They ask me such funny questions, such as why do I walk on my toes? One worker will say he gets tired just watching me. This worker collects garbage. Another one will say, "I know why you are walking on your toes. I also do it to strengthen my ankles, but I do not do it for such a long time."
The other day I was walking quite fast. One black lady came and stood right in front of me. She said, "How is it that you are not saying hello to me?" I saw that it was my favourite friend, the lady who saved me when I lost my notebooks that had four thousand birds inside. She was so nice. She discovered the notebooks and returned them to me. I was so miserable on that day when I thought that I had lost four thousand birds.
A few days later I saw her while she was working. She was doing some official business and not paying any attention to me. So I finished my walking and as I left I said to her, "Good-bye." She looked up and said, "No, good morning."
I like to walk on the moving belt at the airport. Last week three or four little children jumped on the belt and started running in the opposite direction. They were only seven or eight years old. I was sincerely admiring them. A few minutes later, I tried to imitate them. I practically lost my balance and I was so fortunate that I was not injured. I said, "How did they do it?" Then I tried again for forty metres. When I came to the end of the walkway, I got frightened. I did not know how I was going to jump off the belt, so I turned around and started walking properly in the opposite direction. Those children have no fear.
At one terminal there are two ladies. They are high-ranking officials, but they are always very nice to me. They always scream at me, "Good morning! Are you praying for me?" One of them says that my prayer definitely works. About a year ago she begged me to pray for her. She said, "Do not forget to pray for me. Your prayer works." She is a Christian. I do pray for her.
19 March 1994I wanted to give her a gift, but she said, "No, just pray for me."
21 March 1994Finally, I wore my 40-pound vest for two laps, plus I carried our little puppy Chela. He struggled the whole way!
6 June 1994Today I also tried something new: I held my breath for 30 steps and then I breathed out for 4 steps. I feel that it did help. Nowadays I am getting tremendous power from my legs. I feel I can improve my timing to 18 or even 15 seconds for the heel, but toes will improve a maximum of 4 seconds.
21 June 1994One day I was walking along the main road and then I got the inspiration to turn down a side street. Suddenly a Burmese girl, very nicely dressed, appeared. I could not see where she had come from. She passed between me and an iron gate. The gate was closed and there was literally no space for her to pass, but she did not dash against the gate. Perhaps she dematerialised!
On two different nights I walked around the parking lot of the Deluxe Hotel while the disciples meditated. Once upon a time I promised myself that every Thursday I would walk seven miles. I had such confidence in my promise. But I have not been able to keep it.
8 February 1995This morning I walked one and a quarter miles and this afternoon two miles. My pace was 18 minutes per mile. This is how I am desperately trying to lose weight. Yesterday I ate ice cream and that is why I am 161 pounds today. Otherwise, I am 157 pounds.
21 March 1995I began walking along the street in a leisurely way, drinking Snapple. After each two miles, I like to drink. I was walking and drinking and, at the same time, I was meditating and meditating. I was getting so much joy in my meditation.
Then I had the problem of my empty bottle. I did not want to carry it, so I was looking for a garbage container to dispose of it. At least four blocks I walked, but I did not see a container. At last I found one. When I threw the bottle inside, I felt so light.
28 March 1995Pratibha told me later that she did see it, but she did not know that I had placed it there, so she discarded it. Her intuition did not tell her that the Master came in the form of a corn muffin!
On the way back, I was meditating. Then I started singing Avatar songs. I get so much joy coming back. Definitely speed goes down, but relaxation is there.
30 March 1995"They are very comfortable," I replied.
The other one said, "Every day I see you wearing a different pair of shoes. Do you run a sneaker store?"
I said, "No, no, I do not."
Then I asked Databir, "Do you have any brochure?" Usually Databir keeps brochures about our activities in his car, but today he did not have any. I wanted to show these two ladies that I was not the owner of a sneaker store!
20 June 1995I also said, "Hi!" and I raised my hand.
Then the lady was telling her friend, "I have been seeing this gentleman for twenty-nine years. He has been working so hard for the improvement of the world."
She was speaking very loudly, so I was hearing everything. I have seen this lady perhaps four or five times, but she has been seeing me for twenty-nine years. How does she remember the exact number of years?
26 July 1995I continued on my way. When I walk alone, I have very, very good meditation. I enter into the other world, my real world. Suddenly, I saw the soul of one disciple coming for blessings. Then I took three or four steps and raised my head. I saw that somebody was standing on my left side. I turned around and I saw that it was this same disciple. He was standing with folded hands. I said to him, "Your soul came to me just four seconds ago!"
9 February 1996On that day, the weather conditions made it dangerous to walk on the street. Since I saw these two girls running on the sidewalk, I was absolutely sure that the sidewalk was not slippery. Otherwise, how could they run? They were literally dancing when they ran. So I went about two hundred and fifty metres in the same direction, walking very confidently. Then, oh God, I lost my footing and I was about to fall down. These two girls passed the same way running only a few minutes before me and nothing happened. Then I came walking and I lost my balance!
9 February 1996He said, "Yes, Sri."
Then I said, "Has Agraha spoken to you?"
He replied, "No problem, no problem! You look fine, you look great!"
I am so grateful to Coach Hart. He is the one who has given me written permission to walk on the track at St. John's.
13 March 1996The one that is much older is a hunchback. She tries to imitate the younger one. The younger one can walk backwards ten metres or so. Then she starts jogging backwards. The old one tried to do the same, but she stayed in the same spot. She was jogging, but she was not going anywhere.
27 June 1996We went to another gate, but we were feeling very uneasy. I asked Pulak to go and talk to the boss of some construction workers who were also there. I said, "Go and ask that man if I can walk." Even though I have written permission from the University authorities to walk, I wanted to make sure.
Pulak went and spoke to the boss, who said, "Definitely you can walk or run. Do whatever you like. The place is under construction, but if you want to try, you can."
I entered into the stadium and began walking. I did one round, two rounds, three rounds. Then I saw that the policemen had raised their guns. Two of them were talking on walkie-talkies and a special truck had driven onto the lawn which is used for discus, shot-put and hammer. The policemen were all aiming their guns at the tent near the tennis courts. It seemed that something was going to happen.
When I finished my fourth round, I saw that two of the policemen, instead of aiming at the tent as they were doing previously, were now looking through their guns at the track where I was walking! God knows what they were doing. They were watching something. I was the only one walking there and there were a few innocent construction workers on the side.
I know that people can do crazy things, so I quickly walked away and came to the gate. The man who gave me the permission asked, "What is happening?"
I said, "I do not want to be killed. You can see that there are police with guns everywhere."
Then the construction boss himself left the place with me. When I came out, he followed me and brought four or five other workers.
This was the experience we had this morning. The men with guns were not even twenty metres away from me. I was in the third lane and they were right beside the track, on the outside of the fence. What were they doing? First I saw that they were facing the tent. Then, on my fourth round, I saw that they were looking at the track. I said, "This time it is too dangerous." This was my St. John's experience today!
27 June 1996Our Indian scriptures say health is our religion. Health is the code of life. Village people walk two miles to market, but city people are in trouble. I strongly feel that after the age of 40 or 50, you have to spend a minimum of three hours a day doing exercise and taking care of your health.
10 September 1996I came and stood right in front of him, not even one metre away. I said to him, "How I wish I could lie down in the street like you! You have peace, you have joy. How I wish I could exchange my life with yours."
He did not say anything. He was in his own world of happiness.
21 October 1996How hard some of the boys are working to find a place indoors for me to walk. Unfortunately, they are not successful. What can you do?
20 February 1997The second time I went there, I found that I had forgotten the keys to my car. So I had to come all the way back home again.
Finally, the third time I went to the garage, everything was in order and I was able to bring the car. This all happened because I had a high fever.
9 September 1997My answer is to smile. Again, how many times I have to smile! Sometimes I am walking so fast and I have to smile or say "Good morning." This happens on the path right in front of the hotel.
7 December 1997While going back, I passed right in front of the courthouse. There I saw a little girl about three or four years old. She was a very nice looking child and she was wearing white. She came up to me and said, "Sir, would you like to have a piece of candy?"
She was practically giving the candy to me. She was such a sweet little girl. Her older brother was four or five metres behind her. He came running and said, "No, you have to give me a dollar."
She was so nice. She wanted to give it to me for free, but he demanded a dollar from me. I felt very sad for the little girl because her brother was so bad, but I did not see what I could do at that moment. I crossed the road and walked about ten metres. The little girl also went away. Then I turned around. I said, "I must give her a dollar since she was such a sweet little girl."
When I turned around, she came running towards me. She said, "I want to give it to you for free." This time she had four or five pieces of candy in a small box. What happened? Immediately I put my hands in my pockets. I pulled out three one-dollar bills. Quickly I gave them to her. Then the brother came. When the brother came, I gave him a dollar.
Now the pieces of candy were in my hand. I said to her, "Would you make me happy?"
She said, "Why, yes."
I said, "Please, you take the candy. I am on a strict diet. I will not be able to eat it." I became a saint there! Yesterday I took 1,300 calories. I ate Sicilian pizza, a kind of cake, a candy bar, all kinds of things. Yesterday I ate everything, but today I became a saint.
The little girl was so kind. She looked at me. When I gave her the three dollars, she was very sad. She said, "I do not want money from you." But I gave them to her. Then when I returned the candies to her, she took them from me.
Her name was Eva. Her brother said, "Eva, you cannot give candy for free." He was only two or three years older than his sister. She got three dollars from me and he got one dollar from me. Then everything was over.
29 February 1998What was the reason? About an hour before, I invoked him to come and bless my dog Chela on Chela's birthday. He blessed the dog there at my house while I was feeding him. Chela's name was given to him by Lord Krishna. I gave him the name Dil, but Lord Krishna did not like it, so he changed the name.
Then tonight Lord Krishna came on his own while I was walking. I was in my highest, walking and meditating, and Lord Krishna was playing his flute, his soul-stirring flute. These are not my mental hallucinations. One day your third eye will also open up and you will see that everything is true. Lord Krishna was playing his flute and blessing us all.
Today was Lord Krishna's day. Many, many times when I walk, the spiritual Masters walk with me. Here in this school, they bless us all. That is why I am giving so much importance to the meditation when I walk. Please try to remain in your highest. That will be a great achievement for me and for you as well.
21 March 1998I have been going to walk at TWA for four years or even more. Today, for the first time, I drank water from the water fountain there. Necessity knows no bounds. It was all my fault. I thought that Pulak would bring some water for me. But Pulak did not bring any water in his car.
I said, "All right, I shall buy some." I borrowed two dollars from Pulak, but when I went to the counter, I saw that it was not open. At six-thirty it is supposed to open, but I went at ten minutes to seven and it was not open. What could I do? I walked for two rounds, which is 500 metres, and then I decided to take a drink from the water fountain.
The first two or three times I pressed the button, the water was not going inside my mouth. It was all going into my nostrils and eyes. How do people drink this water? It went everywhere else, except inside my mouth. It even went into my ear! I said, "How is it going there?" I could not make the water go into the right place.
In the meantime, Pulak had purchased some water, but he did not come upstairs to give it to me. When I got into the car to go home, I said to him, "Pulak, now you have water. Why did you not bring it?"
He said, "I gave you the money."
He was sure that because he gave me the money, I would be able to buy water. Tomorrow I will not depend on him. And I do not think I will use the water fountain again. I never had that experience before.
24 March 1998I was talking to Govinda and from the car he called out.
What a smile I received from him!
24 March 1998The next moment, his consciousness descended! I asked him to go and bring prasad. I looked at his face and I saw such hesitation on his face. Here I was appreciating and admiring him and the next moment he was showing such hesitation. I thought that perhaps he had no money, but I know that you all believe in credit cards. So I asked him what was wrong. He said that in his mind he wanted to go out for a run, and that is why he felt sad that he had to go to the store.
Previously, he developed such sympathetic oneness with me that he literally ran to get towels. Then when I appreciated him, his consciousness descended. His oneness only lasted for a few fleeting seconds.
Like this, everybody goes up and down, up and down.
28 March 1998The man was very, very nice to him and allowed him to wait at that place. Pulak waited for two minutes. Then the goddess of sleep descended on him. Meanwhile, I had finished my walk and Agraha and I were waiting outside the terminal for Pulak to come. Agraha was watching the time. So many minutes passed. We could not believe that he would take such a long time. Where could Pulak have gone?
Finally, after twenty-one minutes, Pulak appeared. As usual, Pulak said, "It cannot be twenty-one minutes! It is impossible. I just fell asleep for a minute or two."
We were wondering and wondering where he was. Even the security guard could not believe he was taking so long. How could he take such a long time? Pulak was 'meditating'.
8 April 1998During the day, I walked five laps on the track. While I was walking, a tall black man came up to me and said, "You are a celebrity. How can you mix with us?"
I said, "We are all brothers."
Then he looked at me with such joy and affection. I became very, very friendly to all the athletes.
I hope that at our Sports Day in August I can do a little running. Today what a struggle it was to do five laps walking!
It was a day of tremendous joy, success and achievement for all the athletes. They were so friendly and kind.
30 May 1998I feel like my India days. My shoulder movement, chest, everything is Indian feeling. That is how I used to walk — very smartly.
7 August 1998I gave him a very broad smile.
12 August 1998The other day, one man came out of his house just to tell me that our celebrations are coming.
12 August 1998From:Sri Chinmoy,Walking-challenging-becoming, part 1, Agni Press, 2000
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/wcb_1