March 15

The first Sri Chinmoy Peace Mile is inaugurated by the Mayor of Wandsworth at Battersea Park in London, UK. The programme includes several races, ending with a peace walk around the course. Sri Chinmoy also composes a song for the occasion. 

Stories from the Peace Mile

by Sri Chinmoy

British Enthusiasm

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 condition

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 runners

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 children

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 pictures

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.

Published in Run and Become, Become and Run, part 18