Kentucky (KY). The 15th state to join the Union in 1792

Kentucky factoids: The capital of Kentucky is Frankfort; its largest city (by pop.) is Louisville. Known as the Bluegrass State, today’s population is approximately 4.6 million (averaging around 113 people per square mile). Kentucky’s state tree is the ‘Tulip Poplar’; its state flower is the ‘Goldenrod’; its state bird the ‘Cardinal’; and its state fruit is the ‘Blackberry’. Kentucky ‘s State Motto is: “United We Stand, Divided We Fall” it also has a Latin Motto established in 2002,”Deo gratiam habeamus” (Let us be grateful to God).

Sri Chinmoy was a great admirer of the great boxing and civil rights champion, Muhammad Ali, who was born in Louisville, Kentucky. Sri Chinmoy had the honour of meeting this hero several times. A lengthy meeting — over 2 hours — was held on January 25, 1976 in Puerto Rico, during that meeting, Muhammad Ali mentions his childhood in Kentucky to Sri Chinmoy. There are several monuments in Louisville, KY dedicated to Muhammad Ali — including his childhood home, a significant gym, his grave site, and the Muhammad Ali Center museum. 

Activities of Sri Chinmoy in Kentucky (see page for activities in each of the other 50 states)

  • October 17, 1973. Sri Chinmoy gives the keynote address, a talk entitled “How to Relieve the Ills of Humanity” at the Committee of the Human Sovereignty Symposium on the campus of Georgetown College in Georgetown, KY. The 4-day Symposium “dedicated to the vision of Dag Hammarskjold.”
1974
  • January 1976, a meeting in Puerto Rico with Muhammad Ali — who’s birthplace was in Louisville, KY.

    February 21, 1974. Sri Chinmoy delivers a 9am morning lecture entitled “God’s Love” in the Baird Lounge at the Berea College in Berea, KY

1986

  • After Sri Chinmoy, at age 54, had accomplished a remarkable weightlifting feat (two consecutive sets of one-arm dumbbell presses —one of 10 repetitions and one of 14 —with a 155-pound weight, the equivalent of his own body weight), several mayors were contacted for their opinion of the feat. The mayor of Paducah, Kentucky sent this message:
    • In reading about the remarkable feats of Sri Chinmoy, I am amazed, not only with his achievements in writing, music and the arts and tremendous physical prowess, but also with his extraordinary courage and inspired determination. 

      Sri Chinmoy has put himself to the test and literally lifted himself up as well as the weights he so impressively handled. His tremendous acts of great accomplishments remind me that most people want to improve themselves, but only a very few will actually work very hard at it. It also offers more proof to what I have always believed: Man can do almost anything he wants to, if he is properly motivated —even go to the moon and return. 

      — Joe Viterisi, Mayor [Paducah, Kentucky], January 10, 1986

1987-current, the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run often visits Kentucky 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 ‘Kentucky‘ 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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