Carl Lewis: the champion inner runner

Part I — Thirty soulful inspiration-flowers

Carl Lewis

1.

Carl Lewis is indeed a great citizen of God’s Heart-Land.

2.

Carl Lewis is the fastest human being on earth.

3.

He was previously a flaming torch of hope.

4.

Fast, very fast, he drives his heart-car on the international freeway to a oneness-world-peace-destination.

5.

His hostile enemies tell the world that Carl Lewis has a very big mouth, while his divine friends tell the world that he has a very big heart.

6.

He is at once his soul’s faith-founded inner existence and his life’s confidence-blossomed outer existence.

7.

Only Carl Lewis could do it! At the Olympics in Seoul, right after losing the 100-metre final to Ben Johnson, Carl Lewis dashed across the track to the winner to shake hands and congratulate him. Only the deception-champion Ben Johnson could do it! At first he indifferently and callously ignored Carl Lewis. Finally, he reluctantly shook hands with Carl Lewis for the briefest possible moment.

8.

At the Los Angeles Olympics a good many observers — including even his so-called admirers — criticised Carl Lewis ruthlessly for not making the six attempts that he was officially allowed in the long jump.

If the observers, and especially his admirers, had been wise and kind enough, they would have been happy with his decision.

He made us happy by becoming first in the long jump.

9.

To athletes who are not doing satisfactorily and are experiencing failure, Carl Lewis’s life — with its “Never give up!”

In the earlier part of his athletic career, unlike his present and abiding golden days, he was quite accustomed to sad failure and frustration.

He continued, only to be gloriously and enduringly successful, not in one, not in two, not in three, but in four events: the 100 metres, the long jump, the 200 metres and the relay.

10.

Alas, his worst adversaries so often interpret his confidence-wisdom-light as defiance-ignorance-night!

11.

After the Seoul Olympics, time and again Carl Lewis declared that he would defeat Ben Johnson whenever Ben Johnson became drug-free.

Long live Carl Lewis, the promise-fulfiller!

12.

Carl Lewis profusely thanks his coach, Tom Tellez, for his coach’s assistance in helping him achieve his supreme success and glory.

13.

His heart’s gratitude-boat every day, without fail, plies between his father’s soul in Heaven and his mother’s life on earth.

14.

He never forgets to appreciate deeply his manager, Joe Douglas, and his Santa Monica Track Club, the greatest track and field club in the world.

15.

To his sorrow and to the sorrow of his dear ones, he does not get the full appreciation that he rightly deserves in his own country, America.

Japan’s love and admiration for him can only be felt and not described.

There they have for Carl Lewis, the king, a very special throne.

16.

For Carl Lewis, unlike others, there is no such thing as confidence-overdose.

This confidence-light has come to the fore from the Compassion-Satisfaction-flooded Blessings of his Inner Pilot.

17.

Not in the immediate past, but in the remote past, to his extreme joy, his wisdom-soul and aspiration-heart tore down his mind’s doubt-posters.

His sterling faith brings him his endless summit-success-glories.

18.

Most remarkable is his intense willingness-speed to self-givingly help all, especially “Lay Witness for Christ” and his teacher, Sam.

19.

As his mind is working hard, very hard, to earn the unfathomable wealth of the longest imagination-length, even so his heart is working hard, very hard, to earn the wealth of the highest aspiration-height.

20.

In him the unimaginably fastest speed is still endeavouring to surpass itself.

21.

His kindness-flooded heart has given me not one, not two, but three of his immortal achievements.

In the 1988 Seoul Olympics, immediately after winning the long jump, he gave me his long jump shoes.

Carl Lewis, my Sudhahota, my aspiration-heart and my dedication-life are all gratitude to you and to your heart’s vastness-magnanimity.

22.

Carl Lewis’s fastest speed is God’s Satisfaction-Pride in him — and the world’s, too.

23.

Two of my very dear students — Narada Michael Walden, the supreme musician-producer, and his wife, Anukampa, the talented Bharat Natyam dancer, introduced Carl Lewis to me eight years ago.

The flower they brought me is extremely beautiful, with an ever-increasing fragrance.

24.

Since Carl Lewis and I have become quite close over the years, from time to time I have taken sprinting lessons from him.

25.

Quite recently, after Carl Lewis again became the world’s fastest human, I was inspired to get some more lessons from him.

He said that my hands must go farther back in order to get a longer stride and greater speed.

Carl Lewis, my Sudhahota, my coach, the world’s fastest speed, how I wish I could make you happy with my progress and also proud of me!

26.

Each time I see Carl Lewis, I clearly see something very special in him.

27.

Two destinations: a life of glory and a soul of victory.

28.

Not once, not twice, but thrice I have read his book Inside Track cover to cover with my mind’s relentless admiration and my heart’s ceaseless affection.

He wins precisely because his is at once the enthusiasm-energy-boatman and the progress-dream-boat.

29.

The moment I think of him, the moment I meditate on him, I weave an affection-gratitude-garland for him.

30.

Carl Lewis, Sudhahota, O world’s fastest body-speed and heart-speed, we your genuine admirers are enjoying the Infinity’s happiness-feast that you have given us.

Sri Chinmoy's Meetings And Conversations With Carl Lewis

Part II

Carl Lewis: For inspiration and determination I use the challenge of perfecting the best in myself. Of course, in athletics that just comes from repeated practice. I saw some of your starts the other day and I thought they looked really good. The way you are going to get faster is to just keep working hard at it and wanting to do it. So many people have the capacity to be fast, but they all fall short because they do not want to work at it hard enough. But you also have to make sure that you do not overwork in your running. And if you ever feel tired, take a rest. If you ever feel you are not as excited on a certain day, just take a break — because there’s always a reason.

Narada: What were you saying about how important it is to keep the hips above the feet?

Carl Lewis: In sprinting you want to have your centre of gravity over your feet. The thing that you want to do is to stand flat and straight, then rise on your toes, send your hips forward and just run off. That’s the idea you want. You want to get your hips over your feet. You do that by shooting them in. Then, of course, your upper body will just follow. You want your hands to swing up to your face in front and then your arm to go back just a little bit. Those are the mechanical concepts of sprinting, the easiest things.

Narada: Is there any advice for someone who has a weak lower back?

Carl Lewis: I myself have lower back problems. I always have to stretch before and after I compete. Easy, slow sit-ups are good for backs — very slow and very easy. You don’t have to do very many just so long as you do them consistently — even if you do only 20 or 30 a day, three times a week. It’s not very much, but it helps activate the muscles in the back and gets your stomach muscles stronger so they can support the back. That’s the main thing with back problems: the stomach muscles a lot of times are not strong enough to support the back.

Narada: Is God personal or impersonal to you?

Carl Lewis: I feel He has reached down and touched my head, and brought me along and paved my way. Even before I felt God in a personal way, I can look back and see that He was paving my way. It’s as though He kind of reaches down and touches me, and turns me this way and that way, or says, “Slow down!” or “Stop!” That’s why I feel Him to be really personal.

Narada: What do you think about spiritual names?

Part III

1.

Carl Lewis, Carl Lewis, Carl Lewis, Carl!

Your body and soul powerfully hurl.

America’s Everest-choice,

Sri Chinmoy: When is your birthday?

Question: Were you always good in running?

Question: I have noticed in your races tremendous finishing power. To what do you attribute your power?

Question: Do you throw yourself into activity?

Question: When you run the 100, are you able to relax?

Question: Do you incorporate any long-distance training or long runs into your training, or do you only concentrate on speed?

Question: When you are long jumping, do you feel that there is still a lot to learn?

Question: Do you do form training?

Sri Chinmoy: What is your set position?

Question: How many breaths do you take in the 100 metres?

Question: When you take the set position, do you inhale?

Question: What happened when you were going for Beamon's record but failed. Did you feel miserable?

Question: Which event do you like best?

Question: You were doing quite well, too.

Question: Have you done any triple jumps?

Question: How much longer will you be competing?

Question: Is there pressure being number one?

Question: How many times a day do you think about training?

Question: Do you practise the lean at the finish?

Question: How many drills do you do?

Question: What do you do just before an event?

Question: Do you ever do a hitchkick?

Question: Do you recollect the incident when you met him?

Question: Do you do any knee exercises?

Question: Do you ever pray before you compete?

Question: What should you do to increase your stride?

What you want to do is push off more, not reach out more. Strengthen the hamstrings through drills. That will help. Make your legs stronger and lengthen your stride from the push, not the pull. Leave the ground hard and go farther. Lift is over-emphasised. When a sprinter keeps his hips correct and lifts his knees, he is doing everything basically right. Most people have correct running mechanics when they are born. But as you grow older, just a little bit sticks with you. Basically, you’re going faster because you’re running faster across the ground. And that’s because your hamstrings and quads are stronger. The stronger you get, the more you push off. With a longer stride, you move through the air farther in the same amount of time.

A lot of stretching afterwards is very important; you've got to warm down. After a hard workout, stretching is not as important as jogging two or three laps. Sprinters need to jog at least two laps to let the body warm down. I have a Jacuzzi after workouts. It helps me relax. Some people get rubdowns, but I don’t. I just do normal things. I feel good because anybody can emulate everything I do.

In sprinting you need to explode while still maintaining your relaxation. I did 6:06 in the 60, a world record. But the first 60 of the 100 metres I probably do in 6:16. In the 200, it will be 6:36. In different events I change the cadence. You have to plan each race differently. I do 400s all the time in workouts. This year I have a goal to run under 45 seconds before I retire. I have run 46.3, but I haven’t run a good 400 in a while.

Question: Will you ever try other events in track and field?

Part IV¹

Each individual has to bring to the fore his own divine potential. At the age of 22 you have already brought forward your divine potential considerably. It is your soul’s capacity that you have brought forward through the capacity of your body, vital, mind and heart.

Your soul’s capacity sometimes takes the form of indomitable will-power. Sometimes it takes the form of universal oneness-love. Sometimes it takes the form of peace, light or joy — qualities that the soul has in boundless measure. These are your soul’s qualities that are being manifested in and through your life of self-sacrifice for suffering humanity.

There are three or four predominant soul’s qualities in your life. When these qualities come forward and start manifesting themselves in and through you, then not only your world of outer running but also your world of inner running has a very special significance.

The most important and significant quality of your soul is sacrifice — sacrifice for suffering humanity. Sacrifice is an experience that we get on the human level. But from the divine point of view there is no sacrifice; it is all oneness. On the human level people may say that you are making a sacrifice for your sister when you are helping her jump. Perhaps at that time you should be concentrating on your own competition, or on your studies, so you are making a sacrifice. But from your point of view, it is not a sacrifice because Carol is so close to you. You and your sister are one, and oneness contains divine joy and delight. Joy cannot be taken away from oneness, and oneness cannot be taken away from joy.

There is an outer consciousness and an inner consciousness. In the outer consciousness you have already done something extremely great for mankind. You have established something immortal, and millions of people are being inspired by the results. When the world thinks of Carl Lewis the sprinter, spontaneous admiration immediately comes. Everybody is appreciating, admiring and adoring you. It is the outer man who has done this, and it is the outer man who is getting the acclaim, appreciation and admiration from mankind.

But there is also a Carl Lewis the inner man. And there is also an inner consciousness, which we call the heart’s love for mankind and the heart’s cry for the improvement of the world. Aspiration, prayer, concentration, meditation, contemplation, love, devotion and surrender are the realities of the inner life. These are the things that become part and parcel of our consciousness when we become the inner man.

The inner man establishes a sleepless reality that lasts for Eternity. Two thousand years ago someone came. Five thousand years ago someone came. What came was the inner man. The world called them the Saviour Christ and the Lord Buddha, and what they offered to the world will remain permanently. When you consciously become the inner man, you give the earth something that is not only immortal but also of permanent value.

When we think of the Olympics, everybody thinks of Carl Lewis. You stood first; you brought glory to America. So many people are inspired by you. But there are also many people on earth — in remote villages of India and Africa, for example — who know nothing about you. Because they are ignorant, they are not getting anything from you in their heart of hearts. Even if somebody tells them that Carl Lewis is the world champion, they will not get anything from you. But if somebody tells them that Christ said this or Buddha did this, immediately they will receive something. They do not have to be a follower of the Christ or Buddha or Krishna. Still they will inwardly get something in their heart of hearts because what these souls have brought to earth is immortal and eternal.

So when the outer man does something, it does not have the same effect as when the inner man does something, and it does not last in the same way. When the outer man does something great, the world immediately gets tremendous joy. But unfortunately it does not last. But the offering of the inner man elevates the consciousness of each individual on earth and also of those who will come to earth again and again in future incarnations. The contribution of the outer man lasts for a few years or for many years. Then it becomes a kind of historical fact. But the contribution of the inner man lasts forever. So humanity will only get the highest benefit from Carl Lewis the inner man.

Earlier I was speaking about your soul’s colour, which is an aspect of light. The light of your inner consciousness will permeate the entire world, not the achievements of your outer body. The outer body’s contribution will be appreciated and admired by all those who know about it. Millions of people on earth will admire you for what you have done. But when you become the inner man, countless people will unconsciously get tremendous inner upliftment from your very existence on earth. They don’t even have to know who Carl Lewis is. That is what Carl Lewis the inner man can do for humanity.

Carl Lewis: I was mentioning to Narada that concentration and meditation have always been foreign to me. I did not feel I could sit down and meditate and be totally relaxed. What paves the way for the inner life? It has been a mystery to me up until recently. I haven’t grasped meditation and contemplation. I can see the ideas and effects, but I haven’t grasped what path to take.

Sri Chinmoy: There are two roads — the road of the mind and the road of the heart. By God’s infinite Grace, right from the very start you have taken the path of the heart. You are so fortunate that you were born into a family where affection, love, family feeling and oneness are so strong. In the spiritual life, we want to be the dearest, closest and also the most perfect instrument of God. God is already using you as a supreme instrument of His in the outer world. He has offered a new vision to the world in and through your outer existence. Now you want your inner consciousness to come to the fore most powerfully.

In order to find the inner man, you have to walk along the path of the heart where there is true love, true peace, true light and true delight. In your case there is again a great advantage. Some people have to start acquiring things right from the beginning. They don’t have anything in stock. In your case, you already have something very spiritual, but you are not fully aware of it. Once you become fully aware of it, through your meditation and concentration, you will see that whatever you have inwardly is also going out from you. It is spreading like the beauty and fragrance of a flower. While spreading its own beauty, it is also staying with you.

To come back to your question, the power of concentration you do have. When you take the starting position, when they say, “Get on your mark, get set, go!”, you have tremendous power of concentration. But now you need the power of meditation. Concentration is like the sun — bright, brilliant, very powerful. As soon as you see the midday sun, you feel its strength. That aspect you have.

What you are missing is the other aspect of your reality, which is peace. In the evening, at night, or in the small hours of the morning, you can become very peaceful. That is also something that can give you a tremendous sense of satisfaction. When you look at the power aspect of life, you are so happy that you have become one with it. But the peace aspect which is also a form of power, you are not experiencing. So if you value the inner man, which you do, then you have to meditate to get peace.

When we look at the ocean, we see waves and surges. It is full of life-energy, so dynamic. That dynamic aspect of life comes from the power of concentration. But beneath the surface of the ocean, at the bottom it is calm. This deep and peaceful aspect of life comes from meditation. If we want power, if we want to go as fast as possible and reach our destination, then we need concentration. But if we want to inspire humanity, if we want to take countless people along with us towards the destination, then we need meditation.

The power of concentration will take you to the goal faster than the fastest, defeating everybody. But the power of meditation, which is all boundless peace, will be able to carry everybody with you. What you now need is meditation. If you didn’t have the power of concentration, you could never be the fastest human. You do have it. At every moment I observe in your life the power of concentration. But the power of meditation, which is infinite peace, you have to develop. So if you meditate regularly, then like the power of concentration, without fail you will also get the power of meditation.

Concentration gives us the victory. But meditation gives us joy and confidence. After we have achieved the victory, a kind of fear may enter into our mind that tomorrow perhaps we will not be so fortunate. Today you have won; you are so happy. But a few minutes later you may think, perhaps Calvin Smith will do better in the next meet. Perhaps the day after tomorrow I will not be able to perform as well. Even when concentration brings the victory, you are always afraid that you will not be able to perform well or that somebody else will surpass you. So it is very important to have the power of meditation so that doubt will not be able to attack you and take away your joy.

Now Calvin Smith and others have different names, while your name is Carl. But once you have the power of meditation, if somebody calls you Calvin, you are not going to mind because you have become one with him. When you have won by virtue of the power of meditation, you have won it for me, for Narada, for everybody. When you win with the power of meditation, you have won for mankind, and that victory will forever last. Meditation is something new to your mind, but not to your heart, not to speak of your soul. Your heart is quite familiar with meditation because you have a beautiful, soulful heart. But your mind is not accustomed to the Eastern type of meditation, although your heart is more than prepared. Your heart is quite familiar with it. Your heart is all love, good will, fondness and oneness. Your heart was fully prepared but the mind has taken 22 years to know what the heart already has in boundless measure. So meditation is something new to your mind, but your heart knows it extremely, extremely well.

Carl Lewis: I just wanted to say that last night was really beautiful. I want to especially thank all those who did the singing.

Sri Chinmoy: These things that you have said are so profound that I wanted to set tune to them. Your words have tremendous prophetic power. Then, when they become songs, they have even more power, they become part and parcel of the universal harmony. The songs that I have composed embody the power of your words. When we set tune to them, we embody the power in the words. Otherwise, the power just remains before us, but we don’t have the happiness and joy that it contains. When we sing songs, inside our songs we see happiness. Music keeps us in tune with our universal Self.

During the Olympics, spiritually we will all be there. We will be 100 percent for your victory — not 99 percent but 100 percent for you.

Part V: Sudhahota

Sudhahota Sudhahota Sudhahota Sudhahota

Sutibra gati dhara pabitra hiya tara

Antare chira tare spriha bhanu durbar

```

O unparalleled sacrificer of Immortality’s Nectar-Delight,

In you is the complete halt of earth’s streaming tears.

Yours is the heart flooded with purity-stars.

With Eternity’s Himalayan aspiration-height.

Victory, victory, victory to you!

Part VI<sup>2</sup>

There are people on earth who will take many, many years to bring to the fore their inner man. In your case, it took you only a few fleeting hours to bring to the fore your inner man. While you were meditating with me, right from the very beginning your inner man came to the fore. At that time you were no longer Carl Lewis, the greatest athlete, the champion athlete of the world; you were something else — something infinitely more beautiful and infinitely more powerful than this. You had become the supreme hero-warrior to fight against humanity’s ignorance. You became what your outer life at times consciously, at times unconsciously, has always been searching for: the unparalleled sacrificer of Immortality’s Nectar-Delight.

Yesterday I offered you a flower. The spiritual significance of that particular flower is gratitude. I offered you my heart of gratitude and, at the same time, my soul of blessings. My heart’s sweetest gratitude and my soul’s highest blessings I offered to you, and you received everything most powerfully. Receptivity is not a mere word in your life of aspiration. No, in your case it is a living reality. The living reality of your receptivity has touched the inmost recesses of my heart. You have proved to both the outer world and to the inner world something unprecedented: that the outer man, whose name and fame have covered the length and breadth of the world, can also long for the inner man, who is the true ambassador of the Absolute Supreme on earth. This is what the inner man in each human being is. In you, yesterday we saw the perfect and unprecedented oneness of the outer man and the inner man.

The outer man says to the inner man, “What I have is all for you.” The inner man says to the outer man, “What I am is all yours and will always be yours, only yours.”

Part VII

Sudhahota: You start slowly, then gradually speed up. Every step Coach Tellez wants faster. He wants it faster, faster, faster until you reach full speed, and then you hit the board. That’s the idea he has — every step faster.

Sri Chinmoy: In the past, coaches used to advise the athletes to slow down the last two steps so that they could get a proper footing. What does your coach say?

Sudhahota: That’s what the general idea was 10 years ago. About 60 percent of the long jumpers still feel this way today. But my coach says to tear all the way through it.

Sri Chinmoy: They say that before cats or other animals jump, they bend a little so they can go higher. But in order to bend, they have to slow down. That was the old theory. I am an old man, so I am telling you all old theories. But you are the young generation; you are discarding the old theories. The young generation has every right to discard old theories.

Sudhahota: That was the old way. But my coach and I believe that you should just run right off. In physics, most people think of height as very important. Well, I can sit here and I can throw a pencil straight up, and what does it do? It comes down! But if I throw this pencil at an angle, it goes far away. So what you want to do is keep the speed and keep the angle of take-off lower, so that you can go farther. Because if you try to go higher, you are going to use your energy to go up instead of out.

We have incorporated the laws of physics into long jumping. At a 22 or 23 degree angle we must leave the ground. We have calculated it to such an extent that if I'm going at a certain speed and I leave the ground at a 22 degree angle, then I know I will jump over 30 feet. But it’s not easy, of course, to hit that particular angle.

The hitchkick is a continuation. What gets you into the air are your last four strides. Then you just keep going with the hitchkick. But if I were to just slow down and stop, then I couldn’t finish it. It’s not quick enough; I would stop here or I would stop with my feet straight down. The only way I can finish it is to just be very quick and keep running through — make my preparation and go. Then I can land correctly.

Sri Chinmoy: From one hitchkick during a jump it has come to two. The world is progressing. Would you try two and a half or three?

Sudhahota: I thought about doing three, but I would have to jump over 29 feet. So if I jump over 29 feet and feel comfortable, then I'll try. It will be like another challenge — to go one step farther. I am four and a quarter inches away from the world record now.

Sri Chinmoy: Buy a few records, then just break them. But don’t break any of Narada’s records!

Why do people accuse you of not working hard? There will always be people to criticise you. They say, “If he runs 200 metres he is a fool, because he will ruin his long jump.” But they also criticise you if you don’t run 200 metres. So no matter what you do, you can’t please the critics.

Sudhahota: Most of the time they criticise me for not training hard. Compared to other athletes, I don’t. I may do two 600s in a workout, whereas most of the athletes do three. I may do two 400s; most of the athletes do three. But Calvin Smith doesn’t really train super hard most of the time, and I don’t either. That’s not to say that we're the best athletes. But I've only had one injury in my entire career outside of a knee problem, and I had that because I was still growing. Otherwise, I've only had one injury since 1969, and the reason is because I've rested my body.

Even if I'm in great shape, I don’t want to risk injury. What I do is gradually go on, gradually go on. In this way I'm able to stay injury-free. That’s the only way you can be number one — by staying injury-free. If you are hurt, you can’t run — no matter how talented you are. I get criticism for not training hard. But I've run as fast as anybody, and I've not gotten injured. So I think that’s the real correct trade-off.

Sri Chinmoy: Nowadays you are not planning to run many races.

Sudhahota: Right! When I was in college, I ran tons of races — four or five races a meet. I ran 33 track meets in my last year at the university. Two years ago, the first year that I didn’t run for my school, I cut it down to 24 meets. Last year it was 18 meets. I had my best performances this year, with fewer meets. So it’s a matter of what is correct for you. If you believe in yourself and know, “I can do it if I train six weeks,” then that’s all you need.

Sri Chinmoy: As long as your confidence is always at the highest, whether you run one race or 10 races doesn’t matter. Even after only one practice when there is a serious meet, you can do well.

Sudhahota: Right! For instance, I ran our nationals; then I ran only one more meet before Helsinki, which was then six weeks away. After that I took five weeks off. Most people thought that was deadly, but I knew what I was doing. In Helsinki I was rested and mentally ready, whereas a lot of people were tired. They didn’t want to take chances and they didn’t run as hard. But I could do what I wanted to do. I was very much at ease because I had the confidence. I knew I was rested because I hadn’t been competing, and I was ready to run.

Sri Chinmoy: In the relay you take the last leg, the anchor.

Sudhahota: Yes, I have a strong finish. In the 400-metre relay, they always put me in the anchor leg, so if we're ever behind I can make up for it. They always put Calvin third because he runs a good turn. If Calvin and I make the team, we're always third and anchor. It’s good, because Calvin and I have been on six teams together, and we know each other. We could be dead last and still win because I know Calvin can catch five, six or seven people on his turn alone, and I know I can make up the rest. So it’s good to have him there.

Sri Chinmoy: So everything changes! The old theory, 40 years ago, was that the third runner should be the weakest. They felt the first person should be the second best, while absolutely the best runner should be the last. But now you are learning everything different. The other day a Canadian coach was saying that the best runner should be first. His theory is that if the first runner can get a one or two-metre lead, then the other team members will get confidence and be able to win. But if the first person is not the fastest, then your confidence may go away and who knows what will happen.

Sudhahota: Selecting a national team for us was easy, because Calvin Smith and Emmit King were on the same college team. If Calvin runs on the moon, he'll run third. So I'm talking about anywhere! What we did was to run Emmit first. In a way we were incorporating the Canadian coach’s theory by having the best person for the first leg run first. I'm faster than Emmit, but Emmit will beat me on the turn every single time because I'm taller. I'm not used to running the turn, and I'm not as comfortable in it. I like to run the straightaway. So even though I can run faster, technically Emmit would come first because he is better at the turn. It’s that type of thing. That’s why I like to run anchor, or even second.

Sri Chinmoy: You are a vast ocean of knowledge. I am very proud of you. All the world’s theories, how nicely you have discarded. And you have done so most effectively! The old must give way to the new. There is great joy in this. The old theories you have studied, but now you see that they are of no avail. Everybody is progressing and progressing, so the new theories are bound to be better than the old ones.

Part VIII

Carl has definitely, definitely raised the consciousness of the entire America. In him a new world has dawned, and this new world he has offered not only to America but to the entire world. For that our little community here is extremely proud of him.

Now we have with us this evening his source, his parents. They have been the source of tremendous inspiration, encouragement, light and perfection for him. What he has received from his parents, he has enlarged and multiplied, and now he is offering the fruit of his achievements in profuse, boundless measure to the hungry running world. For that we are extremely, extremely grateful to his parents and to him; we are happy in boundless measure, and we are also proud of him and proud of his parents in boundless measure.

Bill Lewis: Thank you. I would like to say that a friend used to tell me that if you keep your mouth shut and your eyes open, you will learn a lot. When I came into this room, I had my shoes on. So you survey the situation and act accordingly. As you can see, now I have no shoes on.

I was very inspired by the singing of the songs pertaining to my son, Carl. They were outstanding. But best of all was to look at the faces of the individuals when they were singing. The songs came from their hearts and not from their lips. That’s most gratifying.

When I was in Helsinki, there was a young lady from Japan who had on a T-shirt that said, “The mind is the man.” I know I'm not going to get myself involved in any argument with women if I change that last statement and say, “The mind is the person.” I've often said that track and field people are unique because they are individuals within themselves. Their motivation comes from within.

As I sit here and listen to the statements of Carl being associated with Jesse Owens, I think back to when I met Jesse Owens myself — when I was a young teenager in Chicago. Jesse, at that particular time, was still young, still running. He was always such an encouragement to all the youngsters on the south side of Chicago!

I remember when I first had a chance to take Carl to meet Jesse. I had him bathed and scrubbed. You know how you do these things. I took him up and said, “Hey, Jesse, this is my son.” Then we started talking about old times. It was really gratifying to me to have been associated with Jesse Owens during that time.

It’s also gratifying to be associated with people who have done something that is outstanding. I met Martin Luther King in 1953 in Montgomery, Alabama, during the time that we were teaching and working at Alabama State College. We started from the grassroots and watched that grow to maturity.

As I sit here and see the warmth on your faces and the gratification that you have offered to my son, I think I can say that Carl has offered that same type of inspiration to the people — that he has given back to the people of himself. That is very unusual for an athlete. He has given back to the people some of the thing that they have given him, and that is love. I can appreciate that and I can see that from the gratification and the warmth which I have found here in this room. It will live with me forever. I really appreciate being here with you and being a part of you. I am sure that when Mrs. Lewis and I hit that turnpike heading back home to Willingboro, New Jersey, we will take part of you with us. I really appreciate that. Good luck to all of you. I will put my shoes on when I get outside. Thank you.

Sudhahota: I know everybody’s heard me enough, so I'll keep it short. This has been a special weekend for me because it has enlightened me in many ways. But more than that, it’s the souls that I've gotten involved with! All of you are saying that I've been such an inspiration to you. But I can’t get across the idea of how much you've all been an inspiration to me! More than that, to see my parents come down and see the joy in their faces gives me enough joy for years and years to come. Of course, I'll visit back millions of times, and I'll keep all of you in my heart. I hope you do the same with me. Thank you, and I'll see you all.

Narada: I really don’t know what to say. My life has been so moved by meeting Carl. Having this chance to bring him to New York to meet all of you has been so moving. I've been a disciple for 10, going on 11 years. I don’t know that I've ever seen the disciples, Guru — all of us together — so happy to have shared a time together. I just want to offer my gratitude as well. Thank you all, thank you all.

Anukampa: We were only the chauffeurs. That’s all I have to say. We were just the chauffeurs to bring our beloved Carl to our spiritual family.

Sri Chinmoy (to Mrs. Lewis): Would you kindly say a few words about your two Helsinki experiences? Once you went to participate and once you saw the performances of your children. Could you tell us the highlights of your experiences?

Evelyn Lewis: Before I say anything about that, I would like everyone to know that this has been a most moving and rewarding experience for me — one of the most moving and rewarding experiences I've ever had in my life! I do want to thank you for allowing me to share this with you. From the bottom of my heart I'd like to thank you for that.

My first experience with Helsinki wasn’t one of the best experiences. I was an athlete in track and field years ago. If I tell you how long ago, I'll date myself. Yes, it was the 1952 Olympics. Unfortunately, I had injured myself and was unable to compete. So this time, as soon as I knew we were going to be in Helsinki, I started to pray that I would get to see Carl and Carol fulfil the dream that I never fulfilled. True to form, God did allow me to be there and to witness their performances. Praise be to Him, it was a beautiful experience! Again, I'd like to thank you for having us here.

Part IX

Sri Chinmoy: The vibration of your name is always inside you — in your heart of aspiration. Your heart is beautiful. God’s Inspiration, Determination and Confidence you will always carry inside your heart. (Short meditation follows.)

As regards my capacity, I am your worst student. But as regards my obedience, I shall not be your worst student. Yesterday, at the very first start that I tried, you saw what a severe muscle pull I got! Today I am unable to walk properly. So it is my physical disability that did not permit me to abide by your advice — not my unwillingness. Far from it! I tried my best, but my muscle cramp didn’t permit me to do the things in your way. Many, many years ago when I had a German coach, I gave him lots of trouble. But he is still very kind to me.

Sudhahota: Like I said yesterday, rest also is important in training. So just rest a while and start again.

Sri Chinmoy: I will always listen to your advice. (Joking) But don’t give that kind of advice to my students! If you, the greatest world champion, tell them to rest, then all the time they will quote you. They won’t go out to run; they won’t practise anything. They will only enjoy more rest — as if the rest they presently take is not enough! In my case, I don’t believe in rest. Only when I am compelled, do I rest.

For the last few weeks, I have been going out early in the morning — at 4:30. I practise a little hill work and running for about an hour. Then, in the evening I have been going out again around 9:30. I have a crew of 8 or 10 members who help me. This has been my programme. But now my muscle cramp and back pain — these two undivine elements in the body — are not allowing me to do anything. It is a very painful experience! So your advice about taking rest is applicable to me — but not to my students!

Now, let me be serious. On Tuesdays, when you do not run, you do weightlifting. How long does it last?

Sudhahota: About an hour or two, because there are other people there. There are about 15 other members in the same group. So we have to shuffle around.

Sri Chinmoy: You are the world champion. Why do you have to go to a gym to practise? You cannot have a gym of your own? Then you won’t have to waste your precious time. Or do you like to be in their company?

Sudhahota: I enjoy it.

Sri Chinmoy: Very good. Otherwise, in terms of time, perhaps you are wasting time. But if you enjoy being in the company of your friends, that is again your heart’s magnanimity. You share their joy, and your own joy you contribute to them. It is very good.

In track and field, who is your best friend? Whether you are rivals or not, in terms of heart’s feeling, who is your best friend?

Sudhahota: Evelyn Ashford.

Sri Chinmoy: Very good. She belongs to which club?

Sudhahota: She’s in her own club. Her coach founded a track club basically for Evelyn. Her coach is very strict, but she always cares very much for Evelyn. She shows that first, regardless of who is around. She has one or two other students, but Evelyn is her main student.

Sri Chinmoy: Last night we were so happy to have your parents here. They gave us such joy.

Sudhahota: They were very happy to have come. At first they didn’t know what to expect. But I think they were very pleased to have come.

Sri Chinmoy: When I saw your mother, immediately I felt in her an Indian mother’s heart. Forgive me, we Indians always brag! We have nothing else to do. India is so poor in every respect, so at least we have to say that we have one good quality! Who is going to know whether my heart is good or bad? As long as I say that my heart is good, you have to believe it. So we always speak of an Indian heart or an Indian mother’s heart. By this we mean a heart of sympathy, kindness and closeness — a heart of oneness that feels real concern and sympathy for others. In America this kind of heart is very rare; sometimes it is not even to be found. I am already one with America, so I can criticise it. After establishing my inseparable oneness, I can criticise.

Yesterday, when your mother stood here, her heart was overwhelmed — full of spiritual feelings. Her heart was more nourished, perhaps, than her mind. Her mind had some curiosity about what was going on, but her heart didn’t find it at all strange. To her heart, the surroundings and the gathering were not at all strange. Her heart found a free access to our hearts, I’ve also found a free access to her heart.

Your father is also extremely good, extremely brilliant. He has met with many people and he has really established, within and without, a kind of divine confidence. He knows what he is talking about. He knows what he has to give and what he is.

Narada: Guru, last night Mr. Lewis was very impressed at how organised everything was. Everything went like clockwork. He said he was very impressed with you because it takes a lot to keep things so disciplined. He said, “A person off the street cannot be a part of this. This takes more intelligence.”

Sri Chinmoy: Our intelligence is here inside our hearts. Did you get a chance to speak to his mother?

Anukampa: She loved every minute of it. When we went to a restaurant, we spoke about her being an Olympian and asked if she'd like to be in a Masters competition one of these days. She said, “Oh no, my competition days are over.” But when we were sitting here watching the Masters Games in Puerto Rico, she said, “Oh, that really looks nice. It looks a lots of fun. Maybe one day...” She was very inspired.

Sri Chinmoy: It really is fun. Two thousand athletes came to the Puerto Rican Masters Games from all over the world. At these Games what we see is not jealousy but a real heart’s feeling. From the beginning to the end the competitors are in another world. They have become like five or six-year-old children. In terms of age, they are 50, 60, 70, even 80 years old. But while they are participating, they are all children. There is no fear, no doubt, no tension. They have got back their childhood. They give us great joy.

Sudhahota: How should I pray when I'm preparing for competition, during the practice time and also right before a race?

Sri Chinmoy: If you can pray to the Supreme with an eagerness to please Him and fulfil Him, then He will run the race in and through you and also for you. Always feel that you are running not for yourself but for Him — only to please Him.

The Creator has created the creation. The creation also has created something — something powerful but, unfortunately, not divine. I am speaking of human pride and human ignorance. To create something divine we must bring to the fore our soul’s qualities and please God in God’s own Way. If we can please God in His own Way, then we can have true Nectar-Delight. But if we try to please ourselves in our own way, we will never be satisfied.

If you try to please only yourself, today you will be very happy that you are the world champion in the 100 metres. But tomorrow you will pray to God to reduce your timing — to run the 100 metres in eight seconds, let us say. Then the day after tomorrow you will ask God to grant you the ability to run it in seven seconds. In this way your demands will never end. At the same time, you will always be thinking of Calvin Smith or somebody else who may defeat you. There will be always a kind of insecurity or a sense of insufficiency. You will never feel complete satisfaction.

But when you pray to God to fulfil Himself in and through you, you will be the happiest person no matter what you achieve because God will give you His own Happiness. In spiritual terms this happiness is called Delight. God is all Happiness, but right now we are not all happiness. Only when we please God in His own Way can we become really happy.

God is infinite, eternal, immortal. Only His infinity, Eternity and Immortality can please us. If we remain in the desire-world, we will always be running after happiness but we will never achieve it. This week we will try to grab one inch, and next week we will try to grab two inches, three inches, four inches and so on. In this way we will try to make ourselves happy. But unless we can possess God’s infinite Wealth, we shall never be truly happy. And God will give us His own Infinity, Eternity and Immortality only if we please Him in His own Way.

When you pray to God before practising and also before a race, feel that you are an instrument. Feel that God Himself, your Beloved Supreme, is running in and through you. Then it is His responsibility to make you the happiest person in His own Way — whether by making you first or last. It will not matter to you whether you finish a few metres ahead of someone or a few metres behind someone; you will be happy because you are fulfilling God’s Will.

Mankind received absolutely the highest prayer from the Christ when he said, “Let Thy Will be done.” Indian spiritual Masters of the highest order have always said the same thing: “Lord Supreme, do execute Your Will in and through me.” Even before the Christ came into the world, Krishna gave his dearest disciple, Arjuna, the same message: “Totally devote yourself to Me. Only execute My Will.”

Now you are happy because you are the fastest runner. You have received just a drop of outer joy, but this drop makes you feel that you are the happiest person. Similarly, the people who love you and admire you also feel happy because they have become one with your heart and soul. But when you become the fastest runner, the supreme hero, in the inner world, the joy that you receive is infinite. At that time you become the happiest person by becoming one with your own infinite Light and Delight. When this happens, the outer happiness that you previously felt fades into insignificance.

This is what happens when we pray to God, our Beloved Supreme, to run in and through us. A spiritual musician has the same prayer. He prays for the Supreme to play in and through him. Otherwise, if the musician plays all by himself, then nobody is going to be pleased — not even him. He knows that his Reality is God the Supreme and that his very existence is nothing but the Supreme. If the musician cannot please the Supreme with his music, then how will he be able to please himself? So he prays devotedly for the Supreme to play in and through him.

Your friend, Narada, performs on the drums and other instruments, but the actual Player is someone else. Narada is beating the drums with his outer hands, but someone else is playing inside his heart. I have painted thousands of paintings. When I paint, I just follow a streak of light that the Supreme shows me. In this way He paints in and through me. In your case also, your supreme prayer will be for the Supreme to run in and through you. Then you will be the happiest person no matter what results come from your sports, because you will get the highest joy by becoming a supremely choice instrument of His.

Nothing we achieve in our outer life lasts. It may last 5 years, 10 years or 20 years; but eventually it disappears. Then we have to rely upon our memories, saying, “Oh, I did this 20 years ago.” But those achievements — no matter how significant they seem — are not immortal. Here you may be able to progress from jumping 9 or 10 metres to jumping 12 or 15 metres. But if you know how to jump in the inner world, then in a fleeting second you can jump from New York to Houston.

If your sister is in Houston, you will not need a telephone to convey a message to her or to share your feelings with her. It will be a matter of a second to communicate inwardly with her. The Supreme, who is inside you, is also inside your sister in Houston. By becoming more and more conscious of your Beloved Supreme’s Presence inside your own heart, you will also become more conscious of His Presence in others’ hearts.

So when you want to say something to your sister, to your mother, to Narada, or to anybody, just approach the Supreme in them. He is omnipresent; He is here, there, everywhere. If you approach the Supreme in someone, immediately He will give that person your inner message. On the strength of His Omnipresence, He will carry your message.

While you are jumping, Carl Lewis may think of somebody like Bob Beamon and try to beat his record. But Sudhahota will think of the Ultimate, the Supreme. This is the difference. Sudhahota will not think of jumping 10 metres or 12 metres. While running and jumping, he will think of becoming part and parcel of the transcendental Consciousness and the universal Consciousness, which is what you truly are in the inner world. If this is what you are thinking, you cannot go against the Will of the Supreme.

When I was a youth in India, my running standard was nothing, nothing, in comparison to your standard. But for 16 years I stood first when I competed with other seekers in my spiritual community in India. In 1955 or 1956, after being first for so many years, I wanted to become one with the second and third place runners and the other runners as well. That was my wish. So one day I used a little bit of magic power, or we can call it occult power, to give myself a high fever so that I would not come in first. I had such a high fever that I was unable to do warming up exercises even 15 minutes before the race. Then, when I was taking preliminary starts, I could not see; I was almost blind.

Whenever I ran, as soon as I got to the starting line, in Bengali I used to say, “Let Thy Will be done.” At that time I had no will of my own. The previous night I had exercised my own will, giving myself a high fever so that I would end up second, or third, or even last. But just before the race began, as usual I said, “Let Thy Will be done.” So what happened? As soon as the race started, my fever and my weakness immediately disappeared. God knows where they went, and I came in first. Because I had already realised God, I was able to inwardly communicate with my Beloved Supreme. After the race, I said to Him, “I didn’t want to be first. Why did You make me first?” He said, “Just before the start of the race, you said, “Let Thy Will be done.” At that time, you did not think of your wish to become second or last so that you could get a different kind of experience. You said that My Will should be done.” It was God’s Will that I become first. So because I said this with absolute sincerity, God’s Will prevailed and I did stand first.

Once you realise God, your own highest Reality, even if you have a wrong desire, you cannot fulfil it because you have offered your body, vital, mind, heart and soul to your own Highest. My vital and mind wanted to have the experience of losing. But I could not get this experience because it was not God’s Will. At the last moment, when it was absolutely necessary, I did the right thing by surrendering my will to God’s. Then, afterwards, I became the happiest person because I had been able to please God in His own Way.

In your life also, from now on try to feel the difference between outer happiness and inner happiness. Outer happiness is like a tiny drop. True, there are millions and billions of people in the world who do not have even that tiny drop, but it is still infinitesimally small when compared to the vast ocean. When you get inner happiness, you see how soulfully that little drop merges into the ocean of joy. If you try to trace a drop in the ocean, you will not be able to find it; it has become indivisibly one with the ocean. Similarly, when you enter into the delight of the inner world, you will see that your happiness has become as vast as the ocean. At that time nobody will be able to say, “Once upon a time he had only a drop.”

So this is what happens when we pray and meditate: our finite consciousness enters into our own infinite Consciousness. At that time our limited earth-bound consciousness becomes the universal, Heaven-free Consciousness.

Sudhahota: What is the ultimate limit of an athlete’s performance?

Sri Chinmoy: There is no ultimate limit to an athlete’s performance. You used to come back home from college and tell the members of your family that you were tired of losing. Needless to say, even at that time you had already reached Himalayan heights. Yet you can see how much progress you have made since then. Now, for the last few years you have been the champion of champions.

Your most extraordinary achievements at Helsinki and Los Angeles have placed you in the galaxy of immortal athletes. Yet who can say if this is your ultimate contribution to track and field? We who are most sincere admirers of yours are fervently praying to God for you to have better, more illumining and more fulfilling achievements. Your heart has implicit faith in God’s infinite Compassion. You are also aspiring to become the greater-than-the-greatest athlete in the world. God’s Compassion and your own aspiration combined will sing the song of self-transcendence in and through you to the joy of your loving admirers throughout the world.

Part X

I had such confidence that I would win! The starting height was quite low, and we had three chances to clear it. O God, on my first try I very nicely failed. I couldn’t believe that I went under the bar! On my second try I knocked down the bar. One more chance was left. I was the best, but if I missed again I would be out of the competition. That very moment, a being — none other than the Indian Goddess Mother Kali Herself — came to me in the inner world and said, “Go home and make a circle in black ink on your left heel. Then come back, and you will be able to do well.”

I said jokingly, “My mental hallucination has started! What does a circle on my left heel have to do with crossing over the bar?” But Kali said, “If you do not do what I am saying, then you are going to fail, and you will be really embarrassed!”

I had started with such confidence, but confidence had now turned into humiliation. Of course, it was not yet total humiliation because I still had one more chance. So I left the playground and started running towards my house. Some people were puzzled; they couldn’t understand why I was leaving. Luckily my house was only two blocks away. Very quickly I put my finger into some ink and made a black circle on my left heel. Then I ran back to the playground. There was still time for my third attempt because the other competitors were still jumping. Nobody knew anything about what I had done.

When my turn came, this time I went far above the bar. That was not all. Gradually, as the height increased, everyone else dropped out of the competition and I stood first. I defeated the second-place person by a very large margin. This is the difference between what we can do with confidence and what we can do when the Divine injects Grace into our life. First I was so confident that I would be able to cross the bar. But God wanted to smash my pride. He wanted to show me that I could not do it myself, but that I had to depend on His Grace. For many years after that I always stood first in the pole vault. Then, finally, one or two persons did better than I did. One day I will tell you other stories about my pole vault experiences, but this is the story I wanted to tell you today.

When I won the pole vault competition that day, I didn’t receive any prize money; I got a game of Monopoly as a prize. Unfortunately, in this life God did not make me outwardly rich, but He compensated by making me inwardly very rich. It is up to God whether or not He wants to make you outwardly very rich. But I pray to Him to make you extremely, extremely, extremely rich inwardly in your life of aspiration, dedication and God-manifestation on earth.

In 1944, when this story took place, you were in the soul’s world, dreaming and meditating, meditating and dreaming. God was dreaming and meditating inside you. Then, after many years He sent you from the dream-world into the reality-world to do something unique for Him on earth. First you dream, then you meditate, then you reveal and then you manifest. So, in the soul’s world, you dreamed and meditated. Now, from the inner world your soul has come to reveal and manifest that extraordinary dream and extraordinary meditation.

That is what you were then, Sudhahota, an extraordinary dream and an extraordinary meditation. And this is what you are now: revelation and manifestation through sacrifice. Sacrifice is nothing but the manifestation of our discovery of oneness. In our oneness-discovery, earth’s cry and Heaven’s Smile join together to manifest the same Highest. God cries through earth and smiles through Heaven. Now, through your own smiles and tears, you will do something most special for Him.

Confidence is absolutely necessary. Without confidence one cannot achieve anything in life. Again, as everything has a source, confidence also has a source. The source of true human confidence is the divine Grace. When I say, “I am,” then immediately the question arises, “Whose am I? Am I of God or am I of something or someone else?” When the answer comes, “I am of God,” then confidence flows from its divine Source. I am all confidence because my Source is God, God the Grace. Since I embody God’s infinite Grace, then I am bound to succeed. I can never fail because my Source is God’s infinite Grace.

When I feel that I am of God, then I want to prove to Him that I am also for Him. I am grateful to Him because He created me and I am of Him. Now I want to prove to Him that I am worthy of the Affection, Blessings and Grace that He has poured upon me in infinite measure. I tell Him, “Your Grace has made me what I am. Now my aspiration, my determination and my confidence will make You proud of me, for I know whose I am: I am all Yours. Also, I would like You to know for whom I am: I am only for You, only for You.”

Part XI

Sudhahota: The commercial I did when I was in Los Angeles is for Nike sports shoes. Nike is doing more artistic things. The idea was for me to run down a runway, jump into the air and just keep going — never to come down. I wish I could do that! As I am running and jumping through the air, I basically say that when I was young, I jumped nines; but I didn’t give up. In high school I kept coming in second, but I never gave up. The point is, if your philosophy is never to give up, there’s no telling how far you can go. The commercial has a little imagination.

Sri Chinmoy: That is exactly my philosophy: only progress, progress, progress. When you started doing the long jump, what was your distance?

Sudhahota: Nine!

Sri Chinmoy: From where to where! Now you have jumped over 28 feet. So, from nine to almost 29! On Thanksgiving we watched your family on television.

Sudhahota: My parents are still elated from the time they came here. They felt it was really special. Hopefully, during the Millrose Games, Carol will get to come here.

Sri Chinmoy: Does Carol know about your spiritual name?

Sudhahota: Carol liked it.

Sri Chinmoy: When am I going to get the training schedule you are making for me?

Sudhahota: I'll go back and work it out this week and send it to you. It will be some time next week because I have to speak to my coach.

Sri Chinmoy: You have to tell him that I'm the slowest man on earth. Also, I have had back pain for the past 12 years. But I am very greedy, so I want to run. If he wants to know, my fastest official time for the 100 was 11.7. Otherwise, in practice my time was 11.3.

I was brought up in a spiritual community. There were about 2,000 members in it. Over 200 participated in the sports competition, and I stood first for 16 years uninterrupted. For two years consecutively I was the decathlon champion. Then, for the third year, the rain ruined everything. At the time of the pole vault, out of the blue it started raining and I lost a number of points. Otherwise, the third year also I would have won the decathlon.

It was in 1944 that I started my sports career. You were in the soul’s world watching — just the way I am watching your career now.

Part XII

For me to give you suggestions or advice is like a tiny flame giving advice to the sun. But a tiny flame is also a solid and concrete portion of God. In this world, when the tiny flame has established its inseparable oneness with the mighty sun, at that time the tiny flame is quite anxious to offer its capacity to the sun. So, from an absolutely practical point of view I would like to say a few things.

For the past few weeks, in the 50 metres and 60 metres you have been coming in second. For us, the thought of your being second in this event is far beyond our imagination. But to me the 50-metre and 60-metre races are of no importance at all. When the world speaks of sprinting or the fastest sprinter, it speaks of the 100 metres. When we talk about Jesse Owens being the fastest runner, we never think of 50 yards or 50 metres or 60 metres; we think only of 100 metres. Go to any obscure country and ask who is the fastest. Immediately they will say the name of the person who is first in 100 metres. In this respect, your name has covered the length and breadth of the world. The whole world knows you as the best, the superlative sprinter.

When I came to America and heard about 40, 50 and 60-metre races, it amused me more than it inspired me. If people want to value only the shortest distance, then there will have to be a 10-metre or a 2-metre race. Or some silly people will say that whoever comes out of the starting blocks first is the fastest sprinter. But if this person has to run 70 or 80 or 100 metres, perhaps he will be nowhere. Some runners are still behind even up to the 90-metre mark. But when it is 100 metres, they defeat their rivals.

The General Secretary of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Nolini Kanta Gupta, who passed away recently, was my boss when I lived there. His middle son was the fastest in 40 metres. But luckily for me, there were no 40-metre races, and in the 100 metres I always defeated him. He would be as much as 4 or 5 metres behind me. Then, after a few years, he gave up his running career and I continued with the 100 metres.

So please feel that 100 metres is the real race — not 60 metres or 10 metres or 2 metres! Please concentrate only on your 100 metres. Let the world mock you. As you have something to do, the world also has something to do. Let the world say whatever it wants to say or feel whatever it wants to feel. If you have already decided not to do any more short distances before the Olympics, then do not surrender your adamantine will to public criticism. People may try to instigate you to run more short distances, but if you have already decided not to run anymore, do not surrender to their unforgivable instigation.

If you want to continue and say, “I shall accept the challenge! I want to prove that I can do it,” then that is another matter. But the only thing is, the Olympics are fast approaching, and I personally feel that the time has come for you to concentrate on the 100 and 200 metres and on the long jump. Who knows, perhaps God is giving the runners who are right now defeating you in shorter distances just a few drops of Nectar, whereas He has decided to give you a very large quantity at a later time. Or perhaps He is giving them some crumbs and plans to give you a big loaf. Anyway, you please make your decision. If you feel it is inadvisable to run the shorter distances, then do not listen to the critics.

In case you are tempted to do 50 or 60 metres, I wish to offer you some advice on a very practical level. Of course, being a spiritual man, everything I say comes from a spiritual plane. When running 50 or 60 metres in competition, before the starter fires the gun please try to feel that you have to run 10 metres less than the other competitors. If the race is 50 metres, then convince yourself that you are running 40 metres. If it is 60 metres, make yourself feel that you are going to do 50. If you feel that they have to run 10 metres farther to reach the goal, then naturally you will feel that you will win. When you feel that your task is easier than their task, you will get an extra surge of joy — we use the spiritual term ‘delight' — that will help you succeed. You will have a very strong, cheerful, inner frame of mind and be able to run much faster. Then, by God’s Grace you will be able to always do a miracle on the track.

But even though you make yourself feel that you are running a shorter distance than your rivals, you will not come to an absolute halt after you have covered that distance. In the 100 metres, for example, everybody advises the runners to maintain their speed even after they have passed through the tape. That is absolutely the right thing to do. Similarly, if you convince yourself that you are running only 50 metres whereas your rivals are running 60 metres, after 50 metres you cannot let your speed drop. You have to continue your speed right to the end.

Also, while you are running, try to feel that you are being chased rather than being pulled by something or someone. That way you will go faster. If somebody is chasing you, your speed will be faster than if somebody in front of you is pulling you toward him with a rope. If you feel that a magnet is pulling you to the finish line, you will run fast; but you will run faster if you feel that somebody is chasing you and you are running for your life. Imagine that a ferocious tiger is right behind you and at any moment is going to devour you. You know how fast a tiger can run! So you will run for your most precious life, and you will run the fastest. If the image of a tiger is not pleasing to your mind or heart, then think that your house has caught fire and you are running to the nearest telephone booth to call the fire department. When you see that your most valuable house is being burned to ashes, definitely you will run the fastest.

If you cannot think of a tiger or a fire, then try to feel that you are one or two metres ahead of everyone else right from the beginning. Before the race has started even, when you are taking the set position at the starting blocks, please try to feel that the other five or six runners are behind you. Then, when you start, feel that they are not running with you but are chasing you because you are trying to eat something most delicious and they want to deprive you of it. If you can feel that your rivals are behind you, chasing you, then you will be able to run much faster than if you see that the others are all on a line with you. So if you can feel that your competitors are a little behind and chasing you, and that you are running for your life, this will give you more inner intensity and outer determination. All this that I am saying also applies to the 100 metres.

About your long jump, people are enjoying a kind of malicious pleasure and accusing you of taking drugs, which is totally false, absolutely false! Unthinkable criticism has always been the order of the day, and there are always people who will say things that have no foundation. On the one hand, you have accepted the challenge and are doing absolutely the right thing. On the other hand, if you have to prove yourself to others in this way, then you are just surrendering to their whims. Today you have accepted this challenge. Tomorrow they may say something else very painful about your running and jumping, and again you will have to prove that they are wrong. Instead of proving to them that they are wrong, just think of your promise to the world at large that you will do something incredible. Only dream of those incredible things and do not surrender to the stupid criticism of humanity. In the future, if they bring up the same stupid subject, please do not listen to them!

A great spiritual figure, a spiritual giant named Vivekananda, came to America around 1893. He used to say, “The elephant is going to the marketplace and the dogs are barking.” You have to feel that you are the strongest elephant and that the dogs are barking at you. You don’t have to pay any attention to these human beings whose criticism is as useless as the barking of dogs to an elephant. (Joking) If they start barking, then ask your dearest brother Narada — instead of beating his drums — to take his stick and beat the heads of those foul critics.

In the Indian caste system, some people are called untouchables. When I read in the paper that some people are calling you untouchable, I say, “They are using the wrong word. They are saying ‘untouchable’, but what they mean is ‘unreachable’.” You are unreachable in the long jump. I understand 35 or 36 times consecutively you have been first. If this is not the supreme glory, the Himalayan height, then what else is? Even if you never break Beamon’s record — which I am sure you will do, without fail, in this lifetime — you are still a champion. For nobody has ever been able to jump more than 28 feet as many times as you have.

Now I am giving you some suggestions on the practical plane for the Olympics. When you start the long jump, please try to run for the full length; do not shorten your distance. It is absolutely important to have your proper distance. When you are about to start, of course you will pray and meditate the way you have been doing. But at the same time, try to feel that you are hearing people repeating your name: Carl Lewis. Like a thunderous noise, most powerfully, feel that you are hearing your name repeated.

Another thing: when you are about to start, try to feel that you are representing not only America but all of earth. Feel that a competition is going on between earth and Heaven. Since you took birth on earth, you are representing earth and demonstrating earth’s capacity to the cosmic gods and goddesses. Try to feel that the whole earth is behind you and that you are getting blessings, love, concern, determination and oneness from the entire earth. Do not think of the people you are competing against or the person who is second. You have to convince your entire being that the whole Olympic stadium is for you. The members of the audience are eagerly supporting you and helping you in every possible way with their inner will and determination.

You have to feel that there is not a single human being who is against you, because you are not representing any particular country or race, but the entire earth.

So, while running, feel that the whole earth in a thunderous voice is repeating your name: “Carl Lewis, Carl Lewis, Carl Lewis.” Then, when you are about to approach the board in the long jump, feel that the whole earth — all of humanity — is standing up. You do not have to see whether you have covered 9,10 or 11 metres. Only feel that millions of human beings are standing up to honour you because you have broken Beamon’s record and brought supreme glory to earth. This is what I advise you to do when you do the long jump.

As for your training, again I wish to tell you that every second of your life is of paramount importance now when the Olympics are fast approaching. So do what inspires you most inwardly, and do not surrender to the foul criticism of the outer world. The entire world knows what 100 metres is. So please pay all attention to the 100; the 50 and 60-metre events are of no importance.

The world cares for speed, so we have to prove that we are absolutely the fastest. How I wish all human beings would run faster than the fastest, with unimaginable speed, towards Eternity’s ever-transcending Goal. Once we reach the highest transcendental Height with our fastest speed and consciously begin serving our Supreme Pilot at every moment, at that time we can and we shall create an absolutely new creation. At that time there will be only one reality, one song: the song of self-transcendence. There will be no boxing ring where might is right. There will be no destruction. In order to prove our supremacy, we will only have to transcend ourselves the way the Absolute Supreme is transcending Himself. The supreme secret or goal will be to transcend our own capacities. We will not try to defeat others. We will try only to constantly transcend ourselves. In this way we will get supreme satisfaction and offer supreme satisfaction to the inner world and to the outer world.

This is what our Beloved Absolute Supreme expects from His creation, and He will be fully satisfied only when that type of reality manifests itself on earth. It may take thousands or millions of years, but He will not be fully satisfied until He has created that type of creation. Let us pray and meditate to become consciously part and parcel of His new creation. Let us try to become one, inseparably one, with His Will and, when the God-Hour arrives, to become the choice instruments in His tomorrow’s creation.

Part XIII

He was so happy to see his name in my new book. He was telling me that the guards will not allow the children to approach him for his autograph. Then they themselves come to ask him for it. Ketan has given me a poster of Sudhahota running and jumping. While Anukampa held it for him, he sat down in front of the poster and autographed it. He wrote, “Dearest Guru, with all my love and boundless oneness. Sudhahota.” I asked him to put down the date. Of all people, he didn’t know the date!

He has the capacity to jump 29 feet. One day he will break the record. Sitting face-to-face with him I was observing his muscles. They are all invisible! In some people you can see their muscles, but his are all inside. They are not visible, but they just do miracles.

As he was leaving, I said to him, “You will be first, and second will be your best friend, Baptiste. And third, whom do you want? Jefferson is your friend.” He said to me, “Everybody has worked hard. Whoever deserves it.” I said, “Third will be Jefferson, since he is your friend. So first yourself, second Baptiste, third Jefferson — in that order. (Joking) God will listen to my prayer.” I predicted Sudhahota would be first, Baptiste second and Jefferson third. See how my prediction came true!

The next day, while Sudhahota was standing on the winner’s platform after winning the 200 metres, two or three times he acknowledged my presence. Then, right after they played the National Anthem, he stepped off the podium and came over to where I was sitting in the stadium. Then he gave me the bouquet of flowers he had received along with his gold medal. All the officials were standing there. He had to stretch his hand over the shoulders of some people who were sitting in front of me. Not for a fleeting second but for half a minute he held my hands as he was offering me the flowers. This is called the soul’s recognition — one soul recognising another soul.

My childhood dream was to be in the Olympic Games. But even when I became a good runner, I was nowhere near the world standard. Still, I longed to participate in the Olympics. That is called desire-life, wishful thinking, hoping to climb up to the highest height while standing at the foot of the Himalayas.

Part XIV

Sri Chinmoy: Definitely! If a significant number of people pray and meditate regularly in a soulful way in a society, then the face and fate of that society are bound to change. Right now you, my students and I are in a spiritual consciousness. We are feeling love, peace and joy. Who has created this atmosphere? We ourselves have created it, this spiritual vibration, through our prayer and meditation. So if many people have one common goal, easily they can achieve it through meditation. While we are meditating, energy from Above — which you can call peace or light or bliss — is descending and permeating our entire being and also spreading through the atmosphere.

We believe in vibration. If somebody sits at the foot of a tree praying and meditating for half an hour, then an ordinary person may unexpectedly experience a sacred feeling when he passes by the tree, whereas in other places he will not get the same feeling. A sensitive person will feel something by the tree because somebody has created peace and joy there.

Suppose we are with Carl Lewis, who is the fastest man on earth. Immediately we get a vibration of dynamism and speed. If we stand near him, immediately we feel speed. I am over fifty and cannot run 100 metres in 20 seconds even, whereas he does it in nine point something. But as soon as I go near him, speed enters into my mind. This is not imagination. True, on the outer plane you and I will not be able to run at his speed. But in the inner plane, just by being near him, we actually have experienced speed. Speed has entered into our system. Then, when we go home, we will try to do things faster than usual. This is what being around a dynamic person can do for us.

Similarly, if we go to a spiritual person and see him praying and meditating, then even if we ourselves do not pray and meditate, we will still get a peaceful feeling. That is because a spiritual person lives this peace, in the same way that Carl Lewis is living the fastest speed. Since a spiritual person is living a life of peace, joy and light, this is the kind of vibration that people will get from him. Then, when those people go home, automatically they will transmit this vibration of peace to the members of their families. This is how divine qualities such as peace, love, light and speed are always spreading.

Interviewer: So you are a friend of Carl Lewis and admire his quest?

Part XV