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These past two years have been extremely difficult for everyone, especially for our healthcare workers. Two nurses who are members of our Centre, Kritagyata Nicholls from New York and Florbela Caniceiro from Portugal, share their experiences of how their spirituality has helped them and the people around them.
Hope, courage, endurance and cheerfulness
by Kritagyata Nicholls, New York
I am a neonatal and pediatric intensive care nurse, with a background in psychiatric nursing. In 1991, Sri Chinmoy asked me to co-ordinate his humanitarian service programme The Oneness-Heart-Tears and Smiles which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
When wondering how we could be of assistance during the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, I recalled my years in the neonatal ICU of Lenox Hill Hospital, where I would silently recite one-line poems of Sri Chinmoy’s while I was working. That one phrase became a powerful vehicle to bring a sense of peace and poise into our daily challenges at the unit.
At the beginning of the pandemic, our team also listened to interviews with doctors and nurses who were working tirelessly in our hospitals to save lives. They spoke of the need for hope, courage, endurance and cheerfulness.
Researching Sri Chinmoy's poems on these themes, we created Thoughts for the Day, which brought inspiring and encouraging words of wisdom to medical teams. Posters and banners were prepared for hospital Emergency Departments and related services.
The response was most inspiring from hospitals in Italy, Germany, Russia and the USA. I would never have imaged a huge banner of poetry in an emergency room, yet doctors and nurses found that the wisdom conveyed by these poems was deeply valued by patients and staff, and provided them with hope, strength and encouragement.
Banners in hospitals in Italy
Our Work with Children
As a nurse, I saw first-hand how devastating the lockdowns and restrictions were deeply impacting children’s emotional health. Our experience has been over the years, that once children participate in making things better, it empowers them, giving them a sense of fulfilment in the knowledge that their efforts are really making a difference.
After listening to a speech by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, on the impact of the pandemic on the lives of children worldwide, and being aware of Sri Chinmoy’s dedicated service to the UN for 37 years, we initiated programmes to connect children in different nations.
In Kazakhstan children drew artwork as an expression of gratitude to doctors and nurses. The artwork was displayed as a huge poster at 40 bus stops in the capital city of Nur-Sultan, being placed just before the International Day of Healthcare Workers. The installation will be in place for almost a year.
We have had an ongoing programme called Drawings of Love where children send drawings to support children and adults around the world. This year children in Russia created artwork for children undergoing chemotherapy at the Raisa Gorbachev Memorial Institute in St. Petersburg. As both the donor and recipient children were experiencing a lockdown, this mode of communication coordinated by our team was most gratifying for all participants. Messages of encouragement, friendship and comfort were exchanged and turned into slideshows to share via hospital TV with all pediatric patients.
Comment by Ambassador Mehrotra
We had the opportunity recently to tell Ambassador Lakhan Mehrotra, Former High Commissioner from India to Sri Lanka, about our work with hospitals and children, and he said, "Sri Chinmoy’s words act as balm on bruised souls, and inspire those engaged in serving victims of Corona!"
The inner connection
a personal story from Florbela from Portugal
I have been a nurse for 31 years and a student of the spiritual Master Sri Chinmoy for 12 years. I have been a frontline worker in the fight against the pandemic, either conducting individual or institutional screening tests, treating the sick in their homes, and now most recently doing vaccinations.
The last two years of my life have been like all of us, very difficult. But for health professionals they were beyond difficult. They were frightening and during some periods, absolutely lonely. The move away from our family and the fear of death were always very present.
But what I would like to share with you all, is not the difficult part of this experience, but the fact how much being a student of Sri Chinmoy has helped me personally, and allowed me to help co-workers and – above all – our patients.
Meditating daily gave me the confidence and courage I needed to reassure colleagues that together we would make it! It gave me enough peace to always convey to the patients the relief they needed, for the fear that flooded them.
Reading Sri Chinmoy's books allowed my mind to have a period of rest, optimism, and to be refreshed to continue receiving all the information, which came several times a day and had to be put into practice quickly to protect people.
Sri Chinmoy's music made me feel his presence, his concern and love for all of us. It gave me hope!
Sri Chinmoy's videos were my companion when nothing else made me happy.
The inner connection with my spiritual Master saved me, in the most difficult time I have experienced so far.
But it goes even further. It has enabled me to help many patients during this most challenging time for humanity, and continues daily to enable me to help all the people I care for.
What I have received from Sri Chinmoy during the past 2 years cannot be expressed in words. I can only say: Gratitude! Gratitude for being able to have this life experience, is what I feel inside me the most.
Video
Florbela describes the inner search that led her to meditation and the spiritual life
Listen to Nature: Living in Harmony with the Earth is a new book which presents a collection of Sri Chinmoy's writings on the environment. Through poetry, prose and question and answers, Sri Chinmoy explains the root of our own environmental crisis, how we can learn to love nature and why there is reason to be hopeful of creating a better future.
The new book has a foreword contributed by Jane Goodall, the renowned primatologist and UN Messenger of Peace.
[Sri Chinmoy] stresses the need for a deep spiritual connection with the natural world of which we are part and on which we depend.. Let us heed the words of this spiritual teacher before it is too late."
Jane Goodall
The book also includes several practical meditation exercises, where Sri Chinmoy offers us the opportunity to meditate on aspects of nature we often take for granted. Sri Chinmoy feels that developing this inner connection with Mother Earth not only feeds the natural environment, but can also bring peace to humanity.
Nature has its own rhythm, its own harmony, its own peace and joy. When you are identified, consciously or unconsciously, with universal Nature, it is all vastness and immensity. There you lose your own outer existence, the feeling that you are separate from other persons. In that state of unified oneness, you become totally one with universal Nature; you become part and parcel of the Vast and the Infinite. You forget your ordinary life, which is your physical frame, your name and your outer existence. In that state, you do not have to make your mind calm and quiet, for the mind is not functioning; you have already become identified with the treasure of universal Nature's consciousness.
Sri Chinmoy
Whilst Sri Chinmoy expresses his sadness at the way humanity has damaged Mother Earth, he explains this damage to the environment is a manifestation of the division, fear and greed which are predominant in human minds.
At the same time, Sri Chinmoy offers a message of hope, that through prayer, meditation and identification with Mother Earth we can help to heal the planet and restore the natural beauty of earth.
We must not underestimate the power of spirituality. Prayer and meditation mean new life. When we pray and meditate, at every second we are invoking God’s Compassion. We are saying that Mother Nature is being destroyed. But we have to know that Mother Nature is nothing other than God the creation. We are praying to God the Creator to save God the creation. So He who created this earth can once again create a new creation on the strength of our prayers and meditations.
Sri Chinmoy
This medium sized book is an excellent gift for anyone who has love for our planet and wishes to understand both what is going wrong, but also how we can help to protect and renew our connection with nature.
A week-long exhibition of artwork by spiritual Master Sri Chinmoy took place in Sofia, Bulgaria in November. Sri Chinmoy began painting mystical artworks in November 1974; he called them Jharna-Kala, which means fountain-art in his mother-language, Bengali. In 1991 he expanded his artwork to include bird drawings representing the freedom of the human soul. Many of the 102 artworks on display in Sofia displayed these bird drawings.
For me, birds have a very special significance. They embody freedom. We see a bird flying in the sky and it reminds us of our own inner freedom. As I said before, I am a Truth-seeker and a God-lover. So I feel that inside each of us there is an inner existence which we call the soul. The soul, like a bird, flies in the sky of God’s Infinity. So the birds we see flying in the sky remind us of our own soul-bird flying in the sky of Infinity.
The opening night featured a concert of Sri Chinmoy's music performed in Indian classical style by Kanala Auer (Austria, sitar), Sadanand Magee (Ireland, tabla) and Ushika Muckenhummer (Austria, tanpura). Ambassador of India, Mr. Sanjay Rana and his wife attended the concert as special guests. After the concert, Ambassador Rana said: "We really moved to a different world. Thank you for bringing Indian music to our hearts here in Bulgaria.”
A statue of Sri Chinmoy on the grounds of the Parliament in Dili, Timor-Leste
The purpose of life is to manifest the highest Truth which we embody. First we have to see the Truth and feel the Truth. Then we have to reveal and manifest the Truth. Sri Chinmoy
Guru says that meditation and manifestation go hand in hand. When I have a manifestation project that is really important, my meditation becomes even more important as well. Anything that Guru has allowed me to work on in manifestation, any really important project, has only succeeded by Guru’s direct intervention and Guru’s grace.
When Guru was in the physical, after my meditation every single morning, almost every morning, Guru would call me on the phone. I had a special phone that Guru gave me. It was just for him, it was his phone. He would call usually at 6:30 or 7:00 in the morning and ask me, “What news?” and then give me advice. Really, I was sharing news with Guru, but he was blessing me and guiding me and doing everything through his Blessings and his spiritual Light.
Also my name means ‘eagerness’, but nobody in the universe had more eagerness to manifest the Supreme than Guru. When we had good news in manifestation, Guru got so happy. If you serve Guru through manifestation based on your inner connection to Guru, you serve outwardly other people. And you have to know that it makes Guru so happy.
Spiritual Masters do not die
Sri Chinmoy makes his prayerful obeisance before a statue of Sri Ramakrishna.
Here is a very short but extremely significant story.
One day Guru had invited us to ask questions, and one of the girls came up and began to ask, “Guru, when Sri Ramakrishna died . . .”
Guru immediately interrupted her and said, “Spiritual Masters do not die. They leave the body but they never, never die.”
Oh, where is death?
No death, no death.
All-where I see God’s
Nectar-Breath.
Guru had come to San Francisco for many things, but one of the things was to visit Ananda Fuara, a really good restaurant they have out there. There were many people there from all over the West Coast. Of course, not everybody could fit into the restaurant. It wasn't big enough. So I was standing outside with the group of people.
Finally Guru came out and he was blessing us with his hand and smiling. Everybody was really happy. Guru got into the car that was waiting. Then Guru got out of the car and started walking towards me. I actually looked behind me to see if there is somebody more important standing there. But there wasn't. Guru walked up about six feet away from me and looked at me with half-closed eyes. He said, “You will not swim the channel? You will not swim the English Channel?” Then Guru turned around and slowly walked back to the car and they drove away.
Showing a video to the Prime Minister of Nepal
Sri Chinmoy presents the U Thant Peace award to Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala
Mridanga was the videographer for many of the events that took place in Sri Chinmoy's life.
We were in Nepal for the Sri Chinmoy Peace Nation dedication. We had the ceremony, which was very nice. The Prime Minister came, big shots came, and the next day Guru gave the Prime Minister the U Thant Peace Award.
When meeting big shots, I would check and double-check and recheck the equipment, and normally I would bring a backup camera, just in case, because many, many things could go wrong. Actually, I don’t think ever there were any major problems, but there was an enormous amount of stress beforehand for me. I never really enjoyed the meetings because I was so focused on checking that everything was working.
The happiest I've ever been
Video
My name is Gabriele. I grew up in Italy and a few years ago I moved to San Diego, California, where I now live. I’m going to tell you a story that happened to me about three years ago. It changed my life, so it’s very significant to me.
It was a Saturday afternoon, so I went for lunch at Jyoti-Bihanga restaurant here in San Diego. They were organising a water station for the following day’s race -- the San Diego marathon.
Jyoti-Bihanga Restaurant
That day I felt particularly inspired to do something for the community, with the community. Sure enough, the opportunity came along. I thought, “These guys are looking for volunteers for the race and I would like to be part of it”.
So I talked to the gentleman sitting outside, Mahiyan, and asked him if I could join in. He hooked me up with Vasudha, and she said, “Come along. It will be great to have you!”
The following morning at 5:30 a.m. I met them at the water station, and we set up. We were given instructions on how to go about the race. My duty was to sweep the street of the plastic bottles and anything that was in the way of the runners. As you know, there is such a fantastic energy at the race. Everybody chips in, runners and volunteers. It was a really nice build-up.
How Sri Chinmoy came to meet with Mother Teresa
In 1994, the first time Guru met with Mother Teresa, he was moved in every way. This was not the very first time, but it was the first time that Guru had a longer meeting.
This meeting was October 1st, 1994. So I wanted to tell you the story of how it happened. Starting in 1994, Guru began asking me to call Mother Teresa and give messages to her—very, very sweet messages. She in turn would give very sweet messages of her love for Guru and gratitude to Guru.
Guru would give a New Year’s Message every year. In 1994 his message said it was the year of destruction. Most of the time the message for the year was very positive, but this particular year Guru said was extremely dangerous, and we had to be very careful. Usually Guru travelled quite a bit outside of the United States. He would go to many countries, but in that year, it was already September, and Guru had not gone to any other country by then.
Guru asked me toward the end of September, “Please, I would like you to go to Rome and arrange for me to meet with Mother Teresa.” I told the nuns that I was coming and I would be so grateful to come to pray with Mother Teresa and then speak with her briefly after the prayer.
How sports and fitness became part of our spiritual life
This is the very beginning of when Guru started to incorporate sports and fitness into our Path.
As you know, Guru came to the West in 1964, and the very first Centre he opened was in Puerto Rico in 1966. I came in 1970, four years later after the Centre was opened there. But during those first years, it wasn't anything like it is today. We didn't run. We didn't do sports unless someone on their own happened to do it. But most of us weren't athletes. I happened to be a surfer because I was from Hawaii.
Our Centre life as disciples consisted basically of our daily practice, of course, our meditation and study and coming to the Centre meditations. The only other real activity we had was what Guru called karma yoga nights, selfless service nights, when we would come to the Centre and do arts and crafts. Whatever we made we would eventually sell. With these sales we would raise money for the Centre. And maybe sometimes on the weekends, just informally, the younger disciples mostly, we would go on a hike in nature, in the mountains and things like that, but there were never any organised sports at all. No one was running at that time.
I think it was maybe around 1970, on one of Guru’s trips to Puerto Rico. One night after meditation we were sitting around with him very informally talking and joking. Out of the blue Guru said, “Okay, everyone, I want all of you to be at the park tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. We're going to take exercises.”
In Kazakhstan children drew artwork as an expression of gratitude to doctors and nurses. The artwork was displayed as a huge poster at 40 bus stops in the capital city of Nur-Sultan, being placed just before the International Day of Healthcare Workers. The installation will be in place for almost a year.
a personal story from Florbela from Portugal
Listen to Nature: Living in Harmony with the Earth is a new book which presents a collection of Sri Chinmoy's writings on the environment. Through poetry, prose and question and answers, Sri Chinmoy explains the root of our own environmental crisis, how we can learn to love nature and why there is reason to be hopeful of creating a better future.
Whilst Sri Chinmoy expresses his sadness at the way humanity has damaged Mother Earth, he explains this damage to the environment is a manifestation of the division, fear and greed which are predominant in human minds.
This is the very beginning of when Guru started to incorporate sports and fitness into our Path.
