A Joyful Evening With Good Friends
November 1, 2003

On Saturday, I attended a meditation and dinner at the home of a
couple who have been close friends with Sri Chinmoy for many years.

This was the second such occasion I had participated in, and when I
entered the house, my eyes glanced over the serene decour of which I
was so fond. Every corner had been paid attention to: the curtains
hung in an elegant manner; books were neatly lining a cabinet, and
pictures of various people and places adorned the walls. A familiar
glow resonated within me; then a thought came forth. "Sri Chinmoy
has been here before." While travelling earlier this year, he
visited their home, this bastion of warmth and radiance. I was sure
that his subtle presence was still available there, if one were to
silence the mind and open the vault of internal awareness.

We were greeted by our kind and selfless hostess. After the other
invited guests arrived, we sat in the living room proper, where a
small glass table functioned as a meditation shrine. Each of us took
one of Sri Chinmoy's books, and we read in silence for twenty
minutes. Then, we engaged in meditation with soft music, sung and
performed by Sri Chinmoy, for half an hour. Finally, we sang a
spiritual song together. Prasad was brought out, and we each in turn
took one item, a delicious Indian sweet, while prayerfully offering
gratitude for the serenity within, the fruits of our self-reflection.

We moved on to the dinner table. As before, I poised myself at the
table's corner. Our hostess sat on the far end of the table. We
were greeted by our host, who then sat at the other. I can only
describe him as a learned scholar of a magnitude I have not seen
before. He is known throughout various circles as an expert on a
major religion, and when he speaks, the authority in his voice
commands attention.

Not to be outdone, our hostess allowed us to take from the boundy she
had "whipped up" that afternoon. It was simple, delicous food:
curries, rice, salad, cooked greens, and the like. A gentleman
always appreciates a home cooked meal, and so seven men sat down to
this delectible feast with hearts of gratitude. The quantity was
abundant, and we were encouraged to take until not a scrap remained.
Never have you seen happier eyes or wider smiles.

Included in the gathering were Sujantra and Papaha, from San Diego,
and Bigalita, Garry, Yohan and Roldan, from Los Angeles. Bigalita
has developed a close friendship with our hosts over the years, and
her inspiration and joy were appreciated by all of us that evening.

Our host hardly professed to be such a person, but the scholarly work
he has produced left no doubt: he was a real authority on topics of a
moral and spiritual fiber. This is exemplified in the words he has
written in nearly fifty books. I thumbed through his latest, a 500+
page novel that is the first part of a trilogy about a fictional
character and his adventures. Everything he had written contained
within it a spiritual context. I came across a passage on karma. It
was well-written, and noteworthy due to its accuracy and sincerity. I
asked him if I could read it aloud, to which he happily agreed.
After doing so, the entire table breathed a collective "ahhh". We
were all impressed with the truth that flowed from his fingertips.
He jokingly added, "I always have my characters say interesting
things." Another impression: not a trace of egoism in his voice!

The delicate duty of eating having been performed, a conversation
thus ensued. Our host began by introducing us to his first meeting
with Sri Chinmoy. As the story goes, for awhile he was based in
Paris. Having heard about Sri Chinmoy, he became curious to meet him
in person. Sri Chinmoy wanted to hold an event there. He was
honoring individuals of inspiration in his "lifting up the world"
program. When he was asked if he could arrange a hall, he buoyantly
agreed.

At the affair, he welcomed the chance to fade into the crowd as
another observer. However, Sri Chinmoy had a different plan: he
would become part of the program itself. After a mere ten minutes
into the ceremony, Sri Chinmoy spontaneously invited him to be
lifted! He was taken aback by Sri Chinmoy's overwhelming
appreciativeness. Sri Chinmoy then requested a group of singers to
perform three songs. They were ones he had written about his honored
guest's homeland. One by one, the singers came on stage, finally
singing in unison while Sri Chinmoy held his entire weight on his
shoulders. This is far from a figurative expression; he kept the
lifting platform raised with his guest for the entire time they sang,
a good five or seven minutes!

Nearby our table was a picture of the actual lift. In the photo, we
could see Sri Chinmoy's broad, beaming smile, his body in the full
upright standing position (unlike the more recent, and difficult,
seated lifts). It was a sight to behold, a historical moment from
over a decade ago. We were captivated, and as we settled into our
role as the receptive audience, he continued the storytelling.

In 1993, the second Parliament of World's Religions took place in
Chicago. The Parliament establishes ground where leaders of all
faiths can meet together in the spirit of tolerance and oneness,
where visions of a new world that embrace spiritual principles are
shaped. Occuring only once every hundred years, this tradition was
inaugurated a century before, when an unknown Hindu monk named Swami
Vivekananda made his presence known to the world. He was invited to
open the event, and began by uttering those now-famous words, "
Sisters and Brothers of America...I thank you in the name of the most
ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the
mother of religions..."

"As you know", our host continued, "Sri Chinmoy was invited to open
the First Plenary Session in 1993." Sri Chinmoy had approached the
stage; in front of him were represenatives of all faiths and
religions. Some expected a keynote address; others, a music
performance. Instead, Sri Chinmoy used the language that conveys the
message of spirituality in the most sublime way: silence. He
meditated with folded hands in front of the audience for ten
minutes. Sri Chinmoy's silent meditation was propitious, euphoric,
and above all, universal in appeal. It softly asked of each member
to participate in his or her own way. It was a reflection on the
meaning and purpose of the gathering, fitting for an interfaith
movement that praised the oneness and commonality among all religions.

He paused momentarily. "His silent meditation was incredible", he
said. The inspiration he derived from it carried through into his
own speech. He was invited to speak early on, and when his turn came
to make a statement, he began by voicing his admiration for Sri
Chinmoy.

The event progressed throughout the day as many people spoke on
various subjects. The event crept into the late hours of the night.

At half past seven the next morning, he heard a knock at his hotel
door. He was summoned downstairs, and with little notice, prepared
himself and hurriedly made his way to the lobby. Few had arisen by
that time. In a moment of disbelief, he was greeted by three hundred
people. Sri Chinmoy was also there. He handed him a bouquet of
flowers and thanked him for mentioning his name during his speech.
Sri Chinmoy's gratitude was heartfelt and enduring, and the speaker
also felt thankful and appreciative.

He spoke of moments when Sri Chinmoy would recognize him in different
ways at important locations. Once, he was asked to make an
introduction at a Sri Chinmoy musical concert. After he gave the
speech, Sri Chinmoy came onto the stage and garlanded him. At
various times, and in myriad ways, he offered appreciation.

I commented on the signed picture I saw of Sri Chinmoy and another
that he recently sent to them. Our hostess added, "Whenever he goes
somewhere and something significant happens in his life, he sends us
a signed photo." Written on the picture were the words, "To my
dearest brother and sister" and he signed it "with my infinite love
and affection." She added that they have a box full of photos he has
sent over the years. Can one imagine a more pure expression of
friendship! Sri Chinmoy also sends them gifts, including very
beautiful Indian Saris.

As the forum continued, I gleamed a bit of the interaction between
our two friends. They did not seem like husband and wife, but more
like brother and sister. They seemed on equal footing, never
stepping over each other. While he played the role of the scholar, a
learned, wisened soul, she beautified qualities of the spiritual
heart: compassion, concern, and tenderness. They would occasionally
partake in a discussion from across the table, and the six of us
would listen with open ears. From time to time, the banter would
heighten to a fever pitch, and so I would watch the volley with great
delight, as if I were following an accelerated tennis match. I
glimpsed a relationship that was founded on mutual respect and
understanding. Both of them have a way of penetrating spiritual
topics with insight and perception; their enlivened thoughts had me
at a loss for words. One would speak about a certain topic, and the
other would react with a thought or view that typically complimented
and occasionally contrasted the other. Uplifting!

Our hostess related another story. Pradhan, a close friend of theirs
and veteran meditator from Chicago, once visited their home. He
brought with him a huge bouquet of flowers. Upon presenting them, he
explained, "These are not from me. They are from Sri Chinmoy." The
couple was speechless. Aware that their freshness had a limited
lifespan, she took it upon herself to painstakingly duplicate the
arrangement in its entirety, exactly as it had been presented. When
Sri Chinmoy would visit their home, they would point out the flowers,
which looked strikingly similar to the ones he had given.

Sri Chinmoy has an indefatigable way of noticing the mundane, and
turning it into a livened moment. Our host removed his glasses and
continued speaking. "Once Sri Chinmoy wrote a song about me." Sri
Chinmoy had noticed how different he looked without glasses, and had
written a delightful song about it for him. The lyrics were
about "glasses on, glasses off." Yohan commented, "I didn't know he
noticed those little things." Yet it's true: Sri Chinmoy can
recognize subtleties in a crowd of hundreds!

He contined his storytelling. "I have never known a headache," he
said. Nor does he feel much pain in his body. One may consider this
a vertitable blessing, but his family and doctors have been
concerned. He illustrated the reason why: pain is a mechanism
designed to be used by the body to warn us of danger. If he were to
contract some disease and not feel it, the doctors may not be able to
help him until it was too late. As luck would have it, however, he
awoke one day with a large bruise on one side of his chest. And this
time, he really felt it. His doctor said he looked like "king kong"
and was overjoyed that he was in pain!

A few decades ago, he met a man who would eventually become a
religious leader. At the event, the future director told stories to
the audience. "When there are problems with our organization", he
would say, "I just remember our leader, and know that he is there."
He continued, "What happens if I become that leader? Then when there
are problems with our organization, I just remember God, and know
that He is there." At that time, he had not risen to eminence.
Somehow he knew his destiny, and that gave him the confidence to
forecast his future in a light-hearted way.

He told another story, "Once we were having a meal, and we both
ordered lobster. It was overabundant in the eyes of some." The
leader was regarded as a pious and spiritual person. Many
thought, "Why would he eat such exorbitant and lavish food?" "He
stood up in front of his fellow dignitaries and said, 'God created
this wonderful food. Why do only the sinners get to eat it?'"

He then spoke of his busy lifestyle. He told us that he never sleeps
more than four or five hours a day. "Most people need seven or eight
hours, but not me." Sujantra asked, "How are you able to do that?"
He replied with his secret: he trained himself, starting at the age
of 17. He did it over a period of several months, gradually reducing
the amount of sleep he took each night. I immediately recognized
this method as one Sri Chinmoy has written about. He had discovered
it on his own and applied it at a young age. Furthermore, he would
keep a systematic timetable of his entire day. He knew exactly when
he would eat, walk, sleep, etc. If he overslept, he would get cramps
in his legs.

Although his status is "retired", he still keeps himself far busier
than most. On a recent three-day trip to London, he wrote 60 pages
for his book. He always carries papers, a manuscript, work, with
him. In addition to being a writer, he is well-read, with a personal
library of over 2,000 books. He also regularly engages in public
speaking.

He then shared with us his philosophy on luggage. "I pack my things
one week before. I put all my things in order. Then if something
comes up before the trip, I will be relaxed. If you can pack the
night before, you can pack a week before." While I was reflecting on
his practicality, our hostess amusingly said, "For women, it's more
difficult. We have to think about what sari to choose for the right
occasion."

Our hostess brought us back to the focus of the evening. "So many
people wouldn't be around without Sri Chinmoy. They have survived
because of him. He has positively affected so many people." We all
paused for a moment to reflect on what Sri Chinmoy had done for each
one of us. I had not offered enough, nay, could not offer enough
gratitude for the course my life has taken. If I take for granted
Sri Chinmoy's spiritual presence in my life, then this pause allowed
me to offer a silent prayer. O Lord, I implore, let me be far more
grateful to You for Your Highest Blessing: my living spiritual
teacher!

The hour was late. We concluded by offering our appreciation for the
memorable evening. As I walked towards the door, I noticed a plant
with a red flower inside it. We had presented it to our hostess that
evening as a small token of gratitude, and she had placed it by the
shrine. Sri Chinmoy once told her that the color red embodies a
spiritual quality of hers, sacrifice. "The divine in us cheerfully
and unconditionally sacrifices," he has written. As I thanked her,
the authenticity in Sri Chinmoy's words rang true: she had parted
with free time and dedicated a entire day to ensuring our happiness.
It was a sacrifice from the heart.

Always the busy one, our host jumped on his exercise machine,
thanking us as we left.

David Siegel

**********

This story is also available online in three parts:

Part 1:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sri_Chinmoy_Inspiration/message/1666
Part 2:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sri_Chinmoy_Inspiration/message/1676
Part 3:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sri_Chinmoy_Inspiration/message/1685

Have you read about the historic European trip?
Macedonia (part 1):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sri_Chinmoy_Inspiration/message/1563
London (part 13):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sri_Chinmoy_Inspiration/message/1610
Paris (part 17):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sri_Chinmoy_Inspiration/message/1651