Editor's preface to the first edition

This book consists of questions answered by Sri Chinmoy during his twice-weekly meditation sessions for delegates and staff members at United Nations Headquarters in New York. These sessions date from April 1970, when the Peace Meditation Group at the United Nations was founded in response to an invitation from Secretary-General U Thant.

The majority of the material in this book is drawn from the 1970s. After that time, Sri Chinmoy usually chose to observe silence during the meetings, having found silent meditation to be more useful and fruitful in establishing inner peace than answering questions. Delegates and staff members also found that silence offers a welcome balance to the daily pressures of working for international co-operation.

In addition to these tranquil interludes, Sri Chinmoy: The Peace Meditation at the United Nations has sponsored a variety of other programmes, including ones honouring individual countries and world luminaries, as well as musical performances, an annual prayer breakfast, peace walks and a peace run.

This volume complements The Garland of Nation-Souls, a collection of Sri Chinmoy’s talks at the United Nations which was published by Health Communications (USA) in 1995 as a special tribute to both the 50th anniversary of the United Nations and Sri Chinmoy’s 25 years of dedicated service to the world-body.