Sri Chinmoy:
The Peace Meditation at the United Nations

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy,

• with remarks by Mr. C. V. Narasimhan, former UN Under-Secretary-General and Chef de Cabinet to three Secretaries-General;

• with special guests H.E. Ambassador Karel Kovanda, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the UN, and his wife, Noemi – 6 December

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C V. NARASIMHAN United Nations, 6 December 1993

Sri  Chinmoy composed this song for UN Secretary-General U Thant.

   U Thant ,Words and music by Sri Chinmoy

 

U Thant. U Thant.

We love your silence-soul.

We loved your companion-heart.

Your world-harmony role

Challenged ignorance-dart .

U. N. pilot supreme.

You treasured perfection-dream.

Da capo (without repeat )

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On 6 December 1993, Sri Chinmoy offered a concert of music for peace at the Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium of United Nations headquarters. A special guest at the concert was’ Mr. C.V. Narasimhan, former Under-Secretary- General of the United Nations. Before his performance, Sri Chinmoy gave the following introduction:

Today’s Peace Concert I am most lovingly and most gratefully dedicating to C.V. Narasimhan, the Chef de Cabinet of Secretary-General U Thant. He was U Thant’s dearest colleague, his most valued friend, his confidant. In countless ways they pleased each other and fulfilled each other.

It was Secretary-General U Thant who asked his colleague Narasimhan to interview me and to offer an opinion about me. Out of his heart’s infinite bounty, C.V. Narasimhan spoke highly of me. His kind words enabled me to meet with Secretary-General U Thant for the first time.

Today, therefore, to my most esteemed brother friend C.V. Narasimhan, I am offering gratitude and gratitude from the inmost recesses of my heart. His blessingful presence here I shall most dearly treasure.

Something more I would like to say: the Under-Secretary-General himself is a singer-musician of the supreme heights.

After the concert, Sri Chinmoy invited Mr. Narasimhan to address the audience. Following are Mr. Narasimhan~ spontaneous remarks:

Dear friends, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, we have been very fortunate in the United Nations to have in our midst a man of peace like Chinmoy for almost a quarter of a century now. In the early days when U Thant was Secretary-General I had a little role to play in having this Meditation Centre led by Sri Chinmoy in the United Nations as part of our ongoing activities. This man is one of the most remarkable human beings I have ever met, and I have met many remarkable human beings, I might say. You heard what he could do by way of music. In fact, I was gone, I was in a transport, when someone came and told me that Sri Chinmoy would like me to come down and say a few words. He has that gift, the gift of introducing or inducing transcendental meditation amongst his listeners and his followers. For that we are truly blessed. And let us thank the Lord that it has been possible for us to have in our midst such a remarkable man as Sri Chinmoy.

So far as my long association with the United Nations is concerned, a lady over there asked me, “Are you with the delegation?” I said no, I have never been with the delegation. I have been a humble international civil servant all the years I have served the United Nations, and that was for close to twenty-two years as Under-Secretary-General. I served three Secretaries-General as Chef de Cabinet. Of the three, I was probably closest to U Thant, as Sri Chinmoy recalled.

Now, what was this quality that U Thant had, that Sri Chinmoy was recognizing? When U Thant passed away I wrote a small piece in the Secretariat News about him. It described a short story by Somerset Maugham called “Salvatore”. Salvatore was a fisherman in Naples. He had a kind word and a smile for everybody, and everybody in Naples loved him. At the end of the story Maugham asked the question: what was that quality that endeared Salvatore to so many people? It is a quality that is so rare that we do not recognize it when we see it. That quality is simple goodness. That was the quality that U Thant had; that is the quality that Chinmoy has. It is that quality which attracts people to people like Chinmoy.

I was thinking to myself about this concert for peace that Chinmoy gives periodically. The little blurb describes him as an athlete. On one occasion -and I am a little overweight, I might tell you – he just lifted me like that! I am not exaggerating. He is a most versatile human being.

(editor note: check spelling of Sanskrit words below against PDF or JPG image version)

I recall another occasion, if I may. When I was Chef de Cabinet, I arranged the music programmes at the United Nations. On the 23rd of October 1967, the day before United Nations Day, I organized a programme by one of our greatest musicians and singers, Sangita Kalanidhi M.S. Subhalakshmi, in the General Assembly Auditorium. For that occasion, which was also to celebrate the Year of International Understanding, the great saint of Kanchi, who is called Paramacharya, had composed a piece in Sanskrit. Paramacharya is going to be one hundred years old in May of next year. He is the Shankaracharya of Kanchikamakoti Pitham in Kanchipuram, about forty miles from Madras.

I was reminding myself of the piece which Paramacharya had composed for this concert. It says, “Maitreem bhajata akbilahrit jetree” -“Praise be to the friendship that conquers all hearts.”

“Atmavadeva paranapi pasyata” -“Regard the other person as you regard yourself.” The Buddha says that, Jesus Christ says it, everybody says it; it is more easily said than practised.

“Yuddham tyajata spardham tyajata” – “Give up war, give up greed.” This looks like the Charter of the United Nations!

And then, “Tyajata paresh vakramaa aakramanan” -“Give up the unlawful occupation of other people’s territory.” That is a Security Council resolution, obviously!

“Janani prithvi kamadughaste” -“The Earth is our Mother, giver of all good things.”

“Janako devaha sakba dayaluh” -“Our Creator, our Lord, is the Soul of Compassion.” I have to sing to remember the words!

[sings a few words]

“Dhamyata” -“Restrain yourself.” “Datta”” Give freely.” “Dwayatvam tyajata” -“Be liberal and compassionate to all human beings.”

And the ringing last line is, “Sreyo bhuyat sakalajananam” -“Let there be grace abounding for all mankind.”

This was the song that Subhalakshmi rendered, and this is my humble translation. May I be permitted to sing It?

Sri Chinmoy: Please!

Mr. Nararasimhan sang the song in Sanskrit. The audience applauded enthusiastically and

Sri Chinmoy thanked Mr. Nararasimhan for his most gracious words and inspiring performance.

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