Biographical Note
Sri Chinmoy was born in 1931 in a small village outside Chittagong in what
was formerly East Bengal. At the age of twelve, having lost both parents,
he joined his sisters and brothers in a spiritual community in South India.
He remained there for the next twenty years, completing his schooling and
participating in the spiritual, literary and athletic activities that the
community afforded. At this time, he also spent many hours each day in prayer
and meditation, undergoing countless mystical experiences. He filled notebook
after notebook with songs, poems and reflections, striving to accommodate
the different forms of Bengali, English and French to his inner perceptions.
In 1964, at the age of thirty-two, Sri Chinmoy journeyed to the West in response
to a prompting from within. Upon arriving in New York, he took a position
with the Indian Consulate as an administrative assistant. He held this post
for three years, writing poems and essays in his spare time, as well as giving
lectures on spiritual themes at universities throughout New York and neighbouring
states. From 1971, these writings were published in book form and soon became
available to a wider reading public.
In the decade 1971 to 1981, Sri Chinmoy's literary urge expressed itself
in a variety of forms. He completed over 9,000 poems, several major plays,
and volumes of stories and essays. His inspiration could not be contained
within the realm of literature but overflowed into art and music, where he
revealed the same kind of creative abundance.
At the time of the present publication, Sri Chinmoy continues to reside in
New York where his work for world peace as well as his contributions to literature,
music and art have gained international respect.
Resources
