Sri Chinmoy 1931-2007: a lifetime of service
Fri, 10/12/2007 - 16:48 — Shane Magee
Yesterday, 11 October, my meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy passed behind the curtain of this mortal world, after a lifetime of service to humanity spanning 76 years. 43 of those years were spent in the West, tirelessly demonstrating his firm conviction that another, better world is indeed possible, if only we can all go deep within and find the strength to better ourselves. Tributes have flooded in from all corners of the globe, and their sheer variety is testament to the myriad ways in which Sri Chinmoy demonstrated his vision: some remember him for the volume and depth of his musical works, others for his groundbreaking achievements in athletics, and yet others for his work to break down the barriers of suspicion and distrust between countries and faiths and remind us of the eternal truth that the world is indeed one large family. Those who are fortunate enough to be his meditation students remember him for all these things and more, for he truly instilled in each one of us a deep and lasting awareness of the divine beauty that is at the core of each human being.
The power and strength of Sri Chinmoy's message - that "we are all truly unlimited if we can dare to have faith" - lay in the fact that it did not stop at mere words, but was powerfully demonstrated through his own personal example. He entered into one field of human endeavour after another - poetry, music, art, running, weightlifting - with the enthusiasm of a child and the determination of a colossus, and in each one he made his mark in ways that spoke volumes to the boundless capacity of the human spirit.
To the very end he remained the dynamic visionary that has brought inspiration and joy to millions around the world - just a couple of weeks earlier he had travelled to the Russian city of St. Petersburg to give concerts of meditative music, and just the day before his passing he was composing more songs to add to his existing total of over 20,000, as well as hosting a meditation function for his students. Every facet of Sri Chinmoy's work spoke of the timeless and eternal qualities of the human soul, a timelessness that feels alive and vibrant even now, even as its creator has left his mortal sheath.
On a personal level, I would like to thank anyone who has expressed their sympathies during this challenging time, and we draw comfort from Sri Chinmoy's own words on the subject:
"Death is not and can never be the end. To me, life and death are like two rooms. During the day I work in the living room, and at night I take rest in the bedroom. Life is my living room; death is my resting room. Both I equally need in order to love, serve and please God. Right now, death is something unknown, and most people are afraid of the unknown. But we have to realise that death is an important part of God’s Cosmic Game and a natural step in our evolution. An individual works very hard and makes considerable progress during his lifetime, let us say. But after playing the life-game for a certain number of years, he usually becomes tired. One cannot continue playing any game or sport without rest. We need rest so that we can start playing again with renewed energy and enthusiasm. So death is a well-deserved rest for the divine warrior who has been fighting hard on earth for the Lord Supreme."
View press release on Sri Chinmoy's passing away....
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