Two Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team members are currently high up on the honors board for Auckland’s iconic Hillary Trail’s fastest completion times. The Hillary Trail is  normally a self-guided four day tramp through 77km of native forest and along the wild coast of the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park. It connects various park tracks and basic backcountry campgrounds. The trail captures Sir Edmund Hillary's sense of adventure and introduces the hardy to the joys of overnight camping and remote trails.

Members of the Auckland Sri Chinmoy Centre have embraced a global initiative to promote happiness through offering books, posters and meditation workshops on the theme of happiness.

With the topic of happiness much in the news - and increasingly relevant in a world where, by 2020, depression is being identified as the probable second leading cause of disability worldwide – it is reassuring to see a number of global efforts to address this issue.

This statue of Sri Chinmoy is located on the banks of the river Vltava in Prague; in recent days, it has featured in many newspapers as images show the devastating flood waters, rising to partially submerge the statue.

This months edition of Inspiration Letters is focused on the theme of 'past lives'; a diverse collection of writers offer several different interpretations of what this topic means to them.

 "... My Past Life" could also refer to the life I lived before I encountered Sri Chinmoy, before I started practicing spirituality. I had so many problems!  But, after ten years meditating with Guru, he gave me the name "Mahiruha". The basic meaning of this name is two-fold: "speed" and "aspiration". In other words, if I identify myself with my soul's quality of aspiring speed or fast aspiration, then I don't have to worry or obsess over my difficulties. By aspiring sincerely and self-givingly, the problems that once loomed so large in my life will not be able to forever intimidate me...."

At Radio Sri Chinmoy, we have published several new recordings, including esraj music by Sri Chinmoy and arrangements offered at a recent April celebrations.

Samunnati Natalia Lehonkova, a member of the Sri Chinmoy Centre in Ukraine, won the Belfast Marathon in a time of 2:36:50, a personal best and a new course record.

It is the latest in a string of marathon victories, having won in Edinburgh and Toulouse within the past year. Over 17,000 people took part in the Belfast marathon this year.

In Australia, the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home peace run recently began its epic 112 day circumnavigation around the continent of Australia.

The Peace Run was founded by Sri Chinmoy in 1987, with the aim of providing a dynamic way to spread the ideals of peace, harmony and goodwill around the world. In recent years, it has been called the World Harmony Run, but in 2013, the Australian Peace Run returns to its original name.

The members of the peace run team included volunteers from around the world. During the day, the team members take turns to run with the torch. The runners also take the opportunity to meet with local dignitaries, local schools and local members of the community.

The Peace Run team visiting a local school.

Every year the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team promote the Self-Transcendence 6 and 10 day road race in Flushing Meadows, New York. The race was founded by Sri Chinmoy, a keen advocate of long-distance running. This epic race gives runners and helpers a chance for self-transcendence and attain new heights of physical, mental and spiritual endurance.

Results and links at US Sri Chinmoy Races

As part of the 49th anniversary celebrations for Sri Chinmoy's arrival in the West, members of the Sri Chinmoy Centre offered a concert of soulful and meditative music at the New York Society for Ethical Culture in New York.

The Songs of the Soul concert, featuring arrangements of Sri Chinmoy's music, was held on the 15th April at a packed venue in Manhattan. The concert featured performances from a variety of musicians and groups, such as Alap Jetzer, the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan singers, Pavaka and friends, the Sahadeva Orchestra and an ensemble of local New York musicians. There was also recitations of Sri Chinmoy's poetry and videos from Sri Chinmoy's peace concerts.