Handout-2010-Aug-03 Q&A
Filed under Questions and Answers (Q&A)1. Question: What about the gap between high ideals of UN and daily life in Secretariat offices?
SRI CHINMOY: THE PEACE MEDITATION AT THE UNITED NATIONS
The following questions and answers are excerpted from My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 years, by Sri Chinmoy (1995).
1. Question: What can be done about the large gap between the high ideals of the United Nations and routine daily life in the Secretariat offices?
Sri Chinmoy: Indeed, there is often a large gap, a yawning gulf, between the high ideals of the United Nations and the daily experiences of those who work in the Secretariat. Right now the vision and the reality are two different aspects of the same Absolute Supreme. The vision is high, higher, highest—reaching to the ever-transcending Height. The reality is often discouraging and disheartening.
But the soul of the United Nations will never fail. Unconditionally it will carry the body, the vital and the heart of the United Nations to the destined Goal, transforming today’s vision into tomorrow’s reality. And that reality will be infinitely brighter than our present-day vision can even imagine. Right now we have only a vague idea of what the future will be like. This idea is a product of our mind. But we have to transcend the idea-world in order to enter into the ideal-world, that is to say, the world of illumining and fulfilling ideals. The ideal-world that beckons us is far above and far beyond our present-day vision.
Just because today there is often a yawning gulf between vision and reality, between our idea of the future and the ideal that actually awaits us, we cannot say that we shall always be doomed to failure. We cannot say that the present-day hope, which is nothing short of frustration, can never meet with the ultimate fulfilment, which is the promise from Above. No, we must continue to strive for perfection.
Each individual, either consciously or unconsciously, has sown the seeds of hope. This hope is inseparably one with each individual’s inner cry, which we call aspiration. Aspiration ultimately will be transformed into realisation, and realisation, in due course, will be manifested. At that time, vision and reality, idea and ideal, will become one.
The vision of the soul of the United Nations and of all those who are consciously aspiring for a new oneness-world, a world of unity, will never fail. Slowly, steadily and unerringly, the seeker-servers here will change the present fate and face of the United Nations. It is the seekers now serving the United Nations who will sooner or later bring to the fore the inner message of the United Nations and transform the idea of the United Nations into the ideal of a oneness-world.
Each time we pray and meditate at the United Nations, let us energise our hope. When we dive deep within, let us try to remind ourselves of the lofty promise that we are carrying. The physical in us, the vital in us, the mental in us are embodying hope. At the same time, the Divine in us is embodying promise. When hope and promise work together, fulfilment cannot remain a far cry. So with our inner hunger, our burning flames of aspiration, let us climb up what we call the realisation-tree. Then, when we climb down, we will call it the manifestation-tree. While we are climbing up, in one sense we are still in the world of ideas. But when we are climbing down, in a broad and vast sense we will be in the world of ideals.
By climbing up the realisation-tree and by climbing down the manifestation-tree, we shall solve the problem of the gap between vision and reality. Vision and reality need not and must not remain two separate entities. They are bound to be unified and remain inseparably one.
– From questions answered on 18 January and 22 February 1983 (p. 127)
At the invitation of Secretary-General U Thant in the spring of 1970, Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007) began conducting twice-weekly non-denominational meditations for peace for United Nations staff members, delegates, NGO representatives and affiliates. The Peace Meditation at the United Nations also offered programmes, concerts and lectures to promote world harmony, and Sri Chinmoy answered many questions about the spiritual role of the United Nations. For information about ongoing activities of the Peace Meditation at the United Nations: (718) 291-0364.
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