States-Oregon

OREGON (OR). The 33rd state to join the Union in 1859.

Oregon factoids: The capital of Oregon is Salem; its largest city is Portland. Known as the ‘Beaver State’, today’s population is approximately 4.3 million (averaging around 45 people per square mile). Oregon’s state tree is the ‘Douglas Fir’; its state flower is the ‘Oregon Grape’; its state bird the ‘Western Meadowlark’; its state fruit is the ‘pear’ and its state nut is the ‘filbert’ (more commonly known as hazelnut). The Oregon coast is perhaps one of the most scenic areas in America — and was where Lewis and Clark’s exploration of the west reached the Pacific Ocean (near what is now Astoria, Oregon). Oregon’s Cascade mountains, its famous rivers, lakes and waterfalls — as well as its high dessert in the southeastern part of the state — are also famously breathtaking. Oregon’s motto is: “Alis Volat Propriis” (She flies with her own wings).

Activities of Sri Chinmoy in Oregon (see page for activities in other states)

1974:

• April 22, 1974, On this day, Sri Chinmoy offered three university talks in three different states – Oregon (at 10 a.m.), Washington (at 4 p.m.) and Idaho (at 7:30 p.m.). In Portland, Oregon he delivers a morning lecture (10 a.m.), entitled ‘Transformation, Liberation, Revelation, Manifestation’, at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, USA.
  • The following Questions and Answers were asked following the lecture published in Fifty Freedom-Boats to One Golden Shore, Part 4
    • Question: Is there a difference between sleep and meditation?
    • Question: Could you tell us what Christ is?
    • Question: Why is it so difficult to unite one’s worldly work with the spiritual life?
    • Question: How should one meditate?
• Unknown date, published in 1974. three members of the Eugene, Oregon Centre ask Sri Chinmoy questions on ‘opportunity’. These, along with many other Q&As are published in At the Doors of Time and Delight Opportunity Knocks ( ⁵⁸ , ⁵⁹ , ⁶⁰ ).

1975:

• October 16-17, 1975, after a visit to San Francisco, CA and Victoria, B.C., Canada, Sri Chinmoy visits Eugene, Oregon. During this visit he
  • visited the Eugene Centre (see recap of visit in Chinmoy Family, October 1975-February 1976, pg.5) during which he meditated in the two meditation rooms, gave a short talk and painted two acrylic Jharna-Kala
  • led a public meditation at St. Paul’s Catholic Church and gave a short talk on “Concentration, Meditation and Contemplation”. KVAL, a local TV station, covered the event.

1980:

• October 17, 1980,  Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture, entitled ‘The Outer Running and the Inner Running’, at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, USA.
• October 18, 1980 Sri Chinmoy offers a concert and a meditation at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, USA
• October 19, 1980, a 30km road race is held Eugene, Oregon. Sri Chinmoy recounts three stories from that event in Run and Become, Part 4 (³⁷ , ^{38 and 39}) also a humorous travel story.
• November 18, 1980,  Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture, entitled ‘ Art is ’ Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon

1985:

• October 24, 1985. Sue Harris, the mayor of the capital city Salem, Oregon proclaims October 24, 1985 to be World Peace Day and encouraged its citizens to engage in the Seven Minutes for World Peace from 10:00-10:07 a.m.

1989:

• June 12, 1989 Sri Chinmoy traveled to Portland, Oregon USA on this day. At 7:00 p.m. at the Chiles Auditorium at the University of Portland he offered a Peace Concert (#188 in a series, with approximately 1,000 attendees included the great athlete Mr. Bill Pearl along with his wife and son). At this concert, Sri Chinmoy
  • offered a piano performance
  • delivered a talk, entitled ‘I Must And I Must’
  • recites five poems which are later published in A Heart of Oneness-Peace (poems # ⁵¹ , ⁵²,  ⁵³ , ⁵⁴ , and ⁵⁵ ), and
  • lifted Bill Pearl, as part of Sri Chinmoy’s Lifting Up the World With A Oneness-Heart programme. 

1991:

• March 15, 1991. Sri Chinmoy receives the World Citizen Humanitarian Award from the World Peace University in Eugene, Oregon, USA. Dr. F. Richard Schneider, the Chancellor of the private educational institute, which has campuses in Oregon, Chile and Bangladesh, presents the award at a dinner ceremony.
  • • (related) Members of the Sri Chinmoy Centres join Dr. Schneider in planting a Peace Tree in Eugene, Oregon.
    • (related) September 1, 1991. Sri Chinmoy lifts Richard Schneider, Chancellor of the World Peace University, Oregon, and the founding Chairman of Radio for Peace International, in Jamaica, NY, USA.
• March 16, 1991. Sri Chinmoy visits Bill Pearl Enterprises, a fitness equipment and health and supplement store in Phoenix, Oregon. Judy Pearl welcomes the visitors and offers an extensive tour.

1987-current, the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run passes through Oregon bi-annually on its cross-country trek and engages with its welcoming citizens (see example of photos of its previous visit)

 

******

Listen to the melody Sri Chinmoy set for name ‘Oregon’

(read more about these on the 50-state songs page)

********

Among the many songs Sri Chinmoy composed on America, his adopted country, this one is perhaps the most powerful:

America, America, America!
Great you are, good you are,
Brave you are, kind you are.
O my America, America.
Your Heaven-freedom is earth’s aspiration-choice.
With you, in you, is God-Hour’s Victory-Voice.

—Sri Chinmoy
(see https://www.srichinmoysongs.com/america-great-you-are-good-you-are)

The song “America! Great You Are, Good You Are” recording, below, as performed by the Sri Chinmoy Choir:

********

Return to page with activites in other States  //  // Go to Devotionsongs.com home