Tributes to Nelson Mandela

On Friday 14 December 2013, members of the UK Sri Chinmoy Centre offered a prayerful tribute to the life of Nelson Mandela. Approximately 30 members offered a few impromptu songs, readings and poems in front of Nelson Mandela’s statue in Parliament Square, London.

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Beginning at around 7.30pm, the centre members sang several songs, composed by Sri Chinmoy and dedicated to Nelson Mandela. This included four songs of Nelson Mandela’s words set to music.

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Throughout the past few days, Mandela’s statue had received a growing collection of bouquets as people came to offer their respect. During the ceremony, a party of schoolchildren came to the statue; they offered a candle in front of this poem garland. Continue reading “Tributes to Nelson Mandela”

Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013)

Nelson Mandela, one of the world’s most admired leaders, recently passed away aged 95; Mandela personified South Africa’s transition to democracy and was greatly admired for his generosity of spirit and moral courage. Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 (jointly with F W De Klerk) Throughout his 95 years, Mandela sacrificed his life for the ideals of justice and peace and gave inspiration to millions across the world.

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”

— Nelson Mandela

Sri Chinmoy met Nelson Mandela on a number of occasions, and said Nelson Mandela was one of the persons’ he admired most [1]. Sri Chinmoy wrote a book on Nelson Mandela entitled ‘Nelson Mandela: The Pinnacle-Pillar of Mother Earth‘ The book is a tribute to the ideals and vision of Nelson Mandela.

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Nelson Mandela and Sri Chinmoy meet at the United Nations June 1990

Sri Chinmoy also awarded Nelson Mandela the U Thant Peace Award in 1996, for Mandela’s commitment to the ideals of peace, forgiveness and harmony.

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Nelson Mandela and Sri Chinmoy in 1996, ANC headquarters.

Some selected quotes by Sri Chinmoy on Nelson Mandela:

Nelson Mandela:
The pinnacle-pillar
Of Mother Earth.

 

Wherever he goes,
He carries with him
The tears and smiles
Of sweetness-love.

  Continue reading “Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013)”

Peace run in Africa

The Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home peace run is currently travelling through the great continent of Africa. The run has already visited South Africa, Ethiopia and Zambia, and in coming weeks, the Peace Run team will visit countries, such as Zimbabwe, Kenya, Burundi and Ruwanda. A full itinerary can be viewed here – Africa Peace Run

The Peace Run team comprises international volunteers from Africa and around the world; the aim of the run is to spread the ideals of friendship, peace and harmony. It provides a dynamic way for people to share their aspirations for peace and a better world. Young and old have already enthusiastically embraced the Peace Run as it makes its way around Africa.

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A great feature of the Peace Run is the spontaneous meetings. Many people see the flaming torch and join in for a while, as the run passes by the side of the road. Continue reading “Peace run in Africa”

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.

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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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