Run and become, become and run, part 17

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You are running too slowly!1

One day when I was in Pondicherry recently, I was running near the Bay of Bengal. A little Tamil boy said to me, “Sir, you will not be allowed to run here tomorrow.”

I asked, “Why?”

He said, “Because you are running too slowly!

I said to him, “All right. I will not come this way tomorrow. Tomorrow I will go to some other place.”

Then he said, “No, come here! No matter how slowly you run, come here. I like you.”

All this was in Tamil.


RB 861. 28 March 1982

Looking for Auroville2

Another day, I started my run at four o’clock in the morning. But even at that hour you can’t run more than 400 metres before you start perspiring! And the Pondicherry streets are so uneven and full of holes! Still, I ran fifteen miles — seven and a half out and back.

They had told me that Auroville is about six miles from the Ashram. So I set my timer-beeper at ten minutes. After it rang six times I thought that I should definitely have reached Auroville. From the light in the sky I saw that an hour had gone by, so I knew for certain that I had heard the beeper six times.

Then I started asking people driving bullock carts where Auroville was.

One person said, “Oh, you have already passed it!”

I asked myself, “How can it be? Did I run so fast?”

Another person said, “It is one mile ahead.” So I kept running until I reached it.

When I was coming back, three or four dogs attacked me at the same time — out of the blue. I stood there and shouted at them. While I was shouting, the owners of the dogs also started shouting. Then they started laughing at me, and I started shouting at them in Tamil.


RB 862. 28 March 1982

The devotee3

One day I was walking along the Bay of Bengal. A young man was running by. When he saw me, all of a sudden he stopped and folded his hands.

I couldn’t understand why he would show such devotion to a stranger, since he was a European. Then he started running again.

The following day I was walking in the Ashram taking pictures when I saw this same young man running along the other side of the street. As soon as he saw me, he stood still and folded his hands. Then he came and stood in front of me with folded hands. He said, “I was your disciple once upon a time.”

I said, “You were my disciple?”

He said, “I come from Heidelberg. I was your disciple. I even came to New York once to see you.”

I said to myself, “O God, he came to New York and still I can’t recognise him!”

He told me his name. I asked, “What do you do?”

He said, “I am a taxi driver. Now I have become Sri Aurobindo’s disciple. But please tell me what I should do about my spiritual life.”

I said, “If you are Sri Aurobindo’s disciple, I am not the right person to tell you what to do.”

He kept asking me, so finally I said, “Now that you are inspired by the Ashram, you can go back to Heidelberg and do something for the Ashram there.”

He said, “But I don’t know any seekers there.”

I said, “Just try. From one it becomes many.” Then I asked, “Do you know Renate?”

He said, “Yes, I know her. She has gotten her Indian name, Minati.” I didn’t think he would know her Indian name, but somehow he knew it.

Then he said, “I am very grateful to you because I got the inspiration to run from you. You encouraged me to run. In New York I started running.”


RB 863. 28 March 1982

Lost in London4

One morning in London I started running at 3:30 in the morning. I had no idea what streets I was going on, so I started remembering landmarks: “Here is a light, there is a mailbox, here is a store called Aladdin’s Lamp.” Like that I got six or seven landmarks to remember.

After running about three and a half miles, I turned around to go back. But I had forgotten two of the landmarks. I had no idea where I was, and I didn’t have any money with me. Anyway, where could I get a taxi at that hour? If I could have found a taxi, I could have gone back to the hotel and gotten some money from there. Then I got angry with myself. Why did I have to meditate while running instead of paying more attention to the landmarks?

At that very moment, when I was totally annoyed, one of my inner beings started making fun of me because I thought I was lost. Usually they are terribly afraid of cutting jokes with me. But this inner being said, “Although you have made a mistake, you are off by only half a block.”

I believed my inner being. I went just half a block in the direction it showed me, and I saw “Aladdin’s Lamp.” Then I had only two more landmarks to find. I had been out only an hour or so, but one of the landmarks had disappeared. Perhaps it had blown away; it was such a silly landmark! My inner being told me, “Definitely that is the place. Make a left turn there.” Again I believed my inner being, and soon I came to the last landmark, which was a mailbox.

If I could have gone into the park, there would have been no problem. I would have remembered the big building — Kensington Palace. But the park didn’t open until 5:30 or 6:00, and the streets were not at all familiar to me. As I passed a bicycle shop, the burglar alarm was ringing and ringing. Even after I had gone at least two blocks more, I was hearing the alarm so loudly! It was about 4:30, and at that hour there were absolutely no policemen out — not even one! Whom to tell? I didn’t see any person and perhaps only one car.


RB 864. 28 March 1982

The San Juan Marathon5

At our marathon in Puerto Rico the runners had to run three times around the stadium at the start of the course. Our singers had taped running songs that were played over the loudspeaker, and they inspired the runners considerably.

Because of the heat, many people suffered after completing the race. For many it was a very painful experience.

The man who won had a time of around 2:30, and his wife stood first among the women. So husband and wife stood first together, with one hour difference.

The former champion finished in 2:51. I had a long talk with him, and many pictures were taken. He said this was his worst time in ten years. He blamed the heat. Also, the day before he had eaten Kentucky Fried Chicken, and he said that ruined everything. So remember, don’t eat chicken before a marathon!


RB 865. 5 December 1982

The kiss6

During the awards ceremony after the Puerto Rico marathon, I was so embarrassed! I was giving a prize to a black lady who had placed in the marathon, and she leaned forward to kiss me. I immediately put my hand in front of my forehead. She said, “Pardon, pardon!”


RB 866. 11 December 1982

The Puerto Rican Indian7

When I went to the World Masters Games held in Puerto Rico in September, on the registration form I wrote down my nationality as Indian. But the officials cancelled it and instead put Puerto Rican. That is how I became Puerto Rican and held the Puerto Rican flag during the march past.

Every day I got such tremendous joy and inspiration from the Masters Games. I enjoyed them like anything! They really created a Kingdom of Heaven on earth. The inspiration from the Games will last for some time. Now I want to break my own records. My goal is transcendence.


RB 867. 2 October 1983

An unfair race8

In one race I saw a 92-year-old man running; he came in third. Quite good! But he came to me after the race and said, “Is it fair? I have to run with 85-year-olds!” Poor man. How could they have another category for runners over 90? So he was only third. He was a nice man. He had been a revolutionary in his youth, and had been in jail for 16 years. They wrote a nice article about him in the San Juan paper.


RB 868. 2 October 1983

The brave hurdler9

There were 19 people registered in the over-40 category for hurdles. Out of these, only six actually came and participated. The rest were all injured. On the very first day of events people were practising hurdles. I saw at least two fall down. They seriously injured their knees and they were lying down. Most of them had very bad style. I don’t know how they can run like that. For old people like us, the organisers should lower the height of the hurdles.

One of the hurdlers was really brave. From the very first hurdle he was last. When I did hurdles in India I used to think my stride was horrible, but his was definitely worse. Dhananjaya took a very nice picture of him after the third hurdle.

At the fourth hurdle, he fell down and rolled three times. Then he got up and again started running! I could not believe it. He was so brave! I thought he would remain on the ground and they would bring a stretcher.


RB 869. 2 October 1983

Autograph hunters10

In the 35-40 category, there was a woman who looked very small, but she was so fast! She stood second or third. After the race she came and stood in front of me. Her boyfriend came, too. They are from Chile. They wanted my autograph on a very small brochure. Dhananjaya was asking them their names. They gave him their names and I signed their brochures.

Then two people came who lived near Cologne. They also took my autograph. I told them I was going to Cologne next March to give a concert. Where is Cologne and where is Puerto Rico?


RB 870. 2 October 1983

Begging for a photograph11

One Indian got four gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal. He was begging Dhananjaya to take a nice picture of him with all his medals. Then his manager became so jealous that he would not talk to him.


RB 871. 2 October 1983

Coming in last12

Poor me! I always come in last, last, last. But how can everybody get a place? Just because some slow people like me also run, some faster runners stand first, second and third. If we did not join, there could be no competition.

Still, I am quite happy. The prayers of the San Francisco disciples worked: I have broken my 100, 200 and 400-metre records. Of course, these are my best times since I came to the West — not my Indian records!


RB 872. 2 October 1983

Young but useless13

In the ladies’ group some of the participants are a little overweight and have grey hair. Others look quite thin and smart; in comparison, they look quite young. But when the race starts, sometimes those grey-haired ladies go so fast, and the younger-looking ones, who are thin and light, are useless.


RB 873. 2 October 1983

Sometimes it is better to watch14

Twenty minutes before the semi-finals of the 400-metre race, my Filipino friend told me that the officials had allowed more people to join, and that I was definitely qualified to participate. When they announced that everybody was allowed, he said that he was prepared to compete. But since I had not qualified in the heats, I had not come prepared to run. Even if I had been prepared, I would not have been able to compete with those really good runners. Sometimes it is better to watch than to run.


RB 874. 2 October 1983

Strong bodies and strong minds15

Some 60-year-olds are more energetic than 35 or 45-year-olds. I saw a very fat 75 or 80-year-old man practising the high jump alone. Each time he was about to jump, I got a heart attack. Twice he fell on the mats. Once his right leg crossed the bar but his left leg was under the bar. I thought that a serious accident would take place. But no, each time after he fell, he stood up and gave me a smile. Such adamantine will he had! The height he was jumping was quite negligible, but he was so happy that he could jump at his age.

For 75 and 80-year-olds to do the pole vault, hurdles and hammer throw is really something! They were not carried away by the weight of the hammer. They were strong, strong people, with strong bodies and strong minds. Everything about them was strong!


RB 875. 2 October 1983

Saying nice things16

There were quite a few former Olympians at the Masters Games. Another 10 or 15 per cent were not Olympians but were previously national champions. So the standard was quite high.

One former Olympic hurdler from California said nice things to me at least seven or eight times. He is a poet and he told me that he had read some of my poetry books. Sometimes he would see me three times in the interval of four hours, and each time he would stop and say something nice and smile. What nice people!


RB 876. 2 October 1983

Strong ankles17

Mr. Mikio Oda, the Japanese man who visited our Centre in San Juan, failed miserably in the 1920 Olympics. Then, in the following Olympics, he was first. His event was the hop, skip and jump. He was quite short, but he gave all the credit to his ankles. He had strengthened his ankles like anything. He was the Japanese national champion, but he was very, very humble and modest. He told us that he never gives talks about his event or about his Olympic experiences, but he was kind enough to speak at our Centre. He said this was because my simplicity had touched his heart.


RB 877. 2 October 1983

Cycling with bullet speed18

The other day I was running on Union Turnpike at my three-and-a-half-mile point when I saw Dhananjaya on his bicycle. How fast he was riding! He was so happy to see me that he called out to me, “Hello, Guru!” But before I could open my mouth, he was gone. With bullet speed he was riding although there were so many cars!


RB 878. 16 June 1985

Smart horses19

Last Friday, when I was running on Union Turnpike, I saw a police car pulling a trailer with horses inside. I was amused because for the first time I was seeing a police car pulling horses. The horses were not facing me; they were facing the police car. They were very smart horses.


RB 879. 16 June 1985

Shame!20

This evening at a quarter to seven, as I was going to the tennis court, I saw an elderly lady walking a big dog behind Jamaica High School. The dog was on a leash so I was not at all afraid of it.

The lady said to me, “Hi! Good evening.”

I said, “Good evening.”

She said, “Do you recognise me?”

I couldn’t recognise her.

Then she said, “You can’t recognise me? I know your name — Sri Chinmoy.” She said my name correctly.

I smiled at her and said, “Now tell me what your name is.”

She said, “Shame!”

What was I going to tell her? She knew my name, but I didn’t know her name. I have never seen her, but she knew me.


RB 880. 17 June 1985

Good morning, Sri Chinmoy21

On the way to Flushing Meadow Park today, I was walking towards Main Street. After my 1200-metre mark, a bearded young man in a van saw me as I was waiting for the red light. He had the green light in his favour but he waited, allowing me to cross.

I was looking at him and he was looking at me. Then he said, “Good morning, Sri Chinmoy. It is so nice to see you again.”

God knows when I had seen him before!


RB 881. 23 June 1985

Ruining somebody's joy22

After being greeted by the man in the van, I made a left turn. At the Kew Motor Inn, two water pipes had broken, and there was a flood, so I had to take a detour. At the one-mile mark also the water was knee-deep. I had to turn one block before that.

But that was not enough adventure for one morning. Before I reached two miles, a Puerto Rican man in a car stopped and said, “Hi! How can I get to the Triboro.”

I smiled and said, “I don’t know how to get there.”

He said, “The hell with you!” and drove away very fast.

Just a mile before that, somebody saw me and was so happy! His morning started with such joy because he saw me. Then a mile later I ruined somebody else’s joy.


RB 882. 23 June 1985

The first and last time23

Today, the day of the U. N. Peace Run, I walked over 22 miles. From my house I walked to Flushing Meadow Park on a particular course which is five miles. Then I walked two miles on our Flushing Meadow Runners are Smilers course. After that I took a little rest.

Then, for the first and last time, I walked along Queens Boulevard into Manhattan to the U.N. It is very bad to walk that way into Manhattan. There were so many undivine things, but the noise of the cars was the worst. It killed me. Why did I have to listen to so much noise? I took an oath that it would be the last time.


RB 883. 23 June 1985

A wrong turn24

There were three cars following me while I was walking on Queens Boulevard. Pranika was following me to give me drinks. In another car, Databir was driving Jason, my masseur. Niriha and Chetana were in the third car, videotaping. In spite of the fact that three cars were following me, at one point I got lost.

Chetana told me I had to cross the 59th Street Bridge and then turn right. But on Queens Boulevard there is a small bridge before the 59th Street Bridge. So after I crossed this bridge I thought I had crossed the 59th Street Bridge. I didn’t see any of the three cars following me, so instead of continuing straight, I turned right. Nobody saw that I was going the wrong way. Because of that wrong turn, I started going back towards Jackson Heights. I was totally lost, and there was nobody to give me directions.


RB 884. 23 June 1985

Only fools run25

Finally I saw an old man walking. I asked him if this was the right way to get to Manhattan. I had gone astray, but he brought me back to the right path. We became friends.

Then he became very undivine and started criticising everything. He felt the world was very bad, everything was very bad. He was not interested in anything. He was very happy to see that I was walking, because he hated running.

The man said to me, “Only insane people walk in the street. Always walk inside the park where there are very few people.”

At one point he said to me, “Are you injured?”

I said, “Yes.”

He asked, “How?”

I said, “From running.”

He said, “So now you are wise. You are walking.”

He did not want me to run anymore. He said, “Only fools run. You and I are wise.”

I smiled at him, and just then we saw a young man with a headband, running very fast. When he ran by me, he said, “Hi, Sri! You are here!”

The man said to me, “Your name is Sri?”

I said, “Yes, my name is Sri.”

He said, “Who is he?”

I said, “I don’t know.”

Look at this! Only a minute earlier, the old man had said that only fools run. Then a runner came to greet me.


RB 885. 23 June 1985

Two greetings26

The other day I was running near the outdoor flea market on the corner of Parsons Boulevard and Union Turnpike. Some young boys were playing near the street. One of them stopped playing and came running towards me. He folded his hands and called out, “Sri Chinmoy!”

Only two hours before that, in the Queens shopping mall, someone else had stood in front of me and folded his hands when I was there shopping.


RB 886. 23 June 1985

How is your tennis going?27

The following day I was walking to the tennis court. As soon as I made the first turn away from my block, a bald man came up and started begging me to let him drive me to the tennis court.

Then, two houses before Niriha’s house, a man called me by name and asked, “How is your tennis going?”


RB 887. 23 June 1985

An inner story28

A few days ago in Connecticut a boy was running, when someone came up to him and smashed his head with a hammer and stole his wristwatch. The boy was admitted to the hospital in a coma. The doctors gave up hope even before the operation.

But after a day or two he came out of his coma, and the first thing he did was to write down “Sri Chinmoy” and then “Love and Serve.”

His mother went to Love and Serve restaurant today and told the disciples how grateful she is to me. She felt that I had done something for her son inwardly. Her son had been to Love and Serve a few times, but he had never seen me.


RB 888. 27 June 1985

Interview in an intersection29

Three days ago I was walking, and Ranjana and Durga were following me in the car. I was near my two-and-a-half-mile mark on Main Street — in the middle of a big intersection — when a young man stopped his car abruptly and got out. He said, “O Guru, I am one of your new disciples!”

Master and disciple were in the middle of a big intersection — with cars this side and that side.

I asked, “What is your name?”

He said, “Michael. I am in the Blue Centre.” He was so happy to see me; he was jumping with joy.

He said, “Yesterday I was at the tennis court.”

The night before, new disciples had been invited to the tennis court.


RB 889. 27 June 1985

Unknown disciples30

Five or six years ago I was running in London in front of Kensington Gardens. A car came so close to me that I got frightened and jumped onto the sidewalk. A man came out of the car and said, “We are your disciples.”

Then the whole family came out. It was Kaivalya, Bhavani and their two boys. I did not recognise them, even though they had already come to New York. Now I know the family so well.


RB 890. 27 June 1985

Morning walk31

Today there was a racewalk in Central Park. I started walking long before the race began. A tall young man, 25 or 26 years old, saw me twice. The second time he saw me, he came up to me and asked, “How is it that you are walking faster than I am?”

I said to him, “How is it that you are walking slower than I am?”

Then he patted me on the shoulder. He looked as if he were taking a morning walk.


RB 891. 30 June 1985

The racewalk32

Luckily some disciples joined the racewalk today. Otherwise, there would have been only five or six walkers. We contributed nine walkers. The organisers said, “We are so happy. Today we have the largest number of participants in this race.”

Our people were singing songs very loudly right in front of the counters. Five or six girls were singing Aspiration-Sky and other songs to inspire the walkers. I thought they would be scolded by the organisers, but nobody said anything.


RB 892. 30 June 1985

Don't bother him!33

When I had walked only two or three hundred metres, one of the scorers said I was not straightening my legs properly. There were two judges — the supreme judge, who would throw people out of the race, and another man. A girl who was the assistant to one of the judges was telling him about me, saying, “He is not walking properly.”

The big shot said, “Don’t bother him!” He knew I was last. If you are last, why do you have to get a warning?

Later, the judge introduced himself to me. His name was Howard Jacobson. He was the one who organised the race.


RB 893. 30 June 1985

Warnings34

Howard was going to this side and that side to check if people were walking properly. He was very serious. While he was moving around, so many articles of clothing he took off: his trousers, jacket, red tie and hat!

Howard would show the walkers a particular card when they were not walking properly. If he showed them a card with a “V” on it, it meant they were out of the race.

Poor Subarata got one or two warnings. She was ahead of me, but she was nowhere near the other walkers. They were up to eight miles and perhaps she was struggling at one or two miles. Still, she got a warning. Then her husband also got a warning.


RB 894. 30 June 1985

Soft legs35

At one point Howard told me, “All your people have soft legs.”

What he meant was that they were not racewalking properly. They were not straightening their legs.

He said you have to strike always with the heel first. Our people were touching with the toes or the middle of the foot.


RB 895. 30 June 1985

Advice from the racewalking expert36

Howard is the great authority in New York on racewalking. He has written a book about it. When I had walked 800 metres, Howard came over to me and said, “You are in pain, I can see. Do you want to walk?”

I said, “Still I will try to walk a little.”

After I walked two and a half miles, he came up to me again and grabbed me in a very kind, affectionate way. He said, “Can you do me a big favour? I want to speak to you.”

Then he took me off of the course and told me, “When you are in pain, never walk. It is hurting me to watch you.”

I said, “I was in pain. That’s why I gave up running.”

He said, “Now you should give up walking.”

I said, “I have read your book. I have learned so much from it.”

He said, “Thank you. Do you have a chiropractor?”

I answered, “I have four or five, but they cannot cure me.”

“I had the same experience,” he said. “But at last I went to a chiropractor who is so good that she cured me. If you go to her, she will cure you. Where is your pain?”

I explained where my pain was and he said, “I had exactly the same thing. Do you know the source? This doctor found the source: right under the shoulder, near the right side of the spine.”

Then he sat on the ground and straightened my leg, and then pulled it. I was in such pain! He said, “I had the same pain. You should go to my chiropractor.”

After that he said, “I won’t allow you to walk anymore. First you have to be cured.”

I asked him about breathing. In his book he had mentioned inhaling for two counts and exhaling for two counts. He demonstrated this, going two or three metres from this side to that side. He was breathing in and out: “Hoo! Hoo!”

He asked me, “Can you hear me?”

Then he ran away to give advice to some of the other walkers.

Later I sent Bipin to talk to him and get his chiropractor’s name. Her name is Dr. Kirk. I have asked Laurajean to learn from her, and then teach her husband, Avery. Then Avery will treat me.


RB 896. 30 June 1985

Starting at the back37

I started the 5-kilometre race in Flushing Meadow Park yesterday evening way at the back. I am always afraid that the other runners will stamp on me when they start. I was just five metres behind Lucy. Only one person was behind me — a lame, fat man. I felt sorry for him.

Then, one by one, I started passing people. My first victim was Mitali. Mitali is a rogue! As soon as she saw me passing, she stopped and started tying her shoelaces.

After one mile and 400 metres I saw a man with an artificial leg ahead of me. Can you imagine! What was I doing so far back?

Then I saw that Varayuvati and Prasannata were ahead of me. I felt that they were going so slowly, but I was going even slower! Eventually I passed them. I also passed quite a few others.


RB 897. 13 July 1985

Stuck behind two ladies38

I was running behind two ladies — an old lady and her friend. For a while I got stuck there. First I was behind them. Then I went ahead of them 15 or 20 metres. When the old lady saw I was going ahead of them, she couldn’t bear it. She started running side by side with me. Then I started taking long strides. My knee was hurting me, and I said to myself, “Is it worth it?” Then I said, “Yes, it is worth it!”

Finally the old lady gave me a smile and fell back. Near the end I looked behind to see where she was, but I couldn’t see her at all.


RB 898. 13 July 1985

Go ahead of him!39

As I was finishing the 5-kilometre race, I saw many people near the finish line. In the last 100 metres, an old man was telling an old lady, “Sri Chinmoy is finishing. He is going ahead of you. Go ahead of him!” But I was sprinting and she could not go ahead of me.

After we finished she asked me what our timing was. But how could I tell her her timing when I was ahead of her? I heard 31:07 for myself, but she was 10 or 15 metres behind me.


RB 899. 13 July 1985

My secret promise revealed40

After the race a man came up to me and asked, “Sri Chinmoy, how is your leg injury?” He was not a disciple, so how did he know about my leg?

I said, “I am getting better.”

Then he said, “I understand that by your birthday you want to complete a thousand miles. How many miles have you completed?”

I said, “Not even 600.”

He said, “You must finish it before your birthday!”

He was not a disciple, but he knew all about my secret promise!


RB 900. 13 July 1985

Good ones and bad ones41

Last Tuesday I was walking very slowly near Annam Brahma at around a quarter to six, just before I went to run at Runners are Smilers. I saw Databir’s car guarding the tennis court. Databir sometimes sleeps in his car, but this time he was not to be found there. His car was empty.

Six or seven boys were behind me. Some were mocking me, and some were showing respect and were happy to see me. Four or five followed me right up to Niriha’s house, calling me “Shry.” Then children from another block also started shouting “Shry!” They didn’t even see me, but when they heard the others call “Shry,” they also started saying “Shry! Shry!” It was like one jackal barking and all the other jackals starting to bark in response.

Then, when I came near Niriha’s house, three little boys on bicycles rode by. One came up and smiled at me and then went away. He was nice. Another came up to me, laughing and coughing, and then went away. This one was very bad. The third boy followed me right up to my 100-metre mark on 150th Street, near Ranjana’s old apartment. He was a young boy, 10 or 12 years old. He came up to me and said, “Shry, Shry, I have a question. Will you please answer it?”

He looked like a nice boy, so I said, “What is your question?”

He said, “Is it really true that you saw God at the age of 12?”

I said, “Yes.” Then I asked him, “How old are you?” But he didn’t hear my question.

He said, “I am going to tell my friends that you have spoken to me.” He was so happy that I had spoken to him. Then he rode away hurriedly. So he was among the good ones.

When I go out alone, all kinds of incidents take place. But when my disciples follow me in a car, people usually do not come near me.


RB 901. 26 July 1985

A promise to Radha42

Today I was walking near my house when Radha, the little girl who lives on my block, saw me. Even if she sees me ten times during the day, every time she has to say something to me. This time she said, “Guru, Guru, please wait! You have to give me the book with the story you have written about me!”

I said, “Tomorrow I will give it to you.”

She said, “What time tomorrow?”

I said, “Tomorrow, anytime.”

She said, “No, please give me a time.”

Then I said, “Then come tomorrow at four o’clock.”

I totally forgot that tomorrow we will be having our own annual Masters Games, and I will be away all day.


RB 902. 26 July 1985

Seeing "Shry"43

While I was walking near Agni Press, two little sisters were eating at the dining table as I was passing by their house. As soon as they saw me, the little one said, “Shry Chinmoy! Mommy, Shry Chinmoy!” They were so excited to see me.


RB 903. 26 July 1985

A very cute smile44

The other day at around 4:00 I was coming back from Queens Boulevard. At my one-mile-and-400-metre mark a young man stopped his car and said, “Can you tell me how to get to Roslyn Park?”

Where is Roslyn Park? I smiled at him and said, “I do not know.”

He said, “You have a very cute smile.”

So he forgave me. Sometimes when you can’t give people directions, their mantra is, “Go to hell!”

About three weeks ago I was near Flushing Meadow Park. Always I have problems there. A Puerto Rican man asked me how to get to the Triboro Bridge. When I told him I did not know, he said, “Go to hell!” He also got my smile, but he didn’t appreciate it.


RB 904. 26 July 1985

Powerful laughter45

I was running near Agni Press when I saw Anupadi. Perhaps she brought me bad luck, because right after I saw her, my hat blew off! Anupadi started laughing, and then some little boys also started laughing. Since everybody was laughing, I also started laughing, very powerfully. When the little boys saw that my laughter was more powerful than theirs, they stopped.


RB 905. 28 July 1985

You look so smart!46

Yesterday I was walking to Circus practice. As I was passing my mile-and-a-half point, near the St. John’s University tennis courts, all of a sudden I heard my name: “Sri Chinmoy!” A man who was playing on the courts was greeting me through the fence. He had come to pick up his ball and saw me walking by. He said to me, “You look so smart!” I was walking very smartly.

I do not know who he was. I couldn’t see his face.


RB 906. 3 August 1985