About the Author
Sri Chinmoy was a spiritual leader, author, artist, musician, athlete and peace visionary. Throughout his endless endeavors, Sri Chinmoy sought to encourage all humanity to transcend boundaries and find a path to inner peace. He was born in the small village of Shakpura in East Bengal, India (now Bangladesh) in 1931. At the age of twelve he entered into the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, a spiritual community in South India. His ashram life was that of intense meditation, sometimes meditating up to fourteen hours a day. He also found time for writing, composing, athletics and service to his community. It was here that Sri Chinmoy achieved a high state of spiritual awakening. In 1964, following an inner calling, Sri Chinmoy came to America making New York City his home until his passing in 2007.
For more information, visit the Sri Chinmoy Centre.
Spiritual Leader
In America, Sri Chinmoy immediately launched into a life of selfless-service to the world family. He led twice weekly Peace Meditations at the United Nations for over thirty years. He offered Peace Concerts and gave soulful talks at universities. He enjoyed a special friendship with many international luminaries including President Mikhail Gorbachev, Mother Teresa, President Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He eventually opened over a hundred meditation centres across the globe. Sri Chinmoy dedicated his life to inspiring all humanity to live a life of oneness, peace and harmony.
For more information visit: Service at the United Nations.
Author
As an author, Sri Chinmoy has written over 1500 books all meant to enlighten us, bring us joy and foster a feeling of oneness. Through his writings, he guides the reader on an intense search for peace through the journey of self-discovery. Whether it is with his prose or poetry, his plays or short stories, he teaches the path of the heart, the spiritual heart, that radiates soulful love within and without.
For more information visit: Sri Chinmoy Library
Artist
Sri Chinmoy created over 140,000 paintings in a spontaneous style called “Jharna-Kala” or “fountain-art” using a fountain of light from within and not the mind to guide him. Sri Chinmoy also drew over six million “Dream-Freedom Peace-Birds” or “Soul-Birds”, each bird representing the freedom and aspiration of the soul. His artwork and many of his soul-birds adorn the pages of his books.
For more information visit: Art of Sri Chinmoy
Musician
Sri Chinmoy composed over 22,000 songs in both English and his native Bengali. He offered over seven hundred free Peace Concerts worldwide in places like London’s Royal Albert Hall, Sydney’s Opera House, New York’s Carnegie Hall as well as at universities, local schools and churches. During these concerts Sri Chinmoy would play the flute, the esraj, the cello, the piano and many other instruments. His soulful music created a high meditative experience touching the listeners’ hearts invoking the interconnectedness of all life.
For more information visit: Radio Sri Chinmoy or Inspiration Singalong
Athlete
Sri Chinmoy felt that sports was a natural complement to the inner life of meditation and a vehicle to self-transcendence. In his youth, Sri Chinmoy was a champion sprinter and decathlete at the ashram. He founded the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team in 1977 and ran many of its marathons himself. In the essence of self-transcendence and the unlimited potential of the human spirit he continued pushing the limits of ultra-marathon running by eventually founding the Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race. The race is a 52-day annual event which runs around a city block in Queens, New York.
For more information visit: Sri Chinmoy Races
Peace Visionary
As a world peace visionary, Sri Chinmoy combined his love of running and pursuit of peace into the global torch run event, the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run. The Peace Run is a worldwide relay event where runners carry a torch for peace visiting schools, governments and community events. The Peace Torch is passed from hand to hand inviting all to wish for peace and harmony within our world.
For more information visit: the Peace Run
About Heart-Light Books
Based in Seattle, Washington, Heart-Light Distributors is a non-profit organization dedicated to distributing the heart-light wisdom of Sri Chinmoy by providing his writings to all. In this website, produced jointly with Aum Publications, you will find books of poetry and prose covering the full range of the spiritual experience by one who has experienced it all. Each written word is offered consciously by Sri Chinmoy to bring abiding peace into our hearts and transformation to our lives. It is our sincere hope that these offerings will bring you light, love and a renewed zest for life.