The need for a "man of heart" is understood, at least
subconsciously, by many peoples and cultures. The continuing
popular story of Don Quixote in our Western culture is an
example of the man "with a heart of gold". There seems to be
the feeing, however, that the man of heart is usually the
fool, though sometimes the divine fool.
The man of heart, and what he represents, taps some deep
inner source and awakens some of the highest feelings in man.
The legend of Robin Hood; the bandit with the heart of gold,
is another example of this. But in many cases, literature
depicts the man of heart as being a combination of positive and
negative qualities. Don Quixote is a man of heart, but also
a fool. Robin Hood is a man of heart, but also a bandit.
What I suggest is that the concept of "man of heart"
underlies much of what we consider most inspiring and most
desirable in our culture. And further, the literary interpretation
of the man of heart is, in effect, only a mis-representation
of the purer concept that can be truly understood only in
spiritual terms.
The man of heart, I feel, can best be symbolized by the
Christs and the Buddhas of the world -- men of true perfection
rather than literary spin-off's of these great archetypes. Further,
I wish to say that very often real life provides better examples
of "men of heart" than literature. Only one has to know where
to look. If one looks with the eyes of spirituality , it may
. .. /
2.
be easier to locate and conceptualize the man of heart than if
one looks with the eyes of literature.
If one is seeking out the man of heart today, what more
natural place would one expect to find him than at the United
Nations. Indeed, the history of UN leadership in recent years
has been an eloquent testimonial to the achievements and more
important to the spiritual efforts of men of heart. For the
remainder of this paper, I would like to elaborate on this theme
by drawing on three examples from the United Nations
Secretaries-General Dag Hammarskjold and U Thant and Sri Chinmoy.
These men, Dag Hammarskjold, U Thant and Sri Chinmoy,
represent a fusion of spiritual values with political, or
action-oriented values, and serve as symbols for the 20th
century world of what the man of heart really is, or can aspire
to become. They have combined in their lives a deep religious sense
with a breadth of vision that has helped guide mankind. Each of
these men have shared common goals, but go about achieving
them in a different way.
In a talk which Sri Chinmoy gave on leadership, he said,
"He who leads in the heart is the real leader .... This leadership
1S not the leadership of the self-styled leader. This leadership
is the recognition of one's inseparable oneness with the rest of
humanity. This leadership is totally different from the vital and
mental leadership. Psychic leadership is founded upon the heart's
inner awareness and oneness with reality as a whole."l/
1/ Can Meditation Enhance Leadership? - 12 Sept. 1974, Dag
Hammarskjold Auditorium, Union Vision: Talks Delivered at the
United Nations, Sri Chinmoy
... /
1 have been told that Woodrow Wilson once remarked, "1 would
rather fail in a project that will ultimately succeed, than
succeed in a project that will ultimately fail." Only a person
in-touch with the core beyond the surface of the waves of time
and space can consciously inspire humanity to move forward.
The detachment from the immediate results of actions, along with
a commitment to continual positive efforts in the face of
criticism, 1 consider very important traits for the leader who
lS truly spiritual.
1 was more than pleased to find the Meditation Group
at the United Nations and for more than five years have observed
the leadership of Sri Chinmoy, the Group's leader. His is
definitely a leadership based on outer silence and inner
strength. Through his personal example and the appreciation
he shows for the good qualities of dedicated people in the
3 .
United Nations community, he has been able for nine years to
direct a group composed of people from many different countries,
religious backgrounds, political and cultural traditions and ages.
My experience has been that, in any voluntary association where
there was "high energy" and strong personalities, a breaking point
is reached where the group dissolves and most often the original
reason for forming is drastically changed, or forgotten. However,
the credo of the Group, simply stated by Sri Chinmoy many years
ago, has even more appeal now due to the number of people who have
be en inspired by it, and who have affirmed the belief from which
it originates:
... /
"We believe and we hold that each man has
the potentiality of reaching the Ultimate Truth.
We also believe that man cannot and will not
remain imperfect forever. Each man is an
instrument of God. When the hour strikes, each
individual soul listens to the inner dictates of
God. When man listens to God, his imperfections
are turned into perfections, his ignorance into
knowledge, his searching mind into revealing
light and his uncertain reality into all-fulfilling
Divinity." - Sri Chinmoy
In 1977, a delegate to the United Nations asked Sri Chinmoy
if he foresaw the possibility of a fully committed spiritual
person becoming Secretary-General in this century. I don't think
Sri Chinmoy's answer was quite what the delegate expected!
The key idea reflected is in the line "l wish to tell you that the
twentieth century has already been blessed with two spiritual
giants, Dag Hammarskjold and U Thant.
2
/
4 •
These two men were definitely practical people familiar with
the problems of the world and yet they were men of the heart,
truly spiritual people.
Further evidence of the spirituality of U Thant is present
in the memoirs of U Thant -- View from the U.N. published last year
by Doubleday Publishing Company. In the introduction, he implies that
it is important for him to write from the heart, "I would not be
wri ting from my heart, from the depth of my religious faith, and' from
the unique experience I gained during my tenure, if I confined my
account merely to the things that happened. I must attempt to
distill as much as I can of the essence of the moral values and
humanism that have inspired me in the discharge of my responsibilities
2/Flame Waves, Part 11 Questions Answered at the United Nations,
Sri Chinmqy, page 8.
3/view from the U.N., U Thant, page xvii
... /
5.
U Thant was known for his poise In the most trying of
circumstances. The secret of this might be found in his personal
practice of meditation. In the middle of the Cuban Missle Crisis,
the Secretary-General went to Cuba to try to exercise his good
offices to bring about a favorable solution. On the day he
arrived, he wrote: "l got up at six-thirty the next morning (Oct. 31),
and tried to meditate, as usual. I sat up on bed and closed my
eyes, but my mind wandered . Scenes of the united States destroyer
off the Cuban coast, the Cuban anti-aircraft emplacements, an
unsmiling Castro, a nervous Soviet ambassador and a youthful
missile General flitted across my mind's eye. It was difficult
to shut off my senses, even for a brief moment, and feel inner
peace. Perhaps loss of sleep was the reason. Or was I very
worried? In any case, I managed to practice "metta" (good will)
and "karuna" (compassion) to all.,,4/
And again, his personal practice and practicality show him
as a man of heart who is concerned and involved with the world.
By his own account of his actions during the succession of the
Katanga province in the Congo, a period when the Secretary-General
received criticism from all sides, "As a Buddhist, I abhor all forms
of violence; the feeling is embedded in my inner Self. Since th,at
memorable Security Council meeting of November 24, 1961, authorizing
me to use a requisite measure of force in the Congo, to evict
foreign mercenaries, my conscience has been pricking me. Any news - of violent death, whether of a Congolese, a united Nations soldier,
4/ View from the U.N., U Thant, page 186
... /
or a foreign mercenery, saddened me deeply. Every morning I
prayed for the sparing of lives. In the course of my meditations,
I practiced "metta"(good will) and "karuna"(compassion) to all
in the Congo, without distinction as to race, religion or color.
I realized, however, that the moral principles of my religion
had to be adjusted to the practical responsibilities of my Office.
I had to view the United Nations operation in the Congo as a
battle for peace, not as a war; to me, war all war is folly
and insanity. I regarded the UN soldiers as soldiers of peace.
In the final phase of the UN operation in the Congo, I thought
of one of Lord Buddha's maxims: 'He who guides others by a
procedure that is non-violent and equitable, he is said to be
a guardian of the law, wise and righteous. ,,,5/
Towards the beginning of View from the U.N., U Thant also
quotes both Albert Schweitzer and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin,
and like those two spiritual leaders, shows that he has the same
vision of oneness of humanity.
Examples of the effect of U Thant can be found in the
statements offered at programmes sponsored by fue Meditation
Group for the late Secretary-General U Thant, and also in
Sri Chinmoy's book U Thant: Divinity's Smile and Humanity's Cry.'
6.
On 26 November 1977, the Meditation Group held a special meditation
in t\e Chapel of the Church Centre for the UN for the former
Secretary-General U Thant, who had passed away the previous day.
As part of the tributes that were offered in the Chapel, I stated:
5/ View from the U.N., U Thant, page 144.
. .. /
"While working in the Documents Section during the 1973 General
Assembly, I came across the speeches given on former Secretary-
General U Thant's retirement. I was deeply moved by certain
sections of these speeches, which made me aware of the humility he
embodied in his personal relationships and of the vastness of
his spiritual vision. The first section was by the Chairman
of the Staff Committee, Dr. N.G. Rathore: 'You are as much at
home with a group of visiting children as you are with the Head
of State, and you treat both with equal courtesy and careful
attention ... I cannot claim to know much about Buddhism, but I
hope you will permit me to say, with the greatest sincerity,
that your conduct, your example and your personal life are a
tribute to that great religion and philosophy. '
U Thant, in reply, said: ' . .. above all, I would attach the
greatest importance to spiritual values, spiritual qualities ... I
have in mind the spiritual virtues, faith in oneself, the purity
of one's inner self which to me is the greatest virtue of all.
With this approach, with this philosophy, with this concept alone,
we will be able to fashion the kind of society we want, the kind
of society which was envisaged by the founding fathers twenty-si.x
years ago.' ,,6/
7.
Dag Hammarskjold who preceeded U Thant as Secretary-General,
was known and admired by many throughout the world. The
publishing of his "white book" Markings brought a part of his
6/Meditation at the United Nations Monthly Bulletin, November 1974,
Tribute to U Thant, page 52
... .I
inner life into the public view.
In early 1974, during an orientation course I attended,
we were addressed by the Under-Secretary-General, Mr. Brian
Urquhart . He is a senior official who has been with the UN since
its inception in 1946. I was much impressed by this man and found
his wealth of knowledge and commitment to the highest UN ideals
inspiring. He was given complete access to the private papers
of Dag Hammarskjold, after the late Secretary-General's untimely
8.
and tragic death. The picture he presents of the Secretary-General
in his book Hammarskjold shows that Dag Hammarskjold was truly a
spiritual leader.
Devotion and love are generally seen as qualities that
come from the heart. These Dag Hammarskjold had .. He also had a
great commitment to progress and a feeling that service to others
was a necessity . The two other qualities which I consider essential
for a spiritual leader are humility and surrender to the Will of
God. The following quotes, I believe, illustrate these qualities:
" ... 1 inherited a belief that no life was more satisfactory than
one of selfless service to your country -- or humanity. This
service required a sacrifice of all personal interests, but likewise
the courage to stand up unflinchingly for your conv ictions
concerning what was right and good for the community, whatever were
the views in fashion ... But the explanation of how man should
live a life of active social service in full harmony with himself
as a neDber 0: the community o f the spiri t, 1 have found in the
... I /
, . , .
writings of those great medieval mystics for whom "self-surrender"
had been the way to self-realization, and who in "singleness of
mind" and "inwardness" had found strength to say yes to every
demand, which the needs of their neighbors made them face, and
to say yes also to every fate life had in store for them when
they followed the call of duty, as they understood it. "Love"
that much misused and misinterpreted word -- for them meant
9 .
simply an overflowing of the strength which they felt themselves
filled with when living in true self-oblivion. And this love found
natural expressions in an unhesitant fulfillment of duty and in an
unreserved acceptance of life, whatever it br~ught them personally
of toil, suffering -- or happiness. "7/
This quote from Mr. Urqhart's book is revea~ing as to the
spirituality of the Secretary-General: "Religion for him was a
dialogue of his own with God, and faith was the foundation for
duty, dedication and service, qualities that he considered most
essential in himself and most admirable in others."8/
Of simplicity, Hammarskjold wrote: "Simplicity is to
experience reality not in relation to ourselves, but in its sacred
independence. Simplicity lS to see, judge and act from the point
of rest in ourselves. Then, how much disappears! And how everything
else falls into place!
In the point of rest at the corner of our being, we encounter
a world were all things are at rest in the same way. Then a tree
becomes a mystery, a cloud a revelation, each man a cosmos of whose
10.
riches we can only catch glimpses . For the simple, life is simple,
but it opens a book in which we never get beyond the first
syllable.,,9 /
Mr. Hammarskjold spoke of the inner life of a person such:
"There is no formula to teach us how to arrive at maturity and there
is no grammar for the language of the inner life .... The rest is
silence because the rest is something that has to be resolved
between a man and himself . "IO/
In giving a summary of the nature of Dag Hamrnarskjold's duty,
Mr. Urquhart describes him thus, "The springs of Hamrnarskjold's
sense of vocation ran deep. They were 'traditional, intellectual
and religious. His identification with Christian thought was not
messianic, but rather in the old tradition of the imitation of
Christ in sacrifice and in service to others . He was a member of
that small and lonely band who throughout history have engaged at
the same time in trying to deal with the hard world of political and
social reality and in searching endlessly for a spiritual meaning
which transcends the world . "ll/
It was through Dag Hammarskjold's efforts that the
Meditation Room at the United Nations was remodele~ to as we now
know it, and opened to the public in 1958.
The only time I personnaly saw Secretary-General U Thant
was when he came to the premiere performance of Sri Chinmoy's
play "Siddhartha Becomes the Buddha". The admiration for the
9/ Harnrnarskjold,
lO / Hammarskjold,
ll/ Hammarskjold,
Brian Urquhart, page
Brian Urquhart, page
Brian Urquhart, page
~~./~~
23-24~
11.
Buddha was shared by these two men of va=ying religious backgrounds.
The Se cretary-General was mostly involved in the political
li f e of the United Nations, and yet supported the spiritual
development o f th~ Organization and its individuals. Sri Chinmoy's
main activity is leading the meditations at the United Nations
twice weekly, and he has shown such concern and respect for the
pol itical leaders such as U Thant and· Hamrnarskjold and for the
o n - going programs of the Meditation Group such as the Human Rights
and Interna tional Year of the Child programs.
This appreciation of the good qualities of others is
sha r e d by the three men -- Hammarskjolp, U Thant and Sri Chinmoy.
- U Than t was a devout ~uddhist and his calmness and personal
warillth was noted by many of his colleagues.
- Dag Hammarskjold came from a Christian background, but considered
his relationship with God to be a very private matter. He is
remembered for his high ideals and his work to establish a true
f e e l i ng of "service" and excellence in the UN Secretariat.
- Sri Chinmoy was raised in the Hindu tradition, and spent twenty
years in a spiritual community practicing meditation before coming
t o the West. He has written books on the Buddha, Christ and other
s pi r itual Avatars, and encourages people to go deep into their own
s p iri t ual nature to discover Truth. By his meditations at the
UN , and through the programs sponsored by the Meditation Group,
Sr i Ch i nmoy remi nds the delegates and sta f f that it is a blessing
t o be ab l e to s erve the United Nations, a nd encourages support for
t he highest goal s o f the UN in the staff ~ember's daily work.
* * * * *
the criteria that should be applied. His last speech
was a legacy to the United Nations.
Leone Muller
While working in the Documents Section during
the 1973 General Assembly, I came across the
speeches given on former Secretary-General U
Thant's retirement. I was deeply moved by certain
sections of these speeches, which made me aware of
the humility he embodied in his personal relationships
and of the vastness of his spiritual vision.
The first section was by the Chairman of the
Staff Committee, Dr. N.G. Rathore:
52
"You are as much at home with a
group of visiting children as you are
with a Head of State, and you treat
both with equal courtesy and careful
attention ... I cannot claim to know
much about Buddhism, but I hope
you will permit me to say, with the
greatest sincerity, that your conduct,
your example and your personal life
are a tribute to that great religion and
philosophy. "
.j
U Thant, in r,eply, said:
.... . above all, I would attach the
greatest importance to spiritual val ues,
spiritual qualities ... 1 have in
mind the spiritual virtues, faith in
oneself, the purity of one's inner self
which to me is the greatest virtue of
all. With this approach, with this
philosophy, with this concept alone,
we will be able to fashion the kind of
society we want, the kind of society
which was envisaged by the founding
fathers twenty-six years ago ."*
Keuin Keefe
*The complete text appears m Staff Committee
Bulletin 281 .
53