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Spirit News Blog - September 2006
"...We see the Pyramids from several miles away, as they rise up behind the palm trees, looking very sharply defined, altogether splendid, awe-inspiring and simultaneously very soft and veiled. They floated in a thick haze, which took from them every appearance of lifeless stone and made them seem merely like airy creatures from a dream - things which, even as we watched, would turn into rows of indistinct arches, or perhaps delicate columns and ever and again transformed themselves into all the lovely forms of architecture, only then to fade delightful away and melt into the trembling air. "
By:Mark Twain (1)
Photo by: Zbigniew Kosc
My Country Awake
Where the mind is without fear and the head held high; Where knowledge is free; Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls; Where words come out from the depth of truth; Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection; Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit; Where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever-widening thought and action; Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
- Tagore Poems at Poetseers
- Listen To Martin Sheen Recite "My Country Awake" by Tagore at Wired For Books
An anthology of Sri Ramana Maharshi (1879 - 1950) with accounts by 160 persons who had an opportunity to meet, serve and live with him was recently released.
Karnataka Governor T.N. Chaturvedi was present at the release of the 400-page book compiled by a team led by Prof. Laxminarayana, a former Dean of Commerce of Osmania University. The book is titled "Face-to-Face with Sri Ramana Maharshi". The programme was organised by Sri Ramana Kendram.
Stories of the Moghul Emperors
At Write Spirit there are many stories of the great Moghul Emperors. Including Babar, Humayun and Akbar.
These traditional Indian stories both entertain and inform. These delightful stories of the Moghul Emperors have been retold here by Sri Chinmoy and .
You can also listen to online dramatisations at Inspiration Sounds; including an episode on stories about the Mogul Emperor Humayun
Picture by Unmesh, Sri Chinmoy Centre Galleries
Ursi's Eso Garden is a beautiful website designed by Ursi Spaltenstein. I often go just to look at the beautiful lotus and design.
A well balanced mix of esoteric articles, nice graphics and interesting links. Regularly updated as well.
Selected Categories
I enjoyed watching these highlights of the first years series.
- Inspiration News Highlights Podcast at Sri Chinmoy TV
Alone we are born
And die alone
Yet see the red-gold cirrus
over snow-mountain shine.
Upon the upland road
Ride easy, stranger
Surrender to the sky
Your heart of anger.
- James K.Baxter a New Zealand poet (1926-1972)
Photo by Ranjit Swanson Sri Chinmoy Centre Galleries
The World Harmony Run visits 11 beautiful Caribbean nations in three action-packed weeks. Island culture and music abound in this short compilation of events in each participating country.
View Video at Sri Chinmoy TV
Produced by Salil Wilson and Ketan Tamm of the World Harmony Run Team
The World Harmony Run was founded by Sri Chinmoy in 1986, it is now an annual global relay running seeking to promote harmony and friendship between people from across all social and cultural sections of society.
Over the weekend of 16th and 17th September various heavy weights including a giant pumpkin and a plane were lifted by weightlifter and spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy
Sri Chinmoy who is 75 years old lifts to inspire others that age need not be a barrier to achievement. Chinmoy also says the strength for his extraordinary lifts comes from his inner life of prayer and meditation. Asked about his message Sri Chinmoy says:
"Never give up! Never give up! Physical fitness is of paramount importance. There is no age limit when we live in the heart and when we try to be of prayerful and soulful service to God in the heart of humanity."
- Sri Chinmoy
September 21st is world Peace Day. Dedicated to promoting peace throughout the world.
:
The International Day of Peace was first established by a United Nations resolution in 1981 to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly, was first inaugurated on the third Tuesday of September, 1982. Beginning on the 20th anniversary in 2002, the UN General Assembly set 21 September as the now permanent date for the International Day of Peace.
In establishing the International Day of Peace, the United Nations General Assembly decided that it would be appropriate
"to devote a specific time to concentrate the efforts of the United Nations and its Member States, as well as of the whole of mankind, to promoting the ideals of peace and to giving positive evidence of their commitment to peace in all viable ways… (The International Day of Peace) should be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples."
The Holy Man
Word spread across the countryside about the wise Holy Man who lived in a small house atop the mountain. A man from the village decided to make the long and difficult journey to visit him. When he arrived at the house, he saw an old servant inside who greeted him at the door. "I would like to see the wise Holy Man," he said to the servant. The servant smiled and led him inside. As they walked through the house, the man from the village looked eagerly around the house, anticipating his encounter with the Holy Man. Before he knew it, he had been led to the back door and escorted outside. He stopped and turned to the servant, "But I want to see the Holy Man!"
"You already have," said the old man. "Everyone you may meet in life, even if they appear plain and insignificant... see each of them as a wise Holy Man. If you do this, then whatever problem you brought here today will be solved."
Zen Story from: Zen Stories
Photo by: Abhishek, Sri Chinmoy Centre Galleries
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. "
by: Sri Chinmoy
Poems on Love by Sri Chinmoy at Sri Chinmoy Poetry
The inmates of Gwalior Central Jail recently had a day long session of taking lessons in spiritualism, relieving stress and how to shun violent tendencies by a visiting team of volunteers representing a New York based organisation.
The inmates serving various jail terms in the Gawlior Central Jail attended a six hour long session on spiritualism to develop and realise their inner selves. It was organised by the Krishna Bhavnamat Sangh, the New York based voluntary organisation.
The nearly six hour long session was attended by almost all of the 2,800 inmates. About 200 jail staff was also present during the programme.
The initiative was taken to make them learn how they can rehabilitate themselves in society after being released. Inmates were motivated to participate in spiritual meets to overcome emotional stress and sense of guilt.
Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep
Do not stand at my grave and forever weep.
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn’s rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and forever cry.
I am not there. I did not die.
- Author (Mary Fyre)
- See more
The Gayatri Mantra is said to be the most sacred mantras of Hinduism.
Tat savitur varenyam
Bhargo devasya dhimahi
Dhiyo yo nah pracodayat.
who is inside the heart of the earth, inside the life of the sky, and inside the soul of the heaven.
May He stimulate and illumine our minds."
Sri Chinmoy says of the Gayatri Mantra
"The Gayatri Mantra is the most hallowed mantra of the Vedas. It is the mother of all the mantras. Mantra means incantation. A mantra can be a one-syllable word or a few words, a sentence or a few sentences. The Gayatri Mantra can offer to the sincere seeker the Light of the Infinite, the Delight of the Eternal, and the Life of the Immortal."
Gayatri
Gayatri is also a Cosmic God of Hindu mythology she is usually shown as having five heads and is usually seated within a lotus. She is another consort of Brahma.
World record breaker gets inspiration for 119th record.
Ashirta Furman, of Queens, N.Y., established a record for running a mile on tin pots earlier that afternoon, with a time of 18 minutes and 26 seconds. The pots were held against his shoes by hand-held strings. A stipulation of the record was that the tin pots musn't fall off.
The record was set at POWNAL Green Mountain Race Track on Friday 8th September. After setting and submitting a record it usually takes about 6 weeks for it to be ratified by Guiness.
Furman credits his study of meditation, under the tutelage of Sri Chinmoy, for his ability to break so many records.
"It's all in fun, but there's a serious side because there's physical conditioning and a lot of mental focus required," he said. "You really have to focus deep within yourself. I really have to use the training I got from meditation to be very one-pointed and not allow other distractions to stop me."
Many people take an interest in spirituality because of a feeling that "there has to be more to life than our ordinary every day experiences" It is when we start seeking for a deeper meaning and understanding of life that we become drawn to meditation and spirituality.
Spirituality in essence is a journey of self discovery, we can also use the term "self transcendence". Self Transcendence is our effort and aspiration to go beyond our ordinary ego bound self and grow into a more fulfilling, divine consciousness.
People who meditate say the practice restores their energy, and some claim they need less sleep as a result. Many studies have reported that the brain works differently during meditation – brainwave patterns change and neuronal firing patterns synchronise. But whether meditation actually brings any of the restorative benefits of sleep has remained largely unexplored.
"Life is a sacred adventure. Every day we encounter signs that point to the active presence of Spirit in the world around us. Spiritual literacy is the ability to read the signs written in the texts of our own experiences. Whether viewed as a gift from God or a skill to be cultivated, this facility enables us to discern and decipher a world full of meaning.
Spiritual literacy is practiced in all the world's wisdom traditions. Medieval Catholic monks called it "reading the book of the world." Muslims suggest that everything that happens outside and inside us is a letter to be read. Native Americans find their way through the wilderness by "reading sign." From ancient times to today, spiritually literate people have been able to locate within their daily life points of connection with the sacred..."
- from: Spiritual Literacy Blog
- Spirituality & Practice nice site by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
After crossing all 48 mainland states in the USA the World Harmony Run finished in New York on August 23rd.
The World Harmony Run founded by Sri Chinmoy is an initiative to promote greater world harmony and friendship. The run does not raise money or seek to highlight any political cause.
The American section run began in April of this year and has been on the road for over 4 months.
The finishing ceremony was for the American run. There are also run being held simultaneously in Europe, Asia and Africa. The European leg will finish in London in October