Sri Chinmoy’s Running Stories
A young running companion
Another time in Fort Lauderdale I was out running. A beautiful six or seven-year-old child, wearing a necklace, came up to me and asked, “Master, can I run with you?”
I said, “Why not?”
I had been running at an eight or eight and a half minute pace. Now, very slowly I ran with her. We covered three blocks, and then she stopped near her house. She came from a respectable family. She was so happy and proud that I ran with her. She thanked me and gave me a broad smile.
Mister, will you help me?
Two days later, a little child, even younger than the other little girl, was on her way to school when I ran by quite fast. All of a sudden she said, “Mister!” There were no cars, but she wanted me to help her cross the street. So very slowly I walked across the street with her. I didn’t even need to hold her hand, because there was no traffic. As soon as we had crossed the street, she thanked me and entered into a little school.
Lost and found
Another day I went out to run for two hours. After I ran for about an hour and forty minutes, I got totally lost. It was raining. I said, “O God, where do I go? I don’t have any money.” Luckily, I remembered the apartment number and, with greatest difficulty, I even remembered the name of the street — Las Olas. I said, “This is the time for me to look for a taxi.”
I asked a lady where Las Olas Street was. I had to listen for at least five minutes while she explained which road to take and where I should turn. I didn’t understand her in spite of her five-minute explanation. I said, “All right, let me take this street.”
Then whom did I see running down the street? Savyasachi! I said, “How can it be?” I had run six or seven miles. He was staying only one mile away from where I had stopped running. He had just gone out for a short run, and he got great joy when he saw me. Then we ran together.
When I play tennis with Savyasachi, his standard always makes me laugh — not only inwardly but also outwardly. But when he runs with me, I feel that inwardly he is laughing at my standard.
The braggart
As I was running the next day, a young man went ahead of me. Four men saw him run past. They said to me, “He is bragging. Don’t pay any attention.” The runner went four or five hundred metres ahead, while I continued slowly running. Then he stopped and began to walk. His bragging was over. I passed him. When I was returning from my run, he was still walking.
Competition-blood will never leave me
Another day I saw an old man running. I said, “If my speed has really increased, I will be able to pass him.” I came nearer, only to discover that the runner was a lady. I said, “Let me run according to my speed.” After two hundred metres, I turned around. O God, she was so far behind! I tell the disciples to have no competitive feeling, to compete only with themselves. Here I was competing with an old lady! Competition-blood will never leave me.
Published in Run and Become, Become and Run, part 5