A story from Sri Chinmoy’s 1976 trip to Australia, 9 March 1976.
In 1956 Melbourne hosted the Olympic Games. As it is for all Olympic cities, this was an opportunity to build new sporting facilities, expand and update its infrastructure such as public transport and generally brush everything up with a sparkling new coat of paint. It was Australia’s first truly grand moment on the modern world stage!
Just by coincidence Melbourne is also the home of Australia’s most famous sporting stadium, the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) or just the ‘G as it is affectionately known by all Melburnians. It is a massive, Coliseum-like structure that holds 100,000 spectators and its grandstands rise upwards to form a huge amphitheatre. So it was a natural decision for Olympic officials to choose the ‘G to stage the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as the track and field competition.
The playing area of the ‘G is huge and the officials found they could easily measure out a temporary athletics track, jumps pits and throwing areas within its boundaries. In those days synthetic track hadn’t been invented and the lanes were all marked out on the grass.
And so, for one long week at the end of November 1956, the world competed for Olympic athletics glory at the ‘G and Australia suddenly seemed to come of age. Then at the end of the Games the stadium reverted to its former role of hosting games of cricket in the summer and AFL games (a unique brand of football we call ‘Aussie Rules’) during the winter months. Other than the lasting tribute of a bronze plaque on a grandstand wall and now fading memories, you would never have known that, in the bright summer of 1956, the Olympics came to the MCG.
Now we fast-forward 20 years later to March 1976. Guru has just arrived from Canberra during His first visit to Australia and we were all jumping out of our skin in anticipation at the airport! Although we had just spent the past few days with Guru in Sydney, this was something really special, hosting Guru in our own home town.
We drove Guru to his hotel, and thinking that He might want time to rest or settle in, had planned to make arrangements for the talks Guru would be giving. Guru, however, had His own inscrutable ‘plans’. Shortly after checking in, He reappeared.
“Melbourne has staged the Olympic Games?” “Yes Guru!” we all replied in wondrous chorus. “Then please take me where the athletics were staged.”
Since I had a very keen interest in athletics, everyone turned to me excitedly with that “let’s go, let’s not keep Guru waiting” kind of look. To say that I was thrown into a sea of confusion is an understatement. Guru said He wanted to see where the athletics were staged but I knew intuitively that He would not appreciate the MCG in spite of its majesty, now that it was just an empty sports stadium with no evidence of anything remotely looking like a track. Oh God, what was I to do!
Luckily the ‘G was only about 2 kilometres away so we all jumped into our cars and travelled in excited convoy across town. We arrived and I immediately encountered the first challenge: the stadium was all locked up; how would we get Guru inside?
I had an inspiration to seek out one of the groundsmen and after persuading him that we had with us a visiting Indian gentleman who had waited all his life to see the home of Australian cricket, his heart softened. “No worries mate, just go through that gate and you’ll get inside. But don’t step on the grass, it’s hallowed ground, you know!” I allowed myself an inner chuckle, thinking, “If only you knew who you were letting inside!”
We all walked down the ramp to the grass. Guru looked around and then uttered the words I had been dreading: “Where is the track!” I felt my knees buckling and my stomach turning somersaults. “Guru, they only had the track during the Olympics; they removed it once the Games finished.”
I knew Guru wasn’t convinced. “Guru, I can show you the warm-up stadium just across the road where the athletes prepared for their races. It’s got a track.”
Guru responded with what I felt was some annoyance but on the positive side I knew this other stadium at least had a track, even if it wasn’t the actual stadium where the athletes competed during the Games. So we all jumped back into the cars and drove in convoy to Olympic Park.
Now every Australian who loves track and field has heard of Olympic Park in Melbourne. It is where John Landy ran a sub-4 minute mile; where he ran back to pick up a stumbling Ron Clarke and still won the race. So many moments in Australian athletics history have been recorded in the very earth it stands upon.
We were able to walk straight into the ground and immediately Guru turned and showered us with a radiant smile as He spied the track. I’m already thinking to myself, “Thank God,” but Guru jolted me out of my false nirvana with a request for some equipment.
Immediately I sped off to look for another groundsman and fortunately, on explaining the situation, he very kindly brought out some hurdles. OK, it wasn’t a javelin or a discus but Guru seemed happy enough. At least we had hurdles . . . that’s what I was telling myself anyway.
Guru started doing some warm-ups and stretches using the hurdles. He was really enjoying Himself standing on His head, doing poses at the long jump pit and He even gave a short talk on the significance of the Olympic Games. Then Guru had us all line up and run down the 100 metres straight in a line across the track.
Finally the stress of the moment gave way to pure joy, seeing Guru the supreme athlete happy and completely in His element. Afterwards Guru gave us all a sweet from His hand. It was the first time Prashanta and I received something in this way from Guru.
Footnote: Guru visited Olympic Park on another two occasions: in 1987 when He opened the World Masters Athletics Games with a meditation and special song He had written for the occasion, and in 1995 at the staging of a Sri Chinmoy Masters Games.
Photos from track visit
"On your marks"
"Get set"
"Go"
