The Power of Hope

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.

Resources

(1) Excerpt from Talk on Hope : What I Need From God

Photo: Unmesh, Sri Chinmoy Center Galleries

USA World Harmony Run 2010

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.

A picture from the Run on the last day. From - Closing ceremony of WHR 2010

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

Sri Chinmoy

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."

(From: Inner Peace and World Peace, by Sri Chinmoy

An Oregon sunset

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

Related

Photos From Songs of the Soul Concert

A few selected photos from a recent Songs of the Soul concert in New York, celebrating the music of Sri Chinmoy.

songsofsoul

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."

From: Four Summit-Height Melodies at Sri Chinmoy Library

Photos by Jowan and Prashphutita.

More photos and comments at New York Songs of the Soul

Two New Channel Swims

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).

shaky

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

Channel Triathlon - Vasanti's blog

List of successful channel swims at Sri Chinmoy Races

Articles on Channel Swims at Sri Chinmoy Races

Jamaica Hills, Queens, New York

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 52  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.
  • Annam Brahma - a popular vegetarian restaurant.
  • Panorama Cafe of My Silence-Heart

Most Recited Poem

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).

poem

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

poem

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.

The Jewels of Happiness

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.

jewels happiness"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.”

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