Rhode Island (RI). The 13th state to join the Union in 1790

Rhode Island factoids: The capital of Rhode Island is Providence — which is also its largest city. Known as the Ocean State, today’s population is approximately 1.1 million (averaging around 1,080 people per square mile). Rhode Island’s state tree is the ‘Red Maple’; its state flower is the ‘Violet’; its state bird the ‘Rhode Island Red Chicken’; and its state fruit is the “Rhode Island Greening Apple’. Rhode Island’s State Motto is: “Hope”.

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

1969

1972

1974

  • January 9, 1974. Sri Chinmoy delivers the very first lecture of his 1974 50-state lecture series , entitled ‘Thought-Waves’, at 2pm in Manning Hall, Brown University, Providence, RI. (His 2nd lecture was also this day at 8pm at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA.)

1977

  • June 18, 1977. Sri Chinmoy offers a concert at Salve Regina College in Newport, RI.

1978

  • December 9, 1978. Sri Chinmoy offers a concert at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, RI.

1979

  • October 24, 1979. The Sri Chinmoy Centre in Rhode Island sponsored a 34-mile relay walk the week of Oct. 24 to commemorate the 34th anniversary of the United
    Nations. In honour of the event, City officials from Warren and East Providence, Rhode Island proclaimed the day “United Nations Day” and the town of Bristol presented a certificate of appreciation to the Centre.

1980

  • February 17, 1980. 
    • An exhibition of Sri Chinmoy Jharna-Kala paintings opens at Annmary Brown Memorial, an an art museum, library at Brown University in Providence, RI.
    • Sri Chinmoy donates 100 of his books to Brown University in Providence, RI.
August 9, 1981. Sri Chinmoy running along the shoreline while the triathlon takes place.

1981

  • March 26, 1981. Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture entitled “Compassion” at Brown University in Providence, RI.
  • August 9, 1981. The SCMT holds the 3rd Annual Sri Chinmoy Triathlon in Misquamicut, Rhode Island. Several hundred (200+) athletes compete on the course of a 1.5-mile ocean swim, 60 miles of cycling and a 15-mile run.

1982

  • July 27, 1982. Sri Chinmoy offers a concert at Brown University in Providence, RI.
    • as part of his ‘Fifty Oneness-State-Songs’ tour, he runs 7 miles ‘solo’ in Westerly, RI. During this run, he records unofficial personal bests times for 4 miles (30:21), 5 miles (38:07), 6 miles (45:47) and 10 kilometres (47:11), completing the 7 miles in a time of 52:58 (a 7:34/mile pace).
  • The Governor of Rhode Island proclaims Sri Chinmoy Day and awards Sri Chinmoy honorary citizenship in the state. Providence and four other cities issue proclamations.

1983

  • August 7, 1983. The SCMT holds the 5th Sri Chinmoy Triathlon in Westerly, Rhode Island. Earlier in the year on May 13th, the Rhode Island legislature passed a bill naming the Sri Chinmoy Triathlon the official state triathlon. The course is a 1.5-mile ocean swim, 60 miles of cycling and a 15-mile run. There are over 400 participants.

1984

  • June 23, 1984. Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert at the First Unitarian Church in Providence, RI. This is just the 7th Peace Concert — which would become well-over 775 such concerts around the globe.

1985

  • September 7, 1985. The 7th annual Sri Chinmoy Triathlon was held in Misquamicut State Park, RI.

1986

1989

  • March 5, 1989. Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert, with performances on the piano and pipe organ, and delivers a lecture entitled ‘Meditation’ at Alumnae Hall, Brown University, in Providence, RI.
    • Two of the five poems —later published in A Heart of Oneness-Peace, he recites at this event include:
      • When my Lord’s descending
        Compassion-Eye
        And my ascending
        Aspiration-heart meet,
        I feel in the inmost recesses
        Of my heart
        Peace in infinite measure.
      • …and…
      • My heart and I receive
        Abundant peace
        Only when my mind loses
        Its elephant-heavy
        Unwillingness-weight.
  • November 1990. The Sri Chinmoy Peace Bridge.

    April 24, 1989. A bridge connecting the two towns of Central Falls and Cumberland in Rhode Island is dedicated the “Sri Chinmoy Peace Bridge” — it is the first ‘Sri Chinmoy Peace-Blossom’ in the world. Two measured one-mile “Peace Mile” courses are also dedicated. Mayor Francis Stetkiewicz of Cumberland and Mayor Carlos Silva of
    Central Falls each walked one mile for peace and then met at the bridge for the dedication ceremonies. Sri Chinmoy said to the two mayors “With your hearts of magnanimity, you are proving to the world at large that oneness-peace is a self-evident reality.“

1990

  • September 6, 1990. Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert at the Performing Arts Center in Providence, RI.
    • As part of his “Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” programme, he and also lifts numerous people, including the Venerable Maha Ghosananda, Supreme Patriarch of the exiled Cambodian Buddhist Order.
  • November 29, 1990. Sri Chinmoy visits the four peace bridges and several of the 27 peace trees established in recent months in Rhode Island, USA

1992

May 1992. At the Peace Concert in the First Unitarian Church.

1993

  • July 23, 1993. Rhode Island 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).

1997

  • April 27, 1997. Sri Chinmoy offers a Peace Concert at Brown University in Providence, RI.

1998

  • November 15, 1998. Sri Chinmoy offers the U Thant Peace Award to former Senator Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island at Beekman Towers Hotel in New York, NY.

2001

  • August 14, 2001. A Sri Chinmoy Peace Bridge in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA — originally dedicated in 1989 by Mayor Sarault — is rededicated by Mayor James E. Doyle.

2003

A lifesize statue of Peace-Dreamer Sri Chinmoy.

2011 

  • April 18, 2011. A statue of Sri Chinmoy holding a peace torch is inaugurated in a park in Providence, Rhode Island.

1987-current, the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run often visits Rhode Island on its cross-country trek and engages with its welcoming citizens (see example of photos of its previous visit, note the special award presented by the Peace Run to Vijali — head of the Rhode Island Sri Chinmoy Centre)

 

******

Listen to the melody Sri Chinmoy set for name ‘Rhode Island‘ 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:

********

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