Sharani

Here is a slideshow/video I made from photos and video I took of the daffodils at Parsons Reserve in Dartmouth, MA. I visited there after leaving work last Saturday. It truly is something better experienced visually than in writing (although I did blog about it last year and the first year I discovered the daffodil field as well).

Bald Eagle in a tree in West Seattle – pix by me

I was recently in Seattle visiting friends and I enjoyed being a tourist for a few days. Highlights included when I saw a Bald Eagle up in a tree while out walking in West Seattle along Alki Point.

I also enjoyed getting a lesson in intertidal ecology from my friend Sarah as we walked on the beach near her house. Here are some sea anemones which will gobble up small crabs if you drop them in. Yum!

Sea Anemones on Beach at Alki Point – pix by me

A trip to downtown Seattle wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Pike Place Market. We sampled chocolate covered cherries and fresh curds at a cheese making shop – making us feel like Little Bo Peep. I bought lavender which I can smell right now as I write this post. There is an abundance of lavender farms around Seattle apparently.

Of course, we rode a ferry – in this case a water taxi over to downtown Seattle across Elliot Bay. We saw Mt. Rainier in the distance and the skyline with the Space Needle.

Flowers in the Market – pix by me

Pike Place Market – pix by me

Me on the Water Taxi across Elliot Bay

Seattle has so much to offer a visitor – mountains, the sea, varied natural beauty, fun sightseeing. Yet the highlight of my entire trip was a concert by Songs of the Soul, an international ensemble of gifted musicians performing a musical tribute to the Maestro Sri Chinmoy – himself a prolific composer and soulful musician. He gave over 700 concerts during his lifetime at impressive venues across the globe.

The Songs of the Soul concert tour has toured in Europe last Fall, Bali in February 2009 and most recently in New York City prior to this Seattle Concert held on April 20th at the Benaroya Hall. Benaroya Hall is an acoustical gem and holds slightly more than 500 people. The Seattle Symphony performs there.

Mandu with the giant harp

The Songs of the Soul concert was very well-received. The hall was filled to capacity and people had to be turned away. One performance featured the largest harp I have ever seen. It truly felt like angels were descending to Earth during the performance with this harp. Next to me sat a little boy on his mother’s lap and he said out loud during the harp, “I feel tired” and curled up against his mother’s chest. The harp was so soothing it was putting him to sleep like a lullaby.

Other pieces were dynamic and jazzy. Shambhu on guitar and Premik on flute and saxophone had my feet tapping and my heart soaring.

The grand finale was a large instrumental ensemble with a small choir called “Gandharva Loka” which received a standing ovation. At certain moments during their alternatively jazzy/New Age or symphonic-style arrangements, I felt as if I was listening to Gershwin or Copland. However, all the performances were compositions by Maestro Sri Chinmoy arranged for the ensemble of musicians from around the globe. Here is some video footage of Gandharva Loka performing as part of a Songs of the Soul Concert held in New York about a year ago. Enjoy!
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Ashrita Furman is synonymous with Guinness World Records.  Trace back over the last thirty years of his life and realize that he has achieved over 200 Guinness World Records. His latest record set earlier this week on April 14, 2009 is like a home run with bases loaded.

On Tuesday, April 14th in New York,  he set a record for recitation of a poem written by Sri Chinmoy that was translated and read out in 111 languages. He was joined in this record by students of  meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy, themselves  from around the world, gathered in Queens, New York for a spiritual retreat. The record-breaking poem recitation took place at City Hall Park in Manhattan. Attired in sashes that displayed their language to recite, participants read the poem in 111 languages – some of which were completely unfamiliar – like Picard or Dzongkha. The previous record for multiple language recitation involved 79 different languages.

The Poem “Precious” by Sri Chinmoy from his classic book of poems entitled My Flute reads:

Precious beyond measure is God’s Will,
None can undo its Power.
Precious beyond measure are man’s tears.
They alone can hug God’s Hour.

Precious beyond measure is man’s love,
Unveiling his golden face.
Precious beyond measure is God’s Gift:
His all-fulfilling Grace.
-Sri Chinmoy

Why is this poetry recitation record like a home run with bases loaded? By setting this latest record, he also reached the pinnacle goal of 100 Guinness World Records held simultaneously. Through the years he has achieved well over 100 records, but some of the categories have been subsequently broken by someone else. Reaching this record on April 14th catapulted him into a new realm – the first person in the world to hold 100 simultaneous, active and current Guinness World Records. Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday, attended the event and commended him for his extraordinary footing in the world of Guinness.

Did you know that Ashrita’s world record breaking abilities warrant an entire chapter in a book written about the history of the Guinness Records phenomenon around the world?   Getting into Guinness : One Man’s Longest, Fastest, Highest Journey Inside the World’s Most Famous Record Book by Larry Olmsted provides an in-depth look at Ashrita’s record-breaking activities in its opening chapter – “Meet Ashrita, Record Breaker for God.”

Read more about the record in this post at the blog InspiringNews.org and in the New York Daily News. Watch a short video of Ashrita’s poetry record at the website of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Free Compliments Found Here

Sometimes the simplest gestures are the most powerful.

Picture two college students at Purdue University deciding to embark on a personal mission to brighten the day of passers-by on their college campus every Wednesday – rain or shine – for 2 hours from 12:30-2:30.

The sophomores, Cameron Brown and Brett Westcott, stand outside on campus holding a sign that says “Free Compliments” and offer spontaneous compliments to each person who passes them.

The compliments are often as simple as commenting on someone’s clothes, backpack, smile or even their shoes.  Calling themselves the “mailmen of compliments”, they cheerfully offer goodwill and compliments without missing a Wednesday, regardless of the weather, for eight months in a row.

Their motivation has no strings attached. It is not a psychology experiment and they are not affiliated with any organization or group. They simply wish to brighten the days of those who pass by, acknowledging that the tough economic times have dampened spirits and enthusiasm. If they can spread their own  positive energy, they feel that they have reached their goal.

The charming sincerity of their efforts has generated positive reaction on campus and the news media has begun spreading their story beyond the reach of the campus or the environs of West Lafayette, Indiana.  I live in Rhode Island and saw an article about them in the daily newspaper the Providence Journal. They have been written about in the Chicago Tribune, can be seen on Youtube and recently were on Good Morning America, bringing their act to Times Square.

Watch Free Compliment Guys go to New York City at the ABC News Website.

How has it affected me? Yesterday I found myself thinking of them and trying harder to be friendly and kind while working with the public at the public library where I am employed.

I’m rather taken with the idea of random acts of kindness and my personal spin on this approach contains underpinnings found in the philosophy of my meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy. Sri Chinmoy’s life was a continuing example of seeking to see the best in people, encouraging them to believe in themselves and emphasizing the positive. I end with a quote from a book of his writings called “A Heart-Offering Life”:

Inside a self-giving purity-heart,
I see always a thousand smiles shining brightly. -Sri Chinmoy

Keep up the good work Cameron and Brett! You certainly are helping to create “a thousand smiles shining brightly.”