AUM magazine was first published August 27th, 1965 in Brooklyn, NY. Sub-titled "A monthly journal of spiritual philosophy and Yoga" The editor's preface mentioned:
"AUM is a monthly journal devoted exclusively to the spiritual writings of Chinmoy Kumar Ghose. It will deal with the spiritual life and its problems from the point of view of Indian philosophy and yoga.
AUM is intended to help aspirants of the West in their search for a true inner life by acquainting them with the realisations of a seeker of the Supreme." (AUM Dec 1965)
AUM magazine was published, just 16 months after Sri Chinmoy arrived in the West (April 13th 1964), whilst Sri Chinmoy still worked at the Indian Consulate. The publication of AUM magazine was a significant moment in Sri Chinmoy's manifestation in the West.
Left early AUM cover. Right during a lecture 1969.
Over the next 16 years, there would be 149 editions of the magazine, finishing in February 1981. AUM magazine would often be the first place Sri Chinmoy's talks, question and answers, stories and poems were published. Later books often used AUM magazines as a source of material.
On November 10th 1965, the President of India, Dr. Radhakrishnan, sent a letter praising the first issue of AUM Magazine. Sri Chinmoy remembers this as a very significant moment, writing many years later in "My Consulate Years" he wrote
"Nowadays we talk about manifestation at every second, but my dearest friend Mr. Ramamoorthy started it in September 1965. He sent a copy of the first AUM Magazine to Dr. Radhakrishnan, the President of India, and he received a very nice reply from Dr. Radhakrishnan praising the magazine." (My Consulate Years)
The first article, in the first edition was entitled "AUM"
AUM is the soundless sound. It is the vibration of the Supreme. When one hears the soundless sound within, when one identifies oneself with it, when one lives within it, one can be freed from the fetters of ignorance and realise the Supreme within and without. (continue reading)
During interview in Puerto Rico
[On that table is a display of the magazine that Sri Chinmoy is publishing. It is his way of spreading the Truth. When we finish here, you have the opportunity of looking at it and deciding if you are interested.]
What is the name of your magazine?
Sri Chinmoy: The name is AUM. You know A represents Brahma, the Creator, U represents Vishnu, the Preserver, M represent Lord Siva, the Destroyer. So what happens is that when we say AUM, we are invoking the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer. I beg to be excused, but in my philosophy, I feel that there is no destruction. It is all transformation. As a matter of fact, we can’t destroy anything. First we create something, then we preserve it. Then what do we do? Transform the thing. So: Creation, Preservation and Transformation. Brahma is the Creator, Vishnu is the Preserver and Shiva is the Transformer. If it is destruction, who is destroying whom? God only transforms us. In our creation, we enter into ignorance and we do many things wrong. For that He has to transform us and again take us back into His bosom of infinite Light.
In August 1979, students of Sri Chinmoy participated in a 700-mile non-stop relay walk through New York State entitled Aspiration-Plants and Gratitude-Leaves of New York.
Sri Chinmoy at the beginning of the walk in Bayside Church.
The inspiration for the idea was for those participating to offer their gratitude to New York State, where Sri Chinmoy, a prolific author, composer and artist and internationally recognised spiritual leader, made his home since 1964.
Walkers with banner. Photo Sarama Minoli
The 700-mile walk included many people who took it in turns to walk across the state. At various points, the participants met local dignitaries and mayors.
Anahata Nada gives this account
Students of Sri Chinmoy embarked Aug. 3 on a 700-mile nonstop relay walk through scenic and historic sites in New York as an expression of gratitude to the state which has been their spiritual teacher's home since 1964.
A series of three-member teams walked day and night along a course that meandered through the Hudson Valley up to Lake George and Ticonderoga, and then back down through the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains. The route began and ended at the Sri Chinmoy Church in Bayside, Queens.
Local officials came out to greet walkers at more than 40 towns and historic sites, and several offered official letters of appreciation.
In connection with the walk, Sri Chinmoy wrote eight spiritual walking songs, which were sung at various locations, and gave a concert Aug. 5 in Albany.
Throughout the walk, which Sri Chinmoy named "Aspiration-Plants and Gratitude-Leaves of New York," the participants attempted to maintain a meditative consciousness, and at each mile marker they paused to meditate and leave a flower of gratitude. By the time the walkers returned home 10 days later, a "necklace" of gratitude-light had been traced around the Empire State.
Flyer for special concert related to Aspiration-Plants and Gratitude-Leaves of New York.
Sri Chinmoy also offered a concert of music for meditation in Palace Theater in Albany, NY, USA.
Song - I Am Walking
I am walking, I am walking, I am walking Seven hundred miles, Loving, serving. Sri Chinmoy, I love your Silence-blossoming soul. New York, I love your Sound-offering goal.
At 8.30 a.m., on August 4th 1988, Sri Chinmoy lifted a 7,040¼ lb dumbbell using only his left arm, in Jamaica, New York. He attempted the lift four times, of which three were successful.
On August 3rd, the day prior to his momentous lift, Sri Chinmoy had said:
Whatever I have done in this lifetime, whatever I am doing, whatever I shall be doing in the near or distant future, as long as I am on earth, I am only an act, an expression, of my Lord Supreme’s unconditional Compassion.
After the lift, Sri Chinmoy allowed disciples to prayerfully walk through the room where the dumbbells were kept to see the immensity of the achievement.
Celebration of the Lift
In the evening of August 4th, a celebration was held at Aspiration Ground. Unmilan and his helpers had carried the 100 lb metal plates over so people could again see the dumbbell. Not only was the 7,040¼ lb left arm dumbbell at the court, but the 7,063¾ lb dumbbell which Sri Chinmoy had lifted in January 1987 was also taken over. Unmilan Howard who was instrumental in helping to build the lifting rack and move the weights with Bipin, Rupantar and others, remarked in his diary that many were surprised to see two 7,000 lb dumbbells. But, Sri Chinmoy said they were sacred which is why there were two.
The two sets of dumbbells were placed within a sea of 7,000 candles, creating a magical setting. Sri Chinmoy said of the scene:
"These are our aspiration-flames. If you can feel 7,000 aspiration flames in the twinkling of an eye, then is there anything on earth or in Heaven that we cannot accomplish for our dear, sweet Lord Beloved Supreme? If our aspiration-flames are countless, birthless and deathless, then we shall try to please our Lord Supreme at every moment. Let us all try and we are bound to succeed. Nothing can be more valuable than our aspiration-flames. Each mounting aspiration-flame makes us feel and realise how close, how intimate we are to our Lord Supreme. We call it aspiration-flame and God calls it His complete Satisfaction on earth."
Related
Sri Chinmoy's Miracle Lift - On January 30, 1987, Sri Chinmoy lifted a weight of 7,063¾ pounds using only his right arm.
On 12 January 1976, Sri Chinmoy appeared as a special guest on the Emmy Award winning ‘The Pat Collins Show’ on WCBS-TV NY, USA.
This is a transcript of a section of this interview
Question: What is it that you believe? What is it that you teach?
Sri Chinmoy: I believe in dedicated service to mankind, and I feel each individual being has some capacity to serve God inside human beings.
Question: Have you found it difficult to bring eastern thought and eastern religion to a Western culture? That's very much, as I'm sure you have observed, caught up in the day to day grind, the busyness, the sometimes almost manic pursuit of materialism.
Sri Chinmoy: In my case, the experience is totally different here. I have found the West is considerably receptive. So I found no difficulty in offering my dedicated service to the seekers in America and the West.
Question: I read somewhere that I think at the age of twelve, you had some sort of sign that this is what you should do with your life. Can you tell me about that?
Sri Chinmoy: At the age of twelve, I attained to my highest, my own highest consciousness. And then from that time on, I have been trying to reveal, by the infinite Grace of the Supreme, what I had achieved.
Question: What was that experience when you were twelve? What happened to you?
Sri Chinmoy: An experience of inseparable and eternal oneness with my inner pilot.
Question: What do you mean when you say inner pilot?
Sri Chinmoy: The inner pilot is He who not only guides me as an individual, but who guides the entire universe.
Question: Do you believe in a in a God or a supreme being that is like the God that most of us who were raised in a Western religion believe in.
Sri Chinmoy: I do believe in a God, the Supreme Being. Also, in my case, I see and feel that God can take any form He wants to. God can be an infinite Energy. God can be infinite Light. God can be anything He wants to. He is with form and at the same time He can be without any form.
Question: Does He exist within?
Sri Chinmoy: He exists within. He exists without. He is everywhere. He is within each individual. Again, He is without each individual.
[Sri Chinmoy meditates]
Sri Chinmoy: This is how I meditate and my students meditate.
Question: I noticed as you were meditating. Not them, but you. There was rapid eye movement on your part.
Sri Chinmoy: My consciousness was flying from one plane of reality to another.
Question: And when you go to that other plane, is there some idea that comes into your mind?
Sri Chinmoy: It is not an idea. I actually experience light and delight and also bring down light and delight for my students.
Question: Is it possible for all of us to achieve this? Or do you think that the people who are sitting with you here today, and the people who follow you around the world are chosen or called in some way as you were? And then it may mean that I can lead my whole life and I won't be.
Sri Chinmoy: No, it is possible for each and every individual to attain to this state of consciousness, God-realisation or God-discovery is not the sole monopoly of an individual. So here there are quite a few students and these students will eventually reach the state of consciousness and you also. All those who are interested in the spiritual life are bound to realise this state. It is a matter of time. Today I am doing it. Tomorrow, you will be able to do it easily and the day after tomorrow, the rest can do it.
Question: And if one does not reach this state of God-realisation, does it mean that we have failed inside?
Sri Chinmoy: No. Nobody fails. It is only an experience. This experience you will get today and somebody will get it tomorrow. There is no such thing as failure in God's consciousness, only it is a matter of time. If I am ready today, I will achieve it. And if you are ready tomorrow, you will achieve it. So nobody will remain unrealised in God's creation. It is a matter of time. Whoever is ready, God will grant him the capacity to realise Him.
by Sahishnu Szczesiul, Associate Race Director, Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team
Photo: Pulak Viscardi
At 6:05 am on Thursday, June 12, 1997, five runners stepped up to the starting line on the sidewalk near Thomas Edison Vocational High School in Jamaica, to try and circumnavigate a slightly more than half-mile (.5488 miles or 883.2079 meters) course 5,649 times. The first annual Sri Chinmoy 3100 Mile Race was to begin on the same course that the 1996 event had five runners reach their goal of 2700 miles. Three of those lucky five were back to experience their own escape from the humdrum world. They had 51 days to complete their journey.
A race designed for runners with high mileage capabilities and fast recovery, the 3100 had an evening curfew from midnight to 6:00am. The rest of the time you ran your best. You had to be a master of mileage to even think of starting: 60.78 miles per day was the required average. Fifty miles a day kept you in the race. This was perhaps the longest race ever done on a closed course; certainly the longest race available nowadays. The runners slept in apartments near the racecourse, and brought everything they needed for each day. Meals were delivered at regular times each day, and a constant supply of liquids and snacks was available. When they finished at night, a car whisked them away to home for rest.
The Runners
Edward Kelley, 39, was a part-time actor and former track coach living in Long Beach, California. "I came to win this thing, I'm determined to finish, and I expect to average close to 70 miles a day," he said. Kelley had finished second in the 1996 2700 Mile Race, trailing Latvian world record holder Georgs Jermolajevs by over 100 miles. "People ask me why I do these races. I tell them because I am good at it. I love to race and compete. Obviously the distance scares people. But I have run across the country five times, had two non-finishes, plus ran 2700 miles last year. I know I can do better. The 3100 distance intrigues me and inspires me."
Georgs Jermolajevs, 54, arrived from his native Latvia only 14 hours before the race began. Having endured another rough winter in the former Soviet republic, Jermolajevs was eager to begin his journey of 10 million steps, free of the constraints and pressures of his then-destitute homeland. The physical education instructor and odd-job worker claimed normal fitness, but hoped to be in top shape after a week or two of road toughening. The previous year he had run 2700 miles in 40 days 15 hours, averaging 66.7 miles per day to dominate the race.
Istvan Sipos of Hungary arrived amid rumours that he had not run a step since his victory in the 1000 Mile Race in 1996. Istvan took the offer to come to New York, hoping to run himself into shape while keeping the others within sight. In 1993 he had set the world best for 1300 miles and 2000 km, and many recalled his easy victory in the 1994 Trans America Race, when he glided through the hottest first three weeks on record and was never challenged in the 64-day stage race (3000 miles).
Suprabha Beckjord, 41, toed the line for her 20th multi-day race of five days or more in the last 12 years. She had been brilliant in the 2700, finishing first woman and third overall in 43 days, 0 hours, 46 minutes — an average of 62 miles per day. Fearless and confident, Beckjord came with her health and fitness intact, ready to push her limits again. She was the lone woman in the race, but a relentless competitor nonetheless. Her years of experience and great ability of concentration would surely propel her to the finish line.
Aleksandar Arsic, 32, from Nis, Yugoslavia, was the youngest runner in the field — limited in experience but showing good potential. He had completed four other multi-days but had never passed 903 miles. He would need to average at least 50 miles a day to stay in the race, and hoped the other talented four would pull his young legs along to new heights.
The Start
Photo: Pulak Viscardi
After a powerful silent meditation by Sri Chinmoy, the runners left the line in a clockwise direction around the concrete course.
Ed Kelley took the lead from the gun, hoping to strike hard at his competition and set the tone for the race. Georgs ran and walked to stay close, but Edward widened his lead by the end of the first day. After completing 88.9 miles on day one, Kelley was nearly 12 miles ahead of Georgs, 17 miles ahead of Suprabha and 27 miles ahead of Istvan. But competition is not the only thing that a race of 3100 miles is about. Consistency, patience, poise and good health are the hallmarks of multi-day success.
The Early Weeks
As the miles began to pile up and days passed, one could notice the slimmer look of each runner. Effort showed on their faces, but cheerfulness still remained a part of their demeanour. They seemed to have a great awareness of everything around them — they were actually enjoying this race.
On Day 7, hot, humid weather moved into the region, with temperatures rising into the 90s. Unlike the unusually cool weather of the previous year, the summer began heating up quickly. After one week, Ed Kelley led with 485.6 miles (69.2 per day), firmly ahead of Georgs (454.4 miles), Suprabha (444.5) and Istvan (405.5 miles). Even Aleksandar averaged 56 miles a day.
Kelley had once remarked that you should expect two or three major crises during a run of this magnitude. By Day 11, Georgs — having fallen 40 miles behind Edward — had some mental struggles, stopping early one evening at 43.9 miles, saying he couldn't sleep in the heat. Istvan, meanwhile, suffered a serious right quadriceps injury; walking slowly and in great pain, he was forced to withdraw from the race on Day 12, a victim of a torn quadriceps muscle.
Ed mounted a counter-attack and by the end of two weeks had totalled 943 miles. But he was not immune to problems — breathing difficulties in the stuffy, humid air saw his internal temperature rise to 102°, with spells of dizziness and weakness. On Day 15 he barely made 50 miles, yet his resolve carried him through. One day Sri Chinmoy told Edward that a champion always shows his true colours. Kelley passed his first major test.
During the hottest stretch, Suprabha ran extremely well, recording the highest daily mileage in the field on four of the six hottest days. She slipped ahead of Georgs into second place, at one point drawing within 22 miles of the lead. Meanwhile, Georgs' Achilles tendon became tender, forcing him to adapt his footwear and lacing to allow the tendon to heal while he continued.
On Day 21 Suprabha encountered her own crisis — a slightly pulled muscle in her upper thigh. She walked the remainder of the day, still totalling 56 miles, but fearful of her long-term chances. Luckily the injury proved minor, and with a good night's rest she was back running the next day. This would prove to be her only day below 60 miles for the entire race.
What Drives Them On?
What made these runners continue when they had already covered thousands of miles, with thousands more to go? To even toe the line for a race of this magnitude is an act of courage. An ultra-runner is someone who can overcome fits of boredom, fatigue, discomfort and endless hours of running — alone with their thoughts, alone with themselves for days and weeks on end.
Suprabha often said she was exploring new boundaries of her inner self as well as her physical limits, using her meditation practice as a catalyst for discovering her true inner capacity. Ed Kelley used his charitable connections with children's disability as a stimulus to cover the miles and reach new goals. Their spirit is perhaps more remarkable than their talent.
The Last Three Weeks
As the race passed the four-week mark, the finishing order became clear. Edward Kelley and Suprabha Beckjord were destined to finish within the 51-day time limit. Ed passed 2000 miles in 30 days 14 hours; Suprabha followed at 32 days 3 hours. All the runners had to endure a typical New York summer — hot and humid, with little air movement and infrequent thunderstorms.
One particular storm on July 18th was a little too close for comfort. A heavy downpour in the afternoon was followed hours later by black clouds and red-tinted thunderheads. Within minutes the sky blackened, the wind shifted, and the full force of the storm broke loose. Suprabha and Aleksandar donned raincoats and continued running; Ed and Georgs took shelter in the vans. Branches and trees came down, hailstones clattered on the vehicles, and a large tree fell near the course. Winds reached 70 miles an hour, closing the two local airports, and a mini tornado touched down less than ten miles away. Yet still the two runners circled the track. Numbers from the scoreboard were found two blocks away.
Georgs began to put up more respectable numbers in the final weeks, learning valuable lessons about survival and acceptance even as victory slipped away. He passed 2000 miles on Day 36 — nearly six days slower than Kelley's split. Aleksandar, still in the race past the four-week mark, was quietly putting pressure on Georgs from behind.
As the remaining quartet approached forty days, Edward Kelley was almost assured of victory. He reached 3000 miles in 46 days 6 hours — the first man to pass this milestone in a certified race. On Tuesday, July 29th, he became the first man to reach 3100 miles, finishing in 47 days 15 hours — 130 miles ahead of Suprabha.
Photo: Pulak
A crowd of nearly 100 people witnessed his historic triumph. Forty minutes after reaching 3100 miles, he returned to the course to record 13 more laps, passing 5000 km in 47 days 19 hours — three world firsts in a single race. He averaged 65+ miles per day for 47 days, his steely determination carrying him to the goal.
Suprabha Beckjord crossed the line on Friday, August 1st, completing 3100 miles in 50 days, 2 hours — averaging 61.9 miles per day. When she finished, friends showered her with gifts, bouquets and placards. A modest, humble and supremely talented athlete.
Suprabha finish. Photo: Pulak Viscardi
Georgs Jermolajevs stopped with 2717 miles — far from his own expectations, but much fitter than when he started. Aleksandar Arsic reached his personal pinnacle of 2700 miles on the final day, grateful for the experience and ready for the next challenge.
Photo: Pulak Viscardi. Note, in the background, there is mention in 1996, there was a 2,700 Mile Race - the precursor to the 3100. In 1998, there is a question mark, but Sri Chinmoy confirmed that the final distance of the longest race would be 3,100 Miles.
"Our philosophy is self-transcendence. Yes, there is no limit to our inner progress and outer success. But again, there comes a time when we reach a certain height, such an extraordinary height, that we feel we can live there for a good many years safely and self-givingly. Then we wait indefinitely for God's choice Hour to inspire us, to aspire in and through us to go forward, to embark on a new journey.
This 3,100 miles is an unprecedented journey in our world-peace-manifestation-dream. World-peace can come into existence only when we are inundated with patience and perseverance. Infinite patience we need in our inner life, and perseverance we need in our outer life.
"These 3,100 miles remind us of one divine and supreme reality: we can and must do everything at our command to transform the world of lethargy and unwillingness to be dynamic. Willingness to give, willingness to achieve, willingness to grow and glow should be the message of our souls.
"To Ed, Suprabha, Georgs and Aleksander, my soul's summit blessingful love, blessingful joy and blessingful pride I am offering unreservedly and unconditionally. Whenever I passed by you running, you reminded me of our souls' eternal, birthless and deathless journey and you reminded me of Eternity's choice runners."
— Sri Chinmoy, at the awards ceremony, 2 August 1997 (full speech)
Photos from Prize Ceremony
1st Place Ed Kelley with Sri Chinmoy. Photo Maral Siegel.Suprabha Beckjord - 2nd overall. 1st Woman with Sri Chinmoy. Photo Maral Siegel.Ed Kelley receives congratulations. Ceremony photos by Maral Siegel.
Final Results
Sri Chinmoy 3100 Mile Race — June 12 to August 1, 1997 — 5 starters Course: .5488 mile loop (883.2079 meters), paved sidewalk, certified Curfew: 12:05am – 6:05am (Actual start: 6:05:00am EDT)
Edward Kelley, 39, Long Beach, CA, USA — 3100 miles in 47 days + 15:19:56
Suprabha Beckjord, 41, Washington, DC, USA — 3100 miles in 50 days + 02:09:56
Georgs Jermolajevs, 54, Riga, Latvia — 2717 miles in 49 days + 13:15:26
Aleksandar Arsic, 32, Nis, Serbia — 2700 miles in 50 days + 06:49:34
Istvan Sipos, 37, Szeged, Hungary — 582.27 miles in 11 days + 00:59:05 (withdrew, injury)
A multi-day runner is always assured that when the race ends, he is never the same person that he was when he started. These lucky five runners had gone through ups and downs, never falling victim to doubt. As Sri Chinmoy often said: "Today's goal is tomorrow's starting point."
On 30 July 1988, Sri Chinmoy held a special "Lifting Up The World With a Oneness-Heart" programme to honour boxers and boxing officials at Aspiration-Ground in Queens, New York.
The participants included over a dozen boxing guests including Danny Lalonde the WBC Light Heavyweight Championship from 1987 to 1988. It was one of the first Lifting Up The World events, having started just a few weeks earlier on 26th June.
Sri Chinmoy began the programme with a short silent meditation then read out a talk he had written on boxing.
Boxing From The Spiritual Point of View
A Talk by Sri Chinmoy
Sri Chinmoy prefaced his talk by stating: “I wish to dedicate today's programme to Joe Louis, the Brown Bomber, the immortal Joe Louis.” The great heavyweight champion, Joe Louis, was the first major boxer about whom Sri Chinmoy heard while he was a youth in India.
My Dear Boxer-Brothers,
When I address you as boxers, I feel that my death is imminent. When I address you as brothers, oneness-brothers, I feel that my immortality is within easy reach. When I think of you as giant boxers, I immediately think that your names are synonymous with your thunder-punches. When I think of you as my oneness-brothers, I hear a most soulful, most illumining and most fulfilling song in my life's affection-garden.
My dear and divine brothers, you fight and fight — fight against your rivals. Again, you love and love. Whom do you love? You love your dear brothers; you love your oneness-home-family members. As boxers, you are indomitable and invincible. In the same way, I wish you as brothers to be unsurpassable.
Fight we must; but let us illumine our mind first, and see against whom or what we are supposed to fight: against a human being or against his teeming imperfections? Each human being is essentially divine, but alas, the ignorance-night of the world still lords it over us. We see an ocean of imperfections in the form of doubt, weakness, insecurity, jealousy, pride and many other undivine qualities both within us and around us. Before these ignorance-tigers devour our very existence, we must instead challenge and destroy the very breath of imperfection. It is our bounden duty to transcend limitations, not only in ourselves but also in the world at large.
So, when we fight against someone, if we can feel we are fighting against his ignorance, and not against his physical strength, then we will get boundless joy from our victory, and also we will immensely please our Heavenly Father, God the Creator. We can feel that by battling against someone's ignorance and imperfections we are helping that person to become perfect. I fight against your ignorance, and while doing so I am illumining you. And you are fighting against my ignorance in return, to help me reach the highest. While we are perfecting our mutual ignorance-imperfections, this is not and cannot be a destruction-fight, but a most powerful satisfaction-delight. This divine approach to boxing will undoubtedly be an unprecedented and ever-lasting boon to humanity.
We all want happiness. Happiness I can get not by destroying someone but by destroying the negative forces that are inside him — the weaknesses and limitations that cause unhappiness in him and unhappiness in ourselves as well. Happiness abides only in helping others to perfect their lives. Therefore, while boxing, if a boxer sees teeming ignorance-night inside his opponent and feels that he is trying to destroy those undivine qualities so that his opponent can become a better instrument of truth, light and bliss, then this approach to boxing will bring about a new creation of light and delight. With our indomitable strength we create perfection in others, and they do the same for us. If this is the goal we set and keep in mind while boxing, then this can be a helpful way to bring about a peaceful and fruitful world.
I become an instrument of God, truth and light by challenging your undivine qualities. Likewise, you become an instrument of God by challenging my imperfections and transforming them into perfections. I shall help you to become a perfect citizen of the world, and you will do the same thing to make me a perfect instrument of God. May your thunder-blows send a shudder, not to the human mind or human body, but to the undivine human ignorance-life.
Life and sports are one and cannot be separated in the cosmic play of life. Those who are runners, for example, must feel that in our eternal journey, we are trying to go forward as fast as possible, beyond everything that is limiting us and standing against us. If we can be true runners, inwardly and outwardly, then ignorance and imperfections will fall far, far behind us in the life-race. Similarly, if we use our dynamic fighting spirit all the time in the battlefield of life, then world-ignorance will no longer be able to threaten us. If we develop the capacity to use the divine energy in all aspects of life, then we can become excellent players in the life-game. Fortunate you are, for you have cultivated this dynamic spirit that can inspire others to challenge ignorance. You are telling the world:
Action! Action! I must act in the body, With the body. Why? Because I need Body-transformation And life-perfection.
As a boxer, you are great, greater and greatest. We all know Muhammad Ali's birthless and deathless message to mankind: “I am the greatest!” Let each individual offer the same message, “I am the greatest,” not by destroying others but by loving others more, infinitely more. My divine boxer-brothers, you are not life-destroyers, but life-transformers with the help of God's universal Oneness-Light.
Again, my boxer-brothers, you are not only great but you are also good. You embody this truth:
Physical strength I need, Vital energy I need, Mental poise I need, Psychic choice I need In my Godward thought and deed.
The determination, dedication and inner and outer strength that you have brought to the fore inspire many others to do the same. Your very presence reminds us that each human being must be a divine warrior, ready to fight against ignorance and imperfections, not only in himself but in the world at large. Your volcano-blows tell the world that humanity can and must challenge ignorance-life.
My dear boxer-brothers, you are among the athletic elite of America — a country herself elite among nations. The dynamic spirit that inspired America to fight for the unparalleled treasure of freedom for the New World is still alive in you. While singing 'America the Beautiful', what do we actually sing? We sing our own unparalleled inner beauty. Similarly, if we can see our own beauty inside our opponents while fighting, then the dream that we cherish of showing our supremacy to the world can be transformed into the reality of permanent perfection-joy here on earth.
Yours in the Compassion-flooded Heart of the Absolute Boxer Supreme,
Sri Chinmoy
Lifts
Lifts during the function included:
1. One-Arm Lift (left) - Ms. Rose Trentman Total weight lifted: 128 pounds.
2. One-Arm Lift (right) - Mr. Anthony Perez - Total weight lifted: 132 pounds
3. One-Arm Lift (left) Mr. Freddie Liberatore Total weight lifted: 139 pounds.
4. One-Arm Lift (right) Mr. Michael Weinman Total weight lifted: 157 pounds Right arm lift
5. One-Arm Lift (left) Mr. David Lawrence. Total weight lifted: 161 pounds
6. One-Arm Lift (right) Mr. Billy Graham. Total weight lifted: 180 pounds
8. One-Arm Lift (right) Mr. Scoop Gallello. Total weight lifted: 203 pounds
On 29th July 1979, the first Sri Chinmoy Triathlon was held in Groton, CT, USA. The arduous course consisted of a one mile swim, a 27 mile bicycle ride and a 10 mile run. The race was run under hot conditions.
Sri Chinmoy was in attendance, playing his esraj for the competitors as they exited the swim section. Later in the day, Sri Chinmoy would give a concert in Groton.
The race was mentioned in "The Running Tab" Connecticut a few weeks later.
"MacIntyre Uncontainable, Sweigart Unbelievable."
Sri Chinmoy, a spiritual master, believes that the ego should not be used as a tool for selfish reasons but rather as a gift of giving for mankind. In the spirit of giving, Mark MacIntyre soared above all to win the Sri Chinmoy Triathlon in Groton and Mystic, July 29 in 2:49:23, almost 10 minutes ahead of second place finisher, Rejean Gauthier in 2:58:04. Kiki Sweigart, third place overall and first place woman stunned viewers with her magnificent 3:03:23.
For this first triathlon, Sri Chinmoy composed a song:
I love my great triathlon. It shows my heart the God-Vision-Dawn. I swim in the sea of silver light, I cycle along the road of gold delight, I run with the smile of the Beyond. My inner cry: God-Treasure-Diamond.
The first modern triathlon was held in San Diego on 25 September 1974. The first Ironman Triathlon was held on 28 February 1978, where just 15 competitors started the event in Hawaii. An article in Sports Illustrated May 1979, held increase interest and public awareness. The Sri Chinmoy Triathlon which started in 1979 was an important pioneer of this new emerging sport. It became the most significant triathlon on the East Coast of the US. As the Running Tab noted in 1980:
The term 'triathlon' is a neologism coined to describe a sporting event involving three separate sports. Perhaps the archetypical triathlon is the 'Iron Man', in Hawaii, composed of a 2 1/2 mile swim, 112 mile bicycle ride, and a full marathon run at the end. Some consider the Iron Man arduous and perhaps a bit unreasonable. The Sri Chinmoy Triathlon in Groton on August 10 began with a one mile swim, proceeded through a 27 mile bicycle ride, and culminated in a 10 mile run...
This year's Triathlon was a success in large part due to the fanatical attention to detail paid by the followers of Sri Chinmoy.
"Fowler Triumphs in Triathlon Test." The Running Tab, pp 16-17. 1980. SCMT history
On July 28th 1974, Sri Chinmoy prepared a 40 question test for his students. Approximately 50 New York area disciples sat for this 3-hour examination on Sri Chinmoy's poetry. Sri Chinmoy had announced the test five days earlier, the morning after his return from Europe, saying that it would be inspiring and very helpful for his mission if the disciples read and studied his writings.
At Dhruva and Nayana's house, each disciple received a copy of the examination from Sri Chinmoy, who had written his name and the disciple's name at the top. Many had studied far into the night for several days; some Divine Enterprises on Parsons Boulevard closed on Saturday as last-minute inspiration drew storekeepers to their book-strewn homes.
Many worked for the full three hours, pondering over the following questions.
Photo: Shraddha Howard
Sri Chinmoy Poetry Test
1. Is Sri Chinmoy a philosopher-poet or a seer-poet? Justify your statement. If you feel that he is both, then justify. (7%)
2. Use your intuition and write down the titles of the first four poems written in English by Sri Chinmoy. Give the first lines of the four poems. (3%)
3. How many poems did Sri Chinmoy write in the span of one day to offer his greatest achievements to the Mother Earth? Give the day, month and year. (2%)
4. From your memory, write down the first poem and the last poem from The Goal Is Won. (4%)
5. Name the four sisters that Sri Chinmoy mentions in his poem "Four Sisters" which appears in 365 Father's Day Prayers. (2%)
6. Fill in the blanks: "What do I need from God ……….." "What do I need from earth ……….." "What do I need from heaven ……….." (3%)
7. Explain the terms: "Beginningless beginning" and "Transcending ending" (2%)
8. Elaborate the experience: "I barter nothing with time and deeds; My cosmic play is done." (2%)
9. "Never to meet again. Chinmoy the failure, Ignorance pure. Never to meet again."
Is this the declaration of the dynamic vital poet in Sri Chinmoy or the revelation of the liberated seer-poet in Sri Chinmoy? Justify your statement. (1%)
10. "Never the same again. Lost joy regained. Never the same again." Explain and elaborate this view. (1%)
11. In the poem "Death, Tell Me Something, Please," Death tells the poet why it loves God and man. Give the reasons. (1%)
12. In the poem "Death, Tell Me Why," Death gives the reasons why some people love death and some hate death. Which are the reasons? (1%)
13. Write down any poem from memory that has sixteen lines or more than sixteen lines. (4%)
14. "My eternal days are found in speeding time." Explain and elaborate this experience. (2%)
15. In The Dance of Life, there is a poem under the title of "She". It begins: "To think of her" — complete the poem. (4%)
16. Complete:
"God saw in me a poet, therefore ……………" "God sees in me a real man, therefore ……………" "God shall see in me a divine lover, therefore …………" (3%)
17. "With doubt my mind began, With fear my heart began, With clay my life began, All in this shortest span."
How can I liberate my mind from doubt? How can I free my heart from fear? How can I transform my life of clay? (1%)
18. Fill in:
"An ant like me …………………clay." "A beggar like me …………………Play." (1%)
19. In the poem "I Paid Three Visits to God," how did he visit God the first time, the second time and the third time? (2%)
20. What are the basic differences you notice in Sri Chinmoy's earlier poems and his recent poems, that is to say the Indian poet in him and the American poet in him? (4%)
21. In The Wings of Light, in the poem "They Do Not Want Me," why do Bliss, Peace and Light not want me? Give the reasons that are mentioned in the poem. (3%)
22. When and where was the first part of The Golden Boat published? (Give the exact date.) (1%)
23. In The Garden of Love-Light, there is a song that begins: "How many songs have I sung?" Complete the song. (2%)
24. How many poems has Sri Chinmoy written (published and unpublished) in the year 1974? Use your intuition. (2%)
25. From The Discoverers of Light choose any four lines from any poem mentioned and write. (2%)
26. In the book My Salutations to Japan, what does he write about the body of Japan and the soul of Japan? (2%)
27. What did the poet do when he heard a Japanese song; and what did he do when he saw a Japanese dance? (2%)
28. From God Then and God Now: "Oh, love me more and love me long." Complete the poem. (3%)
29. Are Sri Chinmoy's poems an obstacle to his God-Manifestation or a great help to his God-Manifestation? If they are an obstacle, why? If they are a help, how? (5%)
30. Has Sri Chinmoy to write more poems in order to be accepted as a good poet, or has he already written enough to be considered a good poet? (2%)
31. Sri Chinmoy's philosophy is the philosophy of love, devotion and surrender. Select any poem of his that deals with love, devotion and surrender and write down the complete poem. (2%)
32. Write down any poem written by Sri Chinmoy that deals with body, vital, mind and heart. (2%)
33. Give the main reason why Sri Chinmoy has written thousands of poems. (2%)
34. As you know, Sri Chinmoy often gives talks at universities; he also writes poems quite often. When does he get more joy, when writing poems, or when delivering speeches? Why? (3%)
35. In Europe, Sri Chinmoy's favorite poets are Keats and Shelley. In America, his favorite poets are Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman. Quote a few lines from works by one of his favorite poets, and show some similarities to Sri Chinmoy's writing, or show some contrast. (2%)
36. In her most illumining introduction to Sri Chinmoy's My Flute, Beverley Seigerman said, "What is most significant is that …………… beyond the human." (Fill in.) (3%)
37. In The Dance of Life, there is a poem entitled "She Was the Supreme Authority." The first line is: "She was a woman of exquisite beauty." Complete the poem. (3%)
38. In the near or distant future, will Sri Chinmoy be known as a poet of a new dawn or a Spiritual Master of a new era, or both, or none? Elaborate the answer. (5%)
39. In the book My Flute, there is a line that runs: "At every pause my life I contradict." Give the preceding four lines. (2%)
40. Write a poem of four lines on any subject and dedicate it to the poet in Sri Chinmoy. (2%)
Originally published "Chinmoy Family" May-June/July 1974, Vol. IV, No. 8
Anahata Nada report on this event
NEW YORK — (Rijuta) Carol Tooker is a 36-year-old schoolteacher. (Mukuli) Margaret Crager is a 15-year-old who could easily pass for one of her students. But on July 28th they were both students, taking an exam on their spiritual Master's poetry.
It was an unusual affair, to say the least. Sri Chinmoy took on the role of professor, preparing a 40-question test, part short answer, part essay. And his disciples — lawyers, businessmen, journalists, housewives — became schoolchildren once again.
Sri Chinmoy told his disciples that it would be of great help and inspiration to him on the inner plane if his spiritual children did well and showed that they really cared for his writings.
And the disciples spent many hours studying the Master's approximately four thousand poems, some even closing down their businesses the day before the exam in order to do some last-minute cramming.
"Studying Sri Chinmoy's writings help us in our spiritual discipline," Rijuta said. "His poems contain his aspiration, his inspiration, his realization, which will become our aspiration and our inspiration and our realization. By holding this exam, Sri Chinmoy is giving us an opportunity to progress in our inner life."
"But underlying this serious mood," said (Ashrita) Keith Furman, "was a feeling of real childlike delight that conveyed, more than anything else, a sense of what it is like to be a disciple of a spiritual Master, the joy that comes in joining him in the various facets of his Cosmic Game."
"There was a real sweetness there," he continued. "That Sunday is a day I'll always cherish in my memory."
After the three-hour exam, Sri Chinmoy invited all the participants to his home for a sumptuous feast. But while the disciples sat around eating and joking, Sri Chinmoy remained wrapped in concentration, grading the exam papers. He worked through the night, personally reading and marking each of the approximately 50 tests.
The highest scorer in Sri Chinmoy's poetry exam was (Nemi) Vivian Fredner, with an 80 and 1/2.
The following evening, he awarded prizes to those who received the ten highest marks.
A similar exam, this one focusing on the Master's short stories, will be held during Sri Chinmoy's birthday week later this month. Several hundred disciples from a number of countries are expected to participate.
On August 4th, an act occurred whose very essence seemed to nullify the most basic laws of physics and science. Standing alone and unaided, Sri Chinmoy lifted a dumbbell weighing 7,040 pounds clear of the power rack on which it rested and then supported it with his left arm.
Photo: Ranjana Ghose
Sri Chinmoy performed this phenomenal feat after just five and a half months of lifting with his weaker left arm. He had begun on February 21st, by lifting a dumbbell weighing 170 pounds. Progressing rapidly through to 400 pounds on July 25th and 700 pounds on July 29th, he seemed determined to match each and every mark that he had set two years previously with his right arm – and to condense the timeframe for these lifts of exceptional weight into a matter of days instead of months. On August 1st, Sri Chinmoy lifted a 1,007-pound weight; on August 3rd, a dumbbell weighing 3,070 pounds and, finally, on August 4th, the massive 7,040-pound dumbbell. This was to be the pinnacle of his powerlifting and the perfect complement to the lift he had performed on January 30th, 1987, when he lifted a dumbbell weighing 7,063 pounds with his right arm. In both cases, a single dumbbell was mounted with 68 one hundred pound iron plates and suspended from a power rack. The rigid structure of the dumbbell was maintained by means of a steel truss, which was bolted to the bar and whose weight was added to the weight of the plates to give the final total. Again, each of the iron plates had been weighed separately before being mounted on the bar to account for any slight variations either under or over the standard 100 pounds. Both in 1987 and again in 1988, these giant dumbbells were constructed by Australian metalworker, Unmilan Howard, who had designed many of Sri Chinmoy’s innovative pieces of equipment. What is a miracle, if not an act born out of time, an opening through which the Infinite can penetrate our finite world? It is, by its very nature, beyond our limited comprehension. But how difficult it is, in this scientific age, to dare to admit that there can be truth in anything that is not logically plausible. We steadfastly refuse to accept what we cannot explain and we are blind to what we do not wish to see. Sri Chinmoy is, by his own testimony, not a weightlifter and his achievements are clearly not consonant with his age or background. His only aspiration is to be an instrument of God, seeking to restore mankind’s faith in the spiritual life after generations of growing disillusion. On August 3rd, the day prior to his momentous lift, Sri Chinmoy had said:
Whatever I have done in this lifetime, whatever I am doing, whatever I shall be doing in the near or distant future, as long as I am on earth, I am only an act, an expression, of my Lord Supreme’s unconditional Compassion.
In the summer of 1981, the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team organised a series of 31 consecutive daily races to honour Sri Chinmoy's 50th birthday. Beginning on 27 July 1981, the Sri Chinmoy Grand Prix included races from 100m to 5 mile events. The 31 events' total mileage added up to 50 miles.
Points were given in a descending sequence to the first seven winners in each individual race, with participants picking up points for each placing in a race. First place man was local runner Fernando Castelli and in the women, Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team's Nilima Silver.
Races were held at Jamaica High School Track and Flushing Meadows.
Sri Chinmoy's Participation
Sri Chinmoy took part in several of the races and recorded some of his fastest times in the West.
He also took part in timing the race.
During the Grand Prix Series, Sri Chinmoy set some of his fastest times in the West, such as running:
AUM magazine was first published August 27th, 1965 in Brooklyn, NY. Sub-titled "A monthly journal of spiritual philosophy and Yoga" The editor's preface mentioned:
In the summer of 1981, the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team organised a series of 31 consecutive daily races to honour Sri Chinmoy's 50th birthday. Beginning on 27 July 1981, the Sri Chinmoy Grand Prix included races from 100m to 5 mile events. The 31 events' total mileage added up to 50 miles.
