“If the trains are going to be bigger and the country is bigger - won’t we need a giant to push the train?”

from: Goodness Gracious Me

UK’s Queen is Indian

Video of Wonderful World.

Video of Somewhere over the Rainbow

I had only heard a rather saccharine version in the Disney film, but, this version by Kamakawiwo Ole’s is quite different.

This is a poem by the nineteenth century mystic Ramprasad Sen

The Diamond Essence of Awareness

Ma Tara, you are truly the exalted one,
the essence of awareness.
But are you aware of the foolish poet
who sings this song?
You are indeed the radiant truth,
the sun that dissolves like morning mist
the illusory suffering of conscious beings.
But what about my persistent misery?

Revelatory experience flows to devout practitioners
from the Mother of the Universe,
but consider what Mother bestows on me.
During morning meditation, I worry about livelihood.
At noon prayer, I think about delicious food.
While practicing contemplation in the evening,
my mind wanders at random among events of the day.

Goddess Tara, I ask you frankly,
will you ever allow this distracted consciousness
any sustained vision of your reality?
The only visionary gift granted me
is the viewpoint of arbitrary convention.
In this fascinating vision, I am constantly absorbed.

The deeper I plunge into thought,
the more I realize I cannot know you by thinking,
0 blissful Mother, beyond speech and mind.

This desperate seeker of truth cries out:
“Ma! Ma! Ma!
Daughter of the mystic mountain!
You dance, holding the brilliant gem of realization.
But when I try to grasp
the diamond essence of awareness,
it appears to turn back into common stone.”

By: Ramprasad Sen

Translated by Lex Hixon

In Oxford, we offer meditation courses 3 times a year as a community service on behalf of the Sri Chinmoy Centre. Many people are interested in meditation for a variety of reasons such as deeper relaxation, inner peace and discovering more about our own self.

These are some of the Benefits of Meditation - an article at Write Spirit.

Also, Q.A. on the Benefits of Meditation

People may have preconceived ideas about what meditation is. However, in essence meditation is quite a simple exercise - we are basically trying to still the mind. This is an introduction to meditation, with some suggestions on How To Control our own thoughts.

Meditation and Music

Music can play a helpful role in meditation. Meditative music can help inspire our meditation and create an atmosphere conducive to stilling the mind. There is a good selection of meditation music at Radio Sri Chinmoy.

• A popular recording is this flute music meditation by Sri Chinmoy Quick Time - listen now

Meditation Videos

These are some short meditation videos at Sri Chinmoy TV

More Meditation Links

• Meditation Workshop
• Quotes on Meditation at Poetseers.org
• Meditation at Sri Chinmoy Centre
• Learn Meditation in UK

Photo by Tejvan from Oxford Botanical gardens

Oxford Self Transcendence Races

Yesterday, we had our first 3 Mile Self Transcendence race at the Peace Mile in Cutteslowe Park, Oxford. 15 runners came on a wet and grey evening. results at Sri Chinmoy Races

Running and Vegetarian Diet

Some people question whether a vegetarian diet is compatible with a vegetarian diet. Tim Van Orden, is running on just a raw vegan diet. - Running Raw

One of the fastest growing sports is running up tower block stairs. Sounds great fun. Article at Guardian

Boris Purushottama Grebenshikov at Royal Albert Hall. photo Pavitrata

It’s been a busy few weeks in the UK.

Firstly we had the World Harmony Run visit the UK.

Secondly, we had a reception in honour of Sri Chinmoy at the House of Lords.

The really big event was a concert for 5,000 people at the Royal Albert Hall

Other Links

Congratulations to Ashrita on Breaking his 200th Guinness World Records. That is a marvellous achievement and a record all by itself!

Recent article - How To avoid being a grumpy old man

I am going on a cycling holiday in Ireland with a few ‘non cycling’ friends. I have sent them all a training schedule. That should get them ready for 100 miles a day.

I have never run more than 13 miles in my life, so multi day running is a little hard to comprehend. Looking at statistics is impressive, but it doesn’t convey the stories and experiences which go into clocking up the phenomenal miles.

Utpal has done a very good job in giving us a fascinating insight into this world of multi day running - including the many perspectives and people who go into both organizing and running the 6 and 10 Day Race in New York.

Some recent blog post on Heart-Lotus Blog include:

Near and Yet So Far - As the joke goes about the 3100 miles, - the first 3,000 miles are the hardest. This is about the race as it nears the last 48 hours, with 8 days completed.

In The Still of the Night - the night shift is never easy, the unsung heroes of the small hours

Time For Plan B. - When it rains in New York, it can really pour down; not what you want when you’re in the middle of a 10 day race

In the past 8 days or so, some of the runner have already completed upto 800 miles (pretty close to the distance of running from Lands End to John O Groats). and I try to think what I have done in the past 8 days.

My other experiences of multiday running include:

• Count at the 24 hour running race held by Sri Chinmoy MT in London ever year.
• Living with Top Welsh distance runner, Abichal. Who never really does much training to suggest he is going to do 3100 miles. And yet, every year he just goes out and does it.

The 6 10 Day Race was founded by Sri Chinmoy, and forms an integral part of his philosophy of self-transcendence. Sri Chinmoy

Other Links

• Worth the Weight - Ashrita recounts his latest Guiness world records
• Concert for Sri Chinmoy - Am helping to leaflet a concert by Boris Purushottama Grebenshikov and friends . See also Grebenshikov Concert
• Things we don’t like to Admit - article for Pick The Brain

These Flower Flames are from a selection of 207 Poems that Sri Chinmoy made from his series 10,000 Flower Flames.

Today I am Wise

Yesterday I was clever.
That is why
I wanted to change the world.

Today I am wise.
That is why
I am changing myself.

~

One Thing To Learn

Every day there is only
One thing to learn:
How to be honestly happy.

~

A Diplomatic Death

Since each thought
Is an atomic power,
You can give each thought
A diplomatic death.
~

I Am Not Needed

I am not needed
To say the right thing.
I am only required
To be the right thing.

~

Miracles Worth Seeing

Only two miracles are worth seeing:
The miracle of loving
And
The miracle of forgiving.

~

Two Lines To Heaven

The soulful meditation-line to Heaven
Is never busy
Because
Very few seekers can afford
To use that line.

The wild frustration-line to Heaven
Is always busy
Because
Everybody has the capacity
To use that line.

~

They Will Do It For You

Do not blame yourself.
This world will do it for you,
Far beyond your imagination.

Do not admire yourself.
The higher worlds will do it for you,
Far beyond your expectation.

~

If It is True

If it is true
That Jesus is coming again,
Then it is also true
That you and I should go to meet Him
And welcome Him
At the halfway point.

~

To Be In God’s Company

If you do not have
A sense of humour,
Then God will not choose you
To be in His close company.
~

Do Not Speak Ill of Yourself.

Do not speak ill of yourself.
The world around you
Will always gladly do that
On your behalf.
~

God The Lover

We pray to God the Power,
But God the Lover
Answers our prayers.

~

I Chose

I chose not to understand God.
I chose not to understand even man.
But alas,
I chose to understand my clever mind.

By Sri Chinmoy

View the selection of 207 Poems at Short Poems.org

Did you know that 404 error pages are the most commonly visited webpages on the internet, and yet are usually the ones with least effort.

Here are my feeble attempts:

Sri Chinmoy self improvement blog 404 page

Tejvan.co.uk error page