Part V — Heart of Gold Award presentation (Mexico City, United Nations, New York)

PCP 7-11. On 20 January 1998, Sri Chinmoy was a special guest of the Society of Authors and Composers of Music of Mexico at their Society's headquarters in Mexico City. The Society's Board of Directors bestowed upon Sri Chinmoy its prestigious Corazon de Oro (Heart of Gold) Award for his "great altruistic service in the cause of world peace." Previous recipients of the award include Pope John Paul II; opera legend Placido Domingo; Mexican poet and singer Juan Gabriel; and Arpad Bogsch, Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation. On 17 April 1998 Maestro Roberto Cantoral, President of the Society, and his colleague, Mr. Rafael Buelna, Head of International Activities, presented the Golden Heart replica to Sri Chinmoy at the United Nations in New York. Details of both ceremonies are here included.

Sri Chinmoy's remarks after receiving the "Heart of Gold" award⁶

I bow to the soul, heart and life of "Corazón de Oro", the "Heart of Gold". I wish to offer gratitude to this august organisation from the inmost recesses of my heart.

I am a man of prayer. For me, music is a true form of prayer. Each song is a beautiful flower with fragrance exquisite.

I am a singer and musician of no consequence. But I have been blessed over the years by Himalayan-height musicians, composers and singers. Today I am extremely happy and extremely grateful to be in the immortal galaxy of Mexican composers. Music is the heart of universal oneness. It is also the language of universal oneness. I do not know Spanish, but I have heard over the years many, many, many Spanish songs, and they have touched the very depth of my gratitude-heart and my music-loving soul.

On the way to Mexico City, in the plane, I composed a song about this great award. With your kind permission, I wish to recite the words:

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Corazón de Oro, Corazón de Oro, Corazón de Oro!

O Heart of Gold, O Heart of Gold, O Heart of Gold!

Infinity’s oneness-delight you ever enfold.

Your song-beauty, music-fragrance, treasured by God’s Core.

Your culture-heritage is the summit-pride of the Golden Shore.

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I am also very happy to have set to music your motto, “In harmony with the universe.” This motto is a momentous message, a universal message. With harmony we can be true choice and perfect instruments of God. This world of ours is lacking in harmony; therefore, we are suffering. We are suffering excruciating pangs because we have not yet established harmony in our lives. Your message is at once hopeful, illumining and fulfilling.

Finally, to my musical friends, composers and singers, I wish to offer my heart’s prayerful and soulful joy and love. We are sailing in the same boat, and our destination is the Golden Shore. Yours is a heart of gold; our destination is the Golden Shore, where we will have peace, light and bliss. My happiness-heart and my gratitude-life to each of you I am offering prayerfully, soulfully and lovingly.

[Sri Chinmoy’s students perform his song dedicated to Mexico. Sri Chinmoy then plays the esraj, after which his students perform his song In Harmony with the Universe. Sri Chinmoy then teaches the song Corazón de Oro to his disciples, who sing it for the audience.]

From:Sri Chinmoy,A peace-collecting pilgrim-soul, Agni Press, 1999
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/pcp