Tributes pour in for President Mikhail Gorbachev

On 30 August 2022, President Mikhail Gorbachev, (1990 Nobel Peace Laureate) passed away leading to an outpouring of tributes and gratitude for his life, work and common humanity. Members of the Sri Chinmoy Centre have begun holding special meditations and events to mark this most special personality and his towering contributions to the world. (photos to come)

Throughout his life, Sri Chinmoy frequently expressed his admiration and love for President Gorbachev saying.

"Among the world figures of our time, there are many whom I admire, but first and foremost is President Gorbachev……. He was the main instrument to liberate Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland and so many other countries in the Eastern Bloc."

President Gorbachev and Sri Chinmoy, who were both born in 1931, first met on 29 May 1990, in Ottawa, Canada. Sri Chinmoy sincerely remarked about President Gorbachev.

"You are the master-key of the global heart. You have liberated the world from bondage-night, and you have brought to the fore the inner freedom which we need so desperately. Before, people were in darkness, and now you have brought light to them."

At this first meeting, President Gorbachev remarked to Sri Chinmoy. "I have heard so much about you and your work. We must work together for world peace." This auspicious first meeting led to several others over the next two decades as the two become good friends and kindred spirits working in their own way towards a more peaceful world. In 1990, at a time, when the President was beset by challenges, Sri Chinmoy published a book of tributes in his honour “Gorbachev: the Master-Key of the Universal Heart”, Agni Press, New York, which began with the tribute.

You are the most beloved
Of the chosen few
To be garlanded
By Father-God in Heaven
And Mother-God on earth
For your supremely unparalleled contributions
Towards changing the face and fate
Of the suffering world-community.

In October 2006, President Gorbachev met with Sri Chinmoy at Aspiration-Ground, New York.

Sri Chinmoy also published a second book of tributes, President Gorbachev: the home of Oneness-Peace-Dream-World including:

To me, not because of his
Himalayan greatness
But because of his Olympian goodness,
He has become the world cynosure.

No man of integrity
Will dare to devalue him —
His world-improvement-contributions.

The test of this earth-planet
Is to realise
Who truly President Gorbachev is.

Not one but many
Most significant lessons
All human beings
Are learning from you.

To name only a few:
Never too late
To do the right thing;
Never too late
To be the right person;
Never too late
For the transformation of the mind,
For the satisfaction of the heart
And for the perfection of human life.

Further reading

• Meetings with President Gorbachev at Sri Chinmoy.org
• Kind words at Sri Chinmoy.org

References

1. Sri Chinmoy, Sri Chinmoy answers, part 11, Agni Press in 1999↩

2. Sri Chinmoy, Gorbachev: the Master-Key of the Universal Heart, Agni Press, 1990

3. Sri Chinmoy, Gorbachev: the Master-Key of the Universal Heart, Agni Press, 1990

4. Sri Chinmoy, President Gorbachev: the home of Oneness-Peace-Dream-World, Agni Press, 2001

5. Sri Chinmoy, President Gorbachev: the home of Oneness-Peace-Dream-World, Agni Press, 2001

6. Sri Chinmoy, President Gorbachev: the home of Oneness-Peace-Dream-World, Agni Press, 2001

7. Sri Chinmoy, Gorbachev: the Master-Key of the Universal Heart, Agni Press, 1990