Sri Chinmoy:
The Peace Meditation at the United Nations

On 29 July 1977, in honour of the birthday of the late Secretary-General,

• the Meditation Group observed a few minutes of silence in the small but symbolic Meditation “Room of Quiet” in the Public GA Visitors Lobby  at the UN. This Meditation Room was  re-designed by Dag Hammarskjold in 1957.

1. The Group then held a programme of tribute to the second Secretary-General, in the UN Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium which included

• • An opening meditation
  • instrumental and vocal arrangements of a song by Sri Chinmoy dedicated to Dag Hammarskjold,
  • a choral reading of Hammarskjold’s writings, and
  • tributes.

Excerpts from the programme follow.

(1959-Jun-01- UN Photo)

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Sri Chinmoy. Dag Hammarskjold was a man of unparalleled duty. Duty demands capacity. He perfectly mastered the art of duty. Out of his heart’s magnanimity, he shares with us its quintessence: “Somebody placed the shuttle in your hand : Somebody who had already arranged the threads.”

A great man is, indeed, a great power. Human power cleverly avoids justification. Divine power does not avoid justification, for there is no need on its part to do so. It knows that justification is only another name for its selfsame reality. The Secretary-General’s wisdom-light reveals to us: “Only he deserves power who every day justifies it.”

Dag Hammarskjold was a great man, a good heart, a soulful life’, a possessor of perfect vision-light. Something more, he became a fulfilling bridge between humanity’s excruciating pangs and divinity’s illumining Compassion.

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Mr. Donald Keys, Planetary Citizens : The basis for an international civil service was foreshadowed dimly in the League of Nations and was phrased in the Charter of the United Nations, but remained to be focused, anchored, implemented and made more than a vision. And this Dag Hammarskjold not only did, but he also defended it with his integrity and his matchless sense of duty and, I might say also, with his life.

As is well known, Dag Hammarskjold jold stood by those principles, and on the basis of his stand although from time to time the actions of nations threatened the impartiality-the principle of a true international civil servant remains as one of the crown jewels of the United Nations.

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“A youngster of sixteen asked me with concern why there is no reference to God in the United Nations Charter. In my reply I drew his attention to the Preamble of the Charter where the nations express their ‘faith in the dignity and worth of the human person’ and pledge themselves ‘to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one
another as good neighbors.’ I felt sure that he saw here an expression of what, in the faith which was his, was recognized as the will of God: that we should love our neighbors as ourselves.” – from Markings by Dag Hammarskjold

” * ******
Whoever leads in the heart is a real leader. This is not the leadership of a self-styled leader. This leadership is the recognition of one’s inseparable oneness with the rest of humanity.(*1)

* * ******
He who wants to convey the message of the soul is the real leader. ( *2)

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The goal of the United Nations is peace, world peace.
The secret of the United Nations is sacrifice. (*3)

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Reference Note on 3 short  Quotes above:

*1, *2 are from a talk 0f Sri Chinmoy: “Can meditation enhance leadership?” on 12 Sep 1975 in the Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium. It appears in “Union-Vision” published in 1975

*3 is from a talk  0f Sri Chinmoy: “The Heart-Peace Of  The United Nations” , on 01 March 1973 in the Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium. It appears in The Tears Of Nation-Hearts, Agni Press, 1974.

As background for event another quote of Hammarskjold was also shared with UN colleagues:

 

12:00 VISITORS LOBBY * MEDITATION ROOM
12:15 DAG HAMMARSKJOLD LIBRARY AUDITORIUM
IN HONOR OF–
SEVENTY SECOND BIRTHDAY

DAG HJALMAR AGNE CARL HAMMARSKJOLD was BORN on JULY 29, 1905, in JONKOPING, SWEDEN

“THE PUBLIC SERVENT’ IS THERE IN ORDER TO ASSIST, SO TO SAY FROM THE INSIDE,
THOSE WHO TAKE THE DECISIONS WHICH FRAME HISTORY. HE SHOULD-AS I SEE IT-LISTEN,
ANALYZE, AND learn TO UNDERSTAND FULLY THE FORCES AT WORK AND THE INTERESTS AT
STAKE, SO THAT HE WILL BE ABLE TO GIVE THE RIGHT ADVICE WHEN THE SITUATION
CALLS FOR IT.

DON’T THINK THAT HE – IN FOLLOWING THIS LINE OF PERSONAL POLICY –
TAKES BUT A PASSIVE PART IN THE DEVELOPMENT. IT IS A MOST ACTIVE ONE. BUT HE
IS ACTIVE AS AN INSTRUMENT,

A CATALYST, PERHAPS AN INSPIREOR – HE SERVES.”

“THE QUALITIES IT REQUIRES ARE JUST THOSE WHICH I FEEL WE ALL NEED TODAY:
PERSEVERANCE AND PATIENCE, A FIRM GRIP ON REALITIES, CAREFUL BUT IMAGINATIVE
PLANNING, A CLEAR AWARENESS OF THE DANGERS BUT ALSO OF THE FACT THAT FATE IS
WHAT WE MAKE IT AND THAT THE SAFEST CLIMBER IS HE WHO NEVER QUESTIONS HIS ABILITY TO
TO OVERCOME ALL DIFFICULTIES. “”

* AFTER A YEAR’S EXPERIENCE HAMMARSKJOLD MODIFIED THIS STATEMENT IN REPLY TO
SOME IMPATIENT QUESTIONING ON LACK OF ACTION ON THE DIPLOMATIC FRONT.

“ONE WHO
IS REALLY SERIOUS IN HIS DETERMINATION TO REACH THE TOP.”

HE SAID, “DOES NOT
GAMBLE BY IMPATIENTLY ACCEPTING BAD FOOTHOLDS AND POOR GRIPS.”
–from HAMMARSKJOLD by BRIAN URQUHART

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Goodness is something so
simple: always to live for others.
never to seek one’s own advantage.

– attributed to Dag Hammarskjold