On April 13th at Aspiration-Ground in New York City, Daw Aye Aye Thant, President of the U Thant Institute and daughter of U Thant, the third United Nations Secretary-General, spoke about Sri Chinmoy's spiritual leadership and his guidance on the spiritual journey, as well as the significance of his arrival to the West, and the theme of hope, that coincides with the changing of the seasons.
She shared a selection of Sri Chinmoy's aphorisms on hope,
"Hope
Is not just a word.
Hope
Is today’s beautiful plant.
Hope
Is tomorrow’s fruitful tree."
"Hope is here,
Hope is there,
Hope is everywhere.
Therefore,
We must live on hope."
"May my hope-plant grow
Into a promise-tree,
Quickly and beautifully."
She went on to share her father U Thant's wishes for humanity
"I wish that men cease to hate and kill their fellow men for reasons of race, color, religion, nationalism, or ideology;
"I wish that more love, compassion and understanding guide the management of human affairs;
Concluding Aye Aye remarked, "Let us cultivate a garden of empathy and compassion in this season of hope."