Sri Chinmoy:
The Peace Meditation at the United Nations

5 Aug 1991. A spiritual Goal for the United Nations: Is it practical? Without the least possible hesitation I venture to say that it is highly practical. It is not only practical, but also practicable. Something more: It is inevitable. We have to know what the spiritual Goal for the United Nations is. Its Goal is to become ultimately the saviour of the world’s imperfection, the liberator of the world’s destruction and the fulfiller of the world’s aspiration.

My heart tells me that the United Nations has a divine Ideal. My soul tells me that this ideal is going to be transformed into the supreme Reality. Soulful concern is the essence of the United Nations’ ideal. Fruitful patience is the substance of the United Nations’ ideal. Supernal fulfilment will be the essence of the United Nations’ Reality. Sempiternal perfection will be the substance of the United Nations’ Reality. What is Reality? Reality is the inseparable oneness of Infinity’s smile and Eternity’s cry.

The great philosopher Aristotle once remarked, “Some men are just as firmly convinced of what they think as others are of what they know.”  The firm conviction of the United Nations is the confident flight of sublime thought and glowing depth of its knowledge-light.

Today’s United Nations sees the nations as its true friends.

Tomorrow’s United Nations will see the nations as its real sisters and brothers.

Today’s United Nations offers hopeful and soulful advice to mankind.

Tomorrow’s United Nations will offer fruitful and fulfilling peace to mankind.

Today’s United Nations feels Truth, Light and Delight in its loving heart.

Tomorrow’s United Nations will manifest Truth, Light and Delight with its all-embracing soul.

Anatole France said something which is at once interesting and amusing. He said, “It is human nature to think wisely and act foolishly.” But in the case of the United Nations it is totally otherwise. The United Nations thinks profoundly and acts selflessly.

My aspiring heart has a soulful message to offer to all the nations that have formed, that have made the Garland of United Nations. The message is:

There are two stumbling blocks: doubt and insecurity. Doubt in the mind, insecurity in the heart.

There are two stepping stones: faith and surrender. Faith in oneself, and surrender to God’s Will, conscious surrender to God’s constant Will.

True, we have lost and misused thousands of golden opportunities, but we cannot lose or empty God’s infinite Compassion. Out of His infinite Compassion, He will make us feel and realise the Transcendental Truth. However, this can be done in two ways. One way is to realise the highest Truth at God’s choice Hour; the other way is to realise the Truth when we feel the time is ready, according to our own sweet will. When we open our eyes at God’s Will, we fulfil God in His own Way. When we open our eyes at our choice will, at our own selected hour, we fulfil God in our own way. The desire in us fulfils God in its own way. The aspiration in us fulfils God in God’s Way. Needless to say, our aspiration is bound to manifest the ultimate, absolute Reality on earth; and in the manifestation of absolute Reality on earth, the face of earth will be transformed into the face of Heaven.

True, the man of the hour need not or cannot be the man of Eternity. But the message that the soul of the United Nations offers to the world at large is for Eternity. Its message is:

Today’s imperfect and unfulfilled man is tomorrow’s absolutely fulfilled and supremely manifested God.

– Sri Chinmoy,  Dag Hammarskjöld Auditorium, United Nations,  New York – August 5, 1971. Appears in  The Garland Of Nation-Souls, published by Agni Press, 1972.