Leonard Bernstein and Sri Chinmoy

Filed under Music and Songs | Tributes and Expressions of appreciation

On 21 March 1979 the master composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein invited Sri Chinmoy and members of the Meditation Group Choir to his apartment in New York City for an exchange of philosophy and music. The Choir performed a song Sri Chinmoy had written in Leonard Bernstein’s honour arranged and conducted by French composer Olivier Greif, one of Sri Chinmoy’s students visiting from Paris. A portion of the afternoon’s enlightening and inspiring conversation as well as Sri Chinmoy’s song appear below.

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Also printed here is a song composed after the meeting by Mr. Bernstein as a gracious “Thank You” to Sri Chinmoy.

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Leonard Bernstein: Oh, dear man, how wonderful of you to come! (Sri Chinmoy offers Leonard Bernstein a bouquet of flowers. Thank you so much for the gift.

Sri Chinmoy: It is so kind of you to invite me.

Leonard Bernstein: I am sorry to keep you waiting. You are an important man. Are you all alone?

Sri Chinmoy : I am here alone, but my students are downstairs.

Leonard Bernstein: Your students? How many?

Sri Chinmoy: There are about twenty or so. I have composed a song in honour of you and I would be grateful if you would kindly allow us to sing the song.

Leonard Bernstein: But of course. Do you want to bring them up?

Sri Chinmoy: Here we could have a few minutes of silence, and then we could call them.

Leonard Bernstein: How wonderful!

Sri Chinmoy: May I pray and meditate with you for a few minutes or a couple of seconds?

Leonard Bernstein: That’s wonderful; it’s exactly what I would like.

Sri Chinmoy: A tiny drop of a musician has come to the ocean of the music-world. Please feel that the drop is most eagerly waiting to enter and merge into the ocean itself. You are the Himalayan musician and the supreme lover of music. I have read so much about you. I have heard so much about you. More than that, since I am a seeker I can also feel your h art. In the Almighty we are all one; we are sailing in the same boat. That is why I can easily identify myself with your heart and soul. So you are not someone unknown to me; you are more than known.

Leonard Bernstein: How should I address you?

Sri Chinmoy: In any way you wish. You are the master-musician; I am the beginner.

Leonard Bernstein: I am so moved.

Sri Chinmoy: In the capacity of two seekers we are serving the Supreme ; we are sailing in the same boat. I must not dare to say a word to you about music, which is the universal language. Now we are praying and meditating. It is through our prayer and meditation that we please our Beloved Supreme. You are the ocean of music, and inside your music-world the world of aspiration and dedication is constantly growing.

(Sri Chinmoy and Leonard Bernstein meditate together.)

(Sri Chinmoy ‘s comment: He was so deeply moved ; he couldn’t speak for a couple of minutes. Afterwards he grabbed my hands. )

Leonard Bernstein: I haven’t done that in so long . I was taught transcendental meditation about four years ago. I did it as strictly as I could for seven weeks. But I couldn’t continue it, so I lost it. Every once in a while I would come back to it. My mantra was always with me . But I haven’t done it for a very long time, and you brought that back.

Sri Chinmoy: We are one . We are sailing in the same boat. Our Beloved Father Supreme is manifesting Himself in and through us. You have offered to the world at large something unique, and the outer world knows who you are because of the magnificence of your unique contribution. The inner world, which is your heart ‘s cry and your implicit faith in your Beloved Supreme, offers you constant oneness with the Will of the Supreme . For that the outer world does not yet know you. But the golden day will dawn when the supreme message which you embody in the inner world will come to the fore. At that time the world will see you as the supreme seeker who is also the supreme composer and conductor. God the Lover -aspect, which you embody in boundless measure, has yet to come to the fore . In your writings and in your compositions the world gets an iota of what you truly are inwardly. But I know how much the message of the inner world, which you embody, will come to the fore. Along with your music , it will inundate the world of aspiration and dedication .

Leonard Bernstein: I don’t know how many years more I have to do that. That worries me, because I do have a lot to do. You’re right. I’ve only begun, but I am sixty years old.

Sri Chinmoy: In the Heart of our Beloved Supreme, sixty years is nothing. It is a fleeting second. Again, in a fleeting second you can inundate your entire being with infinite Peace, Light and Bliss. The promise that your soul has made to the Supreme you are bound to fulfil. Your soul will not be satisfied unless and until you have offered to the world at large everything that you are supposed to offer and everything that you are.

Leonard Bernstein: That’s what I try to do. But there is so little time. Maybe I love people too much. I have so many friends and people I love.

Sri Chinmoy: You are loving them because you see in them the living embodiment of your Beloved Supreme. Sri Ramakrishna was a great spiritual Master. His dearest disciple, Swami Vivekananda, once asked his Master, “Why do you always think of me? Why do you speak to me so much and why do you always show me so much affection?” Sri Ramakrishna replied, ” I see God Himself in you. If I see an ordinary, unaspiring person, then I won’t look at him.”

You have so many friends, admirers and adorers. But you do not see them as ordinary human beings who are full of ignorance. You see them as God’s representatives, as God’s own creation. When you look at them and talk to them, you see in them the living Presence of your Beloved Supreme. So what you have been doing is most important. The Supreme has chosen you to be His supreme instrument in the music-world and in the spiritual world.

Leonard Bernstein: How do you know that?

Sri Chinmoy: A God-seeker knows everything; a God-lover knows everything .

Leonard Bernstein: There are m any wonderful musicians in the world who are much greater than I.

Sri Chinmoy: Not at all! That is again your humility speaking. The Supreme, out of His infinite Bounty, has given you some capacity. On the strength of my oneness with my Inner Pilot, I know who you are. To be very frank with you, you do not know who you are. I know more than you do, infinitely more than you do, about yourself in the inner world. About your outer life, you know. But you don’t know your real inner self.

Leonard Bernstein : I feel it, though.

Sri Chinmoy: Inside you is a roaring lion , but that roaring lion is encaged. It is roaring there, but it is unable to come out. As soon as it comes out, then only it will be able to roar properly and manifest what it has within.

Leonard Bernstein : Why is it encaged?

Sri Chinmoy: Why is it encaged? I have to be very frank with you. If you could devote a little more time to the inner world . . .

Leonard Bernstein: I thought you’d say that.

Sri Chinmoy: Forgive me.

Leonard Bernstein: I’m so happy you said that. I spend so much time with the outer world.

Sri Chinmoy: You have the key, but right now you are not using the key. The door is right in front of you.

Leonard Bernstein: There are so many aspects of the outer world that are spiritual, that are golden. My children are part of the outer world. I spend a great deal of time with my children, for example.

Sri Chinmoy: In your case, which you have so clearly expressed, beauty is truth and truth, beauty. Keats said, “A thing of beauty is a joy for ever.” In your writings I see that beauty and truth are inseparable. That is what you are manifesting all the time. In your case, I see that it is all beauty and truth , and they are interlinked . It is like Walt Whitman’s theory in Leaves of Grass. There is no difference between body and soul. In your case, you have realised the inseparable oneness between spirit and matter, between the Creator and the creation . That is what you have realised.

Leonard Bernstein: Now you see , that takes a great deal of time .

Sri Chinmoy: But you have done it. Only you have done it in the inner world ; in the outer world it takes time . In the inner world you know that you are the supreme musician.

Leonard Bernstein: That is so hard to accept. I can’t take that responsibility.

Sri Chinmoy: That is good.

Leonard Bernstein: Would it offend you if I smoke?

Sri Chinmoy: No, it would not offend me at all. If that is your nature, then why should it offend me? Leonard Bernstein: You don’t smoke, I am sure.

Sri Chinmoy: On the strength of my oneness with you, how am I going to say that it is something wrong if it pleases you?

Leonard Bernstein: The doctors told me yesterday that I have to stop or I will die . I don’t want to die. I would disappoint you if I died …

Sri Chinmoy: Certainly! No question .

Leonard Bernstein: .. before I did my work.

Sri Chinmoy: No question!

Leonard Bernstein : But this is very bad for me.

Sri Chinmoy: Oh, I have a present for you.

Leonard Bernstein : Another present?

Sri Chinmoy: Let me present this to you . (Sri Chinmoy gives Leonard Bernstein a framed copy of his “Leonard Bernstein ” poem, written in calligraphy. )

Leonard Bernstein: I love those things .

Sri Chinmoy: Oh, excellent.

Leonard Bernstein: They are so beautiful. How I wish to get a painting of yours! I have seen so many prints , but I have not seen an original painting .

Sri Chinmoy: I shall definitely give you a painting of mine.

Leonard Bernstein: Wonderful!

Sri Chinmoy : This is what I feel about you. You are Eternity’s singing bird. This is the song I composed a few days ago about you.

Leonard Bernstein: You have music to this?

Sri Chinmoy: I have music also. My students would be so grateful if they could sing this to you .

Leonard Bernstein: You play instruments also. You play forty-six instruments or something.

Sri Chinmoy: Jack of all trades, master of none, none, none! So, this particular song, if you could kindly allow my students to sing for you.

Leonard Bernstein: Of course! How many are there? How many students did you bring?

Sri Chinmoy: You have to forgive me. I think there are seventeen or eighteen. One of my students has come from France. He is the conductor. He is the greatest admirer of yours. His name is Olivier.

Leonard Bernstein: He is the boy I know from Tanglewood. He studied with me last time. He is young.

Sri Chinmoy: He is a young man, a very young conductor. And he has been shining in France, of late. So this is the song. First they will sing the melody which I have composed, and then they will sing in rounds.

Leonard Bernstein: An arrangement?

Sri Chinmoy: Yes, they have made some kind of arrangement. Mine is only the melody.

Leonard Bernstein: How wonderful! Where are they? Please let them come up.

Sri Chinmoy: Please feel my most sincere gratitude. It is most kind of you.

Leonard Bernstein: How can you think that? It has to be the other way. You are the boundless energy and stillness all at the same time. How can you say that? I am the drop.

Sri Chinmoy: No, you are the ocean and I am the drop. Would it be possible for my students to have one or two pictures with you?

Leonard Bernstein : Of course!

Sri Chinmoy: Or is it forbidden by the secretary? They say that you don’t want any photographers to come and take pictures.

Leonard Bernstein: Oh, of course you can! Am I allowed to drink alcohol? Am I?

Sri Chinmoy: You can do anything you like.

Leonard Bernstein : I didn’t expect that.

Sri Chinmoy: My oneness with you will never permit me to interfere with you in this way.

Leonard Bernstein : But maybe it will be a bad influence on your students.

Sri Chinmoy: That may be, but nothing will bother me.

Leonard Bernstein : I’m ashamed when I have to have a drink. I love your face .

Sri Chinmoy: I love your soul and I love your entire existence on earth and in Heaven. You love my face. I love your soul, heart, mind, vital and body. I love your oneness with Mother Earth and your oneness with Father Heaven.

Leonard Bernstein : The flowers you got me must be put in water. They are so beautiful. How I wish my wife were here. She would be so moved. She died a few months ago. She was the most beautiful woman in the world, unique.

Sri Chinmoy: How old was she?

Leonard Bernstein: Forty-one. But she looked much younger and she was much younger inside. She was really a creature of God. I have this. I want to give it to you. It ‘s a scarf I bought in India. I like it very much. I want you to have it. It is blue. (First Sri Chinmoy tied the scarf around his neck in what he later described as a “funny, crazy way.” Leonard Bernstein did not say anything, but untied and rearranged the scarf then embraced Sri Chinmoy.)

Sri Chinmoy: Blue is spirituality . This colour blue represents spirituality and Infinity.

Leonard Bernstein: Would you wear this?

Sri Chinmoy: Certainly!

Leonard Bernstein (as Sri Chinmoy’s students enter): Hello, come in! Oh, such beautiful people! I just found a scarf from Indi a which I thought he might wear, because it had the same colour blue that he is wearing now.

Sri Chinmoy: Thank you. So this is the group that will sing for you. Oh, I am a liar! I said seventeen or eighteen. They will be standing.

Sri Chinmoy (introducing Leonard Bernstein to Haridas (Olivier Greif)) : This is the young man I was talking about. He is the conductor.

Leonard Bernstein: But of course! And we met where? Now it comes back. What have you been doing since then ? (Leonard Bernstein and Olivier Greif converse in French ).

Sri Chinmoy: Will you kindly be seated here?

Leonard Bernstein: You mean I am to sit here in royal splendour?

Sri Chinmoy: Please be seated. This is the place where we meditated together.

Leonard Bernstein: Yes, this is our place. This is where we sat. I don’t believe this series of presents! He gave me the flowers and I thought, “This is too much!” The flowers are just too beautiful; they smell so beautiful. Then came that poem, the song which you are going to sing. And now what, my Lord! (Sri Chinmoy presents Leonard Bernstein with a plaque containing the words and music to his “Leonard Bernstein” song, and Leonard Bernstein starts humming the song.) I can’t wait to hear it! What’s all this? Incredible! I don’t know what to say. I won’t say anything.

Sri Chinmoy: In oneness there is nothing to be said. Oneness we only feel and manifest. Nothing fulfils us but to feel and become and remain always one.

Leonard Bernstein : ‘Who are you all?

Sri Chinmoy: These are my students.

Leonard Bernstein : You do various things ? You ‘re not all connected with the UN?

Sri Chinmoy: Most of them work at the United Nations.

(Singers sing “Leona rd Bernstein ” song .)

Leonard Bernstein: What music I hear! Beautiful! When did you learn that?

Sri Chinmoy: Just last night.

Leonard Bernstein : When ?

Sri Chinmoy : Last night.

Leonard Bernstein: Last night? Oh, come on!

Sri Chinmoy: The whole night.

Student: We studied all last night and finished at six this morning.

Leonard Bernstein: How incredible! You all look so fresh. You all went to your jobs this morning perfectly healthy and breathing and not falling asleep? What power, my God, what power this man gives you! That’s incredible. Did any body have a tape machine going?

Sri Chinmov: If you do not mind, they will be more than willing to sing it once again. We don’t want to intrude on your valuable time.

Leonard Bernstein: Can you stand there and then sing it again?

Sri Chinmoy: They can, easily.

Leonard Bernstein: Oh, it’s just incredible! He said there was going to be some kind of ’round’ . I didn’t know what a ’round’ exactly was; I was waiting for the tune in a round. I waited. I had no idea !

Peter (Leonard Bernstein ‘s assistant ): Can you wait a second?

Leonard Bernstein: I am waiting, infinitely patient. (Leonard Bernstein speaks with Haridas again in French.)

Haridas: Mr. Bernstein just said that Guru writes in divine counterpoint.

Leonard Bernstein: He has no idea he is writing counter point. (To Sri Chinmoy) If I say ‘counter point ‘ to you , you will ask what that is. (To the group) But he has written a counterpoint like Bach . Every phrase goes with every other phrase, so that no matter what you do, you can’ t miss. That doesn’t mean he (Haridas) hasn’t worked very hard to make the right things go with the right things. I’m so impressed , I can’t say! My ego is not impressed at all, but my musical spirit is very, very deeply impressed. It ‘s incredible the way you sing. And not one embarrassed face! That’s what I was looking for. Usually when people come to sing for me, they blush, they look embarrassed, they kick their shins, they worry if they sing a wrong note. But you’ re all jus t so incredibly relaxed and full of breath! You’re very lucky people; you know that, of course. I am very lucky now, too.

Sri Chinmoy: I am also lucky to have them.

Leonard Bernstein: Of course. How many more of them are there?

Sri Chinmoy: Many. I have about seven hundred students.

Leonard Bernstein: Seven hundred! He works only in astronomical numbers! How many paintings? It was one hundred thousand last year.

Student: One hundred thirty thousand.

Leonard Bernstein: You mean he’s painted thirty thousand pictures since that celebration of one hundred thousand! I wish I could have attended that night, but I couldn’t. Our meeting had to be put off until today.

What a perfect day it is today! It’s the first day of spring. It ‘s been so many years since the first day of spring has looked like the first day of spring. I can’t remember how long – a t least ten years since we’ve had a perfect March 21. And it was Bach’s birthday last night and it’s my mother ‘s birthday tomorrow. So Bach and you and my mother and all these beautiful kids, and spring: God , that ‘s too much!

Where are you going to sit? Sit down on the floor somewhere. Please rest yourselves for a minute. I can ‘t bear you all standing so. That ‘s better. While we’re waiting for Peter to set up , let ‘s be silent together.

(Leonard Bernstein meditates with Sri Chinmoy again.)

Leonard Bernstein: God, how beautiful! How beautiful you all are, like this day.

Sri Chinmoy : I would like to offer you another present.

Leonard Bernstein : Oh, no!

(Sri Chinmoy presents Leonard Bernstein with the banner of the Meditation Group that he leads at the United Nations.)

Sri Chinmoy: This is what we do at the United Nations.

Leonard Bernstein: I am very happy to have this. This I have read.

(Introducing his daughter) This is Olivier Greif, who is conducting them and made an arrangement of Sri Chinmoy’s song.

How can I explain it? Oh, I’m so happy!

Wouldn’t you like some drinks? How about some ginger ale? How about some soft drinks?

All right, all soft drinks!

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(The singers perform the song once more.)

Leonard Bernstein: This should be the greatest ego trip anybody had. But it’s not the way I feel at all. I’m not even that impressed by the lyrics, but I’m so impressed by you all. You’ve turned my heart over! You all read music?

You’re incredible! You sound like an absolutely A-1 professional choir. I don’t know if this is the result of meditating or the result of practice. I guess it is a combination of both. Incredible! I don’t know how you do it. I am baffled. Very good!

Sri Chinmoy (while leaving): We wish to invite you to the United Nations to our Meditation Group . Whenever you are free, I will be so deeply honoured if you could come to our Meditation Group.

Leonard Bernstein: I would love to. Have somebody tell me, and we will make a time .

Sri Chinmoy: When is your birthday?

Leonard Bernstein: August 25th. I will be In Europe then.

Sri Chinmoy: When will you be back? Leonard Bernstein: Not until October.

Sri Chinmoy: Before your birthday?

Leonard Bernstein: In July I am in Tanglewood. I am teaching and conducting the Boston Symphony and I am teaching students.

Sri Chinmoy: Will the first week of August be possible?

Leonard Bernstein: The first week I think I will be here.

Sri Chinmoy: Before your birthday we would like to observe your birthday. If you will be in New York at that time, our Meditation Group can observe it at the United Nations.

Leonard Bernstein : That would be wonderful. Thank you.

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LEONARD BERNSTEIN

Leonard Bernstein. Leonard !

Eternity ‘s singing bird!

Beauty-truth, truth-beauty,

Nectar-oneness your divinity Perfection-

cry, perfection-soul ,

perfection-smile, perfection-Goal .

Composer-prince, conductor-king,

World-server-emperor in the cosmos ring.

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