Florida (FL). The 27th state to join the Union in 1845

Florida factoids: The capital of Florida is Tallahassee; its largest city is Jacksonville. Known as the ‘Sunshine State’, today’s population is approximately 23 million (averaging around 430 people per square mile). Florida’s state tree is the ‘Sabal Palm’; its state flower is the ‘Orange Blossom’; its state bird the ‘Northern Mockingbird’; while it is famous for it’s Key Lime (Pie!), its state fruit is the ‘Orange’ . Florida’s State Motto is: “In God We Trust”.

Chronological activities of Sri Chinmoy in Florida (see page for activities in other states)

  • 9 September 1966. Sri Chinmoy visits Florida for the first time and offers talks for seekers.
  • September 11, 1967. Sri Chinmoy offers a talk entitled “Death” at the home of his students in Hialeah, FL.
  • Miami, Florida established the 4th —of the currently 350+worldwide— Sri Chinmoy Centre (in 1960s they were called the Aum Centre).
  • September 17, 1968. Sri Chinmoy offers a talk entitled “Life” to a group of aspirants in Miami, FL at the home of a student of his.
  • September 30, 1974. Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture entitled “Wisdom-Light” at University of Miami in Miami, FL.

1975

  • 5 May 1975. Sri Chinmoy offers a public meditation at Barry College in Miami Shores, FL.
Disney World in 1977. Photo by Abakash

1976

  • Sri Chinmoy and many of his student travel to Florida for a “Christmas Trip”. In addition to relaxing and sightseeing, Sri Chinmoy
    • delivers a talk entitled “I Shall Not Accept Defeat” on December 23, 1976.
      • On December 31st, during the bus trip back from a New Year’s parade in Miami, Florida, Sri Chinmoy reiterated this statement by saying: “I shall not accept defeat no matter how strong the forces of ignorance are here on earth.” Shortly before midnight, Sri Chinmoy began the New Year’s Meditation in Homestead, FL.
  • December 28, 1976. After Sri Chinmoy offered a public meditation at Hialeah-Miami Lakes High School in Florida, he had an interview with The Miami Herald (transcript of interview). An article appeared in the ‘Living Today’ section (Section D) on December 30.

1981

  • 11-20 March 1981. Sri Chinmoy visits Florida for 10 days. He recounts many humorous experiences in Salutations (a collection of informal and often amusing travel anecdotes to 12 countries or cities)

1983

  • January 22, 1983. At 51-years old, Sri Chinmoy runs his 19th marathon at the Orange Bowl Marathon in a time of 5:33:33, in Miami, FL. This is his 8th marathon in just 3 months.
    • 21 stories are related from this trip in Run and Become, Become and Run, Part 13 (a 21-Part collection of experiences Sri Chinmoy had during his near-decade of long-distance running) including this experience as well as this one entitled ‘The Future of the Marathon’

1989

1993

Plaque with proclamation
  • April 27, 1993. The State of Florida is proclaimed a ‘Sri Chinmoy Peace State’ by Governor Lawton Chiles in Tallahassee, FL. Florida joins the thirteen (13) American states to be dedicated a “Sri Chinmoy Peace State” under the Peace-Blossoms programme. These include Massachusetts (6 Apr 1993); Connecticut (19 Apr 1993); Florida (27 Apr 1993); North Carolina (5 May 1993); New Jersey (9 Jul 1993); Delaware (13 Apr 1993); Rhode Island (23 Jul 1993) and Washington (1 Aug 1993).

1996

  • November 8-9, 1996. Sri Chinmoy offers two Peace Concerts at
    • the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg, FL.
    • the James L. Knight International Center in Miami, FL.

1997

1998

2000

  • March 31, 2000. Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert at the Sun Dome Stadium, University of South Florida, in Tampa, FL.

2004

Performing the esraj at the Peace Concert in Florida in 2004. Photo by Pulak
  • June 18, 2004. Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, FL.

1987-current, the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run often visits Florida on its cross-country trek and engages with its welcoming citizens (see example of photos of its previous visit)

 

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Listen to the melody Sri Chinmoy set for name ‘Florida‘ as part of the 50 Oneness-State-Songs:

(read more about these on the 50 Oneness-State-Songs page)

Fifty oneness-state-songs,
 
Our Lord’s Compassion-Gongs.
 
Within, without, a seeker’s sleepless cry
 
To reveal America’s perfection-sky.

—Sri Chinmoy
(see https://www.srichinmoysongs.com/fifty-oneness-state-songs)

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:

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