On October 11, 2007,Sri Chinmoy, entered mahasamadhi – a yogi’s conscious exit from his body. Over the next week, students from around the world gathered in New York to pay their respects and spend the days and nights in meditation and silent prayer.
Performances during Sri Chinmoy’s Memorial Week, October 2007
Last modified December 2, 2010
During this soulful pilgrimage, many beautiful live performances were recoried were offered by those in attendance. Sri Chinmoy’s body was laid to rest on October 18, 2007.
Throughout his life, Sri Chinmoy was a source of great inspiration to millions of people, and his presence will be sorely missed. Many world luminaries have, over the years, expressed their appreciation for Sri Chinmoy and his work for the world, and many who are still with us came to the memorial service or sent their tributes in his honour. We are deeply grateful to all, and hope that they continue their service to mankind in their respective fields.
Sri Chinmoy put forward various worldwide initiatives and events to foster the ideal of world harmony and international friendship. Perhaps the most obvious one is the World Harmony Run, which Sri Chinmoy founded in 1987. This world-wide Olympic-style torch relay for peace is run in over 70 countries, with participation from young and old alike, including a “Living in Harmony” curriculum to help school children develop attitudes and strategies that promote harmony in their lives.
In the field of music, since 1984 Sri Chinmoy offered more than 800 concerts of soulful music around the world, in venues large and small, grandiose and modest, in a spirit of service to mankind. His concerts were always free of charge to the public. Sri Chinmoy performed his own compositions in a wide variety of instruments from all over the world. He composed more than 21,000 devotional songs, mostly in his native Bengali.
In the field of art, Sri Chinmoy painted more than 150,000 paintings and drew nearly 16 million bird drawings. His artwork has been exhibited at major galleries around the world.
In the field of sport, Sri Chinmoy was an avid athlete, competing in many sports, including soccer, volleyball and track and field. As a young member of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in India, Sri Chinmoy competed in the 100 meters and the decathlon. In the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, he was 100 meter champion for 10 years and decathlon champion for two years. In America he took up long-distance running, and founded the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team , which organizes over 500 athletics events worldwide every year, including triathlons. The Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team is perhaps best known for staging excellent ultra-marathons, including the Sri Chinmoy 3100 Mile Self-Transcendence Race, the longest foot race in the world.
The charity arm of Sri Chinmoy’s mission the Oneness-Heart Tears and Smiles helped to collect and deliver humanitarian aid to more than 40 countries. From food to sport supplies and computers, hospital beds and medicine, this global network of volunteers from the Sri Chinmoy Centres serves selflessly, out of concern for our brothers and sisters of the world.
Through his personal example and the initiatives which he put forward, Sri Chinmoy inspired countless people to transcend their perceived limitations and rise to a better life, a life of ever growing love, humility, compassion and service to mankind, to become better citizens of the world and contribute to humanity’s welfare and harmony.
We are greatly indebted to Sri Chinmoy for his constant inspiration and concern, for his shining example, and for helping to bring people together in harmony and love, in friendship and understanding.
May we follow in the footsteps of people like Sri Chinmoy, whose only aim is to be of soulful and dedicated service to others.
Artist: Sri Chinmoy Students
Release year: 2007
Duration: 7.4 hours
Acknowledgements: Sri Chinmoy
Format: Advanced Audio Coding
