For over 37 years, Sri Chinmoy graced the halls of the United Nations, and his prolific outpouring of essays, poems, artwork and songs dedicated to the UN inspired the fourth UN Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar to call Sri Chinmoy “the heart of the United Nations.” Sri Chinmoy also delivered a considerable number of talks at the United Nations, including those in his Dag Hammarskjold Lecture Series, and answered many questions about the inner and outer role of the United Nations. These lectures, writings and answers to questions have been published in several volumes, and are a treasure-trove of enlightening thoughts on spirituality and peace.
Presented here is a selection of Sri Chinmoy’s poetry, along with excerpts from his various talks about the UN. By immersing oneself in these lofty visions, one will be uplifted and reminded of the profound significance of the United Nations and its powerful role in the world arena. In the prophetic words of Sri Chinmoy: “The inner vision of the United Nations is the gift supreme. A day will down when the vision of the United Nations will save the world.”
See also Publications for the Fiftieth Anniversary of Sri Chinmoy: The Peace Meditation at the United Nations:
- The Song Universal – 50th Anniversary of First Talk for UN Community
- 13 Poems for 25th Anniversary of “Peace Blossoms Fragrance“
- The Vision of the United Nations: A Oneness-World-Family*
At the Poetry Reading Celebrating the United Nations Year of the Dialogue Among Civilizations, held at the United Nations on 29 March 2001, Sri Chinmoy is introduced by Master of Ceremonies Vijaya Claxton, Vice President of the United Nations SRC Society of Writers.
The outer message of the United Nations is peace.
The inner message of the United Nations is love.
The inmost message of the United Nations is oneness.
– Sri Chinmoy, The Tears of Nation-Hearts, 1977
The most important thing to remember while working at the United Nations is the vision of the United Nations.
– Sri Chinmoy, Flame-Waves, Part 10, 1978
The inner heart of the United Nations is flooded with peace.
The outer heart of the United Nations is trying to spread peace all over the world.
– Sri Chinmoy, The Tears of Nation-Hearts, 1977
The United Nations is the morning. World union is the day.
– Sri Chinmoy, Union-Vision, 1975
The ancient dream of cooperation is not just a human dream that has nothing to do with reality. This ancient dream is not a dream at all but a faultless and divine vision – an unhorizoned vision that is slowly, steadily and unerringly shaping our individual and collective destiny as humanity marches towards its supreme goal of universal oneness and transcendental newness.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
The real worth of the United Nations lies in the united principles of its members. It is in these united principles that one can see the fruit of true inner oneness and divine perfection.
– Sri Chinmoy, The Garland of Nation-Souls, 1972
Peace does not mean the absence of war. Peace means the presence of harmony, love, satisfaction and oneness.
– Sri Chinmoy, A Heart of Peace, 1997
Be a genuine ambassador of good will to all nations. You will immediately win the universal love and the transcendental blessings from above.
– Sri Chinmoy, Ten Thousand Flower-Flames,
Part 43, #4230, 1982
To create a perfect world, we must become a song of interdependence.
– Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees,
Part 34, #33,849, 2003
The greatest mistake in life is to remain indifferent to the world situation.
– Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees,
Part 28, #27,373, 2002
Do not stop dreaming! One day your world-peace-dream will inundate the entire world.
– Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, Part 201, #200,031, 1994
The greatness of each nation lies in its deep love for other nations and in its self-giving to other nations.
– Sri Chinmoy, The Tears of Nation-Hearts, 1977
Problems are everywhere. Each country has hundreds of problems. Each individual has hundreds of problems. But problems can be solved, should be solved and must be solved by individuals first. If each individual dives deep into his own countless problems, he comes to realise that there is only one problem, and that problem is lack of oneness.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
World-unity is of paramount importance. If all the countries join together for a positive common goal, the very act of their being together is something laudable. Only this approach will eventually save the world and the planet.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
To me, the United Nations is great. Why? Because it has high principles. To me, the United Nations is good. Why? Because it leaves no stone unturned to transform these principles into living realities.
– Sri Chinmoy, The Tears of Nation-Hearts, 1977
The United Nations sings one song: the song that says it is love-power that will conquer the world. No other power can conquer the world.
– Sri Chinmoy, The Tears of Nation-Hearts, 1977
The United Nations is like the ocean. Each Mission is a flowing river entering into the ocean with hope, with eagerness and with a willingness to become part and parcel of the ocean.
– Sri Chinmoy, The Tears of Nation-Hearts, 1977
The United Nations is not a mere building. It is not a mere concept. It is a reality which is growing, glowing and manifesting its radiance here, there and all-where.
– Sri Chinmoy, The Inner Role of the United Nations, 1993
One day the world will not only treasure and cherish the soul of the United Nations, but will also claim the soul of the United Nations as its very own with enormous pride, for this soul is all-loving, all-nourishing and all-fulfilling.
– Sri Chinmoy, The Garland of Nation-Souls, 1972
First there was the League of Nations. Now we see the United Nations. From the United Nations we shall see a Oneness-World, and inside this Oneness-World we shall see the song of self-transcendence, world-transcendence, universal transcendence.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service
at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
The United Nations unmistakably has the soul-peace and the heart-dedication to be the first and foremost instrument of human unification.
– Sri Chinmoy, The Garland of Nation-Souls, 1972
A heart of peace is the dearest member of the oneness-family.
– Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants,
Part 185, #18,464, 1984
One can best serve the United Nations by keeping in one’s heart the main principles of the United Nations: world peace, world harmony, world transformation and world oneness.
– Sri Chinmoy, Flame-Waves, Part 9, 1978
The world is constantly evolving towards a higher standard of life. It is not moving in a straight line, but rather in a spiral. Therefore, at times this progress is not immediately noticeable. To our human mind it may seem confusing and baffling. But on the strength of our inner oneness with the world situation and world evolution, we can see unmistakably the world’s slow and steady progress.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
The inner vision of the United Nations is the gift supreme. A day will dawn when the vision of the United Nations will save the world.
– Sri Chinmoy, The Tears of Nation-Hearts, 1977
What the United Nations brings to the world are the vision of peace and the promise of total perfection and total satisfaction in the oneness-world-family.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
World acceptance, world concern, world patience, world sympathy and world oneness give my life a peace-fountain-heart.
– Sri Chinmoy, Peace-Blossom-Fragrance,
Part 4, #375, 1994
Mine is the wisdom-light that tells me to ask not for a lighter burden, but for a stronger heart.
– Sri Chinmoy, Ten Thousand Flower-Flames,
Part 9, #900, 1981
I do not give up, I never give up, for there is nothing in this entire world that is irrevocably unchangeable.
– Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants,
Part 3, #233, 1983
I acquire peace not from solitude but from my world-servitude.
– Sri Chinmoy, Peace: God’s Fragrance-Heart,
Part 1, #48, 1992
Here in the United Nations is where the vision of oneness took birth and sent its illumining light to the four corners of the globe.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
The role of the United Nations will not come to an end after the establishment of peace on earth. To have world peace is just the beginning; it is not and cannot be the end of human achievement. The earth also has to grow into a new light and achieve a new harmony and a new fulfilment.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
When the reality of the United Nations starts bearing fruit, then the breath of Immortality will be a living reality on earth.
– Sri Chinmoy, The Tears of Nation-Hearts, 1977
There shall come a time when this world of ours will be flooded with peace. Who will bring about this radical change? It will be you – you and your sisters and brothers – you and your oneness-heart will spread peace throughout the length and breadth of the world.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Heart’s Salutation to Australia, Part 2, 1976
There is no difference between meditating for peace, light and bliss for ourselves and meditating for peace, light and bliss for the soul of the United Nations. For on the strength of our oneness we claim the body, heart and soul of the United Nations as our own. If we have this wider outlook and larger vision, then no matter for whom we pray and meditate, it is ultimately for our benefit since all human beings are part and parcel of one universal family.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 years, 1995
All those who are at the United Nations have definitely come to bring about peace. When we pray and meditate here, it is not only for the seekers who attend the meeting; it is for everyone. We are all members of the same world-family.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A portion of the soul of the United Nations is inside all the people who work for the United Nations in some capacity….The soul of the United Nations dreams of a beautiful, peaceful and fruitful world in and through each individual worker at the United Nations.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
The most important aspect of your work at the United Nations should be to prove to yourself that you are a worthy member of the United Nations world-family. This you can do only by always keeping in front of you the lofty vision and powerful messages that the United Nations over the years has offered to you and which it offers to you still. You should not dwell upon its failures. You should see only its success and feel only its progress—its gradual success in its outer life of dedication and its gradual progress in its inner life of aspiration. During your daily work, try to keep in front of your mental vision the good things that the United Nations has done and what it has become—rather than what it has not done or what it is not going to accomplish. The day shall dawn in the near or distant future when the United Nations will definitely achieve and grow into everything that is good and divine. But just because it has not achieved these things at this particular stage of its development, just because over the years it has encountered failure in some of its efforts, we cannot say that the vision of the United Nations is imperfect or that it will not succeed. No, it will succeed—slowly, steadily and unerringly. And for that, each individual member has a significant role to play according to his own inner awakening.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
When we look at the body of the United Nations, we will look with our concern; we will see that humanity is depending on the vision of the United Nations to lead it to greater progress. And when we think of the soul or the inner reality of the United Nations, we have to feel that its fulfilment can take place only on the strength of our own self-giving. We have to give ourselves to the vision and the goal that the United Nations has placed before us: world peace, world harmony and oneness-light.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
If the mind is inundated with confidence, if the heart is inundated with patience and if the vital is inundated with dynamism, then we can easily have a far-reaching vision of the United Nations.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
The soul of the United Nations will never fail. Unconditionally it will carry the body, the vital and the heart of the United Nations to the destined Goal, transforming today’s vision into tomorrow’s reality. And that reality will be infinitely brighter than our present-day vision can even imagine.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
Just because today there is often a yawning gulf between vision and reality, between our idea of the future and the ideal that actually awaits us, we cannot say that we shall always be doomed to failure. We cannot say that the present-day hope, which is nothing short of frustration, can never meet with the ultimate fulfilment, which is the promise from Above. No, we must continue to strive for perfection.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
Each time we pray and meditate at the United Nations, let us energise our hope. When we dive deep within, let us try to remind ourselves of the lofty promise that we are carrying. The physical in us, the vital in us, the mental in us are embodying hope. At the same time, the Divine in us is embodying promise. When hope and promise work together, fulfilment cannot remain a far cry.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
If you are flexible in your ideas, if you are adaptable to circumstances, then it is infinitely easier to manifest the truth not only here at the United Nations but everywhere. The outer reality or the outer consciousness has to be flexible so that the inner reality and inner vision can manifest itself most effectively.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
The pilots of the United Nations are serving mankind in the world arena, according to their capacity. We can also do the same type of service on a limited scale, according to the capacity we have. Our prayer has solid strength. This solid strength we can offer to them in silence, from our inner life of dedication to the world.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
Those who are awakened, those who are truly self-giving, those who are ready to serve the world body devotedly and soulfully in any capacity—no matter how insignificant from the superficial outer point of view—are the real United Nations servers. It is they who will continuously add glory to the achievements of the United Nations.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A real member of the United Nations is he who does not forget that his is the supreme responsibility to bring to the fore the inspiring capacities and aspiring qualities of his own nation so that other nations will faithfully and gloriously be inspired to do the same. Needless to say, the divine capacities and supreme qualities of all the nations combined will fulfil the zenith-climbing longings of mankind.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A real member of the United Nations is he whose heart and mind at once respond to his inner and outer world-concern-duties.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A real member of the United Nations knows that if he dreams only of what will benefit his own country and neglects or ignores the needs of other countries, then his self-chosen limits will eventually disappoint him, for a happy oneness-world will remain a far cry.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A real member of the United Nations is he who does not forget that his is the supreme responsibility to bring to the fore the inspiring capacities and aspiring qualities of his own nation so that other nations will faithfully and gloriously be inspired to do the same. Needless to say, the divine capacities and supreme qualities of all the nations combined will fulfil the zenith-climbing longings of mankind.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A real member of the United Nations must needs dare to dream of the precious progress of the entire world.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A real member of the United Nations is he whose mind-pocket will never be empty of a global understanding and whose heart-pocket will never be empty of a universal concern.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A real member of the United Nations is he whose heart and mind at once respond to his inner and outer world-concern-duties.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A real member of the United Nations knows that if he dreams only of what will benefit his own country and neglects or ignores the needs of other countries, then his self-chosen limits will eventually disappoint him, for a happy oneness-world will remain a far cry.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A real member of the United Nations every morning without fail wears the armour of patience-light.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A real member of the United Nations is always most sincerely desperate for a moment’s peace among the comity of nations.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A real member of the United Nations does not believe in a permanent life of thorny uncertainties. He believes in his and others’ ever-blossoming and everlasting heart-roses and their world-pleasing fragrance.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A real member of the United Nations is he who offers every day his own heart’s blossoming receptivity to all nations.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A real member of the United Nations offers his heart’s gratitude-flames to his own country for being asked to represent its lofty aspiration and dedication to the world community. He is also grateful to all the other nations for making him fully acquainted with their teeming wants and needs.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A real member of the United Nations carries in his heart-pocket a valid visa to humanity’s oneness-heart.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A real member of the United Nations is he whose self-offering joy surprises the entire world.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A real member of the United Nations is he who sends every morning beauty’s peace around the world.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A real member of the United Nations is he who knows that his wisdom-knowledge-light and sympathetic understanding of other nations will never lose on the battlefield of misunderstanding.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A real member of the United Nations is a true lover of the United Nations soul and a true server of the United Nations body.
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995
A real member of the United Nations makes very clear his soulful request to all nations: “Embrace the truth; then only can you fulfil the countless needs of all countries.”
– Sri Chinmoy, My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, 1995