States-Massachusetts

Massachusetts (MA). The 6th state to join the Union in 1788

Massachusetts factoids: The capital of Massachusetts is Boston — which is also its largest city. Today’s population in Massachusetts is approximately 7.15 million (averaging around 920 people per square mile). Massachusetts’s state tree is the ‘American Elm’; its state flower is the ‘Mayflower’; its state bird the ‘Chickadee’; and its state berry is the ‘Cranberry’’. Massachusetts’s State Motto is: “Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem,” (By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty).

Chronological activities of Sri Chinmoy in Massachusetts (see page for activities in each of the 50 states)

1969

• March 24, 1969. Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture entitled “Duty Supreme” at Boston University in Boston, MA.
• March 25, 1969. Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture entitled “The Vedanta Philosophy” at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA.
• March 26, 1969. Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture entitled “God and Myself’” at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. (Note: the date is also listed as March 16th but the 26th is more supported)

1970

• April 24, 1970. Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture entitled “Immortality” at 2pm at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Amherst, MA.

1971

• December 3, 1971. Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture entitled “The Crown of India’s Soul” at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA.
  • This is followed by a public meditation attended by more than 500 seekers.

1972

• March 1, 1972. As part of a 13-lecture series on the Upanishads, Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture entitled “‘The Philosophy, Religion, Spirituality and Yoga of the Upanishads” at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Amherst, MA.

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  Sri Chinmoy offers a series of seven talks on ‘the Vedas’ at the Seven Sister colleges (four of which are in Massachusetts). The lectures are entitled:

  • “The Vedic Bird of Illumination” delivered on November 14, 1972 (multiple lectures on this day) at Wellesley College in Wellesley, MA.
  • “The Glowing Consciousness of Vedic Truth” delivered on November 14, 1972 (multiple lectures on this day) at Radcliffe College in Cambridge, MA.
  • “The Song of the Infinite” delivered on November 28, 1972 (multiple lectures on this day) at the Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA.
  • “Intuition-Light from the Vedas” delivered on November 28, 1972 (multiple lectures on this day) at Smith College in Northampton, MA.

1974

• January 9, 1974. Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture entitled “Realisation, Revelation and Perfection” at 8pm in in Paine Hall at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA.

1975

• March 22, 1975. Sri Chinmoy holds a public meditation in Boston, MA.
  • While there, he is interviewed by two Boston journalists;
  • during the bus trip to Boston, he gives an extemporaneous talk to his students who are on the bus with him about how to sing his most sacred song The Invocation.
• During April-June 1975, Sri Chinmoy delivers a 7-lecture series, at the Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. The lectures are entitled:
  • “Earth versus Heaven” on April 16, 1975;
  • “With Knowledge How Far?” on April 23, 1975;
  • “Intellectual versus Spiritual” on April 30, 1975;
  • “The Mind Power Versus the Heart Power’” at 3pm on May 28, 1975 (multiple lectures on this day);
  • “How to Solve World Problems” on 8pm May 28, 1975 (multiple lectures on this day);
  • “Is Spirituality an Escape from Reality?” at 3pm on June 9, 1975 (multiple lectures on this day) at the Harvard Divinity School;
  • “Earth-Bound Journey and Heaven-Bound Journey” at 8pm on June 9, 1975 (multiple lectures on this day);
• June 9, 1975. Sri Chinmoy answers questions on patriotism asked by his studends on the bus trip from New York, NY, to Boston, MA.
  • Q: Is patriotism in a dictatorship as meaningful as patriotism in a freedom-loving country?
  • Q: What can patriotism achieve for a country?
  • Q: What is the best way to develop or cultivate a patriotic feeling towards one’s country?
  • Q: How can the feeling of patriotism help one’s spiritual life?
• September 29, 1975. Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture entitled “Prayer and Meditation” at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Amherst, MA.
  • After the lecture, he answers the following questions:
    • Q: What is the most important thing in the spiritual life?
    • Q: How do we know that we are nearing our goal of liberation?
    • Q: When people are gossiping about a negative quality in another person, can this gossip increase the strength of that quality?
    • Q: What can we do about pride?
    • Q: How can I fight comfort in the lower consciousness?
• November 4, 1975. Sri Chinmoy offers a public meditation at the Church of the Covenant in Boston, MA.

1976

• February 16, 1976. As part of a 4-lecture tour, Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture at Cape Cod Community College in Hyannis, MA.

1977

• June 18, 1977. Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture entitled “No More the Desire-Life” at Cape Cod Community College in Hyannis, MA.

1978

• February 5th, 1978. Sri Chinmoy presents his 300 published books to the Harvard Divinity School Library, Cambridge, MA, USA, which are accepted by Dean Krister Stendahl and the librarian, Peter Oliver. The ceremony takes place in the penthouse of Hilles Library at Radcliffe College, where a number of Sri Chinmoy’s paintings are also on display.

1979

• February 10, 1979. Sri Chinmoy visits and
  • runs 13 miles along the course of the famous Boston Marathon which will be held in April in Boston, MA.
  • offers a concert at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA
  • the following day, on February 11th, Sri Chinmoy visits and inaugurates his student’s healthfood store ‘Soul-Joy in Body-Fort’ in Boston, MA.

1980

• February 17, 1980. Sri Chinmoy delivers and concert as well as a lecture entitled “A Seeker’s Life’” at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA.
• July 19, 1980. Sri Chinmoy offers an afternoon concert (4 p.m.) at the ‘Center for the Light’ in New Marlborough, MA.

1981

• Sri Chinmoy delivers 4 lectures oin the State of Massachusetts, entitled:
  • “Music and Religion” on April 7, 1981 at the Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA.
  • “Truth”on April 20, 1981 at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA.
  • “Sound and Silence” on April 21, 1981 (multiple lectures on this day) at the Radcliffe College in Cambridge, MA.
  • “Contemplation in Action” on April 21, 1981 (multiple lectures on this day) at Wellesley College in Wellesley, MA.
    • On this day, Sri Chinmoy meets with Bill Rodgers, an admired champion marathon runner, in Boston, MA.

1982

• July 10, 1982. Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture entitled “Receptivity” at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA.
  • As part of his ‘Fifty Oneness-State-Songs’ series, Sri Chinmoy runs 7-mile ‘solo’ in Boston, MA.

1983

• April 18, 1983. Sri Chinmoy offers a concert at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA.
• April 19, 1983. Sri Chinmoy
  • delivers a lecture entitled “A Seeker’s Heart-Songs” at the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge, MA.
  • Sri Chinmoy receives the Paul Revere Patriot Award from the State of Massachusetts at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA.

1986

• March 7, 1986. Sri Chinmoy visits Harvard University in Cambridge, MA., while there he:
  • offers a Peace Concert;
  • inaugurates ‘Harvard Peace Meditation”;
  • delivers a lecture entitled “First Become Peace-Dreamers”; and
  • meets with the President of Radcliffe College

1988

• January 28, 1988. Sri Chinmoy gives two organ recitals:
  • at the Trinity Church in Boston, MA.
  • at the Memorial Church at Harvard University in Boston, MA.

1989

• February 17, 1989. Sri Chinmoy visits Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. and
  • offers a Peace Concert,
  • delivers a lecture entitled “Silence Within, Sound Without’”,
  • and, as part of his “Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” programme, lifts 7 dignitaries — including professors from Harvard and from Boston College.

1990

• September 7, 1990. Sri Chinmoy visits Boston, MA. During the visit, he
  • offers a Peace Concert at the Opera House in Boston, MA.
  • attends a reception for his Jharna-Kala artwork exhibition, which is sponsored by Senator Richard Kraus at Doric Hall, State House, in Boston, MA.

1992

• May 3, 1992. Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert, including an pipe organ recital, at the First Church in Cambridge, Cambridge, MA. Listen to the CD…

1993

• June 7, 1993. Sri Chinmoy meditates at the inauguration of the US State of Massachusetts joining the worldwide Peace-Blossoms family as a Sri Chinmoy Peace-State, at a special ceremony held at Boston State House in Boston, MA, USA. Massachusetts Governor William F. Weld delivers the proclamation.

1997

• June 8, 1997. Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, USA.

2000

• September 10, 2000. Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA.
  • At the concert, he recites 33 poems on the theme ‘Here and Now’, later published in a book of the same name.
  • He also receives a Citation of Honour from the Pluralism Project.

1987-current: the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run often visits Massachusetts on its cross-country trek and engages with its welcoming citizens (see example of photos from 2024).

 

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

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

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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)

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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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