The following article by Jogyata Dallas is reprinted with the kind permission of the IndiaNZ Outlook newspaper.

For those with an interest in peaceful music and meditation, an upcoming free event in Three Kings will soon offer a very special opportunity. Auckland’s Sri Chinmoy Centre is hosting a Friday evening community program at the Fickling Centre, 546 Mt Albert Rd, featuring mantric songs, live music and guided meditations. Performing groups will draw from the vast repertoire of spiritual compositions by the renowned late composer Sri Chinmoy, who for over 40 years directed the non-denominational Peace Meditations at the United Nations in New York city.

‘An Evening of Peace’ will be held on Thursday, November 23^rd from 7:00pm – 8:30pm in the Hillsborough Room in the Fickling Centre. The concert is entirely free, however seating can be reserved by texting to 0221887432, by phone (3091136) or calling in to the upstairs Mt Roskill library counter and obtaining admission-free tickets.

Sri Chinmoy saw music as a great unifier, a powerful force for world peace and a universal language uniting us together as one world family. He comments:

“Music transcends the barriers of nations, nationalities and religions. It is through music that the universal feeling of oneness can be achieved in the twinkling of an eye. When we listen to soulful music, or when we ourselves play soulful music, immediately our inner existence climbs up high, higher, highest. It climbs up and enters into something beyond. This Beyond is constantly trying to help us, guide us, mould us and shape us into our true transcendental image, our true divinity. …A river is flowing through us, a river of consciousness, and this consciousness is all the time illumined.”

‘An Evening of Peace’ is partly audience-interactive by encouraging concert goers to join with performers in singing some of the simple song chants, and trying the guided meditation exercises that precede and explain the music. Several meditation teachers from the Sri Chinmoy Centre will offer a range of different techniques to quieten the mind and guide listeners in learning how to meditate.

Sri Chinmoy always believed that spiritual, peaceful music can significantly contribute to a brighter future for all of humanity, requesting that his music always be shared free of charge. When asked about the relationship between music and silence, he commented: “Silence is the source of everything. It is the source of music and it is music itself. Silence is the deepest, most satisfying music of the Supreme. Silence is like a stream that goes to one place and becomes a river, or to another place and becomes a brook, or to the sea where it is totally expanded……”

“Silence is the nest and music is the bird. The bird leaves the nest early in the morning and returns to the nest in the evening. Similarly, in the spiritual world, divine music comes from the inmost soul of Silence. When we compare divine music and Silence, we must say that Silence is the all-encompassing nest. All peace, all joy and all confidence are inside that nest and from there the music-bird comes out and flies all over the world. While flying in the firmament, it offers delight to the lovers of music as well as to the Universal Consciousness. The Universal Consciousness is fed constantly by the immortal, divine and supreme Music of the Absolute.”

“God is the Supreme Musician. It is He who is playing with us, on us and in us. We cannot separate God from His music. The universal Consciousness is constantly being played by the Supreme Himself, and is constantly growing into the Supreme Music. God the Creator is the Supreme Musician and God the creation is the supreme Music. The musician and His Music can never be separated. The Musician Supreme is playing his Music Supreme here in the universe. “

Music lovers can simply turn up on the night for “An Evening of Peace’ as there is plenty of seating. Hot drinks and light food will be offered afterwards. Further information can be found at: www.meditationauckland.co.nz