On the weekend of September 26-27, the Marseille Sri Chinmoy Centre hosted a British-French Joy Day Weekend. Members of the British, French, Irish, and Italian Sri Chinmoy Centres gathered in Villeneuve-Loubet on the south coast of France for a  weekend of meditation, fun and music.

Over the past few months, the Sydney Sri Chinmoy Centre have been offering a series of meditation courses in different parts of Sydney. These free meditation classes offer an introduction to the basic techniques of meditation and also how meditation can be incorporated into our daily life.

Jogyata Dallas giving a meditation class

In locations as far apart as Bali and New York City, Sri Chinmoy's students observed the 2009 anniversary of his August 27th birthday through prayer, meditation, singing and athletics.

The Sri Chinmoy Centre galleries have many interesting sections. These are a few selected photos from Sharani who is a frequent visitor to New York from Rhode Island.

Beautiful Roses in New York.

In these recent editions of Life Voices, members of the Sri Chinmoy Centre talk about some of the activities and ideas that inspire them.

Today, September 21st is World Gratitude Day

"...Gratitude in the inner world is nothing but self-expansion. It is through self-expansion that we become aware of our true reality, which is Infinity itself. Your contribution to the world at large, to the inner world especially, is momentous. As a seeker, I know that there is nothing on earth as valuable and significant as gratitude. In God's Eye there is nothing more meaningful and precious than man's gratitude. Therefore, to you, to the illumining soul in you, I wish to offer my boundless and ever-growing gratitude..."

In August, students of Sri Chinmoy meet in New York for the birthday celebrations of Sri Chinmoy. At these gatherings groups of students perform spiritual music composed by Sri Chinmoy.

This is a selection of music from these gatherings.

August 27, 2009. On the occasion of Sri Chinmoy's birth anniversary, New Yorker Ashrita Furman unveiled the world's largest lollipop with a weight of 6,706 pounds (3041 kg). It surpasses the previous Guinness World Record for a giant lollipop by almost 2,000 pounds (907 kg). Ashrita Furman, holder of the most Guinness records, was the architect behind the feat accompanied by an international team of over 25 assistants.

World's Largest Lollipop - Photo by Jowan Gauthier

The 6,706 pound (3041 kg) lollipop is 10 feet (3 m) in diameter and 10 inches (25 cm) thick. The huge red candy is made of sugar and corn syrup, which was melted in hundred 100-gallon (380 litre) pots. Including the stick it has the height of 25 feet (7.50 m). This size ensures Ashrita Furman a new entry into the Guinness Book, because the previous largest lollipop was 4,759 pounds (2158 kg).

On 28th August, a variety of performers and guest musicians offered two consecutive Songs of the Soul concerts in honour of the musical legacy of Sri Chinmoy.

The music played was all composed by Sri Chinmoy, but had a range of interpretations, from the dynamic and energising Ghandava Loka Orchestra, to the beautiful singing of Mountain Silence

Gandharva Loka Orchestra

Karteek Clarke, a member of the Edinburgh Sri Chinmoy Centre, completed his 10th successful crossing of the English Channel this August 13th. After facing difficult weather conditions, which left him feeling seasick and tired, Karteek completed the epic crossing in a time of 16 hours 59 minutes.

Karteek Looking across the Channel before his crossing