Dear Arpan,


Your refreshing reports are most appreciated by me. I remember, on one of
Lily-di's birthday, Guru gave us one of these sky-blue envelops with the name
"from Lily-di" on it (hand-written by Guru) and a one dollar note in it. I still
have that very same envelope in my home in New York. Happy Birthday, Lily-di!


Just a smile makes our mind clear, our heart pure and our world new.

If God tells me that I am his favorite, then I must believe it-
my disbelief will only increase the distance between us.

God keeps His Protection-Light all around the seekers life.


Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees
by Sri Chinmoy


Nirmala

Arpan, what a superbly written account! Your writing is a perfect combination of
heart and mind! So eloquent!

About the recipes - I remember a long time ago being in N.Y. and some kind
person gave me a copy of an original recipe from Lily of her dhal, it was just
called 'Lily's Dhal'. When I got back to the UK I set to making it...it was just
the best dhal ever!! Then I moved house, and lost the recipe. I would really
like to have that recipe again! Good dhal is so difficult to cook, but Lily's
recipe was great, and easy to make too.

Pavitrata

Dear Arpan,
I am sure I am not alone in saying how grateful I am for your detailed accounts
of events at Aspiration Ground. For all of us far away and only able to visit
once or twice a year, your descriptions help so much to keep us connected.

Shirley (Victoria)

I have one more: This is a special one!

6:46 a.m.

Before lifting 250 lbs. twice

with both arms simultaneously

(Total: 500 lbs.)


My Supreme, my Supreme!
When I am in my soul,
I clearly see and deeply feel
That all human beings
Are my divine oneness-brothers
And sisters.
My Supreme, my Supreme!



Excerpt from My Morning Soul-Body Prayers, Part 7 by Sri Chinmoy.


Nirmala

The date and time above the subject line for this post lists Sunday Nov. 1st at
12:33 am - just a half hour after Sri Chinmoy began his poetry marathon in which
he wrote an extraordinary quantity of 843 poems in 24 hours from midnight on
November 1, 1975 until the following midnight which ushered in November 2nd.

Tonight at Aspiration-Ground (or should I technically say last night!) the
highlight of the function was a tribute to this magnificent book of poetry.

Rain came and went throughout the night but stayed away in patches long enough
to enable all activities but the play performances scheduled for the evening.
Even though I call "running in the rain" an example of a creative approach to
life in an upcoming article on creativity, I must confess that I "cheated" on my
own philosophy and took shelter during the duration of the evening's program
under a canopy over some of the benches in the seating area. :-)

This my first visit back to Aspiration-Ground since the October 11th Mahasamadhi
weekend almost took my breath away because the scenery is much the same and the
very air and environs seem to shimmer with a tapestry of light, sacredness and
beauty. Can the very meditations themselves linger long after they finish? I
almost felt as if last Wednesday's function described by Arpan still vibrated
around me - and yes October 11th as well.

When the rain puddles on the green clay of the ground surrounding the Mahsamadhi
shrine, it reflects the flowers and candles like the mirror effect on a still
lake. Then I start thinking about Lake Manasarovar and the swans and Mt.
Kailash...

Tonight Aspiration Ground was stunningly inspiring. Candles flickered in the
darkness, lighting up the bouquets of flowers visible in every direction. Seated
even up high under the canopy, I could smell the fragrance of flowers.

We could have just sat there in silence and enjoyed a visual feast worthy of
stirring inner awakening. Yet something emerged to take the beauty to another
level - a recording of Sri Chinmoy singing a cappella songs he composed from
some of the Transcendence-Perfection poems.
http://www.radiosrichinmoy.org/radio/163

Then we were treated to recitations of some of the poems and a slideshow of
photos showing Guru at functions held to celebrate the achievement.

We are lucky to have the entire volume of poems in the Sri Chinmoy Library
online. Here is a link to it:
http://www.srichinmoylibrary.com/books/0241

Without remembering that it was the anniversary this weekend, I chose to bring
this very book with me to New York this weekend and was reading from it briefly
this afternoon before going to the evening function. Like playing the game "Name
that Tune", I found myself saying oh I remember reading that one at the centre
meeting last Wednesday or I remember reading that one this afternoon. ;-)

It truly boggles imagination to fathom the density of poems from this volume
which expound and express a myriad of windows into the inner life, wisdom, and
poetic expression all created in a single 24 hour period.

No. 178
A Mere Glance

Just a mere glance of the Lord
Can erase the music
Of his inhuman life.
Just a mere glance of the Lord!
http://www.srichinmoylibrary.com/books/0241/1/178

Did centres around the world also have activities related to this anniversary?

Sharani
p.s. in looking for previous posts about Transcendence Perfection poems, this
seems to be the main one:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sri_Chinmoy_Inspiration/message/21589

Dear Sarala,

It's true I have been thinking a lot about death and all this lately but the
best would be not to think at all.

What more can I say? You said it all perfectly.

Thank you for your inspiration.

Doris

P.S. How does Dream-Dream-Land look like?

P.P.S. Speaking of dreams - I was about to upload a series of wonderful autumn
pictures I took in a nearby forest and post the link but it seems I am delaying
in Patience-Land: It takes eternity...

Age, time and wondrous ways!

Words or any attempt to describe spiritual states or subjects fail miserably,
since they arise in consciousness and soul level rather than being neatly boxed
in the mind.

How does one describe realisation? How does one describe time, sequence, or
content in the multi-dimensional Reality?  I have always found that when reading
Sri Chinmoy's works for a half-hour, I slip into a timeless place where his
consciousness can be absorbed; it is indeed a different experience to regular
reading as we know it.  More often than I can count, there were times where
reading the same piece again, the actual words and content were indeed
different, as if it wasn't even being processed through the mind.  I have read
one of his books numerous times and it is still as though I am reading it for
the first time but somehow from a different `location' each time.  I think this
passage (from A Mystic Journey in the Weightlifting World, Part 1) coveys
something of the timeless, intertwining oneness of experiences that breaks away
from the fetters of linear time as we normally experience it:

"Age surrenders. There is no age limit here. When we pray and meditate, we go
far beyond the domain of the mind, the physical mind that doubts our capacities.
When we pray and meditate, we identify ourselves with something vast and
infinite. So there is no age limit, but we have to go far beyond the domain of
the physical mind which binds us and at every moment discourages us. It says,
`You cannot do this, you cannot do that, it is not possible for you.'  But when
we pray and meditate, when we live in the heart, there is no such thing as
impossibility."

- Sri Chinmoy

And again, in Everest Aspiration Part 4

"Prayer defies age. Concentration defies age. Meditation defies age. Our inner
cry is the mother and father of our prayer, concentration and meditation. So let
us make friends with this inner cry. Let our body, vital, mind and heart make
friends with this inner cry. With the inner cry our entire existence, outer and
inner, will become an ever new existence-reality, an ever new, ever fulfilling
Dream of God in and through us."

"I knew my soul's age. But I have to calculate my body's age. When I am in the
soul, I fix my own age. When I am in the body, the calendar fixes my age."
  	 - Sri Chinmoy. Meditations: Food For The Soul

Reality's Time-age is Eternity.
Reality's Experience-age is Infinity.
Reality's Realisation-age is Immortality.

     - Sri Chinmoy   Eastern Light For The Western Mind  p 131

"The highest Truth can be realized only here on earth…the light of the soul has
to come to the fore and illumine the obscure, unlit body-consciousness. Once the
outer consciousness is illumined, then there is no difference between the inner
and the outer… Either the finite has to enter into the Infinite, or the Infinite
has to enter into the finite. ..Undoubtedly, it is the father who can go to the
baby far more easily, because he has more capacity."  When?  "Only when the
child cries for the father's presence."

      - Sri Chinmoy   Eastern Light For The Western Mind  p 108/9





Hey,  I can't even convey what I want to say!  Simply, I think birthday numbers
become more irrelevant as we age and discover the never-ending linkages and
connections that we are pat of! We all experience the indescribable in the
infinite variety of evolving ways, as intended.  Back to being a 7-year-old!

Sarala

Hello everyone

It's 30th of October. The past few days have been absolutely magical here in
London. It is the quintessence of Autumn. Misty sunshine and trees like great
flowers with petals of yellow, orange, pink, red and gold, filling the air with
swirling leaves every time the wind gusts through the trees. In my garden the
pears are hanging heavy on my four pear trees - I have picked all the ones I can
reach. There is a famous poem about Autumn which we had to learn by heart at
primary school, 'Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness... and it is just like
that.

It's half-term which means the children have a week's holiday. I love to see
them skipping in the fallen leaves, kicking them into piles and rolling in them
- or jumping and dancing as leaves spiral down, trying to catch them. If you can
catch a falling leaf - they say - you get good luck for the whole year to come.
It's great to sing the Seven-Year-Old song and remember that identifying with
child-like consciousness and playing like a seven year old is actually an
important aspect of our spiritual lives.

I am lucky to live near the river Thames in a district which has a lot of wild
wooded common land and a wide sweep of wooded 'tow path' by the river. I go
cycling in a circuit which takes in a lot of this beauty. Today I spent all
morning on my ride, stopping often to take photographs. The air was scented with
that intoxicating yet subtle leaf-falling, damp-earth, misty-air autumn
fragrance.

I photographed the leaves on the trees, leaves flying through the sky, leaves on
the roofs of cars and leaves carpeting the pavements. I photographed the river
framed by delicate autumn 'blossoms'. The tide was high and there were many
rowing teams out practicing. I took photos of the tow-path twisting out of sight
into a haze of soft autumn colours. I kept adding extra 'loops' to my route
because it was such a beautiful morning. I wanted Cot Dorris to come and write
it all into a poem.

I went round the old reservoir which is a nature reserve now. I climbed down the
bank, near to the water, to try to photograph some swans which were on the far
side of the lake and half-hidden by the riotous leaves - and on seeing me, they
glided sedately over to where I was crouching under the branches, hoping I had
food for them. One swan came up out of the water, up the bank and right up to
me. It was so close I could have stroked it. I took so many photos. I wish I had
a way of posting the photos for you all to see.  It was pure magic.

Later, in the afternoon, I was inspired to go out again - to catch the last of
the autumn sunshine. By then it was very hazy and the sun just dissolved into
the grey sky rather than setting in a splended sunset. But that was special in
its own way.

As I returned along the towpath from Putney side the tide had gone right out. I
watched a heron wading in the muddy shallows. I put the bike down and kept
watching it and taking photographs until it was dark, the lights from across the
river reflected in golden ribbons, the moon fading in and out of passing misty
clouds.

At the Centre on Wednesday, Manatita often reads poems while we go for Prasad. I
meant to ask him which volume of Service-Trees he was reading from this week
because many of them were about nature's beauty. Todays Autumn symphony was
completely in tune with those inspiring poems. I wonder what the autumn is like
where you all are - and for those in Australia and New Zealand - how the spring
is unfolding.

All love to all

Durga-Mata

On my last trip to Lankawi Christmas trip, one day Guru asked disciples
to ask questions. So I decided to ask him this question:

I wanted to confirm with Guru whether an experiment done by a Japanese
scientist,Dr Emoto, on water was true. Dr Emoto did some experiments on water to
observe the structures of crystalized water formations under freezing
conditions. To his astonishment, water crystals can be found in frozen water
under certain conditions. He took samples of water from different places all
over Japan and then around the world for this purpose.

In one of his experiments, he would pasted certain words on a glass of water
overnight and then freeze some sample of the water and see what formation would
take place. He discovered that positive words produced beautiful crystalized
water formation, whilst negative word produced deformative formations.

One interesting observation: of all the words his team has tried, the word
"gratitude" produced the most beautiful formation.

Guru said that he don't know who was this Japanese scientist, but, he said that
this experiment on water is highly possible. Check it out:

http://www.life-enthusiast.com/twilight/research_emoto.htm


I hope someday someone could inspire Dr Emoto to do an experiment on Guru's
music, especially on his pipe organ music.

These 2 poems were a Godsend to me Nirmala.
Thanks!

Thank you for that account of this very special day. I started to write
something but ran out of time and focus so I am glad you were able to share this
with everyone.
Two other things I do want to share that about this very special achievement of
Guru's is that he later asked for anyone who wanted to take the challenge to
pick any 100 poems from Transcendence-Perfection and memorize them perfectly for
a test. I think we had a week to do so and I took the challenge.

The test was administered by Guru himself at Annam Brahma. He handed out blue
University style exam booklets and we had over an hour to write down the poems
if I recall. Guru would walk around and look at us, blessing us as we took this
very serious but enjoyable test. We had to get every punctuation, spelling, etc.
exactly correct for all 100 poems.

In the end I believe two girls, or maybe more, got everything perfectly correct.
I think I got only a few minor mistakes but that did not matter as the
experience was quite fulfilling, outwardly and moreso inwardly. Having that kind
of experience with Guru and his poetry was a real privelege and honor.

We did it again with 27,000 Aspiration-Plants poems many years later at
Progress-Promise.I was more daring and sharper mentally back then and it was
always a great experience to take on a challenge like that directly from Guru.
We should try something like that again for one of these celebrations of his
poetry as I think Guru would like that alot and those who get involved will see
how rewarding to take a challenge like that could be.

Now for the other point I wanted to share about November 1, 1975, the day
Transcendence-Perfection was born. Our dearest brother Mahiruha Klein was also
born on that exact same day and year. It's no wonder he is such a soulful
reciter of Guru's poems.
Happy Birthday Mahiruha!!!!

Gratefully,
Arpan

Most people pay little attention to the lollipop. To true candy enthusiasts it
is just a lump of flavored sugar on a stick.  This past August however Ashrita,
and 50 volunteers created the greatest lollipop in history.  One that will most
likely soon be declared a Guinness World record confection.

http://perfectionjourney.org/

much thanks
Utpal

... and here you can find the cover of the original volume
"Transcendence-Perfection" which was published less than 24 hours after the
completion of the poems:

http://srichinmoy.wordpress.com/

Kedar

Inspired by all the postings here (thank you to everyone who is keeping this
group alive!) tonight we included the Anniversary of Guru's
Transcendence-Perfection Poems into our Center meditation. After half an hour of
invocation, silent meditation and some chanting, we read out around 20 selected
poems twice each, person after person, for about 15 minutes, with some of Guru's
flute music playing softly in the background. Afterwards we sang two beautiful
but quite difficult songs of the 99 Transcendence-Perfection songs over and
over, "My Birthday-Song" and "Your Soul Will Help You" (Guru had set music to
100 of the 843 poems only a few weeks after he wrote them).
http://www.srichinmoysongs.com/book/view/transcendence-perfection/309/?p=9&ord=o\
rder&dir=a

Quite a short observation for Guru`s standards, true, but it was still very
beautiful and powerful. I personally love to hear disciples soulfully reading
out or reciting Guru`s poems, everyone carries their own fragrance like flower
petals, it creates a feeling of oneness and brings back memories of the
Christmas trip.... And I know others feel the same. Our reading was a little bit
faster than Guru`s composing them - he must have averaged close to 40 poems per
hour for 24 hours. Absolutely unbelievable how any human being (or any being in
a human body) could keep creating not only just meaningful sentences for such a
long time at a stretch, but such amazingly beautiful and deep spiritual poetry
at that. To maintain a flow of creative consciousness of this calibre for 24
hours is proof of a rare free access to deep inner worlds.

Thank you everyone for keeping us inspired to honour and celebrate Guru's
incredible achievements, his offerings to the world, even in little ways, thus
claiming them as our own and feeling our oneness with them and keeping them
alive.

I still remember the poetry competition in PS 86 sometime in the early 80ies.
Guru corrected our notepads in his own handwriting - there was just a little bit
to correct on mine :) - and Guru even wrote the person`s name (my old name!) on
top of the pad! What a treasure.

Sweet memories...

In oneness
Vasanti
-----------

Some of the Transcendence-Perfection poems we read out tonight:


No 193
THERE AND HERE

I am there
And
I am here.
I am there
In Heaven
To sing God's Vision-Song,
An easy song.
I am here
On earth
To play God's Game,
A difficult game.

Excerpt from Transcendence-Perfection  by Sri Chinmoy
http://www.srichinmoylibrary.com/books/0241/1/193

No 3
STOP AND START

Stop talking,
Start meditating!
Stop meditating,
Start serving!
Stop serving,
Start self-giving!
Lo, your cosmic game is over!

http://www.srichinmoylibrary.com/books/0241/1/3/


No 38
FOUR PETALS OF DELIGHT

Four petals of delight:
Love-beauty,
Surrender-duty,
Perfection-necessity,
Oneness-immortality.

http://www.srichinmoylibrary.com/books/0241/1/38/

Thank you so much for these beautiful postings! I would like to get a very
special calendar with all of Guru´s sacred anniversaries to be observed from now
on so I won´t forget any next time!

I love sharing familiar and personal sweet experiences on the infinite ways Guru
loved, created, fulfilled and transcended his supernatural achievements on
earth. It is something so good to read once and again!

In oneness-heart,
Suchana

Hi Folks,

The European Songs of the Soul Tour is going really well.  Lots of inspired and
inspiring people!  I'm putting updates and pics when possible at
http://www.pavaka.com/news/

The public is starting to leave comments at www.songsofthesoul.com, too.
Although my Czech is a little rusty, it seems positive!

Pavaka

Dear Friends,


I am extremely happy and pleased to announce the 18th (yes, that's right)
edition of Inspiration-Letters, devoted to the theme of creativity.


You can find it here:


http://srichinmoycentre.org/inspiration-letters-18

I think it's a beautiful issue, and that you will agree.


Sincerely,


Mahiruha

Hi Pavaka,

Thanks so much for the news of the current concert tour via your website! I had
vaguely heard reports of thousands of people attending concerts during this tour
but reading it on your site is the first detailed account for me over here on
the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. I devoured the news and photos ;-)

Sharani
p.s. I own both of your CDs and especially like the first one.

Dear Vasanti,
Hearing about your centre's observance of the book's anniversary inspired me
tremendously. I think the republishing of this book for last August's
Celebrations has created a kind of rebirth for this book.

Thanks to Kedar as well for scanning the book's cover and posting it on one of
his blogs. The painting by Sri Chinmoy on the cover is in itself a "thing of
beauty".

Sharani

Dear Mahiruha,

Thanks so much! I enjoyed the letters quite a bit. Quite inspiring!

Kamalakanta

Dear friends, brothers and sisters,

Just a small announcement:

We are pleased and proud to publish Rezwana Choudhury Bannya's performance at
the Songs of the Soul concert from August, 2009 in New York.

Also, we have five tracks, recorded live at a concert offered by the group
"Ananda" (England) in Dublin last month.

We hope you enjoy their soulful offerings as much as we do.

Here is the link to the home page of Radio Sri Chinmoy:

http://www.radiosrichinmoy.org/

Joy to all!

Kamalakanta

This is a real treat. Thanks Mahiruha

Mahiruha,


I'm afraid these days my creativity often extends to only thinking of good
excuses for why I've not written more frequently. - Personally, I put it down to
the difficulty of buying new quills for my pen. I go into shops and they just
want to sell you these new fangled computer things. O for the days of Fountain
pens, blotting paper and typewriters...

Anyway,

http://www.srichinmoycentre.org/inspiration-letters-18

Really Great edition.

Thanks to your good self, all the contributors, and Sharani for creating such a
beautiful page.



Tejvan


p.s. If the theme of the next edition of Inspiration Letters is 'Middle Earth in
the Second Age of the Noldor - A New perspective on the writings of JRR
Tolkien.'-  I have just the article!

Eighteen amazing issues!   Including - Ed Silverton's EXHUBERANT little elephant
:-D  ...!!!

Thank you for both of these!

I don't think I'm the only one who completely fell in love with Rezwana
Choudhury's renderings of Guru's songs. I've never heard Guru's songs sung like
that; like a warm slow moving river, just flowing and flowing...

And it's always a delight to hear Ananda!

Purnakama

Before joining Sri Chinmoy's path, my experience of singing amounted to little
more than a few short songs on the football terraces. Something along the lines
of 'We are Leeds' (repeat 164 times) or "Who ate all the pies?" - I can't really
remember but, it wasn't exactly Bach.

Anyway, life can change quickly and in my last year of university I find myself
immersed in the wonder of meditation and the spiritual life. My preconceived
notions of spirituality seemed to preclude singing. But, as I soon learnt,
singing was an integral part of Guru's path. Immediately, I was struck by the
soulful and moving nature of music, and much to my own surprise realised how
much soulful singing could change and inspire a more soulful consciousness.

I wasn't a great singer, but my centre was kindly tolerant of an enthusiastic
singer, gradually learning to sing in tune and in time. In my first few years, I
learnt many songs, choosing those which moved me the most. I loved it and found
the melodies reverberating in the most unlikely situations - cycling on my bike,
even going shopping in the supermarket.

For a few years, my good habit of learning new songs fell by the wayside as
other things came into my life. But, recently, I was trying to find a way to
rekindle the inner search, the inner aspiration, and singing definitely helped
to create a lot of newness in my daily sadhana. I began re-learing old forgotten
songs - it was great, rather akin to finding again a lost friend. I surprised
myself at how many songs I had once learnt.
Also, with the help of many of the marvellous CDs by disciples, (on view at
http://www.radiosrichinmoy.org/) I've also been finding new songs to learn. Once
you hear a song well performed by a good singing group, it becomes much easier
to learn it.

As well as the joy of singing, I can't finish without mentioning some of the
breathtaking singing performances of Sri Chinmoy. Some of Guru's singing, simply
blew me away on first hearing it. So much power and soulfulness!

http://www.radiosrichinmoy.org/sri_chinmoy/singing



~

Tejvan

Dear Doris:

Dreams, imagination, awe and wonder are very much part of expanding
consciousness, aren't they?  Until I was blessed inwardly by many, many
persistent calls over decades from Sri Chinmoy (whom I had
never met over this period) with his inimitable "Come", my God was rather static
in His presence, loving, subtle, full of light, but rather bound in locus.

I have since discovered His worlds of unending attributes.  One that always
turns over my little heart is the concept of the Divine Magician, in His
appearances and disappearances in so many everyday disguises. I found this quote
the other day:

Sri Chinmoy: "God likes magic very much because He is the Divine Magician. Every
second He is doing something, only we don't see it. God is the Supreme Magician.
When we use our outer eye we don't see His Magic, but when we use our inner eye
we see His Magic all the time. Again, it is one thing to use our inner vision
and another thing to become one with His Transcendental Vision. At that time we
don't call it magic at all, but a necessary and inevitable experience.
The outer being has no inner vision; it is blind. That is why we can't see God's
Magic at all. Millions and billions of things He is doing at every moment. But
these human eyes are useless. Again, the inner vision sees everything. Inner
vision does not necessarily mean inner oneness, inseparable oneness. You can see
a painting with your eye, but you may not become one with it. Similarly, you may
see God's Magic with your inner vision, but you may not become one with it."

------Excerpt from Occultism And Mysticism by Sri Chinmoy.

We just need the eyes of a 7-year-old.  In the words of Christ, "Unless you
become as little children, you will never enter into the Kingdom of Heave..."
Matthew 18: 3-4

Did you upload your autumn pictures yet?

Sarala

Dear friends, brothers and sisters all,

Sri Chinmoy often spoke about a "gratitude-heart", and also about how gratitude
can transform our life. He called gratitude a "miracle-action".

Here is a small poem by Sri Chinmoy:

"The mind has yet to learn
How to write 'gratitude'
Properly."
        -Sri Chinmoy

Excerpt from Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, Part 21 by Sri Chinmoy.
http://www.srichinmoylibrary.com/books/1376/579

So, if we stay in our spiritual heart, and not in our thinking mind, we can feel
and develop gratitude more...

enjoy!

Kamalakanta

I think we are all quite familiar with the expression, `Heaven is
within'. If one would equate Aspiration-Ground with Heaven, then it
will not be too far-fetched to feel that you do not have to travel to
New York to keep Aspiration-Ground and all that it offers within your
heart, mind and soul, wherever you are.



I wrote the following poem one morning while guarding at
Aspiration-Ground. I feel very grateful to be blessed and privileged to
live here and visit here every day. Yet the real Aspiration-Ground is
the fertile soil of aspiration, faith and peace within the consciousness
of our spiritual heart which we all carry with us everywhere we go. We
just have to try and be more continuously conscious of it so we can
enjoy the benefits that it offers to us unconditionally. That is why we
meditate and practice other spiritual disciplines. We all know this, yet
it is good to remind each other from time to time.



This poem is meant to be a reminder of the Aspiration-Ground we carry
all the time within us. It is not intended to create a nostalgic kind of
sadness for those who may not be able to visit there often. Instead I
hope it will inspire a smile in the hearts of those who know and feel
the consciousness of its creator and founder, our Beloved Guru, who will
never be missing from our aspiring consciousness and sincere spiritual
efforts, anytime and anywhere.



Finally, I would also be happy if this poem can encourage those who wish
to come and are able to do so to make every effort to afford a trip here
and renew their outer aspiration from this most Sacred place. Seeing
visitors coming from outside New York is so encouraging and inspiring to
those of us who may be a bit `spoiled' by living within walking
distance from this Spiritual Haven. To be here yet not take it for
granted, and to value it as much as we see others value and appreciate
it when they come from afar, is so helpful to our aspiration as well. We
need you.



Having said all that, I hope this poem can bring Aspiration-Ground and
all that it offered and still offers to all of us who are fortunate
enough to feel it, experience it, and appreciate it, any time and
anywhere.






Aspiration-Ground



City sights, City sounds,

Softened by the Peace

At Aspiration-Ground.



Birds singing,

Nature abounds,

In this spiritual Haven

We call Aspiration-Ground.



Almost 30 years

Since this location was found

As a tennis-court,

Now turned Sacred Ground.



Meditations and tennis games,

Loving and serving

Countless seekers,

Aspirants and athletes,

Even people of fame.



Thousands of functions,

Musical concerts and feasts

We were treated to here,

Never comprising its role

As a place of prayer,

And a Haven of Peace.



Innocent surprises never ceased,

From heavy weights

To birthday cakes,

Carousels and Temple bells,

Elephants lifted,

Consciousness shifted.



Enthusiasm, love and concern

Never waned,

From He who proclaimed

That God is definitely here

Within each of our hearts,

Waiting to be claimed

And crying to be found,

With a little help

At Aspiration-Ground.



He who played here,

Prayed here and offered Peace,

Though finally seeming to rest here,

He would never retire,

And is still bringing Joy

Into the hearts and minds

Of those who aspire

For Peace on this Earth

And God's Will to abound,

As we make our sweet Pilgrimage

To Aspiration-Ground.



Gratefully,

Arpan





















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thanks Kamalakanta!  These are fantastic recordings!  Timeless and top notch.

Pavaka