of Route
Lighting the World Harmony Run torch.
The World Harmony Run was founded by Sri Chinmoy who taught that peace and harmony could easily be spread, once we can feel it in ourselves:
“…Inside, if we feel a good thought, an illumining and fulfilling thought, then that very thought we will express and offer to our friends and dear ones. Our illumining, soulful, fulfilling thoughts will enter into our dear ones and then they, too, will have peace. So when we have inner peace, automatically it expresses itself. It spreads its qualities or capacities throughout the length and breadth of the world.”
The international team of runners were joined by many people along the way, as the run visited some breathtaking scenery and touched the lives of many people. See: Harmony Run Team
A few selected photos from a recent Songs of the Soul concert in New York, celebrating the music of Sri Chinmoy.
The Grand finale – The international music group, Gandharva Loka comprising students of Sri Chinmoy.
Top Indian musicians Tapan and Santanu joined by Premik and others.
A musical tribute to Sri Chinmoy by Maestro Leonard Bernstein.
During his lifetime, Sri Chinmoy met with the great musical maestro, Leonard Bernstein. Leonard Bernstein was so moved he composed a short song in honour of Sri Chinmoy. During the concert, this song was performed.
“Sri Chinmoy, Sri Chinmoy, Sri Chinmoy,
Free in joy!
Thank you, thank you, Sri Chinmoy-
You brought Leonard Bernstein joy.”
This summer, two members of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team successfully completed swimming across the English Channel. Since Vasanti Niemz and Adhiratha Keefe completed the first swims in 1985, the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team have now completed a total of 41 solo swims, with Karteek Clarke of Scotland making most successful swims (10).
Angikar and his helper Ayojan at Shakespeare beach, Dover, by the famous white cliffs.
Angikar completed the swim in 19hrs 24mins on the 8th August, becoming the first Serbian to successfully complete the swim.
Vasanti Niemz
Vasanti Niemz completed her swim on 03/09/2010 in a time of 16 hours 50 mins – 25 years after her first successful crossing in 1985.
After completing her epic swim across the channel, Vasanti proceeded to embark on the next leg of her epic triathlon feat. Running two marathons and cycling 300km to finish in the German town of Aachen. Vasanti’s blog
A few years after arriving in the US in 1964, Sri Chinmoy moved to the New York suburb of Jamaica, Queens. Throughout his frequent international travels, Sri Chinmoy made his home in a quiet street of this suburb of New York for over three decades. Over the years, many students of Sri Chinmoy, from the US and all corners of the world, moved to the area to set up enterprises and be closer to their spiritual teacher. This has helped the area to be one of the most multicultural and multi-ethnic areas in the US.
The World's Largest Seesaw by 164 Street, Jamaica Hills, Queens. A new Guinness World Record set by Ashrita Furman dedicated to his spiritual teacher, Sri Chinmoy August 27th 2010
In a recent New York Times article, the area was described as a great melting pot – ‘whose residents cite harmonious diversity as a defining element.‘
Three storefronts stand shoulder to shoulder: a modest grocery, whose sign declares Indian-Pakistani-American roots, selling Indian DVDs, two for $5, and asking 75 cents for a microwave-warmed vegetable samosa; Annam Brahma, a new Indian vegetarian restaurant with the motto “Food Is God,†one of several businesses with exteriors painted a light blue to signal devotion to Sri Chinmoy, the late Bangladeshi spiritual teacher who made his home in the area; and St. Gerasimos Greek Orthodox Church.
That stretch goes some way toward capturing a neighborhood whose residents cite harmonious diversity as a defining element… (NY Times article)
The 3100 Mile Race
For the past 14 consecutive years, in June, July and August, the neighbourhood also plays host to the world’s longest certified race the 3100 Mile Race. The race can last upto 52 days. One of the most remarkable things of the race is that it is run around a single block. Local Residents and local school children have become accustomed to this remarkable race which has been one of the features heralding the start of the summer.
Local residents explain how they have come to appreciate the presence of this unique race which occurs between 6am and 12pm every day for those 52Â days of summer.
Members of the Sri Chinmoy Centre have a strong presence in the area with a number of business enterprises painted in a defining blue. Some of these local stores include:
The Smile of the Beyond – a breakfast and luncheonette diner on Parsons Boulevard
The Divine Robe – A specialist clothes shop
Guru Stationary – Small independent stationary store
Guru Health Foods – a busy independent health food store managed by serial Guinness World Record Breaker, Ashrita Furman.
As part of the Sri Chinmoy Poetry Festival, August 2010, an international team of individuals helped set a new Guinness World Record for translating a poem by Sri Chinmoy into the most number of languages (146).
Those reciting the poem included Olympic legend Carl Lewis, Guinness top record holder Ashrita Furman, UN Ambassadors and Consul Generals as well as people from a wide variety of different countries.
The poem was
Be like a child,
Act like a child.
Go from one flower to another
In your heart-garden
Until you find complete joy
And perfect satisfaction.
– Sri Chinmoy
The poem was from the new book “Jewels of Happiness†written by Sri Chinmoy. The 146 languages ranged from Bengali and Maori to Newari and Zulu, “Be Like a Child†was expressed with some of the most unusual and charming communication sounds in the globe.
Ashrita Furman has been setting Guinness World Records since 1979 and has broken 299 Guinness World Records on all seven continents.
A new collection of Sri Chinmoy’s writings called The Jewels of Happiness is to be published – the book touches on themes such as inspired living, inner peace and creating inner joy.
The Jewels of Happiness is published by Watkins and includes a collection of poems, aphorisms and writings with wisdom for living a more peaceful and joyful life.
“Try not to change the world. You will fail. Try to love the world. Lo, the world is changed. Changed forever.”
– Sri Chinmoy (1)
“Joy, spontaneity and self-giving always go together. If one has a joyful heart, that means that one possesses spontaneity or a spontaneous heart and also that one is self-giving. Or we can say that self-giving is the hyphen, the connecting link, between joy and spontaneity.”
– Sri Chinmoy, The Jewels of Happiness
The Jewels of Happiness will be on sale from September 7th. In the forward to the book, Archbishop Desmond Tutu writes:
“These sweet gems of wisdom by my dear friend Sri Chinmoy are timeless truths full of encouragement, love and goodness.â€
Recently, the 14th edition of the 3100 Mile Self-transcendence Race finished with six runners completing the full distance and another four runners completing over 2700 miles.
photo by Jowan
This year the race was run in gruelling temperatures and humidity which made the race even more testing. The race was founded in 1997 by Sri Chinmoy, a keen advocate of promoting the concept of self-transcendence.
Video Of Race From ABC News
The race was won in a time of 46 days, 07:37:24 by Asprihanal Aalto
A beautiful yellow rose variety named after Sri Chinmoy. It was grown at a nursery in Scotland. Sri Chinmoy described it as a ‘Scottish Blossom Fragrance’
Sri Chinmoy Rose
The Sri Chinmoy Rose was inaugurated in 2004. The first bush was planted at the Hidden Gardens in Glasgow, on mid-summer, June 2004. The above photo is from a bush growing outside the Edinburgh Sri Chinmoy Centre on Cannondale Street.
Sri Chinmoy has stated:
“The significance of the rose in the inner world is most important. The rose, like other flowers, has fragrance and beauty, but it also has something special, unique. There are very few flowers in God’s creation that please God to the greatest extent. The rose is one of those, along with the lotus. Rose and lotus: these are the two mystical flowers. These are the two flowers in God’s Heart-Garden that please Him most.”
The World Harmony Run recently passed through the mountainous country of Mongolia, the scenery providing a wonderful backdrop to this initiative to promote world peace.
Flags flying in the wind. Photo Pranlobha.
Sri Chinmoy, the founder of the World Harmony Run, visited Mongolia in 2007 where he was given an award by the President Nambaryn Enkhbayar See: Sri Chinmoy Mongolia visit
Pranlobha Kalagian from Seattle, writes about her experience participating in the World Harmony Run across Mongolia. Mongolia dreaming
“The majestic Mongolian landscape plays a feature role in this beautiful coverage of the World Harmony Run’s travels across the country, meeting school children, soldiers, track runners, city officials and large gatherings. “
Video and Edit: Erdenebaatar Gankhuu. Postediting and Coding: Kedar Misani
