The Jewels of Happiness

Inspiration and Wisdom to Guide Your Life-Journey

By: Sri Chinmoy

Narrated by: Desmond Tutu, Roberta Flack, Carl Lewis, Judith Light, Anwarul Chowdhury

The Jewels of Happiness by peace visionary Sri Chinmoy offers rich inspiration for cultivating happiness in life. The chapters are read by distinguished individuals from many fields, each of whom has made a unique contribution to the world.

The 17 readers include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Grammy Award winner Roberta Flack, Emmy and Tony Award winner Judith Light and Olympic great Carl Lewis. Topics include Peace, Love, Joy, Power, Sincerity, Self-Transcendence and Happiness. In simple and accessible language, with practical exercises, each section of the audio book gives life to one of these essential qualities.

Sri Chinmoy led the Peace Meditations at the United Nations twice weekly for 37 years at the invitation of UN Secretary-General U Thant. The meditations, which continue to this day, seek to provide an oasis of inner peace for UN delegates and staff. Sri Chinmoy also founded the world’s largest global relay run, the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run. Through his prolific creativity in literature, music, sport, art and humanitarian service, this dedicated friend of humanity encouraged people of all nations to bring forward the best in themselves for their own fulfilment and for the progress of the world.

The Jewels of Happiness was launched at United Nations Headquarters on the eve of the first UN-declared International Day of Happiness. The emerging field of “happiness economics” is now discovering what wise men and women have always known: that the happiness of a society depends upon far more than material wealth. Reflecting the ideal of unity in diversity, the readers convey Sri Chinmoy’s illumining insights into genuine happiness with conviction, variety and charm.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface and Introduction - Amb. Anwarul Chowdhury, Under-Secretary General and High Representative to the United Nations

1. Peace - Archbishop Desmond Tutu, 1984 Nobel Peace Laureate
2. Love - Addwitiya Roberta Flack, four-time Grammy award winning singer
3. Joy - Narada Michael Walden, three-time Grammy award winning producer and renowned drummer
4. Hope - Amb. Davidson Hepburn, President of the 35th Session of UNESCO’s General Conference and long-time Ambassador of the Bahamas to the United Nations
5. Wisdom - Prof. Charles Johnson, National Book Award winner and pioneering Buddhist scholar
6. Patience - Cathy Oerter, US international track athlete and co-founder of ‘Art of the Olympians’ with her husband, Al Oerter, 4-time Olympic gold medallist
7. Enthusiasm - Ashrita Furman, holder of the most Guinness world records in the world - currently 156
8. Power - Mahasamrat Bill Pearl, 5-time Mr. Universe and “Best Built Man of the 20th Century,” and Bhavatarini Judy Pearl, fitness and nutrition expert
9. Simplicity - Purushottama Boris Grebenshikov, legendary Russian singer-songwriter
10. Sincerity - Madhurima Judith Light, Emmy and Tony-award winning actress
11. Humility - Prof. Shawn Wong, award-winning author and a pioneer of Asian-American studies
12. Gratitude - Khaliah Ali, philanthropist, Emmy-award nominated talk show host and daughter of Muhammad Ali
13. Self-Transcendence - Sudhahota Carl Lewis, 9-time Olympic gold medallist in track and field who was named “Greatest Olympian of the Century"

Epilogue: Happiness - Nripal Eric Petersen, the editor of Light and Liberty, a best-selling collection of life-lessons drawn from the writings of Thomas Jefferson - along with Nidrahara Kathryn Rhodes, yoga teacher who is married to Nripal.

The author of The Jewels of Happiness, Sri Chinmoy, believes that by living in the heart and aspiring for continual self-transcendence we can bring forward the best in ourselves, and find our own way to happiness and fulfillment. In his words:“Happiness is the strength of a lion, the power of an elephant. If you are happy with your life, nothing can stand against you.”

"Inside, if we feel a good thought, an illumining and fulfilling thought, then that very thought we will express and offer to our friends and dear ones. Our illumining, soulful, fulfilling thoughts will enter into our dear ones and then they, too, will have peace."

Sri Chinmoy's life was an expression of boundless creativity. A prolific author, poet, artist and musician, and an avid athlete and weightlifter, he is highly regarded as a spiritual leader, peace-lover, and devoted humanitarian. Sri Chinmoy, who departed this world in 2007, continues to inspire and encourage countless people through his creative endeavours, through innovative peace initiatives, and through the example of his own life.

For more information, please visit: www.jewelsofhappiness.com.

©2013 Sri Chinmoy Centre (P)2010 Watkins Publishing

Timeless truths read and "lived" by a stellar cast

If you could sum up The Jewels of Happiness in three words, what would they be?

Moving, unforgettable and, ultimately, life-transforming

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Jewels of Happiness?

"Long have we struggled, much have we suffered, far have we travelled. But the face of peace is still hidden from us." -- the poignancy of Archbishop Tutu's voice at that moment is something that will stay with the listener for a very long time.

What about Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s performance did you like?

Archbishop Tutu brings to these words his own vast spiritual and moral stature, his broad humanity, his unique personal touch and, most of all, the wisdom of his life-experiences.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I realised with a thrill that this is a book I wanted to listen to time and again.

Any additional comments?

Each reader makes the words come alive in a unique way. This is not like other books in the sense that the readers are not "acting". We feel their personalities and experiences infusing each word. Roberta Flack, Judith Light, Carl Lewis, Narada Michael Walden and others all make us feel that we are having a conversation with them. The simplicity and profound wisdom of Sri Chinmoy's words ring true and, at the same time, are more relevant than ever.