Author: Tejvan Pettinger

Prague concert at Dvorak hall

Recently, the Prague Sri Chinmoy Centre organised a Songs of the Soul concert at the prestigious Rudolfinum’s Dvořák Hall. The concert featured excerpts from Sri Chinmoy’s own recorded concert performances and also live performances by Gandharva Loka. Gandharva Loka, who have performed at venues across the globe, offered their arrangements of Sri Chinmoy’s music to a packed audience. Other performers on the night included: Alap (duduk) and Lukas (percuse), Adesh (sitar) and Sadanand (tabla), Paree’s singing group, Premik (flute) and Vapushtara with a version of Rama Ramgava (piano).

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Orchestra on stage.

Continue reading “Prague concert at Dvorak hall”

New recordings at Radio Sri Chinmoy

At Radio Sri Chinmoy we have several new recordings to share, including a live radio interview with Sri Chinmoy taken in the early 1970s. There is a also a selection of the best music from Sri Chinmoy Centre groups in the past year.

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New recordings by Sri Chinmoy

New Recordings by members of Sri Chinmoy Centre

 

New world records at Sri Chinmoy Races

New world records were set at recent 24 hour races  organised by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team in both London and Ottawa.

At the London self-transcendence 24 hour race, veteran Geoff Oliver set new no fewer than 7 world records for the 80+ category. These records included 50 miles in 10:20:31 and distance marks at 12 hours of 89.732 kms and 24 hours of 152.295 kms.

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Geoff has been a regular participant at the London Sri Chinmoy A.C. races in the past 20 years, and after the event thanked the organisers for the great organisation and atmosphere of the race. (Geoff rewrites Ultra records)

In the Ottawa 24 hour self-transcendence race in Canada, Jon Olsen set a new American 100-mile track record of 11:59:28! The overall winner of the Ottawa 24 hour race was Marylou Corino with 197.0 km. (Ottawa 24 hour at Sri Chinmoy Races) Continue reading “New world records at Sri Chinmoy Races”

World Gratitude Day 2013

September 21 is World Gratitude Day, an opportunity to cultivate and remember the importance of gratitude. World Gratitude day was first celebrated by the United Nations Meditation Group in 1977, following an idea of Sri Chinmoy.

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Sri Chinmoy has written countless poems, aphorisms and discourses on the power and benefits of gratitude.

Continue reading “World Gratitude Day 2013”

Sri Chinmoy aphorism cards

At Sri Chinmoy Poetry, there is a new weekly blog offering a selection of quotes and poems by Sri Chinmoy. The quotes are embedded into beautiful photos, which have been taken from the Sri Chinmoy Gallery

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The blog at Sri Chinmoy Poetry will offer new aphorism cards every week. Feel free to reproduce the images under a Creative Commons license.

Photographers include, Menaka, Sharani, Tejvan

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photo in current page, Menaka.

World’s largest incense stick

On 27 August, Ashrita Furman and a team of friends constructed the world’s largest incense stick and incense holder in honour of their teacher – Sri Chinmoy’s birthday. The incense stick reached a height of 31 feet (9.45 meter), a circumference of 76 centimeter (beating the previous incense stick of 28.87 feet).

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Ashrita, who is the holder of 163 current Guinness World Records, explained the choice of this record:

“We choose an incense stick to express our gratitude to our meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy, who would have been 82 on August 27th. He showed us a way to find inner peace and tranquility in a world of turmoil and stress.”

It took thirteen days to build the stick and incense holder; the team included 20 people, among them an engineer and incense expert Nikhil Divekar from Panaji (Goa) in India. The incense was Nag Champa fragrance and had to be put on in several layers to give it enough time to dry.

Ashrita-(left)-and-Nikhil-kindle-incense-stick

As a teenager Furman got inspired by Sri Chinmoy’s philosophy of self-transcendence. Indian born Sri Chinmoy also set many records, such as writing 1,301 poems in 24 hours and composing 21,000 songs during his lifetime. Furman attributes his success at breaking records to meditation, which he has practiced daily for over 30 years. Meditation helps him keep his childlike spirit as well as his mental and physical power which is needed to continuously set world records. Ashrita started setting Guinness World Records 34 years ago and hasn’t stopped yet. “Going beyond your every day capacity is such a fulfilling feeling. The day I break a record I’m just happy the whole day,” he says. “I’m trying to show others that our human capacity is unlimited, if we can truly believe in ourselves,”

 

The Guinness World Records book is published in more than 100 countries and in 37 languages and is one of the highest-selling books. More than 120 million copies were sold worldwide since its’ first publication in 1955.

photos: Apaguha

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Australian Peace Run finishes in Canberra

On 15th August, the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run completed its epic, 3 month, 15,872 km journey around the continent of Australia.

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The Peace Run began in April in Canberra, and over the past 3 months, a team of international runners have run clockwise around Australia visiting all the major cities, such as Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Sydney . Along the way they have met many people who have participated in this endeavour to promote peace and goodwill.

Peace, universal peace,
Is definitely within the reach
Of all.

– Sri Chinmoy[1]

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At the closing ceremony in Canberra, Prachar Stegemann offered these words on the meaning of the run.

“Sri Chinmoy founded the Peace Run in 1987, as a dynamic expression of our eternal journey towards a better world. Continue reading “Australian Peace Run finishes in Canberra”

Statue of Sri Chinmoy in Ipswich

Recently a statue of Sri Chinmoy holding a Peace Torch was dedicated at Chantery Park, Ipswich; the statue was a gift from the Oneness-Home Peace Run, and marked the culmination of a week long Peace Run from Cardiff to Ipswich.

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Statue with Mayor of Ipswich and sculptor Kaivalya Torpy

Sri Chinmoy visited Ipswich on two occasions, in the the 1980s and 1990s, and the city is a member of the Sri Chinmoy Peace Blossoms programme. Several athletic events have also been offered by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team in Ipswich over the years.

The organiser of the event, Martin Spettigue commented that:

“We want to offer something that will inspire people to think more and more about peace and to understand how important peace is to an individual.”

The Mayor of Ipswich offered his gratitude to the Peace Run team for kindly offering this symbol of peace and said it would be a great asset to Chantery Park.

Continue reading “Statue of Sri Chinmoy in Ipswich”

Successful Channel Swim

On the 27th of July, Adriano Passini completed the 43rd successful English Channel crossing by a member of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon in a time of 11 hours 10 minutes. It was the first successful crossing by a Brazilian member of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team.

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Adriano began his swim in the very early hours of the morning at 02:37. Conditions proved to be a mixture of warm sea temperatures, rain, mist, and thunderstorms. Adriano had to also contend with jellyfish and large sea vessels. However, as he approached the French coast, 11 hours later, weather conditions became favourable. Adriano was supported by a dedicated boat and his two main helpers Ashirvad Zaiantchick and Karteek Clarke (a veteran of 10 channel crossings himself) – his helpers proudly mentioned that Adriano never complained, but cheerfully stuck to the task in hand.

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Adriano swimming the channel

Adriano has been dreaming of achieving this swim for the past couple of years. Recently, he has competed a few long swims in preparation; this included the Zurich Lake Self-Transcendence Marathon Swim, a 26km race organized by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team.

Sri Chinmoy encouraged his students to swim the channel, saying it offered a great challenge for individual self-transcendence.

“The English Channel frightens the human body.
The English Channel challenges the human vital.
The English Channel puzzles the human mind.
The English Channel invites the human heart.
The English Channel treasures the human soul.
” [1]

– Sri Chinmoy Continue reading “Successful Channel Swim”

Eternal peace flame in Oslo

At a ceremony in Oslo, there was a re-dedication of the Eternal Peace Flame – a powerful symbol and hope for peace. The Eternal Peace Flame was offered to the city of Oslo by Sri Chinmoy in 2001. For many years, the Eternal Peace Flame had a temporary home on the sea front. Now a permanent place has been found in a beautiful surroundings of Holmenkollen – overlooking the city. Next to the flame, there is now also a statue of Sri Chinmoy – a powerful work of art to represent the peace-loving life and spirit of Sri Chinmoy, the founder of the Oneness-Home Peace Run.

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The ceremony was joined by members of the Peace Run, and several dignitaries.
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With the peace run torch by the Eternal Peace Flame

The Eternal Peace Flame plaque at the base of the sculpture:

The Eternal Peace-Flame
Holmenkollen, Norway

Dedicated by Sri Chinmoy:
Dreamer of World-Peace

The Eternal Peace-Flame
Mankind’s Oneness-Game.
Here in Norway’s Oslo,
The smiles of the world glow.

May humanity’s aspiration-heart
Find here the Beauty and Fragrance
Of real PEACE.
— Sri Chinmoy

Oslo, June 27th, 2013

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Dublin Songs of the Soul concert

On June 28th, the Dublin Sri Chinmoy Centre promoted a well received Songs of the Soul concert at the beautiful Newman University Church in the centre of Dublin.
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Several groups performed the music of Sri Chinmoy including Kanala & Sadanand, Ashru Dharar, Mangala’s Group, and Adarsha & Ananda. After a rousing finale of the song ‘Akashe Amar’ – a large enthusiastic audience of around 230 people, offered their generous appreciation of the concert.

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Akashe Amar
English Translation:

My infinite consciousness-light
Pervades the sky and ether.
Today I shall strike and destroy in a twinkling
The world’s intense sufferings.

– Sri Chinmoy (Score)

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