Christchurch 19 December 2002 - 3 January 2003

Sri Chinmoy’s song for Lydia Brady:
Lydia Brady, Lydia Brady!
Oneness of the soul and the body.
The fondness-child of Himaloy,
You are her heart’s stupendous joy.
“Breath-supplier oxygen, no, no, no!
I am my Spirit’s ceaseless flow.”
Lydia Brady, Lydia, Lydia,
Your courage is mountaineers’ utopia.

December 23
Sri Chinmoy played the pipe organ at Knox Presbyterian Church, Christchurch. Later in the day Sri Chinmoy tells stories and appreciates the “soft, sweet, self-giving qualities of New Zealand”.

Evening functions each day include plays, poetry and musical performances.

December 26
Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart Programme, The Grand Chancellor Hotel,Christchurch
29 people were lifted including a doctor who climbed Mt. Everest in 1994 and also a world renowned triathlete coach.

December 26
Sri Chinmoy played the organ at Christ College Chapel and the organ at the Church of St. Michael and All Angels, Christchurch

December 27
Sri Chinmoy composes a song for Concern-Cottage, a health food store operated by his students, and revises the original song he wrote about New Zealand in 1987.

Concert of Prayerful Music by Maestro Sri Chinmoy, Christchurch Cathedral
900 attended (full house)

December 28
Ashrita sets a new Guinness Record by completing 1 mile in 9 minutes 24 seconds while balancing a glass bottle full of milk on his head at QEII track in Christchurch

January 2
Sri Chinmoy inaugurates the new Christchurch Centre, meditates there and tells two stories about faith; then visits the two Christchurch enterprises operated by his students– The Lotus-Heart and Concern-Cottage. He composes a song about Christchurch at Concern-Cottage.

While in Christchurch Sri Chinmoy also went punting on the Avon and drove far and wide around the city. At Brighton Pier, Sri Chinmoy commented “Such purity, like Pondicherry.”