San Diego mayor, Bob Filner, planted a peace tree last Saturday at the Sri Chinmoy Peace Garden located in the community of Normal Heights, on the corner of Adams Avenue and Arizona Street.
At the ceremony Filner said: “As we progress as a city and we talk about tourism, and we talk about the navy, and we talk about high tech, yes, but what about our souls? What about who we are as human beings? What about how we relate to each other? Those are the values that tend to get lost in the just mere measuring of GDP. Hopefully we can spread this sense of justice and peace to all our city and state, and then, of course, our nation”.
The tree was donated by the World Harmony Run and two local businesses, Jyoti Bihanga Vegetarian Restaurant (the oldest vegetarian restaurant in San Diego) and Pilgrimage of the Heart Yoga Studio.
Sujantra McKeever, founder of Pilgrimage of the Heart Yoga Studio, began by welcoming the mayor and the general public with an aphorism by Sri Chinmoy founder of the World Harmony Run, “Only the peace-dreamers, peace-lovers and peace-servers can transform the world. Each one of us can, in our own unique way, be a part of creating a world of peace.” He noted, “This garden and this statue of Sri Chinmoy create a place for reflection and an on-going awareness of the power of peace.”
Mr. Mahiyan Savage, owner of Jyoti Bihanga, addressed the motive behind the peace garden, “For us the statue and the park are an inspiration. Sri Chinmoy himself was a man who dedicated his life to inspiring people. The statue and the park are an inspiration.”
Sri Chinmoy dedicated his life to fostering the growth of peace inside the hearts of human beings from all nationalities and faiths. He was a prolific author and poet as well as a musician and athlete. He passed away Oct. 11, 2007.
Mahiyan ended by noting, “The presence of this peace tree will allow individuals visiting the peace garden to reflect on bringing peace into the world. It reminds us that peace must start with each of us and then branch off to others.”
