In April, 2011, a new book by one of the members of the Sri Chinmoy Centre was published and released. It is entitled Thy Will Be Done: A Christian Journey to Sri Chinmoy and was written by Ushasi Jill Thompson.  The book tells the story of a seeker’s journey to become closer to God through prayer and meditation.  Beginning with a Christian conversion experience, the book traverses the further experiences and journey of a seeker aspiring to surrender to God’s Will for her life. With utmost devotion to Jesus Christ, the author searches for ever closer ways to know and unfold that divinity which is, indeed, in each of us. The book was written to share her experiences not only with her Sri Chinmoy family but also with those who have an abiding and deep connection to Jesus Christ and Christianity. It is her hope that the book will inspire seekers of every faith who affirm the underlying oneness in every spiritual tradition.

Ushasi’s own words follow:

“Thy Will Be Done – A Christian Journey to Sri Chinmoy is a book I wrote in the autumn of 2005 and just published and released in April, 2011. The book tells of my journey from first becoming a Christian to striving to follow the Will of God as revealed in Jesus Christ, which then led to the surprising destination of becoming a member of the Sri Chinmoy community.

I wrote the book to share my experiences of how a devoted Christian can also be a wholehearted student of the spiritual master Sri Chinmoy. While some would see a conflict between the two, in fact, there is an underlying oneness in both Western and Eastern spiritual traditions.  By being a member of the Sri Chinmoy Centre, I have deepened my connection to God through prayer and meditation practice – and I am profoundly grateful to have experienced Sri Chinmoy’s personal spiritual guidance.

In some ways, I wrote the book to witness to the truth that there is no conflict between being a Christian and becoming a disciple of Sri Chinmoy. But writing it was also just about telling what happened to me, and hopefully people will find that inspiring. I’ve had so many people who have read the book come up to me and say: “This really touched something in me.” Or, some have said: “It healed something in me.”  Particularly people with a church background. In the end, I hope that people will feel inspired by the book and trust more deeply in the Grace of God which is available to all who cry for spiritual direction.”

 

 

About Ushasi Jill Thompson

Ushasi Jill Thompson holds a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. She teaches Neurology and Pathology at the Swedish Institute: College of Health Sciences. A life-long spiritual seeker, Ushasi affirms that an underlying oneness exists within Western and Eastern spiritual practices. She has been a member of the Sri Chinmoy Centre since 1985.

 

 

 

Review of Thy Will be done

Sri Chinmoy wrote:

            “Books do not help us

                 Realise God,

            But they do inspire us

                 To pray to God

            And meditate on God.” [i]

 

One such book is Thy Will Be Done – A Christian Journey to Sri Chinmoy, written by Ushasi Jill Thompson. In this remarkable book, Ushasi tells the story of her profound and amazing journey through communities of faith, alternative health care and academia, leading eventually to her discovery of Sri Chinmoy. With complete honesty and self-insight, she reveals her struggles, dreams and aspirations during her years of searching for God’s Will in her life.

Readers will be amazed, charmed and intrigued as they follow Ushasi’s winding, world-spanning path – from New Jersey to New Zealand to Virginia to Manhattan, and finally to Queens, New York. Her inner path is even more enthralling. Thy Will Be Doneis an astonishing book. Often, when we have a chance to read the writing of our spiritual brothers and sisters, it is a revelation.  And Ushasi’s story is so sincere and has such inner truth that, as we read, we re-live the experiences with her.

As we follow our sister’s struggles and searching, we ourselves feel inspired to intensify our own inner search and more deeply appreciate the members of our wonderful, talented family, grounded in various faiths, who ultimately arrived at the door of our spiritual teacher, Sri Chinmoy.

We all love a good story, and Ushasi’s story in Thy Will Be Done enriches our world. As we marvel at the depth and height of Ushasi’s experiences, we feel re-energized in our own forward journey. Inspiring, moving, deep – many who have read it have said they couldn’t put it down!   Thy Will Be Done is destined to inspire seekers now and for generations to come.

- Nilpushpi