Sangit Surabhi is an all-female vocal and instrumental ensemble founded in 2007. The group is based in Ottawa, Canada and comprises members from the Sri Chinmoy Centre.
Sangit Surabhi performing at The Garden of Light in Ottawa.
Sangit Surabhi perform the devotional songs of Sri Chinmoy, who composed many thousands of meditative songs. Sri Chinmoy writes of music:
Music knows no frontiers.
It is free all-where.
Its contribution to emotional integration,
Human and divine,
Can never be fathomed.
Ocean Monk, a short film directed by Sanjay Rawal, was chosen as the winner in the FestivalsOnline competition by the St Louis International Film festival.
Ocean Monk chronicles the lives of a group of students of spiritual teacher, Sri Chinmoy in their search for inner peace amongst the surf and urban environment of New York. The film explores the relationship between surfing, meditation and the quest for self-enlightenment amidst this unlikely setting.
In the short preview period, the film generated a substantial number of views and comments, striking a chord with those seeking to discover a deeper meaning to life.
Now in its 19th year, the Stella Artois St. Louis International Film Festival(SLIFF) is one of the largest international film festivals in the United States. SLIFF showcases the best in cutting-edge features and shorts from around the globe. The majority of the more than 300 films screened – many of them critically lauded award-winners – will receive their only St. Louis exposure at the festival. More than 70 filmmaking guests will accompany screenings, and SLIFF will present major awards to Stacy Keach, Harry Shearer, Rob Nilsson, Stanley Nelson, and Jenna Fischer.
Musicians from the Sri Chinmoy Centre have been taking part in a concert tour across the Netherlands, France and the British Isles.
The Songs of the Soul concerts feature a range of musical interpretations from the music of Sri Chinmoy.
Groups who performed included Ghandarva Loka, Temple-Song-Hearts, Paree’s International group, Arthada and friends and an international ensemble arranged by Sahadeva.
The tour has played to packed-out venues in Amsterdam, Paris, Oxford and Bristol. At the weekend the tour moves onto Dublin and then finishing in London on November 11th.
Many members of the public have offered comments for how much they enjoyed the concert.
“Thank you so much for this concert. It was very beautiful, exquisite!”
“Hello I have just returned home after a joyous evening at St Georges (Bristol), listening to the heavenly sounds of the singers and musicians performing some of Sri Chinmoy’s beautiful songs. It was a remarkable and uplifting evening; so wonderful to see the sparkle of joy on the smiling faces and shining eyes of all the performers….”
The Australasian leg of the World Harmony Run began on 13 October in Christchurch New Zealand and is currently passing through New Zealand before crossing over into Australia.
The Run, founded by Sri Chinmoy, will finish with a closing ceremony in Canberra Australia on November 20th. During the next few weeks, the run will traverse up the two islands of New Zealand before transferring to Australia (see: Itinery 2010)
Some of the testing conditions the runners have to pass through
What does peace do? Peace blossoms.
What else? Peace spreads.
What else? Peace illumines.
What else? Peace fulfils.
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.
