Honouring Khaliah Ali, Fashion Entrepreneur, Philanthropist and Daughter of Muhammad Ali
On 16 July 2004, Sri Chinmoy honoured Khaliah Ali, philanthropist, fashion entrepreneur and daughter of Muhammad Ali, with the “Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” Award at Aspiration-Ground medi-tation garden. She was accompanied by a friend from Australia, Johnny Abrams, who had been inspired over the years by the Guinness World Records of Sri Chinmoy’s student, Ashrita Furman. Excerpts from the programme follow.Khaliah Ali: I am completely overwhelmed with gratitude. I thank you so very much for thinking of me and acknowledging me in this way. I’m so deeply touched. The one thing that I had said was that I spend my life doing what I perceive to be a very laud-able thing, and that is carrying on my father’s legacy through very, very many good causes. It’s a gift. It’s a blessing. And I’ve never been honoured for any of my work, nor have I looked to be.
But if there was a place to ever receive an award for the first time, I am completely speechless for this gift that you have given me. And I thank you so much. Today stands as a testimonial to many things, not just the good deeds of others. In addition to that, it’s one of those days I had really renewed my understanding and knowledge of what is beyond what’s controllable and tangible to me. Speaking about my brother, Johnny, when we initially spoke about today, I don’t think he nor I would have ever perceived the course of events that took place that led him to being here and having the opportunity to be with you, Ashrita, as well.
I couldn’t be in the presence of more people that I love and would want to be acknowledged with: my father in spirit; my son, my greatest blessing and gift and honour, besides today; my brother, Jarrat; my beautiful sister, Lydia; and some incredible new friends, and ones that I just recently met and feel like I know quite well already; the beautiful voices that sang – I take none of you for granted – and down to all the beautiful flowers! I was really overwhelmed. I thought, “What a gift! The flowers!” You know they’re living. They’re here for me, too.
So with much gratitude I thank you. And on behalf of my father’s spirit, which is here as well, and with all of us always – I think that’s why we love him so – I thank you.
Sri Chinmoy then lifted Johnny Abrams.
Johnny Abrams: I guess it’s funny how life is. One minute I’m at the other end of the world in Australia. The next minute I’m here. I had told Khaliah, and I’ve told a lot of people, about Ashrita Furman, and how and why I’ve been losing weight over the last three years during this transformation. I used to get up very early and go biking. And the first thing I would say when I went out there was Ashrita’s name, and then I would say, “God, please help me.” I remembered the story of how when he was doing his feats, how he would come to a certain point and he would ask God for help, and he would surrender to God, and he would get an incredible surge of power and energy by surrendering to the infinite power of the universe. And that’s really propelled me over the last couple of years.
I never thought I’d meet Ashrita Furman. I didn’t know when I’d ever be back in the States again, but it’s funny how life is. And it’s been a bit of a roller coaster for me these past two weeks. I lost my father last week, but somehow I feel like I’m part of another family, a bigger family today. It’s a good feeling. So I thank you all very much for this honour. It really means a lot to me.
Sri Chinmoy (to Johnny): Not only the physical transformation, but I can see clearly a spiritual transformation as well.
(To Khaliah Ali): I wish to share with you a most significant experience. Around 2:00 in the afternoon before your father fought with Earnie Shavers, I went to visit him in his hotel room. We talked and talked, and your father recited some of his poems, which I enjoyed very deeply. Then there came a time when we wanted to have a serious meditation, so both of us stood up and started meditating side by side. Alas, out of my tremendous respect, when I looked at his eyes from time to time, he was in another world, so I did not dare to stop the meditation. And your father also did the same. When he looked at me several times, I was meditating deeply, so he also did not stop me. So both of us were meditating and meditating.
Finally, the manager came up and with folded hands said, “Sri Chinmoy, Ali has to fight this evening.” So we stopped our meditation. This was one of my most memorable experiences that I had. Both of us had such love and admiration for each other, right from the beginning.
The first time I met with him was in 1966, and most recently in June of last year I lifted him and his wife, Lonnie, when they were honoured for their humanitarian work by the Oneness-Family School in Washington, DC that is run by one of my students.
Sri Chinmoy then accompanied his guests to the Pilgrim-Museum.
