Posts by Yatkara

News #103: Sri Chinmoy National Capital Swim 2025 – Canberra 10 km Challenge

Posted on by Yatkara

Sri Chinmoy National Capital Swim 2025 - Canberra 10 km Challenge

On 30 November 2025, the Sri Chinmoy National Capital Swim brought swimmers from across Australia together for a full 10 km crossing of Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra. The race tests endurance, spirit, and heart. 

Weather, Water & Waves

At dawn, the lake surface was like glass — calm and inviting. Yet by afternoon, the wind rose sharply, capsizing kayaks and stirring rain showers across the finish area. The change made the swim far tougher than anyone expected. 

Still, many persevered. The early calm and sudden challenge made every stroke — from first to last — a test of resolve and resilience.

Standout Performances

  • Michael Pranckl completed the 10 km in 2:39:19, the fastest solo time — 11 minutes ahead of the next solo finisher — and won the M50–59 category. 

  • Veteran swimmer Murray Chapman (M60–69) finished in 2:51:07, marking one of the oldest high-ranking solo finishes in the event. 

  • On the women’s side, Louisa Jeffery surged ahead to finish in 2:54:54, claiming the top spot among female solo swimmers. 

Team relays also saw strong performance: the all-female squad Bronte Babes clocked 2:32:20, earning top position among female relay teams. Mixed-gender and all-male relay divisions also saw tight finishes and spirited effort. 

Every swimmer who started the race — from seasoned veterans to first-timers — showed dedication; many battled wind, waves, and fatigue to reach the finish.

More Than a Race — A Community Celebration

The Sri Chinmoy Swim is not just a competition — it’s a gathering of water-lovers, nature-lovers, and supporters. Safety crews in kayaks, volunteer paddlers, organizers, and cheering friends helped each swimmer in their journey. Their efforts ensured that even under unpredictable weather, the event remained safe, supportive, and full of goodwill.

As the wind whipped and rain threatened, supportive cheers from paddlers and helpers made a difference. The collective spirit kept the race alive — reminding everyone that beyond timing and trophies, the community matters.

Results, Photos & Past Races

Why This Swim Inspires

Whether you’re an open-water veteran or just curious, this swim shows how determination + community support + nature’s unpredictability = a meaningful race. It proves success isn’t just speed — it’s courage, heart, and the willingness to finish what you start. After all, the lake doesn’t care about times. But the swimmers? They care. And their stories — of effort, joy, challenge, and camaraderie — are what make the Sri Chinmoy Swim more than a race.

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For more information about sports events, visit the official website: www.srichinmoyraces.org.
To learn more about Sri Chinmoy, please visit: www.srichinmoy.org.

News #102: Sri Chinmoy Tan Team Relays, Melbourne

Posted on by Yatkara

Start of the Melbourne Tan Team Relays race with runners taking off

The Melbourne Tan Team Relays took place on 23 November 2025 at the iconic Tan Track around the Botanic Gardens. The event welcomed both solo runners and relay teams, under the banner of the global Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team (SCMT).

Race formats & distances

Runners could choose from the following options:

  • Solo — 1 lap: 4 km
  • Solo — 3 laps: 12 km
  • Solo Marathon — 11 laps: 42.1 km
  • Team Relay Marathon — 4-person teams running a total of 42.1 km, passing a baton each lap

This setup allowed newcomers and experienced runners alike to join — whether for a short run, a 12 km challenge, or a full marathon or relay effort.

Results & photos

About Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team — vision & legacy

SCMT began in 1977, founded by Sri Chinmoy. Its mission is to unite physical fitness with inner growth. Over decades, SCMT has grown into a global network hosting hundreds of events — from short runs to the world-famous 3100-mile race, the longest certified footrace on the planet. Through its races, SCMT promotes not just endurance, but unity, personal growth, and the joy of self-transcendence.

Why the 2025 Tan Team Relays matter

The 2025 Tan Team Relays show that SCMT’s spirit lives on. The mix of solo runs and team relay, short and long distances, made the event inclusive. It welcomed competitive runners and community participants with equal warmth. The race captured the SCMT ethos: pushing physical limits while embracing unity and inner peace.

Whether someone ran 4 km, 12 km, a full marathon, or joined a relay — every finish counts. Events like this renew SCMT’s global tradition, connecting runners in Melbourne with a worldwide community of endurance, friendship, and growth.

We look forward to seeing more runners, new teams, and continuing this journey of growth, strength, and joy in 2026 and beyond.

Explore More

For more information about sports events, visit the official website: www.srichinmoyraces.org.
To learn more about Sri Chinmoy, please visit: www.srichinmoy.org.

News #101: Jharna-Kala Art Exhibition at Kiskunfélegyháza Elementary School

Posted on by Yatkara

Jharna-Kala Art Exhibition Kiskunfélegyháza – children celebrate Sri Chinmoy paintings

On 28 November 2025, an elementary school in Kiskunfélegyháza, Hungary, welcomed seven original Jharna-Kala paintings by Sri Chinmoy. The children had personally chosen these works from an earlier exhibition. Around 200 pupils participated in the welcoming programme and greeted the visiting disciples with beautiful performances. The atmosphere was warm, joyful and deeply heartfelt.

The paintings are now permanently displayed in the school corridors and classrooms, offering daily inspiration to students and teachers alike.

Who Was Sri Chinmoy?

Sri Chinmoy (1931–2007) was known as a spiritual teacher, poet, musician and artist. He lectured at universities such as Harvard, Yale, Oxford and Cambridge, and served the United Nations for nearly forty years through meditation programmes and cultural events. He founded the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run (1987), now the world’s longest peace-torch relay, covering more than 150 countries.

The Birth of Jharna-Kala – Fountain-Art

Sri Chinmoy began painting on 19 November 1974 in Ottawa, Canada. He named his spontaneous style “Jharna-Kala” – Bengali for “fountain-art”. Without any formal training, he created over 140,000 acrylic paintings and nearly 16 million bird drawings, often at incredible speed (up to 1,000 drawings in a single sitting). He described the process as meditation in motion: the brush simply flowed from inner silence.

Global Reach of Jharna-Kala Art Exhibition

His works have been exhibited in major venues worldwide:

  • Carrousel du Louvre, Paris
  • United Nations Headquarters, New York and Geneva
  • Parliament buildings in Australia, Canada, Ukraine and many other countries
  • UNESCO headquarters, Paris

Permanent collections exist in museums and schools across continents.

Why Children Love Jharna-Kala Paintings

Sri Chinmoy believed that children naturally feel the soul’s joy in art. The bright colours, flowing lines and peaceful energy of Jharna-Kala speak directly to young hearts. In Kiskunfélegyháza, the students themselves selected the seven paintings that now adorn their school – a beautiful example of how Sri Chinmoy’s art continues to inspire the next generation.

A Permanent Gift to the School

The seven paintings will remain at the school indefinitely. They serve as daily reminders of beauty, peace and inner possibility for hundreds of children and their teachers.

A quiet, heartfelt event – seven paintings now light up a Hungarian school every day. Thank you, Kiskunfélegyháza!

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For more information about Sri Chinmoy Art, visit the official website: www.srichinmoyart.org.
To learn more about Sri Chinmoy, please visit: www.srichinmoy.org.

Video #334: Sri Chinmoy Peace Run Brazil 2025 – 1,000 km of Harmony

Posted on by Yatkara

Peace Run Brazil 2025 has just completed one of its most inspiring and heart-warming journeys ever. In October, an international team of runners carried the flaming Peace Torch more than 1,000 kilometres across the country, spreading Sri Chinmoy’s universal message of oneness and harmony in every city they visited.

Peace Run Brazil – The Full Route

The Peace Run Brazil adventure began in Curitiba (Paraná) at the statue of Sri Chinmoy. From there, the torch travelled through Cerro Azul (Paraná), Eldorado and São Paulo (São Paulo), Santos (São Paulo), Ilhabela, Paraty, Angra dos Reis, Niterói (all in Rio de Janeiro state), and finally reached Rio de Janeiro itself. In total, more than ten cities opened their hearts to the Peace Torch.

Peace Run Brazil Visits Schools and Communities

Everywhere the team arrived, children rushed forward to light their own candles from the Peace Torch. Young people, teachers, athletes and local authorities held the torch and shared their personal dreams for a more peaceful world. These simple, sincere moments created memories that will last a lifetime.

Meeting Olympic and Paralympic Legends

In beautiful Ilhabela, the runners had the honour of meeting Robert Scheidt – Brazil’s most decorated Olympic sailor with five Olympic podiums up to Tokyo 2020. He warmly accepted the Sri Chinmoy Torch Bearer Award and spoke about the importance of inner peace for true success.

In São Paulo, the team joined a joyful race that started and finished at the iconic Ibirapuera Park. There they met Paralympic marathon bronze medallist Edneusa Dorta (Rio 2016), who held the torch with a radiant smile and shared her inspiring story of perseverance.

Peace Run Brazil – One Torch, One Dream

Since Sri Chinmoy founded the Peace Run in 1987, millions of people in over 150 countries have carried the torch with the same silent wish: peace begins in the human heart. Peace Run Brazil 2025 once again proved that one small flame can light thousands of hearts and bring people together across all differences.

Thank you, Brazil, for your open hearts!

Explore More

Official Peace Run Website: www.peacerun.org.
Learn more about Sri Chinmoy: www.srichinmoy.org.

Video #333: How to Transcend the Ego  | Ancient Wisdom Thoughts Podcast, Episode 28

Posted on by Yatkara

How to transcend the ego is the burning question of our time. Therefore, Episode 28 of Ancient Wisdom Thoughts arrives at exactly the right moment. Hosts Abhinabha and Vajin deliver 90 minutes of warm, crystal-clear guidance that anyone can use today.

First, What Is the Ego?

The hosts explain it simply. The ego is our limited sense of “I”. Once it protected us. Now it quietly blocks joy. In short, the ego creates separation, fear and endless wanting.

How to Transcend the Ego – Five Practical Tools

Listeners discover five powerful daily practices:

  • Gratitude – the fastest ego-dissolver
  • Self-giving – small conscious acts of kindness
  • Heart-centred meditation – instant oneness
  • Replace “I want” with “I am happy to serve”
  • Turn every difficulty into a soul-growing opportunity

Real Stories That Touch the Heart

Vajin shares a moving personal experience. During a very difficult period, one simple act of selfless service completely dissolved his ego and brought unexpected inner freedom. This beautiful example shows how quickly the heart can open when we forget ourselves for a moment.

True Freedom Lies Beyond Ego

Going beyond ego does not erase personality. On the contrary, our real soul-individuality shines brighter. We become vast, connected and infinitely happier.

A Guided Meditation to Feel the Shift

The episode closes with a gentle meditation. It helps everyone feel the difference between the limited “I” and the unlimited “we”. Many listeners feel immediate expansion and peace.

Whether you are just starting your spiritual journey or have meditated for decades, this How to Transcend the Ego episode offers something rare: clear understanding, deep compassion and step-by-step guidance to constant oneness.

Let this How to Transcend the Ego episode become your gentle daily companion on the journey from “I” to “we”. Enjoy!

More episodes you may love

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For more information about events, visit the official website: www.srichinmoycentre.org.
To learn more about Sri Chinmoy, please visit: www.srichinmoy.org.