A Frightening Episode

Today a frightening episode took place. Pulak took me to St. John's University to walk around 9:15. We were trying to enter into the sports ground through a particular gate. We saw that there were three or four police cars plus a special truck at that entrance. The policemen were standing outside their cars and they were blocking our way onto the track. They were quite serious. Something was definitely happening.

We went to another gate, but we were feeling very uneasy. I asked Pulak to go and talk to the boss of some construction workers who were also there. I said, "Go and ask that man if I can walk." Even though I have written permission from the University authorities to walk, I wanted to make sure.

Pulak went and spoke to the boss, who said, "Definitely you can walk or run. Do whatever you like. The place is under construction, but if you want to try, you can."

I entered into the stadium and began walking. I did one round, two rounds, three rounds. Then I saw that the policemen had raised their guns. Two of them were talking on walkie-talkies and a special truck had driven onto the lawn which is used for discus, shot-put and hammer. The policemen were all aiming their guns at the tent near the tennis courts. It seemed that something was going to happen.

When I finished my fourth round, I saw that two of the policemen, instead of aiming at the tent as they were doing previously, were now looking through their guns at the track where I was walking! God knows what they were doing. They were watching something. I was the only one walking there and there were a few innocent construction workers on the side.

I know that people can do crazy things, so I quickly walked away and came to the gate. The man who gave me the permission asked, "What is happening?"

I said, "I do not want to be killed. You can see that there are police with guns everywhere."

Then the construction boss himself left the place with me. When I came out, he followed me and brought four or five other workers.

This was the experience we had this morning. The men with guns were not even twenty metres away from me. I was in the third lane and they were right beside the track, on the outside of the fence. What were they doing? First I saw that they were facing the tent. Then, on my fourth round, I saw that they were looking at the track. I said, "This time it is too dangerous." This was my St. John's experience today!

27 June 1996

From:Sri Chinmoy,Walking-challenging-becoming, part 1, Agni Press, 2000
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/wcb_1