Run and become, become and run, part 19

Running with joy1

This morning I saw Mitali running. When she saw me, she started screaming with joy.

If all my disciples ran with so much joy, they would all be world champions.


RB 955. 8 December 1986

Kokila's juicy story2

This morning I went out for a two-mile walk. At my 250-metre mark, all of a sudden Kokila’s soul came to me. I said, “I liked your article about my weightlifting so much. I will print it in a pamphlet. Then I will either sell it for 25 cents or give it away free. If I sell it for 25 cents, I will give you all the money.” Then I blessed her soul, and the soul went away.

As I came near Main Street on my way back, I saw someone 200 metres ahead of me. I could not see who it was, but I felt a vibration was coming from Kokila’s soul. Then, after I turned onto 150th Street, I saw someone about 300 metres ahead of me, and again I felt Kokila’s vibration.

When I reached my 250-metre mark, I saw that Kokila had just turned onto the street where she lives and she was waiting there for me. I said, “Kokila!” She turned away her face and started giggling. She would not look at me.

I said, “I liked your article so much. I will print it in a brochure form.” Then I told her I had seen her soul at this very spot just a few minutes ago and had blessed it. Again she started giggling.

What can be a greater juicy story? I blessed her soul on my way out, and I saw her on the physical plane on my way back — at exactly the same spot!


RB 956. 18 February 1987

This is the man!3

When I was walking near my house, two little kids saw me. One of them said, “This is the man!” He meant that I was the one who lived in this house.

The other one said, “No!” So they were having an argument.

Then I said, “Good morning, good morning,” and smiled. I made them feel that I was the person who lived here.


RB 957. 18 February 1987

Appearing again4

Recently when I was at my 1,200-metre mark, I saw Anna running. The following day, I was walking along the same route, looking at the ground. When I came to that spot, I said to myself, “Yesterday I saw Anna here.”

Then I lifted up my eyes, and whom did I see? It was Anna again! She was about thirty metres ahead of me.


RB 958. 28 February 1987

The early bird5

Another day I saw Namrata running. I said, “O God, Namrata is running so slowly.” But after two minutes she was even farther away from me.

Then I saw somebody in front of Namrata. I said, “Somebody is running much faster than Namrata.” The person looked like Lucy, but I said, “She usually does not run at this hour. How can it be Lucy?” She was far ahead of me, and she turned down a side street, so I did not see who it was.

Then, when I was coming back, I saw that it was Lucy. I smiled at her and talked to her for a minute. At that hour for Lucy to run!


RB 959. 28 February 1987

Like Sona and Kanu6

Two days ago, when I was coming back from my run, I turned my head only to see Kokila sitting on a car, looking at her feet. She would not have seen me at all, but I took the trouble of saying, “Kokila!” Then she jumped up.

As soon as I call her, she turns her head away, like my dogs Sona and Kanu.


RB 960. 28 February 1987

The circus clowns7

When I was at my 1200-metre mark, I saw two runners who looked like circus clowns: Pranika and Dipali. They were wearing tights and hats; they reminded me of circus monkeys.

My outfit was just the opposite: a heavy coat and other warm clothes. It was very cold outside.


RB 961. 28 February 1987

Out of the blue8

Three days ago, before going out to walk, I saw a poem by Shephali the great about my piano performance. The poem was lying on my white table. I was pleased that she had been so inspired by my piano.

Then, at my 200-metre mark, whom did I see? Shephali! As soon as you think of someone, out of the blue that person appears.


RB 962. 28 February 1987

The eavesdropper9

Two or three days ago I was coming back from my one-mile walk. Two old ladies were walking side by side ahead of me. They were going so slowly. Finally, one of them turned around and said, “Why do you have to listen to our conversation?”

They thought I was dying to hear their conversation! I wanted to go past them, but they were blocking my path.

A few moments later they stopped at an intersection to wait for the red light to change. I stopped at least thirty metres away from them because I did not want to be insulted again.

When I was in my own meditative consciousness, at that time I had to get their blessings!


RB 963. — 5 March 1987

The sick guy10

Today at my 700-metre mark on 150th Street, two Puerto Rican boys drove by in an old red car. Their hands and heads were sticking out of the car. They were not in a good consciousness.

I was limping, so they shouted, “Look at this sick guy!” They were enjoying themselves.

Later, after I had crossed Main Street, again I saw the same car with the same boys. And the same message I got: “Look at this sick guy!”


RB 964. 11 August 1987

Desire fulfilled11

Today I was wearing the grey Bill Rodgers running suit that Nemi gave me a year ago. I said, “This is Nemi’s uniform. Nemi should see me wearing it.”

O God, I had not gone even 600 metres when I saw Nemi driving by in a car. I said, “Look at this! Here I am saying Nemi should see this, and she comes by in the car!”

So God fulfils that kind of desire!


RB 965. 13 August 1987

The soul's connection12

Every month Anjali makes me a special cake or pie, which I give out as prasad. But this month I was out of town, so she did not give me any.

Early in the morning, just as I was going out to run, I was thinking, “Just because I was not here, she did not give me prasad.”

Then, when I came back, she and Mohan were waiting there in the car. This is called the soul’s connection.


RB 966. 13 August 1987

Oneness-sacrifice13

I am so proud of Aaron and Anna. Twice I have seen them running together.

See Aaron’s oneness-sacrifice! Look at his speed and her speed, but still he runs with his wife.

But their daughter was not with them. I asked, “What is she doing?”

They told me, “She is sleeping!”


RB 967. 6 September 1987

The drunk couple14

I was running on Queens Boulevard at five in the morning. After a mile and a half, I saw a young Chinese couple who were very drunk. The poor husband was trying to hold up his wife, but she was fat and he was thin. With such difficulty he was holding her up!

At that hour, at five o’clock in the morning, old people sit at the bus stop reading the newspaper!


RB 968. 8 September 1987

Averting a wild goose chase15

Last night I told Pratyaya I would go out running at six-thirty this morning. But then I got inspired to go out at five o’clock, and it was not yet six-thirty when I came back.

I said, “Oh my God, if I do not inform Pratyaya, then she will go out looking for me on the street because she likes to see me run. She will be going on a wild goose chase.”

So I phoned her and told her I was already back. She was all ready to go out looking for me, but I stopped her in time.


RB 969. 7 September 1987

The young man16

Yesterday as I was walking near my 1 1/2-mile mark, I saw a man who had just bought a New York Times from a street booth. He was about my age.

When he saw me, he said, “Hey, young man! Inside the park a car has been totally smashed. Can you go and see what is wrong?”

I smiled at him. Then he said, “Young man, you cannot go? Then take care, and have a nice day!”


RB 970. 27 November 1988

The clean car17

Today, while I was out running I saw a very nice car parked near Flushing Meadow Park. I said to myself, “These people keep their car so clean! I shall have to bless the car.”

I put my left hand on the car to bless it. But then, O God, all my fingers became dirty!

From a distance, the car looked so nice.


RB 971. 27 November 1988

The handshake18

While I was out walking this morning, I came to an intersection. There was a car coming, so I was going to wait for it to go by. But the driver waved for me to pass first.

As I crossed in front of him, the driver called out, “I know you! You are Sri Chinmoy!”

I smiled and went by. Then he said, “Wait a moment! I want to shake hands with you,” and he started coming out of the car.

I said, “Oh no, you do not have to come out of the car.” Then I went over to him and put out my hand. He was so surprised that I went to him.

Poor me, I do not know how to shake hands, so I held my hand in a peculiar way. Anyway, he took my hand and shook it. He was of Spanish origin. I think he was a construction worker.


RB 972. 8 September 1992

Believing in me19

A few days ago I was at Victory Field walking very slowly by the discus area. A man was there talking to his friend. As I passed by, I heard him say, “I believe in God. God speaks to me. And I believe in Sri Chinmoy!”

First he tells his friend that God speaks to him, and then he says he believes in me. I do not know him or his friend, but still he believes in me. Can you imagine!


RB 973. September 1992

Thrown out at Delta20

The Delta Air Lines terminal used to be my favourite place to walk in cold weather. All the workers there liked me. One time the main guard even came up and told me that I would get better exercise if I walked at a difference place in the terminal.

But the assistant manager did not want me to walk there, and he threw me out. He said that I was running, but it was not true.

When I used to go there, I would always see two old ladies who worked in the terminal. Every time they saw me, they would talk to me.

Just the other day one of the ladies saw me. She asked, “Why do you not come anymore?”

I told her, “I am not allowed to come. But now I am going to the USAir terminal. They are very nice to me there.”

She was so happy that I had found somewhere to walk.


RB 974. 17 November 1993

The friendly USAir manager21

The manager at USAir is so nice! He has put in writing that I can come to walk or run there at any time.

The other day he saw me running, so he came up to me and said, “Sri Chinmoy, I am so happy you are using our airline.”

Then I said to him, “I am so grateful to you.”

He said, “You are coming every day and blessing us.”

I said, “I wish to give you a piece of good news. Recently some students of mine from various parts of the world came to New York on your airline.”

The manager answered, “I know! Dr. Agraha Levine gave me the list.”

Then I talked to him about other things, including my meetings with President Gorbachev.


RB 975. 21 November 1993

The Roberta Flack admirer22

Most of the people who work at the USAir ticket counters near the place where I run are black. An elderly black lady is the supervisor, and there are two other black ladies and one white lady.

The other day I showed them some recent pictures of Sudhahota running with me.

I said, “May I show you something? This is Carl Lewis.” They were so happy to see the picture.

Then I was telling them about some of the prominent black figures whom I have met over the years. I mentioned Muhammad Ali and “Big Man” Clarence Clemons, Mokshagun. I also mentioned Eddie Murphy, Narada, Reverend Jackson and my hero, Jesse Owens.

Then I said, “I know Roberta Flack; she is a very close friend of mine.” As soon as I said “Roberta Flack,” how thrilled the ladies were. You have no idea how much people love Addwitiya!


RB 976. 23 November 1993

The look-alikes23

After showing the ladies the picture of Sudhahota and me running together, I went back to my chair about twenty metres away and started drawing birds. After a few minutes, the elderly black lady, the supervisor, came up to me and asked to see the picture again. She had brought with her a young white lady who worked under her.

The young lady said to me, “I want to tell you something, but I am afraid and embarrassed.” Then she looked at me and said, “You and Gorbachev look alike.” Immediately she put her hands over her face and turned away in embarrassment.

I said, “You are right. He is my friend. I have received many letters from him and just the other day I met him in Washington.” She said, “But you two look alike!” Look at this! I was only telling them about my black friends. I had not mentioned Gorbachev at all. But this was her intuition.


RB 977. 23 November 1993

The lost birds24

The other day I went to the USAir terminal to run around 6:15 in the morning. After running, I started drawing.

When I finished drawing, I went to a gift shop fifty metres away to buy a T-shirt for one of my disciples that said “Titan” or something like that, since that particular disciple likes this kind of thing.

When I came back to my seat, I saw that my notebooks were missing! One contained 5,000 bird drawings and the other had 3,000 drawings.

I went to the nearest ticket counter and asked the lady there, “Did you see anybody take my notebooks?”

She said, “Perhaps the trash collector took them and threw them away.”

I said, “They are so important.”

She said, “Ask the trash collector.”

Then I went to another counter. The man there was so nice. He said he would page the trash collector. Finally the trash collector came. He was Puerto Rican. Unfortunately, he did not speak much English and the man who was helping me did not speak Spanish. He was calling the Puerto Rican an idiot, while the poor fellow looked so innocent. He definitely was not the one who had taken the notebooks.

Then I went back to my original seat. By then, the elderly black lady who likes me so much had come to her counter, which is near where I sit. I said to her, “You have to help me.”

She said, “Of course!”

I told her, “I have lost two notebooks.”

Then she started searching for my notebooks here, there and everywhere. Finally, she found my notebooks on somebody else’s counter. I was so moved and grateful.


RB 978. 23 November 1993

A way of saying thank you25

Later that day I went back to the USAir terminal to give the elderly black lady a big scarf. She knows I am a big shot because she has seen my picture with Sudhahota. But this time I also took the blue book, which mentions all our different activities. I took Govinda as my assistant, along with Sagar and Databir.

When we arrived, the lady who had been so nice to me was busy. From her counter she kept running into the plane and back again. I was wondering when she would be free. When she finally was free, I gave her the scarf.

She said, “Oh, you shouldn’t have done it!”

I said, “You were so kind to me. You found something very valuable to me.”

Again she said, “But you should not have done it.” She was very happy.

I had also brought gifts for the others who had helped me, but I felt miserable because I had not brought anything for the innocent Puerto Rican who got such a scolding. When I was leaving USAir, he happened to walk by, and he raised his broomstick. He did not know that we had found the notebooks. So I said to him, “Gracias, gracias!” Next time I go, I will give him something very nice.


RB 979. 23 November 1993

A new kind of candy26

A few days ago, as usual, I went to USAir to run. After I had done my running, I went to my favourite gift store, where I go every day. The man who works there comes from Pakistan. He welcomed me.

I bought a copy of Time magazine and a British newspaper, The Sun. It had an article about somebody who had heard the voice of Jesus Christ.

Every day I buy a piece of candy for whoever drives me. I usually do not eat any myself, but today I wanted to have some. So I said to myself, “Today I must buy something really new.”

I saw something new that looked like chocolate with birds on it. It looked very nice. I said, “One for me and one for Maral!”

Then I said to myself, “Yesterday I promised Saroja that the first thing I would eat today would be one of her brownies.” She had baked them for her birthday and left one for me in the refrigerator at my house.

I said, “I have to be a sincere person at least one time.” So I decided not to eat the candy until after I ate her brownie.

When I got home, I ate Saroja’s brownie and then I said, “Now let me have this candy.” But when I opened it up, I saw it was not candy at all. It was a bunch of cards with the pictures of basketball players, saying how great the players were.

O God, this was the candy I got for Maral and myself!


RB 980. 25 November 1995

The soul of the shoe27

When I was ready to go out walking the day before yesterday, it was quite dark. But I did not turn on the porch light when I put on my shoes. As a result, on my left foot I put a Nike shoe and on my right foot I put something else. Believe it or not, a shoe not only has a sole but also a soul. The soul of one shoe was telling me, “I will hurt you if you wear me.” It was addressing me very devotedly.

I asked, “Why?”

The soul said, “Look at your shoes.”

When I looked, I saw that I had two different kinds of shoes on. One was already starting to hurt because it was new. The right one was perfect, but the left one was the wrong shoe. So I went back and put on another shoe.

On that day I walked four miles, so definitely the shoe would have hurt me.


RB 981. 5 April 1995

My favourite gift shop28

I buy such simple things at the gift shop, but they are so expensive. On that day, the magazine, newspaper and two pieces of candy came to $10.59. When the man said, “$10.59,” I said, “Stop, stop! I do not have that much. I have only $10.”

The Pakistani man said, “Do not worry. Every day you come.”

On another day I was going to buy three ties for Gorbachev. The three ties, plus candy and newspapers had come to a little over $40. I only had $40 with me, so I decided to buy only one tie and the other things. Then it came to only $20.

I said to the Pakistani man, “The other day when I did not have enough money, you did not give me a discount. So I had to return something.”

He said, “What could I do? That fat lady Louise, was here.” He himself is very fat.

I said, “That lady is so thin!”

He told me, “She calls me fat, so I also call her fat.”

Then he said, “You come from India and I come from Pakistan, and we are friends. But if you had been living in India and I had been living in Pakistan, no good!”

I said, “So many times we have had wonderful conversations. Here there is no India or Pakistan. Here in America we are one.”

Then I told him, “Tomorrow I am not going to come. I will be in Canada.”

He said, “Do not worry about the 59 cents!”


RB 982. 25 November 1993

The useless water bottle29

Yesterday I walked four miles. After I had covered two miles, I felt thirsty. I am supposed to drink every two miles; otherwise, I get cramps. In my pocket I was carrying a small water container. It says, “Press and then turn to open.” So I pressed and turned once, then twice. Two or three times I tried to open it, but I could not do so. I was in a very high consciousness. After trying to open it three times, I threw it away.

Then I said, “O God, what am I going to do?”

When I go out walking, I usually take a small amount of money with me. Before I left the house, I had said, “Since I am carrying water, what is the use of bringing any money?” But I took a twenty dollar bill anyway.

I found a small store selling donuts and pretzels. I said, “This place should have something for me.” I asked for a Snapple and gave the man my twenty dollar bill. He asked me, “Do you have anything smaller’”

I looked at him pitifully. Then he put his hand inside his pocket and brought out a bundle of one, five and ten dollar bills. So we exchanged smiles.


RB 983. 5 April 1995

Afraid of the dogs30

Sometimes dogs can frighten me. When I was out walking the other day, a huge dog started walking alongside me.

The owner was about ten metres behind. The owner said, “Do not be afraid; he is very gentle.”

He was speaking to me in such a compassionate way, but I was praying for him to come and take the dog. Then the owner went ahead of me and the dog went with him.


RB 984. 5 April 1995

The secret prasad31

The other day I walked six miles. After two miles I entered into a small grocery store and bought a Snapple, an Orangina and a corn muffin. They put it all in a paper bag.

When I was near Suradhuni’s bakery on my way back, I said to myself, “Let me have some fun with the bakery.”

I had eaten a little more than half the muffin. The rest I put in the brown bag, which I left in front of the bakery door. I said, “If Suradhuni or Pratibha come, they will be blessed with my prasad.”

I was hoping that they would be in tune with my consciousness and take it. But my hope was not fulfilled. Pratibha came first, and she thought the paper bag with the muffin was left by some vagabond or hooligan. So she threw it away.

Later I called to give them my “blessings.” Suradhuni was absolutely innocent, so she escaped my blessings. But Pratibha I scolded to my heart’s content!

Once, many years ago, I had left a hat for Lucy on top of the water bottle she had hidden for herself along her running route. I laid the hat out very nicely, so I was hoping she would know I had left it for her.

Afterwards, she said she thought the hat might have come from me. But part of her was afraid it might have been left by some bad person, who might have also drunk from her water.

So she left both the hat and the water.


RB 985. 5 April 1995

My surrender is my progress32

I have made tremendous progress in my outer walking. In the past, I used to watch who was going ahead of me. If it was a fat lady, it would make me miserable. If I saw someone going ahead of me whose strides were shorter than the shortest and whose legs were hardly moving, I would be so disheartened.

The day before yesterday a young boy passed me near Thomas Edison High School. I said, “Here is the proof that I have made tremendous progress. Ten years ago I would have tried to compete with him, but now I only surrender.”

So my surrender is my progress.


RB 986. 5 April 1995

From:Sri Chinmoy,Run and become, become and run, part 19, Agni Press, 1996
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/rb_19