Thank you for the reminder of the spiritual wisdom of Sri Chinmoy. My cousin is a long-time devotee and was a part of his core community in Queens in back in the 70s/80s. She continues to honor his memory with her musical compositions. Your post will be a good opportunity to call her today and share the poem and some conversation with her.
According to the Sri Chinmoy Center website: “In 1968 Sri Chinmoy moved to Jamaica, Queens where he lived until his Mahasamadhi in October 2007. Currently over 200 students of Sri Chinmoy live in the Jamaica area and surrounding environs. Others from the New York and Tri-state area gather for regular meditation sessions several times a week in Jamaica at Aspiration-Ground, the all-season meditation garden where Sri Chinmoy would meditate with his students.”
in the early 80's i was a counselor at hillcrest high school in jamaica. directly across the street was sri chinmoy's restaurant where i ate lunch. it was such a blessed peaceful oasis from the crazy turmoil of an inner city high school. thanks for bringing it back for me, erik, cathy, corie.
The character of philosopher, sure of himself -Absolute. I loved the beginning: "No mind, no form, I only exist." Sometimes in life we only exist, though everybody understand and feels it differently. And "I crossed the secret ways of life"- m.b. that is why he is a wise man. Very interesting. Thank you.
I wish I was one of those type of people who could remember poems, phrases and other lines like from famous plays. I had a teacher tell the class that in everyone's brain there is a sifter. Some people have very small holes in their sifter while others have very large holes. I guess mine had gigantic holes because most of the time I couldn't remember anything and has I get older the holes get bigger. What were we talking about?
Though I am far from achieving the "no mind" of the Absolute, within the Relative realm I adore the San Francisco Sri Chinmoy restaurant, Ananda Fuara. I've been there countless times and I've never been disappointed.
Quite nice, yes, quite! Made me mindful of Wallace Stevens' mobius twisted, tail-swallowing ourboros at the outset of his more than faintly scornful (talking as always to himself) instructions for the mind's achieving the sublime ignorance needed to contemplate the sun's astoundingly ferocious, complacently blind and blinding vomiting of life, light, and imperturbable serenity, subject nonetheless to its own, mute to us, but so much like us, ructive storms and explosions. Sorry to go on so long, but am in a pleasantly self-scorning sort of way, gratified. Ignorance is mind without knowledge's partitions, those which otherwise imprison us in the insufferable "ennui of apartments," and which Kafka called the "lakes frozen within us."
Thank you for the reminder of the spiritual wisdom of Sri Chinmoy. My cousin is a long-time devotee and was a part of his core community in Queens in back in the 70s/80s. She continues to honor his memory with her musical compositions. Your post will be a good opportunity to call her today and share the poem and some conversation with her.
I am from Queens. For some reason knowing that he was in Queens makes me smile.
According to the Sri Chinmoy Center website: “In 1968 Sri Chinmoy moved to Jamaica, Queens where he lived until his Mahasamadhi in October 2007. Currently over 200 students of Sri Chinmoy live in the Jamaica area and surrounding environs. Others from the New York and Tri-state area gather for regular meditation sessions several times a week in Jamaica at Aspiration-Ground, the all-season meditation garden where Sri Chinmoy would meditate with his students.”
corie! i'm from queens, too!
in the early 80's i was a counselor at hillcrest high school in jamaica. directly across the street was sri chinmoy's restaurant where i ate lunch. it was such a blessed peaceful oasis from the crazy turmoil of an inner city high school. thanks for bringing it back for me, erik, cathy, corie.
The small world of Substack 🥰
Breathtakingly sublime........!!!!
The character of philosopher, sure of himself -Absolute. I loved the beginning: "No mind, no form, I only exist." Sometimes in life we only exist, though everybody understand and feels it differently. And "I crossed the secret ways of life"- m.b. that is why he is a wise man. Very interesting. Thank you.
I wish I was one of those type of people who could remember poems, phrases and other lines like from famous plays. I had a teacher tell the class that in everyone's brain there is a sifter. Some people have very small holes in their sifter while others have very large holes. I guess mine had gigantic holes because most of the time I couldn't remember anything and has I get older the holes get bigger. What were we talking about?
Perfect match of visual and poetic sentiments. Fills one’s heart with gratitude.
Powerful words to express the feelings of crossing over, without fear just acceptance.
I wouldn’t miss a selection of yours, they are beautiful.
Here is a man unafraid of his death, a man at peace finding the God within his spirit.
I have only this simple action
Again, this is almost exactly how I'm feeling right now. Going to have to read more Chimnoy.
Lovely! Thank you.
Though I am far from achieving the "no mind" of the Absolute, within the Relative realm I adore the San Francisco Sri Chinmoy restaurant, Ananda Fuara. I've been there countless times and I've never been disappointed.
Quite nice, yes, quite! Made me mindful of Wallace Stevens' mobius twisted, tail-swallowing ourboros at the outset of his more than faintly scornful (talking as always to himself) instructions for the mind's achieving the sublime ignorance needed to contemplate the sun's astoundingly ferocious, complacently blind and blinding vomiting of life, light, and imperturbable serenity, subject nonetheless to its own, mute to us, but so much like us, ructive storms and explosions. Sorry to go on so long, but am in a pleasantly self-scorning sort of way, gratified. Ignorance is mind without knowledge's partitions, those which otherwise imprison us in the insufferable "ennui of apartments," and which Kafka called the "lakes frozen within us."
Stunning clarity in his description of a space of his realization. Inspiring to seek more Sri Chinmoy. Many 🙏
Wow! Just what I needed this morning. My Dad is in the process of dying and grateful to be present.
So sorry to hear that. I hope you're doing okay, my friend.
🙏🏻