Michigan (MI). The 26th state to join the Union in 1837
Michigan factoids: The capital of Michigan is Lansing; its largest city is Detroit. Today’s population in Michigan is approximately 10.14 million (averaging around 175 people per square mile). Michigan’s state tree is the ‘Eastern White Pine’; its state flower is the ‘Apple Blossom’; and its state bird the ‘American Robin’. Michigan’s State Motto is: “Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice” (If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you).
Activities of Sri Chinmoy in Michigan (see page for activities in each of the 50 states)
1974
- February 12, 1974 (multiple lectures in multiple states). As part of his 50-state University lecture series, Sri Chinmoy delivers a morning talk entitled “Freedom” at the University of Michigan (U-M) in Ann Arbor, MI.
- After the lecture, Sri Chinmoy answered the following timeless question: Do you feel that mankind is making spiritual progress?
- Sri Chinmoy: Humanity is progressing towards its destined goal. Sometimes we notice clouds of doubt and teeming imperfections, but these things will always be around until we have achieved perfect Perfection. Each individual has left the starting point. Now, one individual may be behind another in the Godward race, but we all are running towards the same goal. Each individual is progressing. This progress may not be noticeable in our outer life. It will become noticeable only when a tremendous amount of light has dawned in our devoted life, our life of surrender to the Will of the Almighty Father. Even though there are calamities, crises, wars and so forth on the outer plane as well as on the inner plane, still we are definitely progressing.
- After the lecture, Sri Chinmoy answered the following timeless question: Do you feel that mankind is making spiritual progress?
1979
- August 26, 1979. Kirk in the Hills (‘The Kirk’) Presbyterian Church located in Bloomfield Township, Michigan participated in a world-wide simultaneous bell-ringing of ‘carillonneurs’. Starting at precisely 3 p.m. (EDT), bell players around the U.S., Canada, England, France, Belgium, West Germany and Australia performed Sri Chinmoy’s “Four Universals” songs (‘Welcome‘, ‘Congratulation‘, ‘Thank You‘ and ‘Parting‘). Among those participating in this international “orchestra” were New York’s Riverside Church, whose 20-ton bell is said to be the largest tuned bell in existence — and ‘The Kirk’ tied with the world’s largest number of bells (77). The Secretary of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America, Richard Gegner, called it the largest event of its kind in history.
1987-current, the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run often visits Michigan on its cross-country trek and engages with its welcoming citizens (see example of photos of its previous visit). A large event in 1987 was captured in an article in The Kalamazoo Gazette.
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Listen to the melody Sri Chinmoy set for name ‘Michigan‘ 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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