Sri Chinmoy and Mrs. Torpy are greeted downstairs very kindly and compassionately by a nice young man, about 30 years old, who is one of Princess Diana’s assistants, and he asks them to come upstairs where the interview will take place. Sri Chinmoy wants to wait downstairs, but the assistant insists that they come upstairs. He offers them tea, coffee and orange juice. Mrs. Torpy asks for water, but Sri Chinmoy declines his kind offer. Then the assistant asks if he can take their coats. Sri Chinmoy says he prefers to keep his, but Mrs. Torpy asks him to take her coat.
The assistant says, “Do not forget to take it with you. We have hundreds of coats, umbrellas and other things that people leave here. After seeing the Princess, they go into another world and they forget to take their things back. So do not forget to remind me so you can take back your coat on your way out.”
The Palace comprises many very small, historic apartments that are joined together. The rooms in the main building are small, except for the room where the Princess gives interviews. All the rooms are very simply decorated. When Sri Chinmoy enters the interview room, the assistant asks him to sit on one sofa. Next to Sri Chinmoy a pillow has been placed where the Princess is to sit beside him, and Mrs. Torpy is seated on a sofa facing the first one.
Sri Chinmoy notices that the room is flooded with pictures of Princess Diana and her children. A group of photographs in plain, wooden frames stands on the table beside him. Besides the photographs, the room is decorated very simply and elegantly. A beautiful, white rug with large red roses is on the floor. On two walls are canvas paintings by Michelangelo framed very beautifully. There are books on the table, mostly art books.
In one of the adjoining rooms upstairs there is a long clothes rack with about a hundred gowns in blue, green, red and other colours. At the suggestion of her son, Prince William, the Princess is planning to auction them to raise funds for charity.Sri Chinmoy presents Princess Diana with four beautiful roses.
PRINCESS DIANA: Thank you very much. They are beautiful! Thank you. That is very kind.
SRI CHINMOY: With these beautiful flowers, I bow to your illumination-soul, I bow to your compassion-heart, I bow to your dedication-life.
PRINCESS DIANA: They are lovely! Thank you very much. I am sorry to keep you waiting. I am about to fly off to Pakistan in a moment to visit children suffering from cancer. Unfortunately, the plane will not wait for me. Please, please sit down.
Mrs. Torpy asks if she can take four or five photographs for Sri Chinmoy's private collection, and Princess Diana agrees. The camera is a new model that is silent and does not use a flash, hut it does not work. So Mrs. Torpy begs permission from the Princess again, and takes some pictures with another camera that Sri Chinmoy has with him.
The Princess is concentrating intensely on what Sri Chinmoy is saying. After Mrs. Torpy has discreetly taken two photographs, the Princess puts up her hand.
PRINCESS DIANA: Let us take more outside where the light will be better.
SRI CHINMOY: May I be allowed to meditate with you for a minute?
PRINCESS DIANA: Yes, please do! That would be very nice. I do not have the patience to meditate on my own.
Sri Chinmoy meditates with Princess Diana for a few minutes, closing his eyes and folding his hands. The Princess folds her hands on her lap while she meditates.
During the conversation that follows, the Princess is very happy, and she often has a smile on her face and in her blue eyes. She is very eager and anxious to hear what her guest has to say.PRINCESS DIANA: I hope so. (looking down with a mixture of modesty and hope)
SRI CHINMOY: I am a student of peace, I am a man of prayer. I am extremely, extremely grateful to you for granting me this interview.
Sri Chinmoy presents Princess Diana with a copy of a song he has composed for her.
PRINCESS DIANA: This is very colourful, isn’t it! (laughing)
SRI CHINMOY: With your kind permission, could I sing the song which quite recently I have composed for you? And these are two additional songs in which I have set music to your own words.
PRINCESS DIANA: I am glad somebody listens to what I say! (laughing)
SRI CHINMOY: May I sing them for you?
PRINCESS DIANA: Yes, please do.
The Princess listens very attentively while Sri Chinmoy sings “Diana: The World’s Only Fondness-Summit-Empress,” accompanying himself on a small keyboard. The Princess looks from the printed song sheet to Sri Chinmoy’s hand playing the notes. The words to the song are:
```
Princess Diana, Princess Diana, Princess:The world’s only fondness-summit-Empress!
Dreamland-beauty’s blue-green reality-glow.Compassion-heart’s sleepless, streaming river-flow.
```PRINCESS DIANA: Thank you, thank you very much. (very moved)
SRI CHINMOY: And these are your momentous utterances.
(Reading the words to two quotations) “I am not a political figure. The fact is, I am a humanitarian figure. I always have been and I always will be.”
“Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give something back, if only they had the chance.”
Princess Diana recognises her words immediately and nods.
MRS. TORPY: I am very touched by the words to the second song: “Everybody needs to be valued.”
PRINCESS DIANA: Yes, yes.
SRI CHINMOY: Princess Diana, your heart of sympathy covers the length and breadth of the world. There shall come a time when the entire world will value you most sincerely, most lovingly and most wholeheartedly.
Sri Chinmoy sings “I am not a political figure” and “Everyone needs to be valued.” He reads the words again, and the Princess repeats the words after him, laughing delightedly.
SRI CHINMOY: Now this is a song I have written in my mother tongue, Bengali. It is dedicated to your sons, William and Harry. With your kind permission, I would like to sing it for you. I wrote the song in Bengali, but the translation is there.
Sri Chinmoy sings the song “William-Harry.” The Princess listens most intensely, following the printed music, which is adorned with a picture of her sons climbing on her shoulders when they were three and five years old. She is very happy and very deeply moved, exclaiming affectionately. The Bengali words and the translation are as follows:
William-Harry William-Harry William-Harry
Dibanishi bajao mayerjayer veriGreat Britener madhur swapan
Amarar jyoti shishuKaruna pathar tomara dujan
Param prabhur jishu```
William-Harry, William-Harry, William-Harry!Day and night do strike
Your Mother’s victory-drum.You are at once Heaven’s
Children of Light and the sweet dreamsOf Great Britain.
Compassion infinite you two areOf the Saviour Lord Jesus Christ.
```Sri Chinmoy offered this original drawing to Princess Diana during their meeting and she immediately recognised that the two birds represent her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.
Sri Chinmoy then presents Princess Diana with a drawing of one large bird facing a smaller bird. Next to the larger bird he had written the letter ‘W’ and next to the smaller bird he had written the letter ‘H’.
PRINCESS DIANA: Oh, William and Harry! My boys! My boys! (looking at the two birds)
Sri Chinmoy then offers Princess Diana a framed drawing of dream-freedom-peace-birds that he had done for her on May 16th. Underneath it, he had written: “My Prayerful and Soulful Dedication to Diana, Princess of Wales — Sri Chinmoy.”
SRI CHINMOY: This is an original drawing. I would humbly like to offer it to you. It contains 362 birds. Now I have completed seven million birds altogether.
Princess Diana looks through a brochure about Sri Chinmoy’s art with great eagerness.
SRI CHINMOY: (indicating a photograph in the brochure) This is Raisa Maximovna Gorbachev visiting our art gallery in Manhattan a few years ago.
PRINCESS DIANA: Is this all for me?
SRI CHINMOY: Yes, yes. Tonight I shall be giving a Peace Concert at Royal Albert Hall. It will be my 500th Peace Concert. I have performed in 43 countries.
PRINCESS DIANA: (looking with great joy at the cover of a book documenting the 500 concerts) Blue is your colour, I take it.
SRI CHINMOY: Yes, blue.
[The Princess laughs delightedly.]
PRINCESS DIANA: The High Commissioner for India invited me to your Peace Concert at Royal Albert Hall tonight. Dr. Singhvi is a great admirer of yours. Unfortunately, I cannot attend because of my trip to Pakistan.
SRI CHINMOY: I have read that you are an excellent pianist.
PRINCESS DIANA: Well, not really. I play. (laughing)
Sri Chinmoy presents Princess Diana with three new miniature hooks of his poems published by the Jharna-Kala Card Company. She is very, very pleased to accept them.
PRINCESS DIANA: May I keep these as well?
SRI CHINMOY: Yes, they are all for you.
PRINCESS DIANA: All for me! My goodness, my goodness. This is marvellous. No more, no more!
Princess Diana holds all the gifts lovingly, to show her full appreciation.
SRI CHINMOY: No more.
PRINCESS DIANA: (laughing) Promise! (The Princess indicates the row of garments in the adjoining room.) This is to raise money for children’s causes.
SRI CHINMOY: Princess Diana, your heart of sympathy and oneness with the suffering humanity touches the length and breadth of the world. Your heart of oneness, universal oneness, is expanding and expanding. I am so happy that Mother Teresa is extremely fond of you.
PRINCESS DIANA: Where is she at the moment?
SRI CHINMOY: She is now in Rome.
PRINCESS DIANA: I keep trying to find her, but no one knows where she is.
SRI CHINMOY: She is extremely compassionate to me. We are in regular communication. Many times I have spoken to her on the phone. I will have an interview with her in New York shortly. Now she is in Rome. From Rome she will go to Poland, and from Poland she will come to New York. Either on the 2nd or 3rd of June I will be meeting with her.
PRINCESS DIANA: Will she come back through Europe, do you think? She normally comes through here.
SRI CHINMOY: I understand she will be going directly to Calcutta. Princess Diana, do you know that Mother Teresa claims you as her daughter?
PRINCESS DIANA: Thank you. I also love her dearly.
SRI CHINMOY: You are her daughter and she is all for you.
PRINCESS DIANA: I have been trying to track her down so I can see her, but nobody ever knows where she has gone. Can you tell me how I can meet with her?
SRI CHINMOY: I am in touch with her. Perhaps I can be of service to you. The day before yesterday a student of mine spoke to her, and I also speak to her. She writes to me. She is extremely compassionate to me and kind to me. I am sure that it will be possible for you to meet with her before she returns to Calcutta.
PRINCESS DIANA: Is her health all right?
MRS. TORPY: Yes, she is much better. During the time when she was very ill recently, Sri Chinmoy prayed and meditated for her — prayed and meditated.
SRI CHINMOY: She prays for me every day, and I pray for her every day. It is mutual.
Princess Diana laughs happily.
MRS. TORPY: Sri Chinmoy will gladly talk to her for you.
PRINCESS DIANA: That would be lovely. If she is anywhere in Europe, I would like to come and see her. Every time she has a relapse and goes into the hospital, all the British media rather unkindly ask me to write obituaries. And I say, “I am not writing obituaries.” Should anything like that happen, then they will all come like wolves to my door. I adore Mother Teresa. I hope she continues for many more years.1
MRS. TORPY: How horrible the media can be!
SRI CHINMOY: She is so fond of you. Anytime she talks about you, she is all affection.
PRINCESS DIANA: Thank you. Well, I try to do her work, but I am at the junior end! (laughing)
SRI CHINMOY: Both of you are sailing in the same boat.
PRINCESS DIANA: It is kind of you to say that. There is so much to do, so much to do!
MRS. TORPY: I will always be ready to help you.
PRINCESS DIANA: Oh, but you have so much to do for Sri Chinmoy!
MRS. TORPY: Sri Chinmoy is in America, and I am based here. Do you know that Mother Teresa has now retired from being Head of the Order of Missionaries of Charity?
PRINCESS DIANA: I saw that. I saw the new one, too, Sister Nirmala.
SRI CHINMOY: Mother Teresa’s self-offering to the world is exceptional. According to my own humble opinion, you are another Mother Teresa.
PRINCESS DIANA: I am a very, very small Mother Teresa. She does so much good. It is very, very frustrating to be in a country where no one appreciates the good. People in this country do not appreciate the kind of work I am doing for landmine victims and so on. I have to fly out of the country. In other places people value my work. To be appreciated in this world is really extraordinary.
SRI CHINMOY: A prophet is not honoured in his own country.
PRINCESS DIANA: That I know very well.
SRI CHINMOY: Then eventually the same prophet is honoured — not only prophets, even poets and authors, like Tagore. India’s greatest poet, Rabindranath Tagore, won the Nobel Prize in 1913. But before that, he was a victim to hostile attacks from his own countrymen.
PRINCESS DIANA: Challenges I call them, not problems.
SRI CHINMOY: Dear Princess Diana, one day, in the near future, your enemies will surrender to you because of your magnanimous heart. The mind divides; the heart unites. In your case, your heart always unites itself with the multiplicity of the world-family. You are inspiring the whole world by virtue of your heart of oneness and sympathy. Eventually your heart will win.
Now the dividing, doubtful and critical minds of some unfortunate people are challenging your heart. But I can clearly see that those dividing minds, the doubting minds, will have to surrender. At God’s choice Hour your victory is certain. Your victory is certain because you are all heart. Your heart will conquer the negative qualities of others. Your heart is bound to win because your compassionate heart has touched the length and breadth of the world. So many individuals think of you or feel through you something that inspires, something that aspires in and through them. Your very name is a source of inspiration to millions of people. In the future, people the world over will admire you and adore you in all your glory.
PRINCESS DIANA: (visibly moved) Thank you. That is what we are waiting for.
MRS. TORPY: You and Mother Teresa are working together in the self-same spirit.
PRINCESS DIANA: I am with a different branch, but I do feel our connection. Sri Chinmoy, forgive me, I am running late for my plane. How did you come here?
SRI CHINMOY: I came by taxi.
PRINCESS DIANA: I am calling a taxi for you.
The Princess goes out of the room to call for a taxi. She moves with an air of purpose and with afresh, spontaneous energy. When she returns, she grabs Sri Chinmoy’s briefcase from him and will not allow him to carry it. Since Sri Chinmoy had arrived in the interview room before her, she could not know that he had been having trouble walking because of his knee problem. It is her outer spontaneity that compels her to carry his briefcase down from the second floor. Sri Chinmoy follows her, pretending that he is walking without any pain.
On the ground floor, the Princess pauses to show Sri Chinmoy a rare statue of Ganesh made entirely of crystal.
PRINCESS DIANA: I am sure you know who this is!
SRI CHINMOY: This is our Ganesh, the elephant god. It is he who removes the obstacles in our path and who fulfils all our desires.
The Princess pauses to pose for a photograph with Sri Chinmoy next to the statue.
At the close of the meeting, Princess Diana very kindly and compassionately carries Sri Chinmoy’s briefcase to the waiting taxi.
MRS. TORPY: (apologetically) I’m afraid I am not a photographer, and unfortunately I do not take good photographs.
PRINCESS DIANA: (referring to the press) Neither do they! They just make lots of money out of it. (laughing)
Sri Chinmoy follows the Princess outside into the sunshine. She is still carrying his briefcase. A taxi has arrived and is stationed about forty metres away.
MRS. TORPY: Princess Diana, when do you return from Pakistan?
PRINCESS DIANA: On Saturday.
MRS. TORPY: I assure you that Sri Chinmoy will be able to put you in touch with Mother Teresa, sooner rather than later.
PRINCESS DIANA: Thank you, thank you so much.
As they approach the taxi, Princess Diana asks Sri Chinmoy where he will sit, and she carefully places the briefcase inside the taxi.
Then the Princess asks Mrs. Torpy to take one final picture. Princess Diana stands by Sri Chinmoy’s side for this immortal photograph.
The Princess waits for Sri Chinmoy and Mrs. Torpy to climb inside the taxi and waves them good-bye.
AFTERWARD:
When Sri Chinmoy arrived at his hotel and was about to pay the fare, the driver told him, “The Princess called the taxi and she has taken care of it.”
Sri Chinmoy was deeply moved by Princess Diana’s loving concern, affection and kindness in making this meeting so meaningful and beautiful in every possible way. It lasted for 38 minutes in earthly time, but in Heavenly time it was beginningless and endless.
Sri Chinmoy later reflected:
To the world,
Diana is the Princess of WalesBut, according to my aspiration-heart
And dedication-life,She is, indeed,
The Empress of the World.DPW 3,20. Tragically, it was to be Mother Teresa who was to offer an obituary for Princess Diana — as if it were her own daughter who had passed away.↩
Sri Chinmoy and Princess Diana pose for a photograph together next to a most beautiful and rare crystal statue of Ganesh, the elephant god.
Princess Diana and Sri Chinmoy outside Kensington Palace — Sri Chinmoy’s treasured keepsake of his unforgettable meeting with Princess Diana.
From the inmost depths of my heart I am offering you my soulful felicitations on the occasion of your upcoming birthday.
Your heart of compassion and your life of sacrifice have touched me deeply. I am praying to our Absolute Lord Supreme to shower His choicest Blessings upon your devoted heart and supremely dedicated life.
Yours in the Supreme,
Sri Chinmoy
Sri Chinmoy: The Peace Meditation at the United Nations is an association of United Nations delegates, staff, NGO representatives and accredited press correspondents holding twice-weekly peace meditations and other programmes at United Nations Headquarters.The Princess of Wales was so grateful for your kind letter and birthday wishes.
This comes with Her Royal Highness's warmest thanks and good wishes.
Yours sincerely,
Jean Rhe
Lady-in-Waitingthe World’s only Fondness-Summit-Empress
I am extremely grateful to you for the sacred meeting which we had at your august Palace a few days ago. I shall cherish our interview in the very depths of my heart. Just a few minutes ago, from here in New York, I spoke with Mother Teresa. She is still in Rome, but she will be leaving tomorrow for New York. Mother has cancelled her trip to Poland.
I am so happy that I was able to share with Mother all about you. She was extremely happy that I met with you. I told her that you are very eager to meet with her at any place in Europe. Mother told me, “Definitely I would like to meet with her. Tell her to come to New York.” I asked Mother if she will be returning via London, since you had said you would go anywhere in Europe to see her. Smiling and laughing, Mother said, “Then tell Diana to come to Calcutta, I would love to meet with her.”
I mentioned to Mother that you told me it was very difficult to get hold of her. Mother replied, “I know it is sometimes very difficult to be in touch with me.” Then she added, “Tell Diana to pray to our Lady Mother Mary of Jesus every day.”
Mother will meet with me here in New York. Since I will be having an interview with her, in case you want to come to New York, I will surely be able to make arrangements for you to have an interview with Mother; or, if you would like to give her any message via me, I would be deeply honoured to offer her your message. In case you would like to speak with Mother on the phone, be pleased to speak to Sister Elena who is the head of Mother’s Missionaries of Charity in the Rome area. Mother’s number is .... After tomorrow, if you would like to speak by phone with Mother, please call Sister Dominga, who is head of the Missionaries of Charity in the New York area. Mother’s number is .... My telephone number is .... and my fax number is ....
I am offering my heart’s soulful love to your two sweetest and most promising sons, William and Harry. Once again, Diana, Princess of Wales, I am deeply grateful to you for allowing me to be in your most gracious presence.
With my heart's deepest admiration,
Sri ChinmoyDiana, Princess of Wales Empress of the World
On this most auspicious occasion in your life, I am praying most fervently to the Absolute Lord Supreme to shower His choicest Blessings, Compassion, Love, Light, Delight and Pride upon your sleeplessly self-giving life for the improvement, betterment and enlightenment of the whole world. Your ocean-vast compassion-heart for the poverty-stricken, for the ill-fated, for the physical body-sufferers can only be felt in silence in our gratitude-hearts, but never be adequately expressed, appreciated, admired and adored by anybody here on earth. There shall come a time when your admirers and adorers will conquer the hearts of your unlit and unawakened adversaries.
Again, I am praying to God to grant you an endless series of successes in all the world-uplifting tasks that you have so self-givingly undertaken.
With deepest appreciation,
Sri Chinmoy
P.S. The other day I watched you on TV with Mother Teresa outside the Missionaries of Charity in the Bronx, New York. It was extremely exciting, thrilling, illumining and fulfilling. They announced on TV that you had a private interview with her for forty minutes. I am certain that your meeting was most illumining and most fulfilling. Two are in the fastest, life-saving boat sailing towards the golden Destination: God’s Satisfaction in God’s own Way.2 July 1997
Dear Sri Chinmoy
I wanted to write personally, to thank you so very much for the beautiful flowers you sent for my birthday. They truly are quite magnificent and I am deeply touched that you have thought of me in this special way.
With my very kindest regards and warmest good wishes,
Diana,Diana, Empress of the World.
I wish to offer you gratitude from the inmost recesses of my heart for writing me such a compassionate, inspiring and encouraging letter. For ordinary mortals, birthdays come and birthdays go. You — being an immortal figure in the world of sleepless compassion, breathless concern for humanity’s safety, happiness and progress — will forever shine bright, brighter and brightest in the galaxy of immortals.
Newsday, which is next to the New York Times in importance and popularity, has voiced forth something soul-stirring, heart-elevating and life-illumining as to where you stand in the heart of America the Beautiful. According to my aspiration-heart, you are not only the Queen of American hearts, but also the unparalleled Queen of the universal heart. Newsday says you will be, but to me you already are.
Enclosed is also an article quite favourable to you from a French magazine.
With deepest appreciation and admiration,
Sri ChinmoyI write to thank you for your wonderful letter of 9 July, enclosing a copy of Match and also newspaper cuttings from Newsday. It is always interesting to read articles that are printed overseas.
Having just returned from a short holiday, I am now ready to continue in the fight against landmines, and also my work with other causes which have become so dear to me. I truly believe that it is vital that we all continue to work towards supporting those that need it. I know that you too strive to ease unnecessary suffering and indeed, have helped many, many people.
I always enjoy visiting America. The American people are both fascinating and stimulating and I am deeply touched by the kind words expressed in the Newsday article.
Again, I thank you for your generosity of spirit and send to you my heartfelt best wishes.
DianaDear Princess Diana, Newsday is not an isolated example of media that wholeheartedly supports you here in America and elsewhere. It is my heart’s desire to lovingly and devotedly present you with newspaper reports from all over the world when they speak favourably and highly of you. I have meditation students in many countries, and I have informed them to send me a copy whenever and wherever they find something that is most appreciative of you and of your tireless efforts to alleviate the world suffering. My joy knows no bounds that America, in particular, unreservedly supports you.
I have recently seen several videos of you participating in the dauntless fight against landmines. Your concern for humanity is infused with your indomitable spirit that knows no defeat. At such a young age as you are, nobody on earth has cared so deeply, or with such genuine, heartfelt and throbbing love, for the protection and cure of suffering humanity. You are showing the world that the way of love lies in becoming one with the pangs of each and every fellow-traveller on this earth-planet. Everywhere you go and in everything you do, you carry the hearts of millions of people worldwide.
Dear Princess Diana, your goodness-heart is humanity’s peerless treasure.
With deepest appreciation and admiration,
Sri ChinmoyYour letters are so enormously encouraging. It is through this encouragement that I find the strength to continue with the fight against landmines, which is so vitally important to me. I have met many wonderful people who are working tirelessly to rid the world of these horrific weapons, and this their humanity that is inspirational.
I thank you again for your heartwarming words.As I promised in my last letter, I am sending you a few very positive articles about you that have appeared recently in various parts of the world. I do hope that it gives you joy to learn how much you are loved and admired in those countries.
I am so happy to be able to tell you that my humble life is connected with you in a new and special way. You are the Princess of Wales and, on July 3 1st, the city of Cardiff officially became a Sri Chinmoy Peace Capital. It is the ninth capital to bestow upon me this blessingful honour. The others are Ottawa, Canberra, Reykjavik, Wellington, Suva, Edinburgh, Harare and Oslo.
In various countries, my students have asked the officials concerned to dedicate their city or natural features to peace. We call them “peace-blossoms”. It is our hope and our prayer that these peace-blossoms will carry the fragrance of peace throughout the length and breadth of the world.
In 1991 the Severn and Wye Bridges uniting England and Wales became Sri Chinmoy Peace Bridges. I attended the formal ceremony on November 15th that year, and a plaque was unveiled explaining the significance of this Peace Bridge spanning the two countries. Mount Snowdon has also been dedicated as a Peace Mountain.
Your most timely visit to Bosnia to meet with landmine victims was a most powerful call to the conscience of the world leaders. It is their bounden duty and responsibility to protect innocent people from the destructive power of landmines. You are the supreme champion of suffering humanity. These leaders must hearken to your urgent message.
Dear Princess Diana, like a most beautiful bird of peace you fly from country to country to spread your heart’s love and joy and to enfold the suffering humanity in your tender arms. May God shower upon you His ceaseless Blessings, Love, Light and Delight.She helped me to help the poor, and that’s the most beautiful thing. She was very much concerned about the poor and her attitude towards the poor was good. She was a very great friend in love with the poor ... that is why she came close to me. She came to Calcutta. She was taken to Shishu Bhavan [an orphanage] where we have children for adoption. We are fighting abortion with adoption. She was anxious to do something for the poor.
We never talked about her divorce. Most of the time we talked about how to love God and ask God to help us to love the poor.
It will be a loss for the family. She was both a mother and a wife. They will miss her very badly. That is the normal way. She was a very good wife and good mother of beautiful children, so they will miss her a lot.
Mother Teresa, August 31st, 1997
Mother Teresa offered two special messages about Princess Diana on August 31st. One message was for the Princess’ family and the other was for the press. The following day, Sri Chinmoy requested her to offer a third message which could be read at the United Nations. Mother Teresa’s response by telephone was:
“How wonderful that Sri Chinmoy is holding a prayer service at the United Nations for Diana! She used to come to our Missionaries of Charity here in Calcutta. She visited Kalighat and all of our places. Pray for Diana, pray for the reposal of her soul. I am praying for Diana.”
September 1st, 1997During these days we feel deep grief, along with all those who cherish the ideals of compassion and humanitarianism.
September 1st, 1997And our birthday will never be as bright.
August 31st, 1997King Carl, nine-time Olympic gold medalist, smilingly applauds the lightning-speed-legs of Princess Diana.
Princess Diana, sleepless compassion-heart for the suffering humanity, soulfully admires the service-life of Carl Lewis. Upon his sympathy-winging heart-bird, he journeyed to Australia to fulfil the fondest dream of a little dying boy; his streaming tears for his less fortunate brothers and sisters he offers through “Best Buddies” and his work for organ failure victims.
Carl Lewis and Princess Diana: two Himalayan-high greatness-lives; two ocean-vast goodness-souls.I remember talking to her on landmines. It was not a political issue for her. For her it was an issue of what misery it caused, what destruction it caused. And she had a way of simplifying some of the most complex problems, for she had one talisman, she had one simple approach, and that was human sorrow, human misery, and how she could do something to mitigate it. I think that is what touched the chords in the hearts of millions of people in India. They felt very close to her. My wife and I knew her well and we found that this ability of hers was wonderful.
August 31st, 1997I am a truth-seeker and a God-lover. In my own humble way, I try to serve the world according to my capacity through my prayer-life and meditation-life. At the age of four, I started praying and meditating. And, at the United Nations, I have been offering my prayers for the world-community for the past twenty-seven years. I offer Peace Concerts in various countries, I have written considerably about the inner life, I compose devotional songs, I paint — in many ways I try to inspire people to dive into the inner life, which is full of oneness, peace, harmony and joy.
The sole purpose of my heart is to love God the Creator. The sole purpose of my life is to serve God the creation. Here my fulfilment blooms and blossoms.
In Princess Diana I unmistakably discovered a genuine temple-heart of sympathy, self-giving and oneness.When we meditated together at the very start of our meeting, I immediately felt that this was the real Diana. She had so many spiritual qualities that were just beginning to bud and bloom in her life, the way her service-life had already blossomed. The world knows so much about Princess Diana’s good works and also about her personal and private life, but this spiritual dimension is also extremely important. One might say it is of paramount importance.
From my prayer-meditation-life, I wish to offer my personal feeling about Princess Diana’s spiritual aspect. The whole world may disagree with me, it may even hate me, but I feel that at the time of her death, Princess Diana was very, very unhappy. On the surface, we see that she was enjoying her summer holiday in the company of a certain friend. But inside Princess Diana, nobody knows what was happening. Only from our prayers and meditations do we get the message from within. I personally feel that although she was leading a kind of life that can be termed a life of carefree romance, inwardly that was not what she herself wanted. Inwardly she wanted to have a peaceful life. Why did she renounce so many of the public duties of the Royal Family? Why did she limit the number of charities with which she was involved? Because she wanted to spend more time with her sons so that they could have a normal, peaceful life. She did not want her sons to grow up feeling superior to the rest of the world because they are of royal blood. She did not want them to exercise their power in the wrong way. That was why she took them to hospitals, department stores and various other places. She wanted them to mix with people and become part and parcel of humanity.
If Princess Diana had had more time on earth, I strongly feel that all the outer restlessness that she was manifesting would have come to a normal and natural end. Then, in a year or so, she would have led a life of inner peace. One who has a heart which is larger than the largest, who goes from here to there to be of service to poor, suffering people, will eventually become a perfect stranger to restlessness. Her restive life, to me, was perhaps a needed experience for the full preparation of an inner life of silence, peace and bliss. If Princess Diana had lived longer, then like Mother Teresa, her life would have become calm and quiet. Her life would have been one of dedicated service to humanity and personal fulfilment on every level.God fulfilled so many of Princess Diana’s good desires: she was able to work for charity and she helped the poor and the suffering. Even after her death, God has continued to fulfil her desires, indirectly but proudly, by inspiring the Nobel Committee to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 1997 to the organisation which was formed to oppose landmines.
With regard to Princess Diana’s last desire-adventure: it is my personal inner conviction that on the fateful night when she met with her death, Princess Diana had decided to give up her romance-life. Her eldest son, William, was determined to tell his mother on her return not to continue with that kind of life.
Although he is still quite young, he has so much wisdom-light. He wanted his mother to be universally loved and respected. I believe that just before her death, Princess Diana had also the same type of determination: to follow the path of sleepless self-giving to the world-family.Princess Diana first met Mother Teresa at the Vatican in 1992. Then, for the next five years, their paths did not cross again, in spite of the fact that they had the deepest love and respect for each other. Princess Diana even went to visit Mother Teresa’s Home for the Dying, Nirmal Hriday, in Calcutta during one of her visits to India. But Mother Teresa was not in India on that occasion.
During my meeting with Princess Diana, I happened to mention that Mother Teresa was so kind and affectionate to me. At that point, Princess Diana could easily have said, “Yes, I am also an admirer of hers,” or something of that nature. Instead she said: “I have been trying to track her down so I can see her, but nobody ever knows where she has gone. Can you tell me how I can meet with her?” Something inside Princess Diana was prompting her to see Mother Teresa once more. Her heart wanted her to have the meeting. She had been trying in vain to contact Mother Teresa, and Mother Teresa and I were so closely connected. I have known her since 1975, but for the past few years we have been in touch almost on a weekly basis. Mother Teresa and I share the same birthday — August 27th. She was my Mother of infinite compassion and my Sister of infinite affection.
So I promised Princess Diana that I would be responsible for making the arrangements for her to meet with Mother Teresa. I knew that Mother Teresa was in Europe at the time, and I thought it might be possible for them to meet before Mother visited the United States. The next day, I came back to New York and came to learn that Mother Teresa was in Italy. I spoke with Mother on the phone. I told her that Princess Diana wanted to see her. Mother said, “Tell her to come to New York.” But I knew Princess Diana wanted to see Mother in Europe. On that day, Mother Teresa was in a joking mood. She said to me, “If she does not want to come to New York to see me, then tell her to come and see me in Calcutta!”
Shortly afterwards, Mother Teresa travelled to America to accept the Congressional Medal of Honour. She came to stay at her Missionaries of Charity House in the South Bronx section of New York. She asked me to give Princess Diana her telephone number and address so that they could make the proper arrangements. Fortunately, Princess Diana’s itinerary brought her to the United States at that time. She came to promote the auction of her garments.
I visited Mother Teresa on June 3rd and again on June 17th for private meetings. During these meetings, Mother Teresa spoke of Princess Diana several times, and always with tremendous love and affection. On June 18th, Princess Diana flew from Washington to visit Mother Teresa. They had a long private meeting, with no cameras present, and then they posed for pictures outside. Everybody was amazed to see Mother Teresa standing by Princess Diana’s side because she had been confined to her wheelchair for many months previously. This was a sign of her tremendous love for Princess Diana. The world will forever and forever cherish the photographs of these two immortal luminaries: Mother Teresa, whom I place in the galaxy of immortal saints, and Princess Diana, who conquered the heart of the world with her love, compassion and selfless service to mankind. I am so happy and grateful to God that He chose me to be the instrument in helping them to meet one another for the last time.God brought us together. Mother Teresa was at the end of her life and Diana was in the prime of her life. I came in between, like a devoted bridge between the two.
The mind can never comprehend the inner realities, such as God’s Hour. The mind is very limited; it is only a collector of information. Real knowledge and wisdom come from prayer and meditation, not from books. When we remain in the mind, it is like being encaged; we cannot go beyond it. But when we are in the heart, it is like being outside in a beautiful garden.God is not Someone who can be understood. He can only be realised. When we establish our conscious oneness with Him, on the strength of countless years of our sleepless and breathless aspiration, we see that each action of His has a sublime meaning and serves a very special purpose.
Princess Diana left the world when she was at the summit of her glory. She died with her heart’s beauty and fragrance intact, before the world had the opportunity to capture her ruthlessly in its mind-jungle. She gave us her heart-garden, which was so beautiful and so inspiring. That is why she will always be remembered as the unparalleled Queen of the universal heart.But sometimes the media exposed Princess Diana’s frailties and weaknesses — which we all have — and at that time she did not welcome media attention. She said that this kind of thing does not help humanity in any way. She wanted only to inspire the rest of the world, but unfortunately the hostile media always try to find the negative side of things. That was the very painful experience that she had to endure on a daily basis.
Again, there are newspapers and magazines around the world which have always been very positive in their attitude to Princess Diana. They do not indulge in wild gossip and they try their best to defend her against unfounded and absurd rumours. One of our main New York newspapers, Newsday, is one of those that have always supported her. On three occasions this year, I sent to Princess Diana collections of articles about her which had been published internationally. All of them were extremely positive. She thanked me deeply for sending them and said that she found them very encouraging. I strongly feel that the media should concentrate on the inspiring and self-giving aspects of Princess Diana’s life, on her good qualities and virtues, and not on her so-called human weaknesses. Needless to say, most of us have deplorable weaknesses in abundant measure.This is a reproduction of the decorated song pamphlet which Sri Chinmoy offered to Princess Diana.
Princess Diana, Princess Diana, Princess:
The world’s only fondness-summit-Empress!Dreamland-beauty’s blue-green reality-glow.
Compassion-heart’s sleepless, streaming river-flow.I Am Not a Political Figure
Words by Diana, Princess of Wales Music by Sri Chinmoy May 15th, 1997
“I am not a political figure. The fact is I am a humanitarian figure. I always have been and I always will be.”
Everyone needs to be valued
Words by Diana, Princess of Wales Music by Sri Chinmoy May 15th, 1997
“Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give something back if only they had the chance.”Dibanishi bajao mayerjayer veri
Great Britener madhur swapanAmarar jyoti shishu
Karuna pathar tomara dujanParam prabhur Jishu
```
William-Harry, William-Harry, William-Harry!Day and night do strike
Your Mother’s victory-drum.You are at once Heaven’s
Children of Light and the sweet dreams Of Great Britain.Compassion infinite you two are
Of the Saviour Lord Jesus Christ. ```
```
Princess Diana,Yours is a temple-heart of sympathy,
Self-giving and oneness-delight. ``````
Princess Diana,The World Sees the Impossible Done
Although a non-American,Americans claim you as
The Queen of America’s heart. ``````
Princess Diana, you are no more!Your soul-bird has reached the Golden Shore.
The world’s bleeding heart mourns your death.Your life on earth the Lord’s own Breath.
```Death can never be the end.
Death is the road.Life is the traveller.
The soul is the guide.
We come from the infinite Life, the Life Divine. This infinite Life stays on earth for a short span of time. After a while, this Life again passes through the corridor of death. When we enter this corridor, the soul leaves the body and goes back to the soul’s region. There the soul will regain the Eternal Life, the Life Divine, which existed before birth, which exists between birth and death, which exists in death and, at the same time, goes beyond death.
Life and death are like two rooms; going from life to death is like going from one room to the other. Life is our living room and death is our bedroom. In our living room, we have to work and be active and show ourselves. In our bedroom, we take rest, we sleep. There we do not have to show our existence to anybody; we are only for ourselves.
A spiritual person knows that death is not an extinction. It is only a long or short rest. Again and again we shall have to come back into the world. We have to work for God here on earth. We have to realise the Highest here on earth. We have to fulfil the Highest here on earth. God will not allow us to waste or squander the potentialities and possibilities of the soul. Impossible.
Kipling’s immortal utterance runs:
> They will come back, come back again,
> As long as the red Earth rolls.> He never wasted a leaf or a tree.
> Do you think He would squander souls?
The soul does not die. We know that we are eternal. We have come from God, we are in God, we are growing into God, and we are going to fulfil God.
When the soul leaves the body, it takes with it the quintessence of the experiences that the body, vital, mind and heart had in this present life.
The body dies, but not the soul. The body sleeps, the soul flies. Let us recollect the soul-stirring words of the Bhagavad Gita:
> Weapons cannot cleave the soul,
> Nor fire consume it,> Nor water drench it,
> Nor wind dry it.
Life for each individual is an act of inspiration and revelation. Life is an experience; even so is death. Our human life is God’s sacred flame mounting towards the highest Source. Human death, the so-called death, is a secret play of God’s Will.
Before death, life is a seeker.
After death, the same life becomes a dreamer.Before death, life struggles and strives for perfection.
After death, the same life rests and enjoys the divine bliss with the soul.Before death, life is God’s Promise.
After death, life is God’s inner Assurance.
The Upanishads offer to humanity an unparalleled prayer:
> Lead me from the unreal to the Real.
> Lead me from darkness to Light.> Lead me from death to Immortality.
The unreal is the frown of death; the Real is the song of Immortality. Darkness is the colossal pride of death; Light is the life of the illumining and perfecting power of Immortality. Death is the message of nothingness. Immortality is the message of humanity’s liberated oneness with Divinity’s transcendental Height.The undivine flourish,
The divine die young:This is what we hear,
This is what we think,This is what we know.
My soul wants to add something
To this lofty theory:The undivine flourish
In the closed coffin of Death.The divine die young
In the lap of Immortality. ```Princess Diana, you are no more!
Your soul-bird has reached the Golden Shore.The world’s bleeding heart mourns your death.
Your life on earth the Lord’s own Breath. ```The twentieth century’s sweetest dream
Is devouredBy the saddest car-tragedy-nightmare.
Before long,The nightmare will be transformed
Into Immortality’s Nectar-Delight. ```Princess Diana:
An unblossomed dreamOf Divinity,
A blossomed realityOf Immortality.
```Princess Diana, at such a tender age,
Who could equal youIn breathing the breath
Of the suffering and dying patients? ```Princess Diana, history will forget
The human frailties in your life,Which are common to all,
Sooner than the soonest.But history will forever and forever
Remember and cherishThe beauty of your heart
And the fragrance of your soul. ```Princess Diana:
Your zealous eyesWere made of
Your heart’s enthusiasm-eagerness. ```Alas, still a few impossible critics
Are either sleeping or barkingWhile the entire earth-planet
Is unreservedly weeping. ```Princess Diana,
Yours is a temple-heartOf sympathy, self-giving
And oneness-delight. ```Princess Diana,
You always kept your heart-door open —More to come
And much more to give. ```Princess Diana,
Your royal greatnessHas nothing to do
With your heart’s unfathomable goodness.Your goodness is all your creation.
```Princess Diana,
We who admire youMost lovingly and most devotedly feel
That our best use of each secondShould be an offering
Of our gratitude-heart-tearsTo you.
And we are doing it. ```Princess Diana,
The world sees the impossible done.Although a non-American,
Americans claim youAs the Queen of America’s heart.
```July 1st, 1961 — August 31st, 1997
```
Diana, the Princess of Wales,Dies
For Diana, the Empress of the World,To live eternally in the heart-garden of humanity.
```From:Sri Chinmoy,Diana, Princess of Wales. Empress of the World, Agni Press, 1997
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/dpw
