My weightlifting tears and smiles, part 1

The deliberate lie

He had examined my triceps and biceps secretly and saw that they were like marshmallows.

I said, “Now that I have told a lie, let me start with 50 pounds and, after some time, make the lie true.”

It took me two or three days to lift 50 pounds. Then I went on to 60 pounds. The other day, both Databir and Pahar were able to lift up 60 pounds with one hand, but I could not do it. I said to myself, “Sixty pounds I will not do in this incarnation!” Three or four times I tried. The first two or three days I could lift it up to my knee. Then it went to my shoulder. On the 11th of this month I asked a few girls and boys to predict when I would be able to lift 60 pounds. Most of them said I would be able to lift it any day. It seemed like an exaggeration which had nothing to do with reality!

Some said I would do it on the 12th or 13th; some said on the 15th. Nobody guessed the 16th. Today is the 16th, and today I actually did it. Now I am trying for 70 pounds. I do not know whether I will ever succeed in this incarnation. To me, 70 pounds is unimaginable! Of course, about a week ago, 60 pounds was out of the question.

Taking the credit

When I saw Don, I said in a joking manner, “I must be sincere with you. I really do not like weightlifting at all. I have only taken it up because I cannot run. So please understand that I am a very bad student. I am listening to your coaching, but I may not follow it. Still, I am grateful to you for your advice.”

Don said, “We have a belief in the weightlifting industry that any time you offer advice, even if the student does not follow it, as long as the student eventually makes progress, the coach can claim the credit. So even if you never use my advice again, if you can continue to make more and more progress, I will always be able to say that I offered you advice.”

I laughed and laughed. Then we spent an hour together in the gym taking exercise. I was admiring his muscles like anything.

Half an hour after I left the gym, I asked Sumati to call Don and invite him to our concert that night. I told her that Don only had to stay for ten minutes and I wanted him to sit in the front row. Don said that he was planning to go anyway and he wanted to stay for the whole concert.

So Don came to the concert and stayed to the very end.

Delicate hand and powerful hand

At five o’clock, I go out to walk for two miles. Then I come back and do stretching exercises for half an hour. Next comes more exercises upstairs. Then I come down and lift 155 pounds 13 times. Then I do leg presses and bench presses.

After this I meditate and play the cello. Then I take another form of exercise and then play my Moroccan instrument. Next I do another exercise and then play the Chinese instrument.

First I am showing a delicate hand and then I am showing a weightlifter’s hand. This moment I use my delicate hand to play musical instruments, and the next moment I use my powerful hand for carrying inert, solid weights.

Inner capacity and outer capacity

I know perfectly well that if I wanted to energise the physical, or if I opened up my third eye and allowed spiritual power to percolate from the soles of my feet to the crown of my head, all my limbs you would see as infinitely stronger than what they now outwardly appear.

Frank Zane's inner poise

Ashram weightlifting record

Permission from Unmilan's soul

Mutual promises

God's weightlifting experience

In all sincerity, I hate weightlifting. It is unconscious, lifeless, dead! It knows nothing but resistance from beginning to end. As if spiritual transcendence, which I have already done, is not enough! The transcendence of lifeless, senseless matter will take God knows how many millions and millions of years.

Anyway, God is having a good experience in and through me. The philosophy of all the great Masters is that there is nothing a Yogi cannot do. Now, compared to a spiritual Master of the highest order, an ordinary Yogi is like a little brother. So if the helpless, little brothers can do something great in their life-story, then the elder brothers should have the capacity to do infinitely better.

Training schedule

Even now, from the bottom of my heart I hate weightlifting. This morning when I was running, I was getting such joy. When I run, there is fresh air, beautiful trees and the smell of flowers. The day I can lift up 100 pounds from the ground and 200 pounds in the one-arm lift will be the end. Then no more weightlifting!

The "barking" weights

The weights are like a sleeping dog — very calm. But if you disturb the dog, it may open its eyes and bite you. In the same way, the inconscient weights say, “We are sleeping and now you are bothering us.” When you touch the weights, they feel a kind of sensation and get furious. Sometimes, because of my divine inner qualities, they get joy. Otherwise, it is like disturbing sleeping dogs; they just start barking.

Big "tumours"

The optimist

Now what was I going to do? All the time, Vinaya remained silent. He did not tell the boxer what I could really lift. Afterwards, Vinaya lifted up 45 pounds, and then he told the man about me.

When the boxer heard my name, he was so excited. Then he came over to me and said the funniest thing: “My wife thinks I am crazy. I want to break the world record in the marathon.”

I said to him, “How many times have you run a marathon?”

He replied, “Not even once.”

“Then what do you do?” I asked him.

“I swim,” he replied.

Then I asked him when he planned to run his first marathon, and his answer was, “I will run two marathons before the New York Marathon, and then I will break the world record.”

I told him that Carlos Lopes, who holds the world record, is about 38 years old, but he corrected me: “Oh no, Lopes is about 40 now. If Lopes can do it, then I can also do it.”

“That is good,” I said.

So Vinaya told him all about our marathon in case he wanted to come and run with us. He said definitely he would run our marathon and also the New York City Marathon. Now look at this! Is it possible for him? He has taken drugs for many, many years. Now he wants to break the world record in the New York Marathon, and he has not yet started running!

Using your inner light

Otherwise, I practised everywhere — in Bombay, Calcutta, Chittagong and Pondicherry. As you know, I try to do weightlifting early in the morning, between 3:30 and 5:00. Then I get satisfaction. But some of the hotel rooms were smaller than the smallest. Also, some have practically no light. The hotel lights are invisible, so you have to use your inner light.

The elevated push-ups

Then I wanted to try this kind of push-up. It took time for me to bend, and it took more time for me to place my hands on the bars and try to keep my knees straight. They said that it was taking such a long time for me to take the position because I was so weak. They were laughing, and in Tamil they blessed me. They said, “A cock does not lay eggs!” In Pondicherry they always use that expression. When the lethargy-body takes time, people have nice things to say to you.

I don’t usually do this kind of push-up, but I did 70. The three boys were surprised and pleased. But there had been no competition, so they didn’t have to give me anything.

Weightlifting with old friends

I said, “Now this is the time to release one hand.”

Instead of releasing one hand, he brought the weight down so abruptly that I was afraid it would ruin the floor.

A few who are my age used to practise weightlifting. When they were younger, they used to do 60 or 70 pounds. Now they have given up weightlifting. They cannot lift 70 pounds anymore, and the young generation can only lift up weights under 70 pounds.

The rogue porter

An old man was cleaning the room. The porter said to the old man, “Since you are an old man, you carry the small case and let me carry the big suitcase.”

The old man tried to lift my small bag with the heavy weight. He lifted it perhaps a few inches and got a cramp on his left side. The other fellow, the rogue, immediately ran away. He didn’t even enter into the elevator. He just ran down the fire exit.

What can you do? I felt miserable for the old man, and I gave him 20 rupees. Then I took my suitcases into my room.

The push-up contest

Around five o’clock in the morning, I went running a little. My running is not even jogging; it is something worse than jogging. Then I started taking exercise. A teenage boy between 16 and 19 years old was also taking exercise. I was very pleased and amused, and I was immediately trying to imitate what he did. He was very happy and proud.

Then he started doing deep knee bends. Poor me, I can’t bend at all. My knee bends were wrong, and he started laughing. While he did four knee bends, I could not even take the position to do half a knee bend. It was too much for him; he laughed and laughed.

Then I said to him, “Do you know how to do push-ups?”

He said, “No!”

Then I showed him one and he said, “Oh, I can do it easily.”

I said, “Good. Let us have a competition. If you win, I will give you ten rupees. But if I win, you don’t have to give me a thing.”

He was so happy, because he saw how I was doing the other exercises. I was an old man and he was young, and he felt he could easily win.

I asked him his name. He said his name was Darika, which means guard. The Taj Hotel was right in front of our exercise area, so I asked if he worked there. He said he was a student.

Anyway, I let him start in the push-up contest. So we counted, “One, two, three, four....” He did 20. He was so happy, and I was so pleased that he had done 20. Then I started doing push-ups. I did one, two, three, four, five, and then, after eight, I became so exhausted. I pretended that I had no breath and that I was absolutely collapsing. With greatest difficulty I went up to 18. Then I surrendered. To do more was absolutely impossible. He was so happy that he had defeated me by two. I gave him 10 rupees immediately, and he put it in his pocket. He was so happy and proud because after eight I was struggling and struggling, whereas he did 20 and got the prize.

When the competition was all over, I said to him, “The competition is over. Now let me try again, just for exercise.”

He was so happy, and he said, “All right.” I asked him to count.

So 18 passed, 20 went, then 30, 40, 60, 100. When it became 118, I gave up. Then he took out the 10 rupees and returned them.

I said, “No, no! It is whoever wins during the competition time. I can’t take the money from you.”

He said, “No, no!”

I said, “No, in the competition I did 18 and you did 20. So you deserve it.” So I gave the money back to him and said, “Now, you go!”

Vivekananda’s spirit was the witness.

Dhaka customs

I opened the case and I showed the man what was inside. Then I took the weight out of the case. But they were still suspicious and tried to find something inside the weight.

I said, “I want to speak to the highest authority, whoever is in charge.”

He said, “I am the highest authority.”

I said, “You can’t see that there is nothing inside? You need a little more wisdom.”

We were talking in Bengali. He got mad at me and said, “How do I know you are telling the truth?”

It went on like this for some time. Finally I said, “If you suspect me, then bring someone who can find something inside it, since you can’t find anything yourself.”

So he was harassing me, and I was harassing him.

Finally he allowed me to go through customs.

Calcutta customs

Just 45 minutes before I had been harassed!

I told him my sad story about Dhaka. He laughed and laughed and he was not at all suspicious.

Here they shook hands with me and congratulated me because I was able to lift it two or three inches. In Dhaka I took it out of the case even, but all they did was harass me.

The strong coolies

The Indian health spa

The next day, when I went back, the lady said that since we had already made a reservation, we had to pay a cancellation fee. So I got mad and went to Air India and asked them to check my reservation. My name was not in the computer, which means the lady in the hotel had not even made the reservation. In the evening, the lady phoned me in my hotel room and said, “Mr. Ghose, you have to pay a cancellation fee of 160 rupees.”

I said, “Thank you. Now look here!” Then, all of a sudden, I started talking English. I said, “Now tell me, do you want me to tell the police to arrest you or shall I tell the manager so he will fire you? I have been to the airline. My name was not in the computer, so a cancellation fee is out of the question. I am coming downstairs to the lobby.”

The phone rang even before I opened the door. The lady said, “Mr. Ghose, khama karo, khama karo,” asking me in Bengali to forgive her.

Anyway, the story goes on. This hotel had a health spa. Their weights started at 2 pounds and went up to 15 pounds. They also had one belt machine and an older-than-the-oldest rowing machine. I felt miserable for them. They were inviting me to take exercise.

I told the man that I would give him $100 as a contribution to the health spa. He couldn’t believe it. Then I gave him $200 instead. He took me to the manager, who was in the hotel lobby. At that time, two men were talking to the airline lady about their tickets. As soon as she saw me with the manager and the cashier, she said to her customers, “I will be back soon.” Then she left the place.

The manager thanked me profusely and told the first man, “You buy whatever you want for the health spa. Then you give me the receipts.” So the manager thanked me and the cashier thanked me.

There was a chair in the lobby very near the hotel airline office. I went and sat in the chair and started reading the newspaper. I was very relaxed. After ten minutes, I felt miserable for the two men standing at the ticket desk. I knew that as long as I sat there, the airline lady would stay away. So I finally left. As I was about to go upstairs, I saw her come hurriedly to the airline desk. She was frightened to death that I would tell the manager.

Nearly a serious accident

My 100-pound dream

Since I started lifting 170 pounds, I have practised it on 25 or 26 different days. Out of these, only on the second day did I fail on the first attempt. But today, O my God, on the first attempt I had some difficulty, so I had to make a second attempt. I felt miserable.

Then I said, “I have to be happy. The only way to make myself happy is to lift 100 pounds from the ground.” Then, when I did it, I was happy.

The body-world's generosity

On the other hand, I have written hundreds of books, composed thousands of songs and painted thousands of paintings, but those worlds have not received me the way the bodybuilders and weightlifters have. Such big hearts they have! They could have been jealous. They could have said, “This fellow is an upstart. He has only just started. What is he doing?” They could have belittled my achievements. But Mr. Universe, Mr. Olympia, the British Registrar of Records — all have said such kind and encouraging things.

My Mother's Day blessing

I was doing wrist curls on my machine. Then, what did I see? O my God, I saw two ethereal hands twisting my wrists. Then I saw that it was my mother who was twisting them. Here I was saying that I didn’t have to talk to my mother because she is in the other world! So this is how we observed Mother’s Day.

Visit from a bodybuilder

Chitta's theory

Each time I go away on a trip and come back, I have good luck. When I come back from my Germany trip, I will have 13 days more before my anniversary on the 26th of June. Who knows, if I can do 250 pounds by then, I will be very happy.

Bill Pearl's receptivity

Transported by ecstasy

Usually I lift 10 pounds 50 times. But today, because I was listening to the music, I made two or three mistakes in counting. God knows when 50 was over. My left arm never aches after I do 50 repetitions, but this time it was aching like anything. So how was I counting? Only after 75 or 80 repetitions does my arm ache. So when I enjoy the singing, it is very dangerous!

After doing 10 pounds, I lift 30 and 40 pounds. I was on my fourth or fifth repetition lifting with a 40-pound weight and listening to the tape. How soulfully the singer was singing! I was so moved. Luckily, I didn’t drop the weight. I took my right hand and very gently put the weight down. If the singers are extremely soulful, you can become deeply absorbed in the music and drop everything. You people are great! You can listen to a tape while you run. But if I were to use some Bengali singing tapes, I wouldn’t be able to run at all because I would become so deeply absorbed in the music.

The singers’ souls have come to me many, many times. One singer, whose voice I like the best, committed suicide. All his songs were on Mother Kali. God knows who composed them. The songs were written by Tom, Dick and Harry — very simple devotional songs. In some songs, the poet is criticising Kali, asking, “Why are you so bad? Why are you not fulfilling my desires?” But all are full of devotion, full of purity.

For one week, I listened only to national songs, all about India. I liked them so much.

Conversation by candlelight

Ever since I was a child, I have always taken my mother’s side blindly. Whether she is right or not, who cares? So this time also I took her side. When the discussion ended, I blew out the candles.

Sweet reminiscences

Soul's appointment

His soul does not have to knock at my heart-door. It has a free access. Other times during the day also it comes, especially when I am lifting. But 3:45 a.m. is the sacred time that I have set aside for his soul.

Bill Pearl's prana

Hostile forces

Celebrating in advance

When I was about to lift 200 pounds for the first time, I saw that their celebration was already over. Here, I had not yet done it, but in Heaven the celebration was over.

The giants and the ant

The disciples' vibrations

The secret prayers

Meditating on Mother Kali

Blessing the weights

The pure white garland

Later that night, at the celebration, some disciples also presented me with a long, white garland. It was very beautiful, but Krishna’s garland had been much longer.

The dumb-bell's journey

Yesterday I started

A visit from Sri Aurobindo

Here I was at the height of my concentration, and all of a sudden I saw Sri Aurobindo. Such a kaleidoscope goes on!

Bill Pearl's name

When I was in Japan — in Tokyo, Fukuyama, Kyoto and quite a few other places — his very name used to give me tremendous joy. My song on him that I composed in Japan became my mantra. A mantra is an incantation that we repeat countless times to realise God. I have composed thousands of poems and songs, but there is no song that I have repeated as many times as I have repeated the Bill Pearl song. Again, this is not because he is the supreme Himalayan authority on bodybuilding. The inner reason is that I see him as an absolute giant in the inner worlds of aspiration and dedication. God’s Vision-Dream is so powerfully manifested in his life.

So his very name gave me, still gives me and will forever and forever give me the same intensity of ecstasy and delight.

Divine poses

Lord Shiva's encouragement

While I was lifting, I saw with my third eye Lord Shiva sitting in the lotus position, deeply absorbed in meditation. He was sitting about three feet higher than Kailash’s head.

After my second attempt to lift 320, Lord Shiva gave me a little, little smile.

Just as I was about to try the lift for the fourth time, from the very depths of my heart I literally screamed in the inner world: “Shib!” In India, we Bengalis say Shib, not Shiva. Most powerfully I screamed His name, and simultaneously He responded, “Chin!”

Outwardly nothing happened, but at that moment a bolt of energy entered into my arm and I lifted up the weight.

As soon as I did it, Lord Shiva jumped with joy and gave me a broad smile.

Shiva has both power and compassion. On the one hand Shiva is very compassionate. But on the other hand He uses His third eye to destroy ignorance. His power aspect He uses to destroy ignorance and His compassion aspect He uses to lift up humanity.

Agraha's fervent request

Yesterday was Unmilan’s birthday, so I was honouring both Agraha and Unmilan with my lift. Without Unmilan’s machines, my weightlifting does not exist.

A new creation

A concentrative charge

Weight distribution

Denizens of the inner worlds

My joy devours my disbelief

An embarrassing moment

Later, when I went to the United Nations, I met with a great Bengali novelist in the office of Ambassador Chowdhury of the Bangladesh Mission. The novelist is of my age, but immediately he wanted to touch my feet. At least three times during our meeting, with great difficulty, he went to touch my feet. I felt extremely sorry for him, and I desperately wanted to bend down and lift him up, but because of my leg pain, I could not do it.

The Supreme was speaking

I saw how easily I lifted the 110. Not long ago, I would make such loud sounds while lifting this kind of weight. Now, I am lifting 230 pounds more than this.

Then Agraha said, “Guru, in another year you will be lifting 700 pounds, and 330 pounds for you will be like lifting a feather.”

The Supreme was definitely speaking through Agraha.

Indian theory and American theory

An Englishman's sentiment

Nobody guessed it

Progress

The power of gratitude

Heaven's door is only for jokers

A calf story

Let the dogs bark

Ramakrishna told Vivekananda a story about an elephant walking to the market. All around it dogs were barking, but the elephant looked neither to the right nor to the left. It just went straight ahead to the goal.

I was a lion in my last animal incarnation. Bill Pearl was also a lion. So we are two lions who are able to roar. The dogs can bark because the lions are quiet. But if the lions should start to roar, then the dogs will disappear immediately.

The test of faith

Two days ago, by way of a real joke — but I am saying that divinity was involved — I asked some disciples in my house how many of them had faith that I would one day be able to lift up 700 pounds with one arm. Most of them were silent, except for one or two. I didn’t want to embarrass them, but the monkey or donkey in me spoke. I said that if they had this kind of faith in my capacity, I would put them in a garbage bag, seal it and throw it out!

If my Beloved Supreme wants to use my right arm to lift up 700 pounds, He will — no matter how little faith my disciples have in me.

Going to 400 pounds

Two people who will be really happy when I lift 400 pounds are Bill Pearl and Jim Smith. Jim Smith has predicted that I will do 400 pounds. My brother Chitta does not like predictions or outer promises. So, on the one hand, he will laugh at me for saying I will do 400 pounds; on the other hand, he will be the one to cry and die every day to know if I have done it. Outwardly he will laugh but inwardly he will desperately cry and intensely pray for me to do it. Lately, my sister has been reminding me of my promise to stop after 300 pounds. She has been begging me to stop. My 350 pounds made her very sad.

Celebrating myself

While we were talking, I had the idea to buy myself a cake in honour of 400 pounds. It is the first time I have ever bought myself a cake, although I have been given hundreds of cakes by my disciples. When I went to the man to ask him to write “400” on the top, he said: “Let me congratulate you first. I know you are the guy who did 300 pounds.” Then he shook hands with me and asked a few more questions such as which arm I use. The man was very nice. How do these people know about my weightlifting?

Now that I have given myself a cake, I have to do it! Like Walt Whitman, I am celebrating myself.

My mother and father

On the fourth attempt — which was my best lift — both my father and my mother came even before I concentrated. This time, my mother was smiling and my father looked very serious. Then they both left.

I never do five lifts in the morning. It is always four. But today, after the fourth lift, I was so happy that I wanted to do another one. O God, I couldn’t do it! This time, my mother and father had gone away. They had no time to wait.

If you see this kind of thing — father and mother — how can you concentrate? You get such joy, it either ruins your concentration or you get extra energy.

Hanuman's tail

Now, do I ever see Hanuman? On my fourth lift, all of a sudden, he came. Poor Agni and Ananta! As soon as they saw Hanuman’s tail, they were so frightened that they disappeared. When Hanuman comes, his tail resembles a lion and that is why they were so frightened.

Here I was lifting 370 pounds, but inside I was in a laughing consciousness because Agni and Ananta ran away.

It happened to be my car

I lifted the car twice. Then, on the third lift, Ranjana, Unmilan and Vinaya were inside the car. The weight on the calf machine was 3,521 pounds. On the fourth lift, five persons were inside. The car and the weight came to 3,811 pounds. On the fifth lift, seven persons and the car totalled 4,107 pounds.

On the sixth lift — this one really killed me — four persons were in the front seat, four were in the back seat and three were on top of the car. There were eleven people altogether. The weight came to 4,515 pounds. I have no idea scientifically how much I actually lifted. Our great mathematicians and physicists are working it out. I lifted the 4,515 pounds twice and held it for around seven seconds. Luckily, I am still alive. Now I shall take rest from the car lift for a long time, because I really suffered a lot.

My speechless friend

I said to the soul, “I know, I know. But please help me!”

Then his soul said, “Definitely.”

After I lifted the car and eleven disciples, I soulfully thanked Bill Pearl’s soul for its help and the soul made the comment, “Stupendous!”

Then I did exactly the same thing again. This time, the soul was so amazed that it was absolutely speechless.

My solid goal

Ganapati's visit

Then, on my third lift, I saw Ganapati, the elephant god who is also known as Ganesh. As a matter of fact Ganesh is my astrological name. By coincidence, Jyotish means “astrologer.” Ganapati and Jyotish have a very close connection in the inner world. Ganapati is the one who gives realisation. So in India, before you do any puja, first you have to bow to Ganapati. When Ganapati came to watch me, He occupied the entire wall on my right hand side and His huge elephant trunk was moving all around.

The first push

Although in terms of weight this lift was supposed to be 60 pounds less than when I lifted the last car, this time it seemed heavier. When I succeed in lifting, at the very first push it goes up. But if it does not go up when I first push, then it will never go up. There is no hope. It will only sink. So if on the very first jerk it does not go up, then there is no hope. This applies to both the car and my one-arm lift.

My photographer

He came up to me and said, “Can you forgive me?”

But he had taken so many other excellent pictures before that.

Two wooden legs

The Bengali boxer

Once in India there was a very great Bengali boxer. They tied a rope around him, like the ones used in tug-of-war, full of grease. He had escaped from the rope so many times. But this time, when he tried, he couldn’t do it. One thousand people were watching. Some people showed sympathy; some were laughing.

Then he started screaming at his student, saying that he had to do it, since he was to one who had asked him to come and perform. So the student could not do it.

The 400-pound dumb-bell

I was telling the Supreme, “You always cut jokes with me. Now I am cutting jokes with You.”

Now I have made such fast progress from 300 to 400. It is all due to confidence and also the fact that my muscle power has increased — which means my receptivity to God’s Compassion and God’s Grace has increased.

Exactly one month ago, on Agraha’s birthday, I lifted double my body weight, 320. Today I have done 80 pounds more — 400. But I don’t think I have gained 80 pounds!

A miracle for earth

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I know, I know, each miracle performed

Is the descent of Your special Compassion-Blessing

So that she can inspire her children

And thus become Your choice instruments

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A family gathering

On the third lift, I saw my whole family seated by the wall to my right. Some had already departed this world and some are alive, but I saw them so vividly! They were more real than actual human beings. My mother and my sister Lily were seated side by side. Above them were Ahana and Arpita. Then Hriday, Chitta and Mantu were above them. Finally, on the very top, was my father. All of them were in a very soulful and very intense consciousness.

As soon as I finished my third lift, they all smiled soulfully. But the brightest smile came from my eldest brother, Hriday. His whole face beamed with joy. He said, “Madal, you are our Lord Sri Aurobindo’s genuine pride.”

Then my sister Lily asked me to try again. “I am more than satisfied,” I told her. “No, try again!” she begged. So, at my sister’s request, I did try again.

My whole family remained seated in the same position, and once again they were watching me seriously, soulfully and intensely. The most poise I saw in my mother. Being a mother, she could have been full of panic, worry and anxiety, but she was only intense and serious.

Then I lifted the 400 pounds again, and this lift was even better. I was so happy and my family were all so excited. Their happiness far, far surpassed my own. My happiness was nothing in comparison to theirs.

My father came to me and put his palms on my head to bless me. “I wanted this for you,” he said.

Then my mother came to bless me. I had to bend down because she is so short, whereas my father is tall. On the video you can see how I was bending so that she could bless me. How affectionately she was blessing me, with tears of joy in her eyes. She was pouring her love and affection into me.

Then my eldest brother Hriday came and pressed my shoulders with his hands.

Next, my brother Chitta approached me very happily and proudly. He said, “Bravo! Bravo!”

Then my eldest sister, Arpita, came and said, “Useless, useless, useless!”

“What is useless?” I asked her.

She replied, “I cannot pray to God for your weightlifting. I can only pray to God for you to have a few good disciples. Your weightlifting will give me joy only if you can have a few good disciples.”

Then came my sister Ahana, whom we used to call Mary. She came and told me, “Earth does not know who you are and perhaps will never know who you are. But we in Heaven know who you eternally are.”

My sister Lily was next. First she looked into my left eye, then into my right eye, then into my left eye and finally again into my right eye. Then she placed her hand on her own heart and offered her gratitude to God.

Then the last one to come was my brother Mantu. “Enough,” he said. “Enough in this life.”

After the conversation, when the heavenly scene was over, I offered my gratitude to my Lord Supreme and to my Mother Kali. Then I hurried to the phone to give Ranjana the happiest news. Ranjana came to my house and from there she called Unmilan to come also. I invited a few others, and we all watched the video together.

So this is the way to have life-confidence. You have to say, “Tomorrow, I will be an unconditionally surrendered disciple.” As I said, “I am doing it; I have done it,” so you have to say, “I shall do it; I have done it.” Now that I have played my role, you have to play your role with utmost determined inner confidence and inner certitude.

Really strong!

Then I said, “Let me try two.” After I broke two, I said, “Now let me try three.”

I also broke three. Then I said, “Oh, I am really strong!”

The friendly elephant

We were very good friends when I was lifting it up and also when I was offering it my gratitude. But, at the last minute, the elephant frightened me and I had to run away.

The elephant’s name was Karen, the same as Mahiyan’s sister.

The specialist

She did it all by computer. The computer gave the message that my legs were so bad. We should send her a picture of my calf raise.

The unfamiliar soul

Lord Krishna's divine presence

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That can love the world in Your own Way.

That can serve the world in Your own Way.

That will fulfil the world in Your own Way,

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Now I have put 503 pounds on the rack, so let us see how long it takes.

My 500-pound story

Usually when I lift, after my first and second attempts I do not sit down. Then, after my third attempt I sit down on my exercise chair for a few seconds and concentrate to get added blessing-strength. This time, when I was sitting down after my third, fourth, fifth and sixth attempts, Mother Kali came. She was blessing me and caressing my head.

Afterwards, when I called India, my sister said that in a dream she had seen Mother Kali blessing me. My sister said she had been worrying like anything since my 300-pound lift. On the one hand she is full of tremendous joy and pride because of my weightlifting achievements. On the other hand, she is dying of worries.

Before I started lifting this evening, my weightlifting prayer was very significant:

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May Your absolute Victory supreme

In and through my aspiration-heart

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