This guy is everything!¹

Yesterday, when I was running a race in Australia, two runners went ahead of me. As they were passing me, one of them told the other, “This guy is everything! Turn around!” Both of them turned and looked at me.

Then, right after the race, somebody else came up to me and started asking me about food. He said, “Why do you not allow people to eat meat and fish?” I simply smiled at him.

This second experience happened immediately after the race, when I was so tired and exhausted. That is why I was not in the mood to answer the question.

I bow to thee!²

When I was out walking, just across from Agni Press, about five young boys around twelve or thirteen years old came right up in front of me and stood there with folded hands.

One of them said to me, “O great man, I bow to thee!”

I said to the boy, “I bless you.”

The boy was so startled: “What! You bless me!”

I said, “If you are bowing to me, then why should I not bless you!”

Then the boys ran away.

Watching the New York Marathon³

During the New York Marathon, I was crossing the street around the six-mile mark. All of a sudden somebody grabbed me and embraced me.

It was an older gentleman from Hawaii who had run one of our races. He said, “My wife and I are your great admirers. We ran your 24-hour race, and tomorrow we shall come to your concert at Lincoln Center.”

He was wearing all kinds of plants and leaves around himself and a Hawaiian skirt. It was his costume for the New York Marathon.

The university student⁴

When I was coming back from a walk around three-thirty in the afternoon, I saw a girl with a heavy bag of books on her shoulders. This was near St. John’s University.

When she saw me, she jumped with joy. “Sri! Sri!” she screamed.

A Tokyo running adventure⁵

I came down to the lobby of the Sun Route Hotel in Tokyo around five o’clock in the morning in order to go running. I wanted to run for forty-five minutes or so. I was determined that I would not make any wrong turns or get lost, because I wanted to come back in an hour.

But God wanted me to run longer! I was running and running and, as usual, I totally forgot my landmarks. So I got lost very nicely.

Finally, at six-thirty, I said, “Now I have to make inquiries.” So I started asking people where the Sun Route Hotel was. When I said, “Sun Route,” they did not understand my English. I had to say, “Sun Routo.” But even then nobody could help me.

I said, “Fine, nobody knows where it is!” So I continued my journey.

Then I saw a taxi driver and I asked him for directions. He spoke English well. He said to me, “It is quite far. You get in.”

I said, “But I have no money.”

He said, “Oh no, you do not have to pay.”

I told him, “But I want to run.”

“It is quite far,” he said again.

I said, “I will enjoy running.”

He was so nice. He took a sheet of paper and wrote down the directions. “You go to the station and make a right turn.”

So I continued running and came to the station, which was quite far. But instead of making a right turn, I made a left turn and got lost once more. Then I saw a policeman, who showed me which was the right direction.

Finally, I got tired and started walking. God knows where I was. Then I saw Projjwal and Pravaha running along the street. I said, “That means the hotel is very near.”

They told me, “Make a left turn and then a right.” Then they continued running.

For me, right and left are all the same! So again I got lost. Finally, I took a taxi back to the hotel because I was tired of running. The taxi ride lasted seven minutes. Altogether, for two hours I was out running and walking.

Lost souls in Tokyo⁶

Today I saw Ila and Nirvik running and running and running. When I went this side, I saw them running. Then, when I went that side, again I saw them running. Later, Nirvik told me that they had tried to take a short cut, but it had not worked.

Like me, they were lost souls in Tokyo!

The short cut⁷

During our race in Fukuyama, I was running along the one-mile course. I saw Padmasini running about forty metres ahead of me. She was alone.

There was a big stone marking the turn-around point, but she did not go up to the stone. Before reaching it, she just turned around and went back. I thought, “How clever Padmasini is! There is such a big mark at the turn-around point, but she pretends not to see it.”

I thought that since nobody was there, she was taking a short cut. But I did not have the heart to say anything. Afterwards, I found out that she had already finished the race and was just doing some more walking and running.

Senani running in Japan⁸

Four or five times in Japan I saw Senani running. When I see somebody who is older than I am jogging and running, it gives me such joy and inspiration. I can only walk and limp; but he is so tall and his strides are so long. I was admiring him from the bottom of my heart.

When elderly people run or do physical exercise, it inspires the younger generation. In the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Nolini started running again after turning 65. Some of you people are 28 or 29, but you are acting as if you were ancient.

Those who do physical activity give me immense joy, and those who do not take exercise have to develop a new heart to feel my sadness.

The 300-metre mark⁹

Always people stop me at the 300-metre mark of our race course in Flushing Meadow Park. Yesterday, before the Runners are Smilers race, somebody stopped me at that mark and said, “Can you tell me how to get to the train station?”

Then today it happened again. I was warming up before the start of our five-mile race. At about my second mile, which was at the 300-metre mark on the course, a runner came up to say hello. “Do you have the time?” he asked.

I said, “I have no watch, so I am not sure. It is around seven-thirty. The race has not started, so you will not miss it.”

He said, “But I want to practise.”

Then he went to one of the disciples to ask the time. That disciple told him, “It is exactly seven-thirty.” Then the runner was reassured and he went to practise. Every time I go to the 300-metre mark, somebody comes and asks me for something. That is the place!

The soul's reality¹⁰

When I was meditating early this morning, at exactly a quarter to three Trishakash’s soul came to me for very special blessings. So I blessed and blessed his soul, pouring utmost divine light into it. I was very pleased with how much his soul received. When his blessing was over, I blessed other souls.

At 3:15 Alo happened to call. After my conversation with Alo, I took some stretching exercises. Then I went downstairs to attempt to lift 200 pounds. Unfortunately, I only pushed the weight up about four inches; so I still have eight more inches to go! Then I lifted some other weights and did various exercises. How many exercises I took upstairs and downstairs!

Shortly before 5:30, I went out for a run. As soon as I came out of my house, I said to myself, “How I wish Trishakash would come down this weekend so I can tell him the juicy story about this morning’s blessing.”

As usual, I began running on the edge of the street because the asphalt is softer than the cement sidewalk. When I reached my 300-metre mark on 150th Street, all of a sudden I saw a car come to a stop very close to me.

A very tall, strong man came out of the car. O God, it was Trishakash! What was he doing there in Queens at that hour of the morning!

Another disciple, a young boy, was in the car. He was astonished to see me at that hour. They had both just arrived from Canada.

Trishakash screamed, “O Guru!”

He was standing on one side of the car, and I was standing on the other. I was shouting at him — as if he were deaf — telling him the story about his soul.

When I was looking at him, I was seeing not his body but his soul; his soul was on his face. His face, his eyes, his ear — everything — was all soul!

So you see, there is something called the soul. You have to believe it! The body is unreal, but the soul is so real. The real thing you do not see or value. But when the real thing is pleased with you, then it is something! And when the real thing is displeased with you, at that time everything in the inner world is dislocated.

So today Trishakash’s soul was very pleased with him.

He told me, “O Guru, today is my birthday.” A few days ago I had known his birthday was coming soon, but this morning, when his soul had come to me, it was not in my mind.

Enjoying the race¹¹

After I finished this morning’s five-mile race, I was standing relaxed, drinking some water.

A man came up to me and said, “Here is someone who is really enjoying watching the race!”

A disciple immediately came up and said, “Oh no, he has just finished running.”

Morning blessings¹²

This morning I went out to run at around six o’clock. At that time my disciples were all meditating at home, but I was meditating on the street while running. As usual, my route was along Queens Boulevard. I stopped only once, at the Main Street intersection, and rested a little because my body demanded it. So I surrendered to my body and then started running again.

On the way back, I was in a very high consciousness — in another world. All of a sudden, I saw the soul of one of our newer disciples from the New York Centre. Her soul asked me for special blessings so she could fulfil the inner promises she had made this year. I was very pleased. Immediately I blessed the soul with utmost concern and poured solid determination into the soul.

Then, shortly afterwards, I saw someone on the street who looked like my rabbi, Sanatan. I was on the street and he was on the sidewalk. There was a van and a car in between us, but his vibration I still got.

Around my 400-metre mark on 150th Street, I was dying with exhaustion. Then I saw someone running towards me, but I could not recognise her. When she passed me, immediately I felt the vibration of her soul. Although my eyes could not recognise her, I got a vibration from her soul. It was the same New York disciple whom I had blessed earlier.

So I stopped and screamed at her. She also stopped. I told her, “I just blessed your soul. Go straight and make a left turn to my 900-metre mark. Then stand there and meditate.”

Hundreds of things like this happen every day. I do not tell you people how many times your souls come to me for special blessings, affection and love. But your souls come to me only if you are in a good consciousness. If you are in a bad consciousness, your souls know how to sleep!

If you are sincere, if you are determined, then your souls will definitely come to me again and again for extra blessings, affection, concern and determination to fulfil your promises.

British enthusiasm¹³

At the inauguration of the Sri Chinmoy Peace Mile in London, the weather was mild and excellent. It was very unusual for England. Believe it or not, the sun actually came out! Everybody was so happy that we were blessed by the presence of the sun.

All around the one-mile loop there were beautiful blue flags, quite small, and large pictures of important runners. They started with Robert de Castella’s picture, then some English runners, and ended with Sebastian Coe’s picture — as if he were finishing first.

There were also twelve stone plaques on the course with the inscription “Sri Chinmoy Peace Mile”. There was also a big plaque that told our ideals and philosophy in a nutshell.

Thirty metres away from the starting line there were four golden statues of Lord Buddha in a peace pagoda. Right near the start was the River Thames, which runs along about 800 metres of the course. It was all very beautiful!

I always speak about enthusiasm. This time the British have shown enthusiasm from beginning to end. How cheerfully they worked together! In terms of happiness, enthusiasm, warmth and oneness, this race far surpassed all the races we have ever held, including those in New York. I always say, “Become, and then go beyond.” So they have become one with all the good qualities that New York offers in its races, and they have gone far beyond.

The big shots who came were so nice! How kindly and respectfully they talked to me. I was so deeply moved.

On one condition¹⁴

The Mayor and the Commissioner of the Park were at the opening ceremony of the London Peace Mile. There were also a Nobel laureate and a Minister on the stage. For the opening they asked me to release peace doves. I said that I would like the Mayor to release them.

The Mayor said he would do so only on one condition: I had to be on the stage beside him. So we stood together, and he released the doves.

The great runners¹⁵

So many runners came to the inauguration of our Peace Mile in London. Many were former Olympians — some from 1948, some from 1956. There was also a British Olympian who had stood fourth in the 10,000-metre race in the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. Now he is training for the next Olympics.

I had a very long talk with him. I said, “You will get another chance in Korea.”

He replied, “This time, if I do not get a medal, I will give up.” He had seen a video of me lifting 200 pounds and he was very impressed. He said he used to lift 40 pounds, but it was too much for him.

I said, “You do not need to do it.”

There was also a runner from Iran who holds eight Asian records. He was very humble and very nice. He was appreciating me like anything, and I also was appreciating him. He feels I have special blessings from Allah. He also gives all credit to Allah for his running success.

Then, an ex-Olympian from the 1948 Olympics came over to introduce himself to me. He said, “I am a friend of Dhrubha Hein’s father.” This world of ours is so small! Here I was in London and I met a friend of Dhrubha’s father.

Running with the children¹⁶

The BBC came and interviewed me for a long time at the inauguration ceremony. Then they wanted me to run with the children. So I ran with the children.

From the beginning to the end my place was fixed: last. When I started, I had barely covered 100 metres when the children were at 400 metres. They were so fast!

One lady was wheeling her child in a perambulator. She was ahead of me. Then something happened at around 300 metres, and she fell down. I felt miserable!

Afterwards, the father of the girl who had stood first in the competition begged me to be in a photograph with his daughter. She had defeated me badly, so he was very proud of her. The father was the photographer, and he took a very nice picture.

The Buddha pictures¹⁷

The Mayor came up to me because he wanted to have a picture taken with me in front of one particular statue of the Buddha, which he liked very much.

Unfortunately, I did not care for that statue. So after we had taken the picture that he wanted, I asked him to stand in front of another statue for another picture. According to me, this second statue was infinitely better.

At that time his photographer was missing. We had two photographers of our own, but he wanted to have his own photographer. So we had to wait.

The Mayor was shouting: “Where has he gone! Where has he gone!” Finally, his photographer came and took the picture.

The victory¹⁸

In the two-mile race in London I walked and ran. Even then I defeated Chameli. I said, “Oh, Chameli! Two months ago you gave me a heart attack during our Christmas vacation. At that time, I tried to defeat her, but she went ahead of me.

Good morning, Mr. Summer!¹⁹

This morning I went out shopping to buy doughnuts. I had come back from jogging, so I was still wearing shorts. When the lady selling doughnuts saw my shorts, she said, “Good morning, Mr. Summer!”

Then she asked, “Are you Pakistani?”

I said, “No, I am Indian.”

She told me, “Pakistanis always wear shorts.”

You have made my day!²⁰

This morning I went running in shorts and a T-shirt. When the old German lady who lives on my street saw me, she said in broken English, “You don’t feel cold?”

I said, “No!”

Then she said, “You want me to feel that I am an old lady!” She was wearing a brown coat.

I told her, “No, you are quite young.”

She said, “You have made my day!”

She is the lady who has a dog. She always says something funny to me.

The idiot²¹

Yesterday when I was running, a little girl called me an idiot. She was in a car. She put her hand out of the window and said, “You are an idiot!”

I said, “Thank you, thank you!”

Her mother, who was driving, felt sorry, She said, “Sorry, sorry, Mr. Sri.”

Perhaps the little girl saw me as an old man dying of exhaustion, so she was saying, “You are an idiot. Why do you have to run?”

The lousy runner²²

Yesterday I ran our dear friend Cahit Yeter’s races. The one-mile race I managed, but in the five-mile race that came next, I suffered so much.

Cahit had given me the number ‘1’ for my running number. At about a mile and a half into the five-mile race, a little girl was running near me with her father. He said to the child, “Look, number 1 is running with you.”

At the time I was struggling and struggling. The little girl said, “Number 1 is a lousy runner.”

The father said, “Don’t say that!”

Then she went ahead of me. We were competing with each other.

Finally, what happened! I went ahead of her towards the finish of the race.

Cahit gave me the number ‘1,’ so number one got wonderful appreciation from that little girl.

The impossibility-challenger²³

Joe Michaels is really an impossibility-challenger. He is now running our 1,000-mile race after having suffered from so many heart attacks.

Today he was telling me, “You are supplying us with everything. It is a perfect day; everything is perfect!”

I said, “We are all aiming at perfection. That is why this race is happening.”

The happiest of runners²⁴

Sometimes Joe Michaels folds his hands when he sees me. But Dan Coffey likes to shake hands with me. He is the happiest of runners, as cheerful as a butterfly.

Dan comes from England, but he acts like an Indian; his soul is all joy. He is like a heavenly angel. His smile, his movements, everything about him is angelic. Each time you see him, it is like seeing a continuously blossoming flower.

Dan is so nice. How many times he has come up to me to shake hands! Sometimes I am in a serious mood, but his smiling face immediately takes away my seriousness.

Alan Fairbrother is all British. He is measured and very strict and disciplined. But he smiled at me quite a few times; he also is very nice.

Nothing will happen²⁵

The other day, when Stu Mittleman was hit by a baseball during our 1,000-mile race, he said to me, “Nothing serious will happen to me.”

Stu was telling one of the disciples that he had been seeing my Transcendental Picture on his third eye for hours.

A quick response²⁶

I was running near the 700-metre mark in our 1,000-mile race when, quite unexpectedly, a new soul came up to me. The soul was quite unfamiliar, but I did my part. I blessed the soul and then I made a nice promise to the soul about a matter on the outer plane.

Then, when I came to the 800 metre mark, one of the runners ran by me. After going three or four metres ahead, he turned around and gave me the broadest smile. His soul was on his face; so when he turned around, it was his soul that smiled. It was the same soul that I had seen and blessed at the 700-metre mark. His name is Siggy Bauer.

In just thirty or forty seconds from the time I blessed his soul, his soul was able to convince his mind, and that was his response.

The first time he took prasad, he told someone that he felt he was in Heaven.

Running in agony²⁷

When Sulochana sees me, she smiles. Then I see that she is in absolute agony. So instead of smiling back, I try to make a sorrowful, sad face to sympathise with her.

She suffers so much, but even then she smiles at me. What am I going to do?

Making history²⁸

When Fred Lebow visited our 1,000-mile race, he said we are so efficient. I laughed, because at every second we are having a heart attack!

He told me that we are making history. It is so true; the race is a real victory for America. Where else can they hold this kind of race! And this year it was won by an American.

Don Choi speaks²⁹

Believe it or not, today Don Choi said “Good morning!” to me. I could not believe it.

I promptly said “Good morning” back to him.

Usually he does not say anything while he is running.

Only heart-power succeeds³⁰

In this life there will be a few things that the 1,000-mile runners will never be able to forget. This 1,000-mile race is one of them.

The runners will feel sad today that the race is over and that they are not on the course running. The handlers will feel happy.

We do not have much money-power, but we have heart-power. Other organisations may have so much money and thousands of people. But money-power does not work and man-power does not work. It is with our heart-power that we put on the 1,000-mile race.

A Marathon Team member³¹

I was running near my one-mile mark by Main Street, wearing a Madal Bal T-shirt. God knows what it says on the back. A man with a little umbrella came up to me and said, “Are you a member of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team?”

I said, “Yes.”

He said that he had read about the 1,000-mile race in the newspaper. Then he said, “Oh, how I would love to meet Sri Chinmoy!”

Then I said, “I am Sri Chinmoy.”

He dropped his umbrella.

Faces worth seeing³²

This morning we had our Father’s Day Marathon. The faces of two runners were worth seeing. Satyajit’s face was by far the best. Then came Saurjya’s face. These two are such good friends. Satyajit had such concentration that he looked like he was going to attack somebody.

You should always go first!³³

This morning I left my house at quarter to six in the morning to run to Flushing Meadow Park. At an intersection I was standing on the sidewalk waiting for a car to pass. But when the car came up to me, it just stopped.

A young man and a few girls were in the car. The young man said to me, “Good morning, Sri Chinmoy. You should always go first!”

Then he signalled for me to cross in front of him. I smiled at him and he smiled at me. Then I crossed the street.

The drink of water³⁴

The other day I got thirsty while I was out running. So I stopped at a small restaurant and asked for a drink of water. But the man working there said, “No, you have to bring your own cup or a glass.” He was so unkind!

So I went somewhere and bought a paper cup. Then the man at the first store gave me some water.

Wisdom dawns³⁵

When I see Snehashila running at our races, sometimes the monkey in me wants to laugh at her style. At every moment she seems to be taking her last agonised breath.

Then wisdom dawns. She is running, whereas I am seated in my chair just watching. I have to succeed in admiring her!

Kindness or duty?³⁶

This afternoon I went out walking. As I was coming back, I saw an older lady mowing her lawn. The lawn was on a small hill that came down to the sidewalk. She must have accidentally pulled out the electric plug to her lawnmower and let go, because suddenly it started rolling down the hill towards the street. The lady was standing there screaming, “Oh! Oh! Oh!”

Nowadays I am unable to run at all, but when I saw the lawnmower rolling towards the street, I came running over to grab it. I was afraid it might hit a car and cause an accident.

The lady was holding her hand on her heart. “Oh, thank you, thank you! You are such a nice man,” she said.

But her friend, who was standing next to her on the lawn, said, “Why do you have to thank him? It was his duty!”

I did not have the heart³⁷

Today the picture of me lifting twenty-six runners from our Marathon Team has appeared in New York Newsday. While we were watching the New York Marathon, Ranjana found the newspaper in a candy store.

The owner of the candy store asked me, “Are you from Trinidad or India?”

I said, “I am from India.”

He told me that he was from Gujarat.

I said, “Gujarat has produced many eminent persons,” and I named one very famous Gujarati.

He asked, “Is he still alive?”

I said, “Unfortunately, he is dead.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“I am sure,” I replied. “His wife is also dead.”

He said that he had been in America for fifteen years, so he was not in touch with what was happening in Gujarat. I did not have the heart to tell him that I have been in America for twenty-two years.

Screaming "Sri Chinmoy"³⁸

During the New York Marathon, Ranjana kept screaming “Sri Chinmoy” to get the disciples’ attention as they ran by. When she would call the disciples by their own names — like Abarita and others — they did not respond. It seems they had forgotten their own names. But when Ranjana screamed “Sri Chinmoy,” they looked over.

One disciple went at least fifty metres past me. Then, when he heard “Sri Chinmoy,” he came back fifty metres just to look at me.

The curious photographer³⁹

One photographer heard Ranjana screaming my name so many times that he climbed on top of the wall where she was standing to ask how to spell and pronounce it. Then he asked all about me.

Running in the seventh heaven of delight⁴⁰

Two times I saw Mohan and Anjali running together. The first time, at three or four miles, they were laughing and laughing. I was screaming at them, but they were in the seventh heaven of delight, and they did not notice me.

After eight or nine miles, the course became very narrow and everybody had to go to one side of the street. At that time I saw them and they also saw me.

Give me five!⁴¹

While I was watching the New York City Marathon from the sidewalk, many times I raised my hand when I saw disciples running.

Four or five times other people hit my hand with their hand as they were running by. They hit me so hard!

One or two recognised me, and while touching me said, “Sri Chinmoy!” But some just gave me a slap.

A hug from Jack⁴²

One runner, when he saw me, stopped and hugged me. He said, “You have helped me so much in my life!”

The man was wearing a T-shirt that said, “Jack.”

His running partner could not believe what he was doing. He kept asking Jack, “Who is it? Who is it?”

Crossing between the runners⁴³

I was crossing from one side of the street to the other because somebody told me that Lucy and Nilima were coming on the other side. As I was crossing, one of the runners said, “Look at that idiot!”

Afterwards, I became more alert. I would run a little ahead of the people coming and then cross.

Already dead⁴⁴

At the eight-mile point, a thin, old man came up to me and grabbed my hand. He said, “Sri Chinmoy, Sri Chinmoy, God bless you! Please pray for me.” At eight miles he was already feeling dead.

No sympathy⁴⁵

After the marathon, one runner was making a phone call. I heard everything he said because I was standing behind him, waiting to use the phone. The runner had a bandage around his right quadricep. He was begging his brother to come and pick him up. God knows what the brother said.

Then the man called someone else, whom he called “Honey.” But this person also did not want to come.

Then he called “Mum.” But Mum also said no. She was the third person to refuse him. Then he said such a nasty word to his mother over the phone.

Afterwards, I saw him cross the street to get the bus. Poor fellow, once he had to cross the street to make the phone calls, and again he had to cross to go to the bus stop.

The phone calls⁴⁶

I made calls to four different places: Annam Brahma, my house, Ashrita’s house and one more place.

The man behind me was so annoyed. Perhaps he thought I was dialing the same number each time.

He said, “What is the matter with you? Why are you dialing again and again?”

First he had to wait for the injured man to call all his relatives. Then he had to wait for me.

Running insults⁴⁷

While some of the slower runners were still running, the organisers started taking down the equipment.

Many years ago I had that experience when I was running the New York City Marathon. What an insult! The first insult was not enough — that Chameli went ahead of me! Then came the second insult: I saw the police taking down the wooden barricades while I was still running.

Running with Greta Waitz⁴⁸

John has my heart’s deepest appreciation for two reasons. First, he did extremely well; his timing was 2:32. Also, he was running side by side with Greta Waitz for such a long, long time. So many times his Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team T-shirt was clearly visible on television. I was so delighted and excited to see it on TV. It had a very special inner significance.