9 September
Free meditation classes in Philadelphia, PA
Throughout the year the Sri Chinmoy Centre of Philadelphia offers a number of free workshops and events designed to help you create or support your meditation practice. Our programmes are based on the philosophy and teachings of Sri Chinmoy and include introductory meditation classes, weekend 'urban retreats', live concerts of meditative music, as well as workshops on creativity, Vedic chanting, meditation and sports.
To learn about our next set of workshops and classes, kindly see our Philadelphia Meditation website.
Meditation means our conscious growth into the Infinite. When we meditate, what we actually do is enter into a vacant, calm, silent mind and allow ourselves to be nourished and nurtured by Infinity itself. – Sri Chinmoy
About us
The Centre is located in the heart of Philadelphia's historic colonial district and offers meditations and free workshops on Sundays for the local area.
Aside from offering meditation classes, the Sri Chinmoy Centre in Philadelphia has hosted Sri Chinmoy a number of times over the course of several decades. His November 1st, 1996 Peace Concert at the CoreStates Spectrum had an audience of 10,000, the largest US Peace Concert ever given. His last visit was in 2006, when we hosted Sri Chinmoy's standing room only free concerts at Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. 6,000 people came from all over the eastern seaboard to hear and experience Sri Chinmoy's meditative music.
Sri Chinmoy had a special love for Philadelphia, which he called the “spiritual capital of America.”
America’s capital, from the spiritual point of view, is Philadelphia. Philadelphia – the name itself is a ringing bell. As soon as I hear the word ‘Philadelphia’, no matter who utters it, I hear a bell ringing .... Philadelphia for me always carries Divinity’s Reality. It is very, very haunting and, at the same time, illumining and fulfilling.
Sri Chinmoy in Philadelphia - a timeline
Sri Chinmoy visited Philadelphia on numerous occasions over a 36-year period, offering lectures, concerts and participating in local running events.
March 18, 1970
Lecture on The Inner Light at the University of Pennsylvania, published in My Ivy League Leaves.
November 29, 1972
Lecture on The Wisdom-Sun of Vedic Truth at Bryn Mawr College.
January 22, 1974
Lecture on The Heart at the University of Pennsylvania.
June 1, 1975
“Sacred Fire” troupe performs excerpts from Sri Chinmoy’s Bicentennial play about America’s leaders, on the steps of Independence Hall.
January 10, 1976
Meditation offered by Sri Chinmoy at Christ Church, on the occasion of the Liberty Torch Bicentennial Relay Run.
December 1976
Travelling exhibit of Jharna-Kala paintings selected by Henry Geldzahler, curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 20th century collection.
January 17, 1977
Three hundred of Sri Chinmoy’s books presented to the Free Library of Philadelphia, received by Mayor Frank Rizzo.
December 6, 1977
Esraj Concert, Unitarian Church, Philadelphia.
Fall, 1979
Ran 21 miles of the Philadelphia Marathon
October 9, 1980
Sri Chinmoy appointed as an honourary Deputy Sheriff of the City and County of Philadelphia, by Sheriff Joseph A. Sullivan, in connection with the Salutations to America relay.
Early 1981
Ran the Philadelphia Half-Marathon, Fairmount Park.
April 25, 1981
Lecture on Music at the University of Pennsylvania.
November 14, 1989
Peace Concert at Philadelphia Civic Center; 4,000 attended.
May 16, 1992
Peace Concert, Cathedral Church of the Saviour; 700 attended.
November 1, 1996
Peace Concert, CoreStates Spectrum; 10,000 attended, the largest US Peace Concert.
May 30, 1997
Peace Concert, Annenberg Center, University of Pennsylvania, in honour of the 50th anniversary of India’s independence; 500 attended.
October 7, 2000
Peace Concert, Old Pine Community Church, 400 attended.
June 10, 2003
Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart, University of Pennsylvania, honouring distinguished professors and members of the community.
June 22, 2006
Sri Chinmoy in Concert, Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, two overflow performances; 6,000 attended.
June 30, 2007
Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart, at the Strongest Man competition, Fairmount Park, part of the City of Philadelphia’s Welcome America! Celebration for the 4th of July. Sri Chinmoy honoured champion strongmen from the United States and Europe; attended by Mahasamrat Bill Pearl and Bhavatarini Judy Pearl.
Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Philadelphia.
O sweet city of brotherly love.
O God-perfection below, above.
Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Philadelphia.
Your world-attention Liberty Bell
Proclaimed the death of our bondage-hell.
O freedom-lovers' utopia!
Philadephia, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Philadelphia.
– Sri Chinmoy
Free meditation classes
More stories from Sri Chinmoy's students.
Patanga: my spiritual name
Patanga Cordeiro São Paulo, Brazil
If a little meditation can give you this kind of experience...
Pragya Gerig Nuremberg, Germany
In the Whirlwind of Life
Pradeep Hoogakker The Hague, Netherlands
I just knew from the moment I saw him
Ashrita Furman New York, United States
The Ever-Transcending Goal
Preetidutta Thorpe Auckland, New Zealand
I want what he has
Kamalakanta Nieves New York, United States
Regaining My Inner Joy
Sujata Muto Kyoto, JapanSuggested videos
interviews with Sri Chinmoy's students
What meditation gave me that I was missing
Purnahuti Wagner Guatemala City, Guatemala
What drew me to Sri Chinmoy's path
Nikolaus Drekonja San Diego, United States
Running the world's longest race
Jayasalini Abramovskikh Moscow, Russia
What is it like on the Peace Run?
Nikolaus Drekonja San Diego, United States
Finding your spiritual Master
Gannika Wiesenberger Linz, Austria
The relationship between Guru and disciple
Baridhi Yonchev Sofia, Bulgaria
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