Participating in Savitri Around the World
October 23 • 2017
On Monday, October 23rd, 2017 the Nakashima Foundation for Peace happily participated in the “Savitri Around the World” project celebrating Auroville’s 50th birthday.
Mira Nakashima, her brother Kevin and husband Jon Yarnall drove up from New Hope, PA. It is there where George Nakashima, one of the earliest American disciples of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo, lived and worked. Sundarananda is the name given to him by Sri Aurobindo when he was overseeing the building of Golconde and lived at the ashram. It means “one who delights in beauty” and George fulfilled this destiny.
Julian Lines and Miriam Belov were the Nakashima Foundation for Peace Board advisors who joined in the readings. We were given wonderful passages to read. Indeed, Aviram of Sadhana Forest, Wendy of Matagiri and my daughter Maddye were also present to give loving support. Irene Goldman had helped to organize this but could not join in the actual readings.
We gathered around the great Peace Altar in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC. Mira asked Miriam to lead a meditation during which she concentrated all of us on the joyous task ahead and invoked blessings. We each had rose petals – white tinged with pink – which were placed on the Altar.
The readings then began. You may hear some ambient noise and also other people talking in the background. There were tours happening and some came to look at what was going. Since this was done in a major NYC attraction, there was the usual curiosity and interest.
The Altar is one of 3 monumental Nakashima works dedicated to peace. It was consecrated in 1986 and we have held meditations around it since so it can be a living force. The Sacred Peace Table in Auroville was placed in the Unity Pavilion’s Hall of Peace in 2014. The third is in Moscow at the Russian Academy of the Arts. It was originally consecrated at the Cathedral for the United Nations’ 50th birthday, travelled to the Hague Appeal for Peace and then on to Russia in 2001. Readers also gathered at these peace tables for Savitri around the world. Mira made this plaque which holds 3 candles, symbolizing the venues.