Service to the Animal Kingdom
On 31 May 2007, Sri Chinmoy lifted the world’s smallest horse in a programme held at Aspiration-Ground meditation garden. Thumbelina, the world’s smallest horse registered with Guinness World Records, came with Michael Goessling, her handler and founder of the Thumbelina Children’s Charity. Below are a few comments that Sri Chinmoy made during a television interview following the lift.Interviewer: Sir, this is quite a day. You did a lot of lifting. How do you feel after that?
Sri Chinmoy: I got tremendous joy. About a month ago I was in Norway. There I lifted 29 people one after another, in exactly the same way. These were professors and members of the Parliament. They came to my Peace Concert, and I honoured them with the “Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” award.
Interviewer: Why lift someone?
Sri Chinmoy: Life needs joy. But there are many innocent ways to get joy. I get joy by loving people, by embracing people. When somebody does something good and great, we honour him. When a soccer player plays well, his teammates lift him up and give him joy. And while giving him joy, they get joy. Here while I was lifting Thumbelina, I was getting tremendous joy. I feel the heart and the soul of the little horse also got joy because it is an unusual experience for me and for the horse, as well.
Sri Chinmoy (to Michael Goessling): I wish to share with you a piece of good news. At the end of June I shall be lifting the world’s tallest horse, Radar, most probably in Manhattan, with my legs. There will be a platform where Radar will be standing, so I shall lift her with my calf muscles.
Michael Goessling: That’s incredible. Radar is 2400 pounds. In July Thumbelina and Radar will be in the same picture in the Guinness Book of World Records. We did a photo shoot at the farm last September, and Thumbelina doesn’t even come up to his knees. It should be quite a picture when the new Guinness Book comes out.
Sri Chinmoy (after Thumbelina says goodbye): How sweet, how sweet!
Michael Goessling: It’s been a great experience!
Sri Chinmoy: For me, too, it has been a great experience. Here I am meeting with my little sister, full of love, full of affection. I am very happy. It gives me so much joy to be of service to the Animal Kingdom, so much joy.
31 May 2007 Aspiration-Ground, New York
