Panorama

A Tribute Edition To Sri Chinmoy
To all of the members of the Sri Chinmoy Centres around the world who would like to contribute the next edition of Panorama (the hard copy version), the editors would like it known that the April 2008 edition of Panorama will take the form of a tribute to Sri Chinmoy and your experiences as his students. They welcome your contributions (preferably as digital documents) by mid-March at the latest please. These should be sent directly to Prabhakar and Abichal via the normal channels. Thank you – we eagerly look forward to this very special edition of Panorama…

Sri Chinmoy was always one for encouraging people to develop themselves on all levels. Indeed, his lifetime of service to humanity, especially since coming to the west in 1964, was a mighty effort in all fields of human endeavour that will serve to inspire humanity for centuries to come.

And for his students, Sri Chinmoy was a wonderful role model who’s example and encouragement gave us the intrepidity and determination to explore new avenues of expression and experience. He always encouraged us to do things that enhanced our spirituality and the knowledge of who we truly are. For some of his students, it was in sports; for some, the arts; for some the field of public service. For many it was all of the above and much more…
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A Popular Notion

There is a popular notion
Concerning mankind’s creativity
That considers it living proof
Of our inherent divinity.
Though this may be true,
Before pride makes us deranged
Bear in mind that God creates,
Human beings just rearrange.

– Kalatit Baker.

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Drawn from the April 1999 edition of Panorama.

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In October of 1990 Sri Chinmoy visited Sweden to offer a concert. During that visit he gave an inspirational talk entitled Poetry-Poem-Poet at the Musikaliska Akademien in Stockholm. Here are four short excerpts from that talk:

Inside each human being there is a poet. This poet can bring down the loftiest heights of truth and, at the same time, can powerfully eclipse the darkest falsehood if and when necessity demands.

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We Played With God

Tomorrow, perhaps
I will peek
Out of the hood of
My sleeping bag
Sipping cherry
Kool-aid
And smile at the way
We played with God
On the mountain

– Anugata Bach.

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Drawn from the August 2005 edition of Panorama.

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Bay of Antalya

I scan the horizon haze.
At any moment, I know,
The white sails will appear
In their hundreds.
I can feel their approach,
See their ensigns of war
Advancing over the silent waves,
Rowers straining in the galleys.
Already they have seen our cliffs
Pitted over centuries,
Already they can taste
Our honeycomb and cheese,
Drink our Turkish coffee in the sun.
Why do they seek to break
The stillness of this blue afternoon?
Why do they force us
To don our tired armour
And hide in caves
With rusty weapons?
Why do they lust after
The wealth of Asia,
Pursue in vain the mysteries
of distant empires?
Let them turn back
To their own shores,
Vanish again in the mist,
Subdue the spirit of war.
Let them conquer first
Their own mind-infidels.

– Vidagdha Bennett.

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Drawn from the August 2007 edition of Panorama.

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Three Haiku

waking from a dream
of rain falling
to rain, falling

——-

and my life too
is passing – evening light
on the far mountains

——-

in the silence
after chanting mantras –
birdsong

– Janaka Alan Spence.

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Drawn from the August 2007 edition of Panorama.

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