Gorbachev Foundation, Moscow

March 1st, 2001

[President Gorbachev greeted Sri Chinmoy near his office at the Foundation, requesting Sri Chinmoy to go ahead of him as they proceeded down the hallway. As soon as they entered his office, the President gave Sri Chinmoy a warm embrace and invited him to sit down._] _President Gorbachev: Sit down, please!

The President requested Sri Chinmoy to sit facing him. Mrs. Irina Malikova sat on Sri Chinmoy’s left side and Mr. Pavel Palazhchenko sat on his right side. Mr. Palazhchenko asked the guards to bring one extra chair for Ms. Lotika Kosaya.

President Gorbachev (apologising for being late): I apologise…

Sri Chinmoy: No, you do not have to apologise! Whenever you come is the right time. I see you with my own eyes, and I feel you with my own heart. For me, this is not the office of a president. This is the heart-home of the whole world.

I watched the documentary where you spoke about power. You said that you do not have power. But I wish to say that the power you have is love, and love is the strongest power. Power that strikes cannot succeed, but the power of love, which is omnipotent, you have, and you have been using this power unreservedly since you left office. With your heart’s infinite love-power, you are illumining the four corners of the globe.

President Gorbachev: Thank you! I am very glad to see you. You have not visited us here before. This is the first time.

Sri Chinmoy: Yes, this is my first time, and I have come because I do not want to miss this opportunity of a lifetime to be in your blessingful presence on this most auspicious occasion.

President Gorbachev: I am very happy and very moved by your visit. I really thank you very much. You and I share a great deal. We are living in a difficult time. We are facing various challenges. And it is so important to feel that somewhere there is a friend, Gorbachev's dear friend, Sri Chinmoy. This is very important. I am thankful to you for everything, for your valuable support and understanding — I emphasise the great understanding.

I feel that you are tired and jet-lagged. The night and day — everything changes so quickly.

Sri Chinmoy: I am not tired. My love for you, my admiration for you, my gratitude to you: these are my prayerful capacities. I wish to tell you that we are always at your service. Wherever you go, my students are there to be of service to you. They are always at your service. You are always in our morning prayers, in our mid-day prayers and in our evening prayers. We pray for you because you are illumining the whole world.

President Gorbachev: And I would like to congratulate you because you hold so many activities dedicated to peace in different places. Both Pavel and Irina are now telling me about your trips, about your meetings.

Sri Chinmoy: I have done nothing in comparison to your work and your achievements! You are an ocean; I am just a drop. The drop would love to be always inside the ocean.

[Sri Chinmoy presented to the President a copy of a new song that he had written in the President's honour, and Mr. Palazhchenko read out the translation._] _Sri Chinmoy: Now I would like to sing this song. May I sing? It will just take a few minutes.

President Gorbachev: Of course!

[Sri Chinmoy stood up and sang the song dedicated to President Gorbachev. The President listened attentively, deeply moved by Sri Chinmoy’s offering. He was watching Sri Chinmoy intently and from time to time looking at the translation._] _President Gorbachev (shaking his head, astounded): Yes! You keep on amazing me!

Sri Chinmoy: Now I wish to offer you a special award. This is the award that I would like to offer.

Sri Chinmoy presented the award, entitled “President Gorbachev: The Home of Oneness-Peace-Dream-World.” On top of the box containing the award were some of Sri Chinmoy’s peace-birds.

President Gorbachev: Such birds! Everywhere birds! How many birds have you drawn?

Sri Chinmoy: Twelve million birds and 200,000 paintings.

President Gorbachev: Really!

[Sri Chinmoy, the President and Mr. Palazhchenko all tried to open the box. The President and Mr. Palazhchenko finally succeeded in opening it and unwrapped the award. The President was deeply moved by the award, which consisted of one round sparkling glass plaque etched with his picture surrounded by seventy small pictures of Raisa Maximovna and another glass plaque etched with Raisa Maximovna’s picture surrounded by seventy small pictures of the President. The President was very, very thrilled, admiring the glass plaques as he set them on their stands._] _Mrs. Malikova: One hundred and twenty-five countries have become Sri Chinmoy Peace-Blossoms-Nations.

Mr. Palazhchenko (referring to the design that was on the award and also on the cover of the latest book that Sri Chinmoy had written about the President): Here he has your portrait with Raisa Maximovna’s portraits around it, and on the back is Raisa Maximovna’s portrait framed with 70 of your portraits.

Sri Chinmoy (showing the President the glass pieces): Here are 70 portraits. It is written here, “President Gorbachev: The Home of Oneness-Peace-Dream-World.” So, this is the award I wish to offer to you for your 70th birthday.

President Gorbachev: I am very grateful.

Sri Chinmoy: This award I shall not give to anyone else.

President Gorbachev: I am simply very, very moved. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Sri Chinmoy (holding up a copy of his latest book about the President, which the President had received two days earlier): I also have a copy of the book.

[Mr. Palazhchenko commented that the Russian translation appeared in the book, and the President started reading through it._] _Mr. Palazhchenko: Mikhail Sergeyevich, this is simply wonderful!

Mrs. Malikova: Sri Chinmoy has already given the book to all the Foundation workers.

[Mr. Palazhchenko looked through the book and showed the President his favourite passage._] _President Gorbachev: I would just like to say that I really like the book very, very much. A thousand thanks, a million thanks, a trillion thanks! (Referring to the award) And this portrait is dearer to me than the others I have. (To Mr. Palazhchenko) Look, how wonderfully done!

Sri Chinmoy (showing the President an album with photographs of his visit to Raisa Maximovna’s Long Home): Just yesterday I went there.

President Gorbachev (very moved as he looked through the album): Oh, here are some pictures!

Mrs. Malikova: These are from the cemetery.

Mr. Palazhchenko: Yesterday Sri Chinmoy was at the cemetery.

Sri Chinmoy: Raisa Maximovna is always in my prayers.

President Gorbachev: There is so much snow!

Mr. Palazhchenko (to the President): Snow, red flowers and the man from India or America, from somewhere far, with an incredible soul.

President Gorbachev: Tomorrow morning my daughter, my granddaughters and my whole family will go to the cemetery. This is how my birthday celebration shall start.

Sri Chinmoy: Tomorrow morning I will be bringing seventy roses.

Mrs. Malikova: To the cemetery?

Sri Chinmoy: It will be in honour of your birthday.

President Gorbachev: How do you like Russia? (Again turning to the album) Have you made it for yourself or for us?

Sri Chinmoy (offering the album to the President): It is for you, my Beloved President!

Sri Chinmoy (presenting a cheque to the President): This humble offering is from my students all around the world in honour of your birthday. Disciples from the former Soviet Union have given $5,000. This gift is from the heart of all my students.

President Gorbachev: You have done so much for me. You have given me so many honours. You must know that what has happened between you and me shall last forever. I am very grateful, but unfortunately my time is stressed right now. I have been thinking that perhaps there are not many active years left for me.

Sri Chinmoy: I do not want to hear that! According to our Indian system, one has to live for a hundred years.

President Gorbachev (smiling): But I do not practise meditation!

Sri Chinmoy: I shall meditate for you! I shall pray for you. You do your world-transformation-work, and I shall be praying and meditating for you while you are transforming the world. You do your job, and I will do my job. Every day, early in the morning, I get news about you. This moment you are in Italy; the next moment you are in Germany. Now you will be coming to Atlanta.

[President Gorbachev was deeply moved to hear that Sri Chinmoy had been following his activities._] [_The President then took the award into his private room, adjacent to his main office, and asked Mr. Palazhchenko to put the box under his desk._] [_Mr. Palazhchenko offered to take photographs of everyone together, and Mr. Kailash Beyer and Ms. Lotika Kosaya joined the President, Sri Chinmoy and Mrs. Malikova for group photographs._] _President Gorbachev (referring to a party specially for those who would not be invited to the President's birthday dinner): Did Irina tell you that now we are going to have a party downstairs? Would you like to join us?

Sri Chinmoy: Yes, I am at your service.

President Gorbachev: Then I will see you downstairs.

Sri Chinmoy: I would be grateful if Irina would be able to come and see the award.

President Gorbachev: She is downstairs with the guests. But you will see her there and we shall be in a picture all together.

[_The President then said good-bye to Sri Chinmoy._]