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When in New York to visit my teacher Sri Chinmoy, I often have occasion to stop by my friend Anugata’s house which is just up the hill from Aspiration-Ground, not least because of the free internet connection that can be obtained if you lean your computer a certain way against the window Anugata lives upstairs, and in the stairwell there is the above beautiful framed picture of Sri Chinmoy. It is absolutely huge and takes up at least half the wall, and when I look at it I have this tremendous feeling that my teacher is really close to me - often my exit from the house has been delayed at least five or ten minutes just from looking at this picture.

The picture was taken by Projjwal Pohland from Germany, who over thirty years took many beautiful pictures of Sri Chinmoy - many of which can be found in his photo gallery - but none so beautiful as this, I think. I must ask Projjwal the circumstances under which the photo was taken. It somehow does not seem like other for-the-camera pictures - a lot of the photos where Sri Chinmoy sat for the camera have this tremendous air of dignity and inner strength, almost like a statesman, whereas this photo seems to embody something else entirely - love, concern, eternity - one can only grasp at words.

Actually, this unusual photograph also reminds me of an interesting anecdote about another picture of Sri Chinmoy (unfortunately I cant find an online version of that particular picture). One time when I was visiting new York, myself and Databir had a gentleman’s disagreement (for want of better words) during a frenetic game of early morning frisbee. By way of patching things up, the great and good Databir later that day brought me a very beautiful photo of Sri Chinmoy in deep meditation, eyes raised upwards as if soaking in the entire expanse of Heaven.

Apparently, Databir told me, there was a plan to put this picture on the front cover of one of Sri Chinmoy’s books. Someone else objected, arguing that Joe or Josephine Public don’t exactly come across someone in this state of meditation every day of the week, and that they might be a little startled - perhaps one of the stately photos mentioned above would be more suitable. The photo was presented to Sri Chinmoy - he looked at the photo for a few seconds, and then exclaimed in a childlike voice “But…it’s me!”. A very sweet reminder that these high states of meditation are not something a spiritual Master goes into from time to time, they are something that he eternally is.