Sri Chinmoy:
The Peace Meditation at the United Nations

PAINTING FOR WORLD PEACE UNVEILED

An environment in green, blue and a myriad of other colours was unveiled the evening of 3 May 1977 by Ms. Martha Lackner, World Environment Day Coordinator, at the Jharna-Kala Gallery in Manhattan.

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Click here for a SUMMARY of this event. Itappeared in the Group’s the Devoted Report to the Secretary-General for 1977.

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The 6-foot- by-9-foot painting by Sri Chinmoy, Leader of the Meditation Group at the United Nations, is entitled

“United Nations : the Heart-Home of the World -Body”

and is dedicated to U. N. efforts toward world peace.

It is scheduled to go on world tour, beginning with showings in Geneva, England and France. After the dedication of the painting, Sri Chinmoy spontaneously painted 51 additional works. “Jharna-Kala”, which is what he likes to call his art, is the Bengali term for “Fountain-Art” , art springing spontaneously from the deeper regions of man’s consciousness. The evening was enriched by performances by members of the Meditation Group of a play, songs and music.

Sri Chinmoy’s paintings, which include acrylics, oils, water colours and pen-and-ink drawings, are not for sale. There have been exhibits, however, at the Museo del Arte in Ponce, Puerto Rico and the School of Visual Arts in New York, which recognised his work with a special award.

Gallery showings have been held in New York, Washington, San Francisco, Ottawa, Montreal, Zurich and Hamburg. A portion of Sri Chinmoy’s paintings, which number 120,000, are usually exhibited twice yearly in the New York area as a one-man gallery showing, which is always well-attended by U.N. staff.

At the close of the evening, staff from the United Nations Secretariat, UNICEF, UNEP, delegations and non-governmental organizations expressed their support and praise for the United Nations.

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The transcriptions of their spontaneous comments follow.

Ms. Martha Lackner, World Environment Day Coordinator, unveils Sri Chinmoy’s painting dedicated to the U.N. efforts toward World Peace (photo by Richard Howard) .

The painting is entitled: “The United Nations : the Heart-Home of the World-Body.”

Ms. Martha Lackner, World Environment Day Coordinator:

I am very happy to be here tonight, and I would just like to say a few words about World Environment Day, which is the fourth of June. Its goals are not only to raise the consciousness of the people in New York City and throughout the U.S. and the world to the very terrible environmental degradation that goes on, but also to look for the good things that we can do, to seek harmony with all living things around us.

I just want to ask you all to come to the United Nations on June fourth where Margaret Mead and Jacques Cousteau and the Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, Dr. Tolba, will speak. ( link to letter thanking for Meditation Group Choir  participation on June 4th)

And after the ceremony at the United Nations, at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza there will be an environmental fair. There will be literally hundreds of organizations taking part and more speeches and good food and good entertainment. I hope you all come. Thank you .

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NOTE: See also World Environment Day program – “O Body of the World” Song 1977 Jun 04 – which covers the Meditation Group participation in the June event mentioned above.  The Meditation Group Choir performed “O Body of the World” composed by Sri Chinmoy. In her letter of thanks Ms. Lackner says their  important contribution “reminded people of the signif1cance of wholeness and seren1ty in our lives.”

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Ms. Brigitte Trimmer-Smith, UNICEF spokeswoman:

My name is Brigitte Trimmer-Smith and like some of the others present I work for UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund. From the programme so far this evening, I can see the great spirit that is here towards the U.N. So I know I don’t really have to offer my encouragement. I am sure most of you have seen the recent articles in the Daily News attacking the U.N. and I feel it is necessary for people who support the U.N. to express their support. Unfortunate!y, bad news makes the headlines; good news does not.

I want to mention something which I feel is very good news and an exciting possibility. It is the International Year of the Child, which the recent General Assembly approved for 1979. UNICEF has been asked to coordinate the activities for the Year. It might be a little early to be speaking about it, but I feel the Year is a good example of the United Nations’ work. This Year could really help in a great way to abolish ignorance in many forms among the children of the world. The less ignorance there is in the world, the more possibilities there are for people to support the ideas for which the U.N. exists. The children are the future of the world; they ensure the best chance for peace.

The last thing 1 wanted to say was about Sri Chinmoy’s paintings. They are so incredibly joyful, full of colour and lively. I don’t know if the artist has any plans for the paintings but I think a good idea and something I would like would be to see one of them for UNICEF, to be on the UNICEF greeting cards, especially for the Year of the Child.

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Sri Chinmoy greets sculptor Domenico Mazzone, who recently sculpted a bust of former Secretary-general U Thant for him.

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Ms. Yvette Riplinger:

I am Yvette Riplinger and I belong to one of the latest children of the United Nations, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. I have been a staff member a very long time and I have seen the U.N. evolve like a flower. Sometimes it opens, sometimes it closes and opens again, as the lotus in the morning. We have to keep before us this image which I am sure Sri Chinmoy understands very well.

Also, I have always thought of myself as one of the stones, or rather one of the bricks, part of the brick walls – meaning the foundation which we built. I did not think of it at first in terms of the soul, but I realise that, in fact, even bricks have souls; they are like souls.

And the souls of all of us make up the U. N. walls. It is like a church where the souls of the members are the true composite of the church. So is the U.N. a kind of spiritual edifice, towering high in the sky, not only physically but also in ourselves. We have to keep our eyes focused on this lofty definition of “the body” and especially the “soul” of the United Nations. Sri Chinmoy must be thanked for focusing our attention on this particular way of looking at it.

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Mr. David Rowe, Political Advisor to the U. S. Mission, express es his support for the United Nations, amidst the colourful Jharna-Kala exhibit”.

Mr. David Rowe, Politcal Advisor, United States Mission to the U. N. :

I’m David Rowe, at the U.S. Mission to the U.N., one of the many humble servants of the U.S . Government working here. What I would like to say is sort of in the way of a personal anecdote, which I hope will be illustrative of a point which I think is very, very important to the work that goes on at the U.N.

When I arrived in New York, I was told that 1 would be assigned to a certain committee. It had a very long title and it sounded very impressive, so I said yes. So I proceeded to this committee. There were many serious men sitting around this table and 1 asked them what they did. There was sort of an embarrassed shuffle, and I was told that they did a lot of talking. I thought that was all right. I like to do a lot of listening, so I thought it would be a fairly successful occasion.

But it turns out this committee has been in operation for twelve years. In fact, I have just come from one of the meetings of this committee, and its total accomplishment in twelve years is to write four sentences. They are tortured sentences that have cost blood, sweat and tears of these very dignified men. Some of our very best advisers of the U.S. Government are there, so I know it is a very important committee. But I asked myself many times and I ask myself this evening: Why is it that sane men would sit around a table and seemingly in good faith spend that amount of time? I’ve looked for the answer because there seems to be good will there, there seems to be determination there; and yet there must be something else as well.

And I think I’ve found that something else this evening as I found before when I first discovered Sri Chinmoy and the Meditation Group at the U.N. It’s a sustaining type of force, a force that’s based on illumination and compassion. And this is the element which I think keeps the U. N. together. In addition to the good will and cooperation of well intentioned men, there is a force, a force that is beyond all this.

Let me give a further illustration of this. There is an old saying about the U.N. – I’m sure you’ve heard it: If it didn’t exist, it could not be created.” It’s usually said by the U.N.’s detractors that this means the U.N. is so bad that it would be impossible to create such an institution. But on the other hand, I think it can be interpreted as meaning that it’s so good, that there is so much of a base, plus this special dimension, this special force and energy that is there, that it couldn’t possibly be created by mere human beings.

I think we owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Sri Chinmoy and the  Meditation Group at the U.N. and to all of Sri Chinmoy’s disciples for their contribution and sustaining influence in the United Nations. Thank you.

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Sri Chinmoy chats with Mr. Brian Gormley, Dean of New York’s School of Visual Arts.

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Mr. Donald Keys, World Association of World Federalists:

I am Donald Keys, one of those Non Governmental Organisational people, and I feel that there are two United Nations. There is the United Nations that makes the Daily News headlines and then there is the inner United Nations, which many people do not think about but many people feel.

The United Nations is a microcosm of mankind. It’s the first time and the first place that all of humanity has in a sense been together in one place. And because that is true, it is creating something entirely new to the planet and entirely new to our experience. I feel very strongly that it’s that very fact that has brought someone like Sri Chinmoy to this place, to stand for, to interpret, to focus and to represent that inner, truer, realer United Nations which is beginning now to make itself felt-the United Nations which, in years to come, will in fact transform the state of affairs between nations and for mankind.

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Mr. John Ofosu-Benefo :

My name is Ofosu Benefo. I am from the Secretariat. I would just like to say a few words about the United Nations Organization. As you all well know, the United Nations Organization was established to maintain international peace and security. And while its achievements in many fields have not been very  spectacular, it has been able to bring peace in many parts of the world.

Of course, it is not safe to mention places where peace has been achieved because. by implication, one would be saying that there was no peace there, and that maybe is debatable. But as you all know, before the Organization can do anything it has to get the concurrene of the member governments. And as most people are aware, member governments are not very willing to surrender part of their sovereignty to the Organiza· tion, so that it can carry out its many duties and functions under the Charter very successfully. Therefore, the success and “failure” of the Organization is a reflection of the success and “failure” of governments in their dealings with the Organization.

There are some people such as the Guru, Sri Chinmoy, who are dedicated to serving the Organization. Even though he doesn’t represent a government, we know that he represents those who are sincerely trying to bring about peace and maintain international security and order in our troubled world.

We feel that it is a God-sent blessing that we have the Guru to direct the spiritual progress of sincere seekers at the United Nations who also sincerely believe in the Organization and in its goals: Even though the Organization is not yet perfect, still through our collective efforts, our collective willingness and determination to do things with 16 single-mindedness, we will be able to achieve great things for the Organization and the Organization will be able to live up to the Charter and all its other obligations. S

 

While the Organization is still imperfect, we should consider ourselves very, very fortunate to have people of good will both from governments and from other organizations, representatives of the press, for example, who really believe in the Organization, who believe that the Organization is there to serve all mankind and not to serve any particular government or group of people.

At a gathering like this, to witness the dedication of Sri Chinmoy’s beautiful and inspiring painting to the United Nations, we cannot but feel grateful that we have a Guru of his calibre in our midst here in New York. Through his hard and dedicated work and indeed the devotion of his life in serving humanity, Sri Chinmoy has set an example for all of us to emulate. As a result of his efforts, his insights and his teachings, we ourselves are trying to live the kind of life that he has been emphasizing since he was invited to become the leader of the Meditation Group at the U.N.. With his co-operation and with the guidance of the Supreme Pilot, we hope to be able to achieve much for the United Nations. Thank you.

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Ms. Nishta Baum, Sri Chinmoy Centre NGO representative:

On behalf of the Sri Chinmoy Centres I would like to thank all of our U. N. guests and honoured friends who have joined us tonight. Sri Chinmoy is a man of tremendous vision and inspiration. These gifts he imparts to us in many diverse areas of life, as demonstrated by the lovely paintings in this Jhama-Kala Gallery and by his exemplary dedication to his work at the United Nations. In all his endeavours Sri Chinmoy touches the soul, the true spiritual Reality, the highest Source. His meditative life is the key that enables him to uncover this Height and Depth . His paintings, his music , his literature, his offerings to the United Nations, bring earth something absolutely original and deeply genuine. They are revelations of a Source deep within him – the outer music of his deepest Inner Silence.

Those of us who have been blessed to know him are showered with his exemplary inspiration – his determination, creativity, constant self-transcendence and, above all, his embodied vision that each man may lead this world to Peace through self offering, inner joy and universal love.

The spontaneity and childlike enthusiasm of Sri Chinmoy’s art always leap into my heart whenever I visit his galleries. And tonight I am deeply grateful on behalf of myself, the Sri Chinmoy Centres, and the United Nations for this beautiful new painting which is a gift for the entire world .

It will begin its journey around the world very soon and I am sure wherever it goes it wiIl impart Sri Chinmoy’s enlightened consciousness of universal Love, Joy and Oneness.

I feel extremely grateful to be among those selected to witness this painting’s unveiling-a moment that, I feel, symbolised the removal of the ignorance-veils of centuries to reveal the soul’s inmost consciousness. I hope the world will receive this painting’s Light and I hope the world will take note that Sri Chinmoy has unveiled it first for the United Nations, which he truly regards as the body and soul of the entire world. Thank you.

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Sri Chinmoy spontaneously painted 51 additional works. “Jharna-Kala”, which is what he likes to call his art, is the Bengali term for “Fountain-Art” , art springing spontaneously from the deeper regions of man’s consciousness.

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The evening was enriched by performances by members of the Meditation Group of a play,

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Songs and music.

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and display of some recent paintings

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Download text excerpt from bu-scpmaun-1977-04-27-pp-08-14 in PDF format

Click below to see larger or higher resolution page images.

Gallery 1:

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Gallery 2:  Gallery 3 (different Photographer or different camera resolution)

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Gallery 3: Scanned page images from 1977 Periodic Bulletin “Meditation  at the United Nations” 27 May 1977