Joy Days around the world
Sri Chinmoy encouraged us to come together every so often for Joy Days - spiritual gatherings that contain plenty of meditation, music and spiritual activities, but also games, the company of spiritual friends and a definite emphasis on happiness.
These Joy Days could be as small as a few friends meeting together for an outing, or much larger meetings lasting a few days with several Centres or several countries meeting together.
The largest Joy Days take place in Europe and Russia, often with over 700 students of Sri Chinmoy from many different countries taking part. In Europe, the Joy Days usually take place over a weekend, and is quite an organisational feat, with students from many countries giving soulful singing and instrumental performances, as well as sweet and funny plays and humourous sketches. On the Sunday morning, there is usually a group meditation at six o'clock in the morning, followed by a fun two-mile race - Sri Chinmoy loved running, and felt that the outer running and the inner running (i.e. meditation) complemented each other very nicely.
Sri Chinmoy believed that happiness and spiritual progress should go hand in hand:
If you are happy, it will help you to a great extent. If you are unhappy, you won't make any progress at all. On the contrary, you will be marching backwards. Real outer happiness is not self-deception. It does not come from wasting time and indulging in pleasure-life. Real outer happiness is something totally different. It comes from inner joy and inner satisfaction.
Sri Chinmoy 1
As well as Joy Days, Sri Chinmoy's students often meet together outside of our regular meditation for more formal occasions, for example to mark our teacher's birthday, or the anniversary of his passing on October 11, 2007.
- 1. Sri Chinmoy, The giver and the receiver, Agni Press, 1987
Stories
First-hand experiences of meditation and spirituality.
Sri Chinmoy meets St. Peter
Paramita Jarvis Kingston, CanadaThe first time that I really understood that I had a soul
Jogyata Dallas Auckland, New ZealandIn the Whirlwind of Life
Pradeep Hoogakker The Hague, NetherlandsSpiritual Friends
Preetidutta Thorpe Auckland, New Zealand'I could find out myself, but it was so much easier asking your soul'
Mridanga Spencer Ipswich, United KingdomThe Swimming Relay
Toshala Elliott Auckland, New ZealandNo Fear, Only the Heart’s Concern
Jogyata Dallas Auckland, New ZealandSri Chinmoy's opening meditation at the Parliament of World Religions
Pradhan Balter Chicago, United StatesLearning to follow my intuition
Saranyu Pearson Geelong, AustraliaI felt a bell ringing in my heart
Charana Evans Cardiff, Wales'You two have been friends for many hundreds of years'
Jogyata Dallas Auckland, New ZealandThe Peace Run visits Oxford
Tejvan Pettinger Oxford, United KingdomRegaining My Inner Joy
Sujata Muto Kyoto, JapanSuggested videos
interviews with Sri Chinmoy's students