"I read the news today, oh boy...."
TIME MAGAZINE: (NEW YORK) October 11th, 2007
— Sri Chinmoy, a spiritual leader who spread his message of world peace and harmony at concerts and road races and once led meditation groups at the United Nations, has died. He was 76.
THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW HIS FACE...
The first time I heard about Sri Chinmoy was from the back cover of one of my favorite albums; "Love, Devotion and Surrender" by Mahavishnu John McLaughlin and Carlos Santana.
That was back in 1973.
I was intrigued by this Guru from India, who had inspired two great guitar heroes to come together and make unbelievable music.
He was the first "real" Guru that I ever met. I learned how to meditate at a Sri Chinmoy Center in Chicago.
I never became an "official" disciple of Sri Chinmoy - but I devoured a lot of his poetry and writing. Many of his books are still in favored places on my bookshelf.
Sri Chinmoy has motivated thousands of people to excel in music, sports and business - beyond their own perceived limitations of themselves. He viewed the transcendence of self to be something that was physical as well as spiritual. I have known people that through their contact with Sri Chinmoy, were inspired to take up marathon-running, and to start their own small business ventures that are thriving today. Not to mention - that back in the mid-70's, many of the young people of my age that came to the Sri Chinmoy Center were from bad neighborhoods and/or broken homes. Their exposure to his inspirational teachings led them to live better lives and a desire to better their communities.
A MOMENTARY GLIMPSE OF LIGHT
I'm not qualified to speak about Sri Chinmoy's spiritual status. He claimed to have experienced enlightenment or God consciousness (Nirvikalpa Samadhi). I'm not sure I even understand what that means - but I believe strongly that I have at least experienced several glimpses of it - at key moments in my life. One of those moments was in the presence of Sri Chinmoy at a lecture that he gave at the Alice Millar Chapel at Northwestern University in Evanston, near Chicago.
He stood silently, in deep meditation, and began to turn to each section of the audience; as if he were meditating "at us." As he turned to the section where I was sitting with some friends - we literally felt waves of peace, like a breeze, blowing over us. My friend, who had never heard of Sri Chinmoy and did not know what to expect, grabbed my arm and gasped: "Did you feel that?" At the same instant as I was about to say the same thing to him.
I don't have a logical explanation - but I will say this. Sri Chinmoy was a catalyst for my spiritual journey. Through him I was encouraged and inspired to continue my search for God in all places and all things. He said this about aspiration for God.
"Aspiration, in its simplest definition,
is a lovely flame climbing Heavenward.
True aspiration can and does make us feel that if God is for us,
who can eventually stand against us?
We feel a desire to have God on our side.
But we need the aspiration to throw ourselves on God’s side.
Just as the sun is the only remedy for dark clouds in the sky,
similarly, there is no other medicine for our troubled hearts than aspiration.
Aspiration is the first rung of the sky-kissing ladder;
Realisation is the last.
True human aspiration has three intimate friends:
Purification, Quietude and intensity.
Aspiration has an enemy called impatience.
Aspiration is the mounting flame of our divine wish to raise ourselves
to the crest and crowning of Divine Perfection.
The vital aspires through dynamism.
The mind aspires through self-search.
The heart aspires through the feeling of union.
The soul aspires through the perfection of God’s manifestation."
From "Eternity's Breath" by Sri Chinmoy
is a lovely flame climbing Heavenward.
True aspiration can and does make us feel that if God is for us,
who can eventually stand against us?
We feel a desire to have God on our side.
But we need the aspiration to throw ourselves on God’s side.
Just as the sun is the only remedy for dark clouds in the sky,
similarly, there is no other medicine for our troubled hearts than aspiration.
Aspiration is the first rung of the sky-kissing ladder;
Realisation is the last.
True human aspiration has three intimate friends:
Purification, Quietude and intensity.
Aspiration has an enemy called impatience.
Aspiration is the mounting flame of our divine wish to raise ourselves
to the crest and crowning of Divine Perfection.
The vital aspires through dynamism.
The mind aspires through self-search.
The heart aspires through the feeling of union.
The soul aspires through the perfection of God’s manifestation."
From "Eternity's Breath" by Sri Chinmoy
Thank you Sri Chinmoy, for being one of the stepping stones on my journey to eternity. I know I'll see you later my friend.
"Love is not a thing to understand.
Love is not a thing to feel.
Love is not a thing to give and receive.
Love is a thing only to become
and eternally be."
- Sri Chinmoy
(1931 - 2007)
1 comment:
Thank-you for a very nice and moving tribute.
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