2.
During his lecture tour in Europe this past summer, Sri Chinmoy had a significant interview with Mr. Erskine Childers, the late President of Ireland. Upon hearing of the President’s unexpected death, Sri Chinmoy wrote to Mrs. Childers to express his sympathy and offer his spiritual consolation. Following is a reproduction of the very gracious reply sent by Mr. Childers’ son.UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
PROGRAMME DES NATIONS UNIES POUR LE DEVELOPPEMENT
866 UNITED NATIONS PLAZA
NEW YORK, N.Y. 10017
TELEPHONE: 754-1234
CABLE ADDRESS: UNDEVPRO • NEW YORK
8 January 1975
Dear Sri Chinmoy,
I carried your very kind letter of condolences to my stepmother, the late President's widow, back here to New York to answer on her behalf. It was most thoughtful of you, and she and I were especially touched by it. Knowing my father's range of concerns and interests, I can well understand that he found meeting with you a great pleasure.
You may remember that, at the Presidency, there is a very lovely little lake, on the enrichment of which my father worked hard — indeed, I fear that the amount of sheer physical labour that he put into clearing its shore to plant shrubs from all over the world on his last day may have contributed to the strain that felled him. That night he gave a speech to the combined British and Irish associations of psychiatrists, and his theme was a plea against the indiscriminate prescription of sedatives and tranquillisers, above all to young people, many of whom could be helped far better by locating themselves within their selves and their society. Specialists tell me that he spoke with great feeling, and that this may have finally brought on the massive heart attack.
We hope to have the lake, and especially an island he cleared in the centre of it, made into a memorial to him and, quite specifically, a place of meditation. One of the little texts that would be set among the shrubs would be his favourite prayer, from the 15th century, which he read at his Inauguration:
God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in mine eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at mine end, and at my departing.
Again, our grateful thanks for your kindness,
Sincerely,
Erskine Childers
Director, Division of Information
Sri Chinmoy
Spiritual Director
United Nations Meditation Group
New York, N.Y. 10017.
