Table of Contents
Part I
- Question: How can I always be happy?
- Question: How can I always do the right thing?
- Question: How can I always have enthusiasm?
- Question: How can I never have any fear?
- Question: What does God really think of me?
- Question: How can I have more gratitude?
- Question: How can I have more energy?
- Question: Is it possible or is it necessary to like everyone?
- Question: Does my soul have any special message for me today?
Part II
- Question: What brings you and your students to Indonesia, especially to Yogyakarta?
- Question: You visit so many countries of the world. I would like to ask you the purpose of your travels.
- Question: Is it true that your philosophy is love and brotherhood?
- Question: What do you have to say about those who do not believe in God?
- Question: Your philosophy is so high.
- Question: Are you sure that your philosophy of love and brotherhood can solve all the problems of the world?
Part III
- Question: How can we use flowers to help us in our meditation?
- Question: Nowadays people are doing things like grafting flowers to other flowers to create new forms. Is this done by the Supreme through man or is it something that the Supreme is merely tolerating?
- Question: Are there flowers in Heaven, and how do they compare with earthly flowers?
- Question: When we offer people flowers, what should we feel we are giving them?
- Question: At funerals, do flowers help the soul of the deceased person?
Part IV
- Question: How did you become involved in ultra-distance running? I know you were a sprinter as a youth, but when did you fall in love with ultra-distance running?
- Question: In terms of actually sponsoring ultra-marathon events — the 700, 1000 and 1300-mile races — did you specifically feel that there was a void to be filled when you started these events? I know that a number of years ago your team helped the New York Road Runners Club in their ultra-distance events. Then at a certain point, they stopped doing it, and you began organising them. Did you do it because you felt the world would lose something if these events were not going on?
- Question: I have been told that you have returned to sprinting.
- Question: When somebody like Stu Mittleman or Yiannis Kouros or Fred Lebow says, "You know, if Sri Chinmoy were not doing this now, nobody would be doing it," it is very impressive. They say it would be a huge loss if you ever stopped conducting these races. You do not respond to that at all? In other words, you might stop the events when your Inner Pilot told you to stop them, even if it meant the end of the ultramarathon?
- Question: So you do not see any end to your involvement at all?
- Question: In Ultrarunning magazine recently it said that the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team puts on the best events in the country.
- Question: I know that you are uncomfortable associating yourself with big name sponsors, but if you wanted to bring more glamour to the ultramarathon, would you ever consider working with big sponsors in the future?
- Question: I have been reading some of your writings, The Outer Running and the Inner Running, as well as some things on meditation. In one talk that you gave before the New York City Marathon a few years ago, you told your students to run their best, but if they happen not to run their best time, if they fail in their personal expectations, not to worry about that at all. You said the main thing was their cheerfulness, that the running itself was the most important thing. I also know that you do have a special respect for champions like Carl Lewis. Can you reconcile these two attitudes for me?
- Question: Are people like Carl Lewis blessed in some special way to become world champions?
- Question: An ultramarathon is very much a kind of inner search, as opposed to competitive sports like football. Is that what you find attractive?
- Question: Many religions claim that the Gods of other religions are false and only their God is the right one. You speak of the Supreme, but this does not seem to be a specific God to the exclusion of all other Gods. It is everyone's God, somehow. Your disciples are not strictly following a religion, but a path. Is that correct?
- Question: That philosophy would have prevented many wars over the years.
- Question: With team sports the way they are — football, hockey and so on — there is considerable violence. Should these sports continue the way they are constituted or should there be a change in them to make them less violent?
Part V
- Question: Today I felt inwardly attacked and it was very difficult for me.
- Question: When we meditate with you, especially when we have a walk-past meditation, should we concentrate more on receiving divine qualities from you or on giving our undivine qualities to you?
- Question: Some of your Bengali songs have extremely beautiful melodies, but when I learn the meaning, I am not inspired to sing them. Sometimes they embody a degree of helplessness — for example, Bedanai bhara jibana khanire. For me, songs that have a more positive meaning are easier to sing.
- Question: Similarly your famous song Sundara hate has the line Chaudike mor bishwa bhubane bedanar sur baje.
- Question: In one of your prayers, you say, "If I love You just because You love me, then I am worse than the worst." I feel that if I love the Supreme, it is only because the Supreme has brought forward that capacity in me.
- Question: If we have been meditating for a long time, how can we renew our inspiration?
