sri chinmoy

Meditation – self effort and grace

An interesting feature about meditation is that sometimes, when you make a lot of effort, it feels like nothing really happens.

Yet, at other times, you make no seeming effort, but you can have a very good meditation.

This is an experience I remember from Oslo in June 2001. I was late for a talk by Sri Chinmoy. My mind was anything but calm and tranquil. I was physically uncomfortable – squashed at the back – without anywhere to sit. Yet, despite everything working against a good meditation – I had a very powerful experience of peace. It was a sense of peace that was very tangible; something that belonged to everyone and you felt a sense of gratitude for being able to experience. (more…)

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Read more about the article Soul-birds by Sri Chinmoy

Soul-birds by Sri Chinmoy

From 1991 to 2007, Sri Chinmoy drew millions of soul-birds. He began drawing these unique creations whilst on a visit to Malta. Sri Chinmoy also termed them ‘Dream-Freedom Peace-Birds’

When signing his name, Sri Chinmoy often added these spontaneous bird drawings. In Oslo 2001, I bought a book from a Norwegian Bookshop. It was beautifully signed by Sri Chinmoy with his name and also two small birds. The book was a Norwegian translation of “Wings of Joy”, but it was worth it just for the artwork.

On some occasions, you were able to buy original soul-birds and I took the opportunity whenever I could.

These are some soul-birds from my own personal collection.

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Soul-birds by Sri Chinmoy (CKG)

CKG is how Sri Chinmoy signed  his artwork. It stands for his full name: Chinmoy Kumar Ghose

The logo on the top left of this website is Sri Chinmoy’s own handwriting. Here he wrote my spiritual name ‘Tejvan’ with two customary soul-birds either side. (more…)

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Challenging Impossibility Review

A few years ago, I attended Sri Chinmoy’s weightlifting celebration of 2004. It was a remarkable night of lifting prowess, but as these things tend to do, it had mostly faded from my memory. Also as someone with no background in weightlifting, it was hard to find any reference point for judging the weightlifting of Sri Chinmoy.

The film, Challenging Impossibility, helps put Sri Chinmoy’s lifting in perspective through fascinating insights through speaking to some of the top bodybuilders and weightlifters.

It seems hard to know what to expect from a film which is an unusual blend of weightlifting and Spiritual Teacher. As one newscaster mentioned in the film, what happens when you mix the Incredible Hulk and the Dalai Lama?

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Selected Flower Flames

flower

These Flower Flames are from a selection of 207 Poems that Sri Chinmoy made from his series 10,000 Flower Flames.

Today I am Wise

Yesterday I was clever.
That is why
I wanted to change the world.

Today I am wise.
That is why
I am changing myself.

~

One Thing To Learn

Every day there is only
One thing to learn:
How to be honestly happy.

~

A Diplomatic Death

Since each thought
Is an atomic power,
You can give each thought
A diplomatic death.
~

I Am Not Needed

I am not needed
To say the right thing.
I am only required
To be the right thing.

~

Miracles Worth Seeing

Only two miracles are worth seeing:
The miracle of loving
And
The miracle of forgiving.

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Leonard Bernstein and Ode to Joy

Sri Chinmoy was a great admirer and friend of Leonard Bernstein – one of the greatest musicians of the twentieth Century. Fortunately Sri Chinmoy and Leonard Bernstein had the opportunity to meet on a number of occasion and could share their love of music

Extract From: Second Meeting with Leonard Bernstein

SRI CHINMOY: Our admiration for you is also boundless. Just recently in Central Park, you gave so much joy to 500,000 people-not for a fleeting second but for hours. It is beyond the flight of our imagination how a single God-lover can inspire, illumine and give joy to 500,000 people. For us, this is something unheard of!

LEONARD BERNSTEIN: I think the secret is what you said about not a fleeting second. The secret of music is that it makes time stop. We are all prisoners of clock time: “I have to be at my job” or “I have to see my wife” or “I promised I would be there at eight o’clock and it’s now that time.” What music does is release you from that, so that you can be in the time of the music.

The YouTube clip below is of Leonard Bernstein conducting Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. – I feel Ode to Joy is a fitting tribute to the musical life of Leonard Bernstein.

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