Rose bush for world peace

//Sri Chinmoy planted a rose bush for world peace at the Nedlands Memorial Rose Gardens in Perth on 3 March 1976. With him was Mayor Charles Smith of Nedlands, a suburb of Perth where the Sri Chinmoy Centre is located. Sri Chinmoy offered the Mayor a plaque to be placed at the foot of the rose bush, and began his talk by reading the message on the plaque.//

Rose bush for world peace

"This rose bush was planted by Sri Chinmoy for the inspiration of all who aspire towards Peace." So this I offer to you. I wish to say, Mr. Mayor, dear spiritual brother, that to be here in your presence is to be blessed by your wisdom-light. You have far surpassed most of us with your soulful maturity. With your magnanimous heart you have conquered the hearts of many, many, many people. From now on, I will be one of those. I shall be one on that list of the countless souls who appreciate and admire you.

Here we are planting a rose bush. The significance of the rose in the inner world is most important. The rose, like other flowers, has fragrance and beauty, but it also has something special, unique. There are very few flowers in God's creation that please God to the greatest extent. The rose is one of those, along with the lotus. Rose and lotus: these are the two mystical flowers. These are the two flowers in God's Heart-Garden that please Him most. The fragrance and beauty of this rose will come from Perth, Australia and go directly to the Heart of God the Creator and God the creation.

I wish to say that this is not an honour; it is a blessing that you are bestowing upon me and my followers, and this blessing I am going to treasure all my life. As a seeker, I am offering my aspiration to this rose bush so that it can continuously grow and increase its beauty, fragrance, light and delight and be of constant inspiration to humanity's progress and constant delight to Divinity's all-fulfilling Compassion on earth.

Mayor Charles Smith [very moved]: Thank you, sir! Well, my friend, on behalf of the Council and the citizens of this very, very wonderful city, we take this plaque from you. It will remain here in front of this bush, which is a reminder also of what has become your homeland, has it not? [The Mayor is referring to the fact that it is a Lincoln Rose.] And it joins, of course the other bushes in this garden which commemorate the fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, sisters and brothers who have lost their lives in the defence of this country and the defence of right and justice throughout the world at many times. It is fitting, sir, that it should be a rose. The rose is the national flower of England, you would probably be aware, and most of our forefathers, of course, originally came from England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales. They are our great-grandfathers now, of yesterday.

I'm quite sure a large number of people, sir, will have a look at this. Questions will be asked as to just who you were and what happened on the 3rd of March 1976. If I'm not here, I guess the Town Clerk or one of the others will be here, or Mr. Alan Turner, the head gardener.

Sri Chinmoy: Your spirit and your soul will long be here in this beautiful city, in this beautiful country. [Sri Chinmoy blesses a rose.] This rose is a Lincoln Rose. President Lincoln's most famous utterance was, "Government of the people, by the people, and for the people." I wish to say that this Lincoln Rose is not only of Perth's heart or Australia's heart, it is of humanity's heart and for humanity to claim and to utilise.