“Minnie” the elephant: 7,500 lbs.
Sudhahota Carl Lewis: 200 lbs.Apparatus: 440 lbs.
Total: 8,140 lbs.Around four o’clock in the afternoon, the doors of a large semi-trailer opened and “Minnie,” a huge 28-year-old Asian elephant, gracefully disembarked onto a busy street in Jamaica, Queens. She meandered into Aspiration-Ground, paused briefly to munch on carrots and allow herself to be gaily caparisoned, and then was led to the lifting platform.
Sudhahota Carl Lewis, world famous sprinter and long jumper, now adopted the role of a climber as he ascended to his seat just behind Minnie’s head. In traditional Indian fashion, Sri Chinmoy offered Minnie a 15-foot garland. He then waited while the elephant’s trainer adjusted her position so that all four feet were firmly planted on the lifting platform.
Sri Chinmoy lifted this shifting and unstable load once. Then, because the platform had risen unevenly, he proceeded to lift it a second and a third time, with the elephant changing position for each lift until a more equal balance could be established and Sri Chinmoy was fully satisfied with the height of the lift.
> The mind immediately makes us feel that the elephant is such a solid object. When we think of an elephant, a kind of unfettered fear enters into us. How will it be possible to lift it? So I do not use my mind at all; I use my heart and try to establish my oneness with the elephant. Everything helps me and everyone helps me when I use my oneness. Whereas, if I stayed in the mind, I would not be able to lift heavy weights at all.
> — Sri Chinmoy> Who can imagine what Sri Chinmoy does! He does it through his spiritual strength, his power, putting his faith in God and understanding that anything can be achieved. I think it is a message that is strong to everyone in where to direct their attention or meditation and that they can achieve anything they set out to do. > — Sudhahota Carl Lewis
From:Sri Chinmoy,The body’s fitness-gong. The soul’s fulness-song, Agni Press, 1999
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/bfg