Sri Chinmoy:
The Peace Meditation at the United Nations

OMMEMORATE AUSTRALIA’S 34TH YEAR  AS  MEMBER OF THE UNITED NATIONS

On 30 January 1979, the anniversary of Australia joining the United Nations on January 1945 was observed for the second time by Sri Chinmoy Meditation at the United Nations with a programme in the Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium.

TEXT below from cut and paste of ocr doc, to be cleaned up and edited, Check images for original in gallery below)

The programme featured guest speaker Ian James, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Australia to the United Nations} and an exhibit of thirty paintings done by Australian schoolchildren depicting their interpretation of a new song} “My Australia}” recently composed by Sri Chinmoy.

bu-scpmaun-1979-02-27-vol-07-n-02-Feb_Page_13-song-my-australia.jpg

bu-scpmaun-1979-02-27-vol-07-n-02-Feb_Page_13-song-my-australia.jpg

 

During the programme the Meditation Group singers per-formed seven songs by Sri Chinmoy about Australia} and inspirational readings from the remarks of great Australians’ at the United Nations were offered by several Australian members of the Meditation Group. Excerpts from the programme follow. Mr. fan James} Counsellor} Permanent Mission of Australia to the United Nations: It gives me particular pleasure to respond to your kind invita-tion to speak this afternoon. I would like to say that I am very conscious of the honour that this group is doing my country for the second year, and on behalf of the Australian Mission to the United Nations, I would like to express our appreciation to all of you. For me personally, it is a particular pleasure. I can remember last year during the New York Marathon, seeing a number of people from this

Group running through t h e streets of New York with identifying T-shirts. Moreover, I came back last night from th e Bermud a Internationa l Mara-t hon, in which I competed, and there I heard how much your Group contributed t o the growth o f physical exerCIse and marathon running III Bermuda during your visit there last year. I must thank you p articularly, on a personal level, for that.

Rather than attempt a formal exposition of Australia’s role over the last 34 years in the United Nations, what I am going to try to do is just present a few personal impressions o f how a member of the Australian Diplomatic Service has seen Australia’s role since the United Nations began after the Second World War. Thirty-four year s ago, we were one of the original members of the United Nations. We were a member of a small group of countries which was struggling against an enem y which at that time controlled most of Europe and E a st Asia. This group was determined to establish a more equitable post-war world. On 1 January 1942 we joined in the declaration which was to bring this into being and we were very active participants when the United Nations Con ferences began in 1945 and the Organisation was born. We took particularly active part in the United Nations Conference on th e International Organisation in San Francisco, which drafted and adopted the United Nations Charter. We found our natural allies wer e the other small countr ies who attended tha t meeting. Our former Ambassador to the United Nations, who spoke to you la st year, and who was there at tha t time, used to say that we were described as being somewhat of a “Dennis the Menace” in the attitude th a t we took and our failure to give the major powers the respect which they thought they deserved. In 1945 we were mainly concerned with the specialized organs, with our own problems as a colonial administrator and with the voice of the small countries of the world in the United Nations. Thirty-four year s later, how has this changed? Now, instead of being considered one of the smaller members, we are one of the middle-level powers. We have helped our former trust territories reach independence and we’ve welcomed one of them, Papua New Guinea, as a fellow member of the United Nations … There is one point I would like to make before concluding, and that is that Australia’s role in the United Nations has been very individualistic. We don’t fall readily into a particular block. Both the subjects in which we play a leading role and the allies that we have found in these matters change. We find ourselves supporting the efforts of certain countries in economic matters, whereas in other matters our interests are quite divergent, for example . Nevertheless, ever since 1942, when we first participated in the birth of the United Nations, Australia has remained committed to the ideals of the United Nations, and I am sur e that that commitment has only strengthened in the last 34 years. Thank you.

Comments by Mrs. James on the pnze-winning painting by Anick Le Brasse} age 12} of Dandenong High School} Melbourne} Victon’a} A ustralia} entitled <lA ustralian Flora”: 7

Mrs. James:

First of all, to try to judge a n art competition is like shopping in Bloomingdales -where do you begin? I have four children who have just started taking a r t, and I a m trying to see the beautiful song through the eyes of a child. T his p icture seems to sum u p the two lines: “Your new soul knows no bondage screen; It beckons you r bod y’s strength to fly.” I see behind it a 12-year-old child who is not afraid to put d own flowers – Australian flowers -which are beautiful, but r ather strange. I feel there’s a rather fearless depiction of the flora of Australia, and that is why I chose the painting.

MY AUSTRALIA Australia, Australia, my Australia! Your oneness-heart, your vastness-life Challenge the strength of ignorance-knife. Australia, Australia, my Australia! You take a drop and give the Ocean. You take a ray and give th e Sun. You take a gratitude-plant And give the gratitude-Tree. In you the Nectar-Bliss Of sa tisfaction fr ee.

o FAUNA, 0 FLORA

o fauna, 0 flora of Australia, Your souls create a Utopia. Lo, southern sea and southern sky Love and enjoy your Victory-Eye. Words and music by Sri Chinmoy j 0 s fine :11 ( J = 126) Moderately

YOUR BEAUTY’S SKY, YOUR DUTY’S LAND

Australia, Australia! Your beauty’s sky, y o ur duty’s land Have won the Supreme’s Blessing-Hand. Compassio n-heart and oneness-friend, Heark en your v ictory’s glory-band.

YOUR HEART FOR GOD, YOUR LIFE FOR MAN!

Australia, Australia, Your heart for God, Your life for man! Heaven and earth Your Dream-Eyes span. Words and music Moderately fast by Sri Chinmoy

AUSTRALIA, DO HAVE MY INDIAN HEART!

Australia, do have my Indian heart! Therein abides the Vedic vision-start, The Ind of yore with its Himalayan lore Has touched your spacious body, your precious core, with its Hi-ma-Iay.an lore .

o MY AUSTRALIA

o my Australia, Australia, Australia! I love your beauty’s vastn ess green, I love your heart’s sweet unseen cry. Your new soul k nows no bondage-screen ; It beckons y our body’s strength to fly. o my Australia, Australia, Australia! No foe have y ou: a matchless surprise. Your. simple, soulful life of love, At God’s express Hour choice shall rise. Yours is the tru mpet-triumph here and above. o my Australia, Australia, Australia!

Gallery: