Sri Chinmoy:
The Peace Meditation at the United Nations

The reception, which was co-hosted by Congressmen Benjamin Rosenthal (D-New York) an Larry Winn, Jr. (R-Kansas), included a short musical recital by Sri Chinmoy and the Peace Meditation Group Choir.

Possibly in this section highlight introduction to programme:

Below is excerpt of the introduction to part of the programme:

Welcome  to this program  being held in honor of the members of Congress who have served, over the years, on the U.S. delegation to the U.N

The Program is being sponsored by our current delegates to the United Nations, Congressmen Larry Winn and Benjamin Rosenthal, in cooperation with the Meditation Group at the UN·

Before proceeding with our program, I would like to tell you just a little bit about the Peace Meditation Group at the UN–who we are and what we are seek1ng to accomplish.

You may ask yourself:  ” what meditation has to do with the UN, and why the Meditation Group is even involved in an affair like this evenings?”. The answer is quite clear if we think for a moment what meditation really is.

1. Meditation is the process of going deep within ourselves and bringing forward our own highest ideals and resources.

a. Meditation–whether conscious or unconscious–is the source of many things worthwhile that man has ever created or achieved.

b. We may call the dream that gave birth to the UN, or the UN itself , man’s highest “political- meditation.

2. Right from the beginning, meditation has played a key role in the minds of the founders and leaders of the UN

a. Prayer and meditation rule for the UN General Assembly – Invitation by President of GA at opening and before closing of GA Session.

c. Dag Hammarskjold redesigned Meditation Room- “Room of quiet” (programme celebrated – Nov 1978 at UN)\

3. Meditation group . formed in 1970, is a continuation of this spiritual undercurrent that has coursed through the UN from its inception.

a. based on belief that lasting world peace requires not only action on the political and socioeconomic level, but also a parallel spiritual effort

4. What Meditation Group does

a. Silent meditation–led by Sri Chinmoy–These moments of silent reflection and regrouping make us aware Of our real purpose at the UN– which can easily be forgotten amid the press of daily affairs. It brings us in touch with the same inner reality that also gave birth to the UN itself years ago.

b. Non-silent meditation–colloquia, symposia, etc . where different missions and delegates from each country can articulate their own vision for a better world. This is also a form of meditation. In fact we feel, anything that inspires us like this programme, —anything that awakens us to a higher purpose can be a real meditative action.

5. It is in this spirit that the Peace Meditation Group at the UN is working. I can refer you to some of our year end “Devoted Reports to the S-G to give very many examples of the programmes undertaken. See our Devoted Report ( Link to reports for 1977 & 1978)

6. Now I would like to invite you to listen to • still a different kind of meditation–through music–Songs Sri Chinmoy has written about the UN–songs that, like silent meditation, awaken us to the highest ideals that the UN represents and which many have tried to bring to the fore. I invite now the Peace Meditation at the UN Choir to come up.