Weightlifting with old friends

At the ashram some of my old friends tried to lift the 70-pound weight. Three or four were strong enough to bring it right up to their shoulder. But they didn’t dare to lift it over their head. One of them lifted it over his head with two hands.

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.

— 1 March 1986