by Pavitrata

A native of  Iceland, for the last few weeks he has been in Columbia with a group of Icelandic friends.  They are here conducting meditation classes in various parts of the country.  His visit here, which is just over 5,000 miles from his home, is not unique. For many years, he traveled for a few weeks each year, during the winter months, with his late spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy.  It is a tradition that has continued on.  Besides his 3 Icelandic friends he is also joined here with a group of about 100 fellow students of Sri Chinmoy from around the world, who are enjoying the groups first visit to Columbia.  Over the years Snatak has visited dozens of countries, and he has seen his own spiritual life blossom.   He has also attempted to share the philosophy and the teachings of Sri Chinmoy, wherever he goes.

“I am a spiritual farmer. God, out of His infinite Bounty, has entrusted me with the task of plowing the spiritual land. This is my first visit to your beautiful island. I have been here for about four hours. During these four hours, I have felt the Indian consciousness here in Iceland. India’s natural beauty I have observed here; India’s inner peace I have felt here. My presence here makes me feel that my life of aspiration and your life of aspiration in the inner world have built a bridge between spiritual India and spiritual Iceland. My Indian heart offers its soulful gratitude to your hearts of aspiration, for it is you who have given me the opportunity to be of dedicated service to you today. Nothing gives me greater joy than to be of dedicated service to the Supreme inside aspiring human beings.”

Excerpt from My Rose Petals, Part 4 by Sri Chinmoy.

“When I was 13 I was drawn towards books on yoga, and spiritual questions.  I found it fascinating.”  At a very precocious ages he discovered the first yearnings of a spiritual life, stirring within himself.  “I felt that this was the way to go.  I remember reading the yoga book by Patanjali.  I felt that this was the real thing.  I just didn’t know how to do it.  I felt I had to do something.”

by Pavitrata

In 1975, when he was 14, one of the most painfully ironic moments of his life took place. Sri Chinmoy came to Iceland for the second time, and gave a talk in the small town of Akureyri, where he was living.  It has a population of only about 17,000.   One day, while his mother was at work, she heard from some friends, that a talk was being given by an Indian Yogi in a small hall in the town.  The next day she described the experience to her son.  “When I came into the hall it was like walking into a wall.  It was just so powerful.  This man he can’t live very long, because he is giving off all this energy.  It was like walking into a wall of power.”

He admits to being disappointed at the time, that he had not been able to attend the talk himself.  His mother had gone spontaneously, and he says, it took place in the days before mobile phones.  He says with a sweet smile, “there was a real yogi in town and I missed him.” She did however purchase a book at the time and brought it home to him.   He was much impressed with what he read.  Of the experience of reading the words of Sri Chinmoy for the first time, he says emphatically, “He was not fooling around.”  The book included all the requirements, that one must accept, if one wanted to apply to become his disciple.  It was all very new to him.  He describes the time as the Hippy period.  When young men, such as himself, wore their hair long.  The book was a tantalizing guide post to a life journey, that he himself would one day take.  Yet there was no clue he says, of how to pursue this teacher, or his path at that time.

A year later he happened to go into a bookstore, where there was a small collection of Sri Chinmoy’s books.  “I bought all of them.  That was it. From then on I was just reading Guru’s books.  I couldn’t help myself.  I was reading them an hour a day.  This was my spiritual nourishment for many many years.”  He recalls trying to write a letter to Sri Chinmoy during this period, but he simply had no idea where to send it.  He was  filled with such enthusiasm by what he was reading, that he would sometimes spontaneously find himself speaking to others, about this spiritual teacher that he was reading.  From the beginning he felt it was important to inspire others, and to share the philosophy that he was learning from Sri Chinmoy’s books.

When it came time for him to go to University, he decided that he would enroll in a University in America.  Thinking, that perhaps if he came to the U.S., then he would at last be able to locate Sri Chinmoy in person.  He eventually received a scholarship to attend a University in Virginia called Washington and Lee, in Lexington.  He says that without fail, during each school break, he would come to New York.  Both during Easter and the Christmas break.  His seemingly simple dream was that, “I would go to New York and try and find Sri Chinmoy.”  It would not be until his second year of school, 1983, and on his 4th visit there, that he at last found the elusive prize, he had been seeking for such a long time.

He describes a less than fashionable bookstore in the Village,  as the place where he would at last get the real clue to end his quest.  Stuck to a pole in the basement of the shop was a “tinier than the tiniest invitation by the students of Sri Chinmoy offering mediation classes.”  There was a phone number that you could rip off.  “That was it.  I ripped off the number and went outside and called the number.”  It turns out that he was calling at a fortuitous time.  A public concert was soon about to take place in Manhattan.

It was now 8 years since his mother had first attended the talk in Iceland.  Like all great adventures however, his story did not conclude, at least not just then, with a eureka moment of realization.  He went to the concert with a school friend, who he says, was in a hurry to get back to Virginia.  Because of this he had no opportunity to browse the book table, or chat with anyone in the group, before he had to leave.  He admits however that his mind was not in a receptive space.  He says of it now, “it was going overtime.”  Clearly his time had not yet come.  He says that regardless of how unreceptive he was at that moment, “at least I had seen Guru.”

The next year, he went to England to study music.  He admits, “I became very very unhappy.  By my second year in England, I was really depressed.  Here I was trying to find a spiritual path for 9 years, and I hadn’t found anything! So at that point, every night before I went to sleep, I prayed and prayed like crazy, for many months, for me to find a spiritual master. ” Eventually he came across a poster at his school in Manchester, offering mediation classes, once again by the students of Sri Chinmoy.  He says, “that was it.”  The the class was being given by Bhavani, who came up there from London regularly, to give the class.

He tells me that at the end of the class, he asked her, that if he wrote a letter to Sri Chinmoy, could she give it to him.  He describes the relief he felt, to be able to at last write a letter to Sri Chinmoy, and know for certain that he would receive it.  The experience he recalls, was so gratifying , that he felt himself unreservedly shedding tears.  “I really asked for guidance.”  He also included a photograph of himself.  A short time later, he received a post card from Bhavani saying, that he had been accepted as a disciple. It was April of 1985. This news brought him tremendous joy and hope.  At this memory he lets out a “Wowwwww” sound, as he describes the feeling of elation he experienced.  “Of course my problems were not over, but I felt as something really significant had happened there.  I could feel it.  There was something going on.”

He says that when he heard that he was accepted to Sri Chinmoy’s path, he wanted to get on the first plane he could, and immediately fly to New York and see him.  It was quickly decided however, that he could come for the August celebration that summer.  When he got there he says,”I had a fantastic time.  I couldn’t get enough.  There were moments there when I just knew I had found the real thing.” He describes how he had powerful and profound meditation experiences.  It was as though he was at last having the kind of spiritual life he had been only able to read about years earlier.  Of his meditations then he recalls,”I do not know where I went.  I was in tears.  I could not believe how beautiful it was.  I couldn’t get enough.”

Everyone’s first spiritual experiences are unique.  He, like most new students to a spiritual path, have really no idea where it would all lead to.  They just realize that now they are where their hearts truly belong.  That ultimately they will be guided, body, vital, mind, heart, and soul, to ever new and greater inner realities.  He says of this time, “I was soaking it in.  I had a great time.  There was no question.  Finally I had found the real thing.”

To some it may appear to be a cruel irony, to be searching for so long to find a spiritual teacher, when for at least for a brief time, he must have been only a few blocks away.  In 1975 Sri Chinmoy almost magically arrived to give a talk in his small village, and yet only his Mother was there to see him.  He describes how he tried to learn and practice meditation by reading books, but he describes the results as painfully meagre.  Ultimately, it is only when the student is at last fully ready, that they at last find themselves himself being drawn into the all encompassing protection and guidance of a spiritual path.

The task that now lay in front of him, soon became clear.  By this time there was just one student in Iceland, so he decided to go back and live in his native country.  “I felt compelled,” he describes, and from that moment on he has been giving meditation classes here and there, and became the leader of the Iceland center.  He says, that he simply wanted to, “increase the awareness of what Guru was all about.”  Among the events he organized was the first Peace run there in 1987, which he describes as, “a tremendous success.”  It is clear that he was inspired, by what he was experiencing in his own spiritual life.   With this inspiration he worked hard, to share this experience with as many people as possible.  “I had lots of enthusiasm.  I had lots of energy.”  Humbly he adds to this,  that he may not always have gotten it right, but nonetheless he enjoyed very much, this ever unfolding new life committed to spirituality, and the path of Sri Chinmoy.

I ask him why it is, that it appears as though Iceland has been so successful, compared to its small size, in accepting spirituality.  He offers a simple succinct reply.  “If we work hard anything is possible.”

I then ask him if he had any significant personal experiences with his Guru that he might care to share.  Something, that would stand out, in the 22 years he had the great opportunity to spend in the presence of Sri Chinmoy.   Without pause, he describes for me a concert, that took place in Iceland in 1988.  It had been a long time since Sri Chinmoy had last been to the country, something like 13 years.  Despite this fact, it seems that the Icelandic people had learned so much about Sri Chinmoy.  He tells me that he was so well known, that he was even the topic of a question, in a local televised quiz show.  “Who lifted 7,000 lbs. with one hand?”  The answer was immediate by the contestants.  Snatak says, “so many people knew.”

The concert was once again a big success.  As Sri Chinmoy was about to leave from the airport, he walked directly over to Snatak, and stood in front of him.  Sri Chinmoy praised him, and repeated this to him, again and again with such love and affection.  His reaction to this unexpected attention he recalls, “I just lost it.”  A flood of tears came over him, and he felt at that moment, the soulfully deep, and profoundly sweet connection, that existed between himself and Sri Chinmoy.  For him it was a one of the most cherished moments in his life.  One, that took place with such incredible inner intensity, but also one, in which he still feels the love and inner connection he shared with his teacher.

From his very early years as a student of  Sri Chinmoy, he would take part every year, in the annual Christmas Trip.  Starting first in Malta, he who would journey with his teacher to various parts of the world, each year the trip gradually getting longer and longer.  “It was fantastic.”  He describes the informality of these trips and that Sri Chinmoy would be available and accessible almost all day long.  He describes the spontaneous creativity that took place when his teacher was present on these trips.  For hours at a time Sri Chinmoy would be composing songs, or painting, or exercising.  The list of activities that flowed across the day, and well into the night, was endless.  He describes that for him these experiences exemplified, what he dreamed and felt the true spiritual life is all about.  The closeness and intimacy of the trips with his spiritual teacher, felt like for him, as though it were a very fulfilling traveling ashram. For him even now, in this new era, he still feels reinvigorated by the Christmas trips.  He feels the unique sense of oneness that comes with traveling with those he looks upon as members of his spiritual family.  And that when you are visiting different countries in this way, your problems seem to pale into insignifcance.  “I feel it is really important to come on it.  For me the trip is still a priority.”

by Pavitrata

For Snatak, this is now his 3rd trip to Columbia.  He is busy, along with some others, also giving classes here, but he is as well,  participating in all the camaraderie and activities, that are part and parcel of this new Christmas trip experience.  His trip this year, started some weeks ago in Guatemala, and will conclude almost 2 weeks later in Puerto Rico.  He says of the Christmas trip, “I really appreciate it. It really gives you a boost.” He is after all, part of a larger Spiritual family, that now is spread across much of Europe, but is only now really making progress in establishing itself in Latin America.

As he describes for me his own first tender steps toward the spiritual life, he also describes the understanding he has, that there are still more new students of Sri Chinmoy out there in the world waiting to make their own connection with his spiritual teacher.  In his heart he feels that there are countless ones, who have yet to be reached and inspired by Sri Chinmoy’s philosophy and his path.  The experience he says, for a new generation, will be different for each and every seeker.  Just as the experience of having a teacher was unique for each and every one who had a chance to be in his physical presence.  He says, it just depends on their aspiration.  “Sri Chinmoy will give them everything.  What they aspire for they will get.  I am 100% sure.”

Out of curiosity I asked once again about his Mother.  Did she ever have a chance to see Sri Chinmoy again.  He describes that she was able to be lifted by Sri Chinmoy in Iceland in 2003.  Sri Chinmoy said of his mom, “her heart was wide open.”

During this trip to Columbia, Snatak will celebrate his 49th birthday.  A few years ago he was diagnosed with a degenerative neurological problem but it seems not to slow him down hardly at all, as he completes a very busy unvacationlike daily schedule.  He can be found early most mornings, running on the flat Cartagena beach.  Not one to sit back and laze about under the sun, he looks forward to each new day as a divine opportunity.  He wants to manifest the great spiritual treasure that he feels he has been gifted as a student of Sri Chinmoy.  It has been a long journey for him, one he feels fortunate to have been able to take.  One that began decades and miles away and yet still continues at pace.

“It is only a matter of time before the whole world becomes aware of these treasures.  In the beginning it is a trickle, and then it becomes a stream, and eventually it becomes a river and then it becomes an ocean.”  He feels that it is a privilege to share this experience with the world.  I know that in the future the inspiration of Sri Chinmoy will go way beyond anything what we can imagine now. We had the opportunity to learn and we still have the opportunity to learn.  How to build this path upon oneness.  This our role.  We were chosen to bring this oneness of the heart into the world.  According to our inspiration and aspiration we try our best.  I am really excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.  I am having great fun.  It’s fun to be alive.”

Of course great dreams and divine opportunities can stride into one’s life at their own time and in their own unfathomable way.   It was the encouragement of one of her music teachers who was able to shift the focus of her life.  He, along with others, saw in her an unquestionable wealth of talent that she had as an athlete, that far surpassed her musical abilities. It was clear to many that her feet could move her much further and faster than her fingers.

So at age 14 she at last found herself able to be outdoors, but it was not at playing frivolous games.  Instead, she quickly became focused on the disciplined and challenging world of track and field.  As she talks about it today she speaks with an easy confidence, as if she was destined for the life of a world class sprinter.  She advanced very quickly in the sport and by the time she was 15 she was winning meets.  When she was just 17 she represented Russia at a World’s junior competition in the 100 meters.  She ran her personal best at this time which was 11.84.  She says of this experience, “I was a little bit scared but otherwise it was okay.”

She has been competing internationally now for more than a dozen years.  Her specialty has become both the 400 meters and 4×400 relay.  The track and field world knows her as Olesya Zykina, but to those who are her fellow students of the late Indian Spiritual teacher, she is Lelihana, which means the Climbing Flame.  When asked what her spiritual name means to her she says, “I like it.  It is beautiful, this is my name.  When it is difficult for me I repeat my name.”

New York now for her has become a very special place ever since she became a student back in 2007.  Her decision to devote herself to the spiritual life is of course a not so obvious choice as simply peering out from a school window and wishing to join the kids outside. The success and disappointments of our lives can appear to change the way we look at the world but sometimes simply the heart wants to travel forward quickly and leads us onward to a deeper goal within.  In Lellihana’s case it was her friendship with another Russian athlete, Sarbottama Tatyana Lebedeva who became a close friend to her on the Russain team.  She encouraged Lelihana to learn more about Sri Chinmoy and his teachings.

Sarbottama and her husband had been inspired by Sri Chinmoy for several years and she said of him, when he passed away in 2007, “We are grateful to the Supreme that in the course of life we met this man. Sri Chinmoy taught us to take correct decisions by listening to our hearts; he made us more spiritual. He is and will always be for us an inspirer, a wise Teacher, a worthy example. The intellectual and spiritual inheritance that Sri Chinmoy has left us gives us an opportunity to continue perfecting ourselves endlessly.”

Lotika, Lelihana, Bipula, three friends

Lelihana’s birthday was October 7th and this year she turned 29.  She visited Queens shortly afterward with  her good friend Lotika.  They are very comfortable in each others presence and one could easily imagine them to be playful sisters and not just friends.  Recently over breakfast at the Smile of the Beyond restaurant, Lelihana answered some questions about her life’s journey with Lotika offering smiles, encouragement, and some translating.

The anniversary of Sri Chinmoy’s passing was on the 11th and she and Lotika where here for the events that took place in and around that date.  Training for Lelihana of course continues.  The fall is usually a transition period for track athletes.  It is a time that exists between the outdoor and indoor competitive season.  Though her future is not clear, and she has no plans as of yet, she continued to train every morning while in New York.  For her traveling companion Lotika, it also means daily training sessions inspired by Lelihana.   “She is my friend for real and she is fun to be with.  She inspires me to run here.  We go out every morning.  I have already improved my 2 mile run time.”

Heart Garden anniversary run-Photo Jowan

I can remember all too well the first time I saw Lelihana run.  It was during a sports day competition in 2007.  These meets have been held every August, usually around the time of Sri Chinmoy’s birthday.  There were a few fine athletes competing, but none where anywhere near the caliber of an international athlete such as her.  Almost out of the blue, Sri Chinmoy then invited Lelihana to run her distance, the 400 meters.

When she bolted from her crouch in the starting position, there was simply no comparison between her and everyone else.  There had been a suggestion to give the other girls a 100 meter head start, but it was soon dismissed.  It was like watching a high performance race car hurtling forward being chased by puffing mopeds.  Even though she did not run at her top speed her awesome strength and power was evident with each long swift stride. Her red hair bobbed rhythmically as her heels flicked lightly up behind her.

You can see her winning form in the world indoor championship in March 2008

2008 World Indoor Championship

When she first came to New York in August of 2007 she says simply, “I wasn’t really searching.”  Yet from the first moment she saw Sri Chinmoy meditating and driving one of his little carts, “I simply felt that I wanted to please him and make him happy.”  It was all a very wonderful and different world for this ginger haired sprinter from Moscow.  But from the beginning she says, “I could feel his inner peace.  I could feel that he loves me.”

There are often many new experiences that occur within when one enters the spiritual life.  The inner connection between the student and teacher is one that is deeply personal and is unique to each and every seeker.  It is in and through this inner connection that the teacher inspires the student, and from that, the transformation of the inner life takes place.  There are no stop watches, no strides counted, no baton is passed, the goal is within.   It is clear that Lelihana has found herself once again on a new path, but this one lies within.  It is also one that has helped and inspired her as well in the outer world.  When the world indoor games came around the winter after she became a student, Lelihana won her first gold medal in 400 meter individual competition.

Sitting in the small Queens restaurant she is clearly at ease.  From time to time she looks wistfully out the window at the busy street.  There are a few brief silent moments when it seems as though she is searching for answers.  Finding the best words to describe the wealth of her inner and outer experiences.   It is for her after all, an amazing journey that she finds herself now taking.  Most of the time she simply laughs with ease.  When asked what she likes about the little Spiritual community in this Queens neighborhood she says, “I like that you people are always positive and always smiling.  I feel nice around you all, very comfortable.”

When asked what awaits her in a few days when she returns to Moscow her answer is, “I don’t know.  I don’t know when my next competition will be be, my coach and I haven’t made plans.”  When one examines her accomplishments it is a lengthy list. Her record of achievements stretches back more than a dozen years.  Many times she has appeared on the world stage.   At two Olympic games she has returned home with medals in the 4×400 relay.  She received a bronze medal in Sydney and a silver medal in Athens.  When asked whether or not the London games of 2012 are in her plans, she admits, “Yes this is my dream.  I don’t have a gold medal.” Also she still hopes to run the 400 meters under 51 seconds.

When asked if the World of music is gone for ever, she smiles with delight and laughs lightly.  “Now I am inspired to start playing again.”  As of yet, she has yet to purchase a piano.

When asked what Sri Chinmoy may have said to her, she smiles wistfully, recalling his conversation.  She says he told her how he used to run barefoot in competition when he was a young boy in India.

When asked what changes she has seen come over her in the past few years she says, “I became more patient.  I became kinder.  I became more attentive, more observant, and more responsive.  I have learned how to live day by day and get happiness just by living.  To be happy just because we are living.  To enjoy every single day.”

She admits however that she will miss New York when she returns to Moscow and the long winter ahead.  One in which indoor competition may or may not happen in late December and January for her.  She says, “I will miss the smiles.  I will miss the sincere joy of the people here and I will miss the sincerity.  I will try and preserve inside me, the light that I got here.”

She met Sri Chinmoy in person only during her short trip to New york, in the summer of 2007.  When asked what are her feelings about him are now she says, “I still want to please him when I do something. I also hope he is pleased at my self transcendence.”  She then tells me that on her birthday, October 7th 2007, just days before he passed, he called to wish her Happy Birthday.  It is clear that he spoke to her words that could inspire her for a life time. When asked how high the climbing flame in her can reach, she smiles with such sweetness and says, “I think if it wants to climb high, it can really climb high.”

For Guinness champion Ashrita Furman, who has often taken on simple child like pleasures and escalated them into herculean accomplishments the task of constructing the world’s biggest lollipop seemed like a worthy challenge.

On the anniversary of his spiritual teacher’s birthday he has often turned to creating extraordinary sweet treats to honor him.  In what would have been  Sri Chinmoy’s 77th birthday last August 27th he and a large group of students created a birthday cake with 47,000 lighted candles.

http://heartlotus.blogspot.com/2008/10/lighting-up-world.html

This year he says he wanted to honor Sri Chinmoy’s birthday, “with the sweetest item we could think of.”  This was a gigantic task of course because the previous record was an incredible 4,759 pounds.  Two weeks earlier the process of making a bigger one started in earnest.  Ultimately Ashrita believes that something like 50 people volunteered to make this sweet dream a tasty reality.

Steve Guy from Cambridge England worked just about non stop for 10 days on the lollipop.  He found himself working on sugar preparation almost from the moment he arrived in New York.  But like most who look forward to participating in one of Ashrita’s great adventures each August, working on a lollipop came as no surprise.   Two years ago he worked with a team that created the worlds largest popcorn cake.  He says of this project, “We knew the proportions for the sugar, we knew the temperature, we know how to rotate the cooking of the pots.”  All this experience was crucial, in that the sugar, which was also mixed with corn syrup, color, and flavoring needed to be cooked to the correct temperature.  To add to this, the pots of syrup needed to be created in a steady stream, and then transported down the street to a wooden mold on top of a flat bed truck.  The most important ingredient in this recipe  according to Steve is, “we knew how to work together, and be cheerful, all night long.”

Steve believes that over his week plus of  volunteering he put in 10 – 14 hours a day on the project.  He knows that as strong as the hardened sugar may appear to the naked eye it is also very temperamental, “it can be very strong but at the same time it can just shatter.”

He says for him the best part of the whole project is, “how it unfolded.  There was a certain idea of how it would start, a vision.  That was changing daily, sometimes hourly.  You were only taking a step forward and the path would then appear in front of that step.  That is an amazing experience.  You have to surrender to the moment.  You have to put all your energy and cheerfulness into that moment, and it all just unfolds.”

Click to play Steve interview

There were times in the boiling process when the batch, for no apparent reason went bad.  The tell tale sign was a poor pale color of the mix.  Most often of course when the correct temperature was reached, in a reasonable interval, the mix would be a bright red.

Mark Royden an aeronautical engineer from New Zealand has also used his talents on several of Ashrita’s large projects.  He had literally just gotten off the plane, and was looking for accommodation, when he had a chance encounter with Homagni Baptista while coming out of the local health food store.  He recalls that he mischievously smiled at him and inquired, “are you busy?”  What he was not anticipating was finding himself involved non stop for the next 2 weeks in helping out with the project.

He says that in no time he was, “head to foot in candy.”  He says in the early stages it was all about design and logistics.  A small core group had to sort out how it would work, what was the easiest way to do it, and what would be the right amount of steel to include so that it wouldn’t collapse.”    The destructive power of sugar is well known to dentists but is not so formally understood by engineers.  The group simply knew that when building a giant lollipop, “It needed something.  It has a similar behavior to glass,” said Mark.

He said that creating a horizontal lollipop would have been infinitely easier.  But none of the group wanted to create a reclining candy that simply lay flat.  It must be strong enough to be raised aloft just as though it was to be enjoyed by a very large, and hard to determine the size, gigantic individual.

He says he knows from first hand experience that the candy can easily shatter.  He said he did the test personally by hitting a large block of candy with a hammer.  He had also worked, like Steve, on the largest popcorn cake.  An experience he calls, “an adventure.”

He worked on various parts of the project.  He says that Bishwas and himself designed the steel frame and though an outside firm bent the steel.  It was himself and Unmilan that did all the welding.  It must be noted of course that the final weight of the lollipop will not include the steel.  This weight will be deducted from the overall total in order to achieve the final finish weight.  He tells me that the sugar alone used in the project weighs 4500 pounds.  In addition there is another 2 and half thousand pounds of corn syrup.  In the early stages a goal of 6,000 pound seems within reason.  He adds as well, “it also has to look like a lollipop.”

Homagni has been working on trying to make sure that the syrup will not stick to the mold.  It is a part of the project that no one knows for sure what will happen.  It is extremely hot in the tent that he works within.  There is also little ventilation and he is working with various sprays that make the conditions there, to be kind, challenging.

Homagni started working on the project very early on by doing test syrup boils in his kitchen.  “I started with smaller mixtures and then got to larger batches.  Ashrita and I then got started with larger pots in his back yard.  The main problem in this process he says is cooking the mixture too much thus causing it to caramelize.  “You end up with a gooey mess.”

He said that there comes a point in the planning when time runs out, “and there is no more time for experimenting.”  The ultimate ingredient of the mixture of course is a lot of hard work by a large group of willing people.  “We had a whole team of guys from all over the world.”

Once the mold is leveled than the constant parade of hot syrup begins its journey.  It will take several days to finish filling the mold up to the top.  A lot of good science has gone into the calculations but the final weight is far from certain.

Click to play Homagni interview

There is lots of excitement as the first bucket of syrup is brought up the ramp on the back of the truck in order to be poured into the mold.

	It is a scene that is repeated hour after hour for several days.
	All day and late into the night teams cook up the syrup and deliver it to the slowly filling mold.

The plan for having a two colored lollipop falls by the wayside as the internal barrier fails to hold back the red syrup.  With little other options the lollipop becomes a single color.  The surface decoration however will add lots of color.  Fully candied letters are added to the surface. They are attached by melting them by heating them with a torch.

Now that syrup production has finished Steve joins Asidhari and Anurakta who are decorating the surface.

Everything is edible.  The paint used on the Jharna Kala bird in the middle as well as the colorful topping applied to the 3d letters.

Once the mold has been removed the project is almost complete.  It has yet to be officially weighed however, and more importantly it has not been lifted into the air.  There is however, the not so small matter, of backing the truck out onto the street.  One that was much narrower than when it first arrived.

“He asked if I could pick up a lollipop for him.”  Russel Leach manages United Crane and rigging and he bemusedly recalls a phone call he received from Ashrita 5 days earlier.  “It was a 7,000 pound lollipop, and I said no problem.”  He has asked every conceivable question pertaining to the lollipop.  He is concerned about how fragile the lollipop is but predicts that there is a great chance that it can be lifted and weighed.  He particularly appreciates the internal steel frame adding strength to the candy.

He jokes that he had told his kids the night before what he was going to lift the following day.  He says, “they wanted to come and eat it.”Click to play Russel Leach interview

Nick is the master rigger on the job and he has spent a lifetime lifting heavy difficult objects but had never before lifting a lollipop.  He says that finding the center of the lollipop for him was a problem and also that because of the heat the candy began to change shape.  He says, “It is hard work but its a lot of fun.”Click to play master rigger interview

Mike Nova is the operator of the crane on the job.  He says, “I was really hoping it would work, I didn’t want to see it fall apart.” Click to play Mike Nova interview

There are lots of nerve wracking moments in trying to get the lollipop airborne.  Not only is the lollipop unwieldy the mold proves to be stubborn to remove.

The candy also appears to be melting in the hot August sun.

Click to play Mark interview

A decision is made to get the lollipop off the truck and remove the mold stuck to its back surface.  The crew who made it now help lever the lollipop into the correct position.

Russel Leach watches his crew closely.  Each step brings the lollipop closer to being weighed.  It is also clear that it is very soft in the middle and once the mold is removed it dramatically begins to change shape.

For Ashrita it is all great fun.

A little lopsided the lollipop is eventually hoisted into the skies.  The initial weight by using the crane scale is estimated to be 6706 pounds.  Later when weighed more accurately it turns out to be 6514.  A weight which is 1755 pounds greater than the old record.

Mark speaks for everyone when he says of Ashrita’s Guinness projects, “I look forward to this.  To me it is one great adventure.  We do this a lot to inspire others.  It pushes people beyond what they thought was possible.  It is innocent good fun, and in the end this is what the world needs is this innocence and fun, and this, look what we can do if we work together.  We can accomplish things that people think are impossible.”

Click to play Ashrita Interview

I had taken hundreds of pictures in and around the track lit bright by candles and dangling light bulbs.  Out on the still twisting streets I flashed even more shots of the smiling faces of the intrepid runners who ran with light and determined steps, at least during the early laps.

Throughout the long night more and more precious moments from the race where being captured by my camera and my microphone.  Those fragments of joy, of determination and of selfless service had inexorably gathered into a mountain of data stuffed onto digital memory cards.     After the race I faced  the daunting task of unraveling a story that now seemed much more difficult than tying on shoes and running the 47 miles itself.  A persistent case of nagging procrastination dogged my heels for weeks.  I felt myself almost uncontrollably sliding towards a precipice where the story was heading towards some digital oblivion.

Photo by Jowan

Then on a recent bright Sunday, which seemed to be gilded more by the soothing promise of Spring than the gray dullness of late Autumn, I found myself out running on the 47 mile loop.  On an afternoon flooded with light and warmth I felt myself caught up in fervent tide of sweet memory.  From whence it came I do not know but soon my dawdling middle aged footsteps were feeling the selfsame effortless lightness and unbridled hope of all those many times I had run the 47 as a much younger man.   It was though  my own countless cherished memories of running the race were reaching out to me from my own not too distant past.   But it was not just my own memories that were calling out to me it was as well as though the inspired experiences of those who had just run weeks earlier were calling out to me to bring that magical night back into focus.  To find a voice for a magical event in which impossibility itself becomes banished in the boundless enthusiasm of those who take part in this most sacred of Sri Chinmoy Marathon team running events.

As I rounded the corner near goose pond and made the sweeping right hand turn, across from Jamaica High school and looked ahead, I had a profound moment.  It was a vivid experience in which I felt as though I could clearly see Sri Chinmoy running on the road ahead of me.  He had run the full race himself on 2 occasions and had run on the course during the race at least one more time.  I remember clearly, during one race,  coming round this same corner only to be shocked to see the familiar form of my Spiritual teacher bobbing along under the dim street lights in front of me.

At the time he would have been either 48 or 49 years of age.  I was in my running prime and gradually I was overtaking him.  As I came up behind him, each step I took I felt myself repeating his name in silence to myself.

This was after all his birthday and it was in honor of him that I ran.  It could not escape me what a beautiful experience it was to thus find him there on the course as well.  I can remember my slow and inevitable approach from behind him and then my sweeping pass on his right side.  I can remember saying something as simple as, “Way to go Guru, way to go.”  I am not aware of any comment or remark that he may have made in return.  Nor do I remember any other time that I passed him again, though most certainly through the night I must have passed by him a few more times.  What I do recall however is how so much I wished to carry him with me throughout the night and lighten the burden of his steps.  Yet inevitably in time I would understand, that all along that it was he who was actually carrying me.

Before the start of the race it is so easy to forget the lateness of the hour.  Instead of thinking of sleep you are surrounded by those who are preparing to do nothing else but run for the entire night.

Or as in the case of many others to simply volunteer for  long hours.

There is such enthusiasm and energy swirling around the course it is almost impossible to think of sleep.  The runners all come with such eagerness and the helpers only want the runners to do well and enjoy a night like no other.

For Ananda-Lahari running the distance will not be that challenging.  He has run the marathon just 2 days ago and let us not forget the 3100 miles he ran just weeks earlier over the entire summer.

Ujjwala has had experience at multi day running herself. 

The running of the race of course is not just one long celebration.  Most have registered days earlier and the logistics have been carefully put in place so that all will be counted and helped correctly.  Tarit is one of dozens who have spent long hours making sure everything is organized and ready for the 100 plus field of runners.

Getting the clock ready is just one of so many tasks that is needed to be done by a busy crew.  Medur and Nibir are old hands at helping out at the 47.

For some of the runners like Uddipan there are just a few minutes of relaxation before a long night of running.

Every runner starts the 47 with a similar deep inner resolve to have some kind of heartfelt if not soulful experience while running the race.  Outwardly everyone wants to finish and no doubt some have set their sights on times which will represent self transcendence over past achievements.  Adelino has a goal tonight much different than everyone else.

On his 42nd birthday in October of 2008 he set out to run 42 marathons in dedication to his teacher Sri Chinmoy.  Earlier tonight, a few hours before everyone else he ran 5 miles around the course so that when he completes the 47 he will have completed both his 41st and 42nd marathon.  He says of the experience, “it was good, but hard sometimes.  Especially 2 marathons when I was about to give up.”  He faced many obstacles which not only included fatigue but also bad weather.  His smile is bright but his voice captures hints of how tough his might challenge was. He also ran the marathon 2 days earlier.  “I just kept going,” he says and there is a light laugh behind the words.

Remarkably his times for the distance all ranged between 4:30 and 3:40.  He hasn’t yet made any new goals for the year ahead.  When I ask what he has learned from running so many marathons he says, “I think one of the main things is to acquire patience and determination to go on.  Whatever happens, if you are not in a good mood, you just go on.”   Click to play Adelino interview

Soon enough the runners are called to the start.  The night becomes suddenly still and a profound sense of peace pervades the darkness.  All joking and laughter disappears.  There is just the sound of runners moving steadily forward towards a faint line on the track.  Their running shoes making a light scuffing sound on the smooth plastic surface.

Arpan is one of the few who have run every year since 1978

For Dipali it is also her birthday and is a race like no other.

Pratyaya has been the director of the race since its beginning.  There is a moment of silence before the runners disperse on their night long journey.  The ‘Invocation’ is sung and than she simply says, “Go.”

Virendra charges fast from the starting line.  He also ran those first races and set the course record which still stands since 1980.  This is the second year he once again is attempting to catch and then break a very elusive goal.

Now is the time when everyone is attentive and busy.  Adrenalin and hope flows fast and deep touching bodies and hearts so that in the coming hours everyone will have done their best.

Karteek is one of the counters tonight and he himself set off on a monumental undertaking in the wee hours of the morning just a few weeks earlier.  For the 10th time he swam the English Channel.  He jokes that the number 10 is not a very good number, “maybe I should have stayed with 9.”

He also adds that with each of his attempts the swim does not get easier but instead he says, “it gets harder every time.  Presumably if it got easier there wouldn’t be much fun in doing it.”  There is an interesting contrasting blends of experiences he says.  From experience he knows it will be tough but also experience has shown him that it is also doable.  “There is no backing out.” His time this year was just under 17 hours.

Talking about the 47 he recalls how on his first trip to New York and helping with the race and immediately thinking, “I want to do that.” Ultimately he ran the race several times and describes it as, “it is amazing when you finish.  It is a special day.” Click to play Karteek interview

Chitrini and Toshala have sat side by side as counters of the race for a few years.  Chitrini on this night is counting for 2 girls, Fredrika and Lydia.  She enjoys the excitement and joy as she watches the runners trying to transcend themselves.

Toshala used to run the race herself back in the 90′s but over the past 7 years has had the job of counting laps for Dipali.  When asked to describe Dipali’s performance she responds with an emphatic, “9 minute laps.  Precisely exactly every lap.” What impresses her more about Dipali though is the inner commitment she brings to the race.  She calls it, “solid spirituality and devotion.” She feels that despite the day being her birthday she does not run for herself but instead offers the race wholeheartedly to her late Spiritual teacher.

For herself she describes her experience at running the race as, “absolutely beautiful to run.  You can feel that there is an absolute bubble of protection, security and joy around the track.”  She also is not hesitant to recommend that all runners should train before entering the 47 mile race.  Now that she is a counter she describes her job here tonight is more than counting laps.  “I have to say that cheer leading is possibly one of my all time favorite things.  I get lots of joy encouraging the runners.”  Click to play Toshala interview

In the early stages all look fast	Adelino's training shows
Ujjwal runs joyfully	There is lots of Kiwi Joy this night
Petra glides down the steep hill	Jayasalini also knows the power of birds
Paramita knows the necessity of good food and good medical	3100 mile runner Stutisheel knows this section of road
Pranab shares his enthusiasm	Sophie finds some ipod inspiration
Nirbhasa remembers the importance of training	Some find the race easier with a friend beside them
Gaurima always running always joyous	The ultimate birthday gift
A Feast for body and soul	Shishir accepts an invitation from the dream world

photo by Jowan

Vajin had never run the race before yet he has run superbly all night.  Granantan has been an ideal helper for him from the first mile till his last.  He is an experienced athlete and ran the race himself for the first time last year.  The two together are an ideal team.  I have arrived just after Vajin’s tremendous first place win in a time of 5 hours 27 minutes.  He says when asked, “I am not sure myself what happened.”

He now has the second fastest timing ever for the 47.  Remarkably it comes on the 20th anniversary of when Hutashan set the previous mark.  Hutashan was present and Vajin tells me, “he was overjoyed.”

He tells me it was an interesting race.  The longest race he had run prior to the 47 was the marathon.  He tells me how inspired he was watching the 47 last year.  “I got a lot of inspiration from seeing the race, and just watching everyone run.  I really got a feeling that it would be nice to try myself this year.  It has got quite a different feeling to any other race that I have done.  It is a very soulful race.  It is like its own world the 47 mile race.”

Not surprisingly for someone who has only raced a marathon he found that the race got harder as the miles piled up.  He recognizes as well that with the presence of Virendra who still has the course record and others who have run from the beginning that the 47 is unique.  He says, “it is a lovely thing.  It feels like you are slipping into history.  It is not just a one off event.  So many people have come and strived and aspired in for so many years.  It has got a real consciousness and life of its own.  It is nice to come along and play your role in the continuing saga. “  Click to play Vajin interview

Hutashan had the unique privilege of seeing his 20 year old second fastest time of 5:32 be eclipsed.  He remembers his race in 1989 very well because he was hoping himself to beat the previous best time of 5:33 which had previously been set by a friend of his.  He says for him it was the only time in his many years of running the race that he concentrated on the record.  In every other race he would simply focus inwardly and hope to offer his best.

His first race was in 1983 and in that year he won over Arpan in the tightest finish ever of the race.  He can remember little more of his finish other than collapsing and Arpan than falling on top of him.  He describes that as a Swiss man living in the Alps it has always given him an advantage in the race.  Altogether he won the race 8 times which is itself a record that is yet to be close to be challenged by anyone else.

Of Vajin he says that he obviously prepared himself both inwardly and outwardly for the 47 this year.  Of his winning time, “he deserves and obviously Sri Chinmoy would be very happy with him.”   Click to play Hutashan interview

To give some idea of how spectacularly Vajin ran this night it will be nearly an hour before the next runner completes the race.

Nibir describes being conscripted to his current job 31 years ago as a data retrieval expert.   It is a glamorous description for gathering all names and making sure they are timed correctly.  He says that the final part of the job is producing result sheets which he calls, “pretty straight forward.  It has gotten so easy the last few years because we have done it so many times.”

He notes that technology has changed since his first race but his job has remained basically the same.  He also notes that the improvements in the track surface have helped the race but most importantly he says that everyone knows that Sri Chinmoy himself has run this race on this course.

“Being a helper here and even being on the side cheering people are putting aside their own self and their own problems and come out here and give encouragement to other people who are doing a ridiculous thing……running 47 miles overnight.”  With this he laughs.  “To me it is an amazing indication of what can happen when you forget about yourself, and let a little compassion come to the fore and be there for somebody else.  It makes me feel good afterwords.”  Click to play Nibir interview

Sumandala is a counter who started on the second shift.  He has been perhaps one of the most vocal of enthusiasts in the late stages of the race and his chants have not only encouraged the runners he has managed to conscript the other counters on either side of him to join in his cheer leading.  When asked what is his secret he describes the benefits of both green and black tea.  He despite that despite the boisterousness of his group they are also working hard at also counting the laps of their runners correctly.  He says, “they are very pleased when we keep track of them.”

Click to play Sumandala interview

She will be the first girl to cross the finish line by more than an hour.  There is something heartfelt and unique to see Kishore there supporting his little sister and to pass her the flag which she carries for the final lap of the track.

Her time is not a record but she admits to have not felt well during the race.  She was even sick to her stomach a couple of times.  Stefan who won the race last year has been forced to admit he was beaten by a girl this year.  He is the 3rd male finisher and 4th overall.  He arrived at the race late and gently suggests that if he had not come 20 minutes late there would have been a different outcome.

Stefan’s time is 7:10

There than becomes a steady stream of finishers.

Smarana 7:34	Stutisheel 7:10
Sadanand 8:29	Kaneenika 8:21
Karl 8:22	Manjula 8:22

“I just love this race.” Jayasalini has run magnificently.  Her time of 7:56 has placed her just behind Arpan and 12th overall.  She is however the second girl to finish.  “This race is very special for me, it is one of my favorite races.”  She describes being able to participate as a special gift to her late spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy for his birthday.  Just two days ago she also ran the marathon and feels that being able to also be part of this race as “amazing.”

Click to play Jayasalini interview

Each finisher of the race has had a unique experience.  They will longer remember being here even if they come back and do it again and again.

Picture by Jowan

The story of Adelino and his run here is one that may not be repeated any time soon.  Each step forward for him was self-transcendence on his way to completing a remarkable 42 marathons in one year.

His French friends celebrate his achievement.  They know all too well what a long difficult struggle it has been for Adelino.  There is one perhaps who knows better than anyone else how challenging a thing it is that he has accomplished.  Unnatishil attempted the same feat just a few years earlier and could not complete it due to his health.  Yet today his heart full of pride and oneness for his friend.  He rejoices at this achievement as do we all.  As do we celebrate all who help, and run, and find some small way to participate and celebrate a unique event, the 47 mile race.

In 1980 Sri Chinmoy ran the 47 mile race for the second and last time.  He bettered his time from a year earlier by more than an hour and 12 seconds.  His time was 11:27:23

Photo by Bhashwar 1980

“It is a very challenging project as a musician. I would say it is the most challenging thing I have ever tried to do.” He says that what he is attempting to accomplish is to take his teacher’s spiritual music and by using his understanding and abilities as a ‘regular musician’ translate that spirituality so that it might sound more familiar to western ears.

The result of his efforts is not only a fine new CD but also a new understanding in himself of the direction he wants to take with his life. He feels a new fulfillment in focusing almost exclusively and creatively on Sri Chinmoy’s music and says, “I am no longer interested in playing any other kind of music.”

His first CD he describes as being an almost 10 year effort to produce. Before it was finished he sent some of the recorded tracks to New York for SriChinmoy to listen to and he was very pleasantly surprised to hear later how much it was appreciated by his teacher. He was also surprised to find that children as well seemed to enjoy the eventually completed CD. He tells me he has heard many stories from parents that their kids wanted to hear it again and again.

He had performed for Sri Chinmoy on several occasions and on each he was encouraged by his teacher. It was however in June of 2007 that he made his last and his most memorable performance for his teacher. It was a brief solo concert, of what he calls his looping bass piece. At the end of which Sri Chinmoy is heard to say, “very nice, very nice.” Pavaka says that the recording of that performance is something he will always cherish. “That has meant a lot to me.” Pavaka, June 23, 2007

He has now become a regular on the Songs of the Soul concert tour. He describes however that his live performances are quite different from his recordings. The main difference being that in the recordings he has access to an ensemble of musicians, where in concert he doesn’t have the same luxury. He calls his live performances, “little bits of this and that. You don’t really get a chance to dig in.” Yet he is very inspired by the concert format which now has staged concerts in many countries across Europe and North America. He says, “it is a privilege to share Sri Chinmoy’s music that way.”

His own introduction to music came at the very tender age of 4 or 5 when he first took up cello lessons at his home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He tells me that he started composing his own original works almost as soon as he learned how to write music. He thinks he was about 8 or 9 when he first did this. He took great delight in his new found love of composition. He remembers asking his Mom at what age Mozart was when he first started composing. He laughs even now as he describes her answer. “He was 4 but he was a genius.”

This did little to discourage him. He continued to study the instrument for 10 years when he was then inspired to enter whole-heartedly into the world of rock music. He tells me that he decided to dedicate himself to the bass guitar which he selected because he mistakenly thought was tuned the same as a cello. He was surprised to discover that in fact it was not.

After a short time of learning the bass guitar he devoted himself to trying to create rock music that represented his own French-Canadian sensibilities. He felt there was lots of 90′s rock music that understood the mood and culture of English speakers across the spectrum but very little at all the represented his own French perspective. He says, “I performed a lot, with a lot of different groups, and in a lot of different venues. There just wasn’t any good French heavy rock so we will write it. So we did rock in fact.”

He describes that of course his tastes have changed dramatically as he himself has immersed himself in his spiritual path. He still feels however that spiritual music has yet to be expressed adequately in the popular world. That in fact there is a need for spiritual music to be expressed in Pop, rock, jazz, and all other more traditional forms of music. His own hope is that on his part he can bring forward Sri Chinmoy’s consciousness into this world so that more can appreciate and be inspired by it.

He says that there are many of his musician friends who are concentrating solely on presenting soulful interpretations of his teacher’s music. For himself though, he is clearly inspired and focused on bringing forward his teacher’s music in a dynamic and pragmatic way. He feels there is a real need and a wish in audiences worldwide to have access to this inspiring music. He hopes as well that his music can both entertain the mind and also perhaps offer some consciousness to the heart at the same time.

He feels that of all of Sri Chinmoy’s music his keyboard compositions were his favorites. In his own way he tries to imbue his guitar playing with some of the same form and intensity that Sri Chinmoy seemed to use so instinctively well. When referring to them he calls Sri Chinmoy’s works as, “brilliant pieces of music. When he played on the organ in particular I think it was phenomenal.”

On a warm afternoon in August Pavaka quietly released his second CD. Most of the musicians who had helped in the recording were there to help launch a project that he had worked on painstakingly and with real devotion for many months. It was a quiet affair that can best be described as neither dramatic nor pretentious. It was simply Pavaka and friends sweetly and beautifully playing their teacher’s music.

The little concert also in a way marked a major change in the course of Pavaka’s life. He had just recently terminated his job and was now embarking on a new direction in his life. One in which recording and performing Sri Chinmoy’s music was taking a more center stage in his life. When he is asked whether performing live or people listening to his CD is more important he says simply, “what I am interested in is people listening to Sri Chinmoy’s music.”

He laughs now at the difficulties and challenges involved in the current CD’s creation. His first recording was well received and he thus felt a real challenge in surpassing and transcending his first effort. He received lots of input in trying to make it listenable and that the spiritual aspect of it fit in seamlessly and naturally. He is confident that he is fulfilling an inspiration that comes from within to be more involved in the musical world. His teacher on many opportunities encouraged him to take this path. Sri Chinmoy praised his first CD and as I listen to the sweet full rich sound of the new one I am sure he would appreciate this one even more.

For the last year that particular block of Parsons blvd has been through a lot and then some.  There were problems with a building near by, that were not going be fixed, neither simply and easily, or more importantly, anytime soon.  Scaffolding hanging overhead had made his shop look dark and gloomy for many months. It was also very hard to park.  The Health food store and the Stationary store had already moved months earlier.

On the last weekend in May a most surprising, though not unexpected, event took place.  The Garland of Divinity’s Love picked up its roots, its pots, its petals, and everything else and moved.

Its new location is next to the Laundromat, around the corner from the Greek Deli.  When Kanan moved in on May the 25th things were a bit of a jumble, as could be expected.  The old sign overhead had yet to be taken down.  There was some wording on the glass in front however that somehow provided a little comfort and encouragement to this big change for Kanan and to the neighborhood.

Progress

For the students of Sri Chinmoy it would be hard to imagine the Parsons blvd. block without The Garland of Divinity’s Love.   Whether they lived in Queens, or just visited from far away, all at one time or another have come to Kanan’s shop to purchase some flowers.  And even if they were not in New York they would call and fax his shop to buy a flower, a bouquet, or an arrangement which would then be offered to Sri Chinmoy with gratitude.  For birthdays, for celebrations, for anniversaries you name it, in the spiritual life flowers always find a place to brighten and inspire people.

The Garland of Divinity’s Love of course has a long history that goes back nearly 40 years.  It first officially opened on June 25th 1971 on Parsons blvd. but quite a few blocks further along.  At that time there were just a handful of enterprises.  Sri Chinmoy actually asked Kanan to open a flower store, a task which he willingly and gladly accepted.  With just one months training, at a store in Yonkers, Kanan started his first Garland of Divinity’s Love.

location

On April 14h, if they happened to be passing by City Hall park, even the most jaded of the city’s 8 million residents would have been justifiably surprised to see something, no one has ever seen before.  In addition, to also have an opportunity to listen to a Guinness World record taking place before their eyes and their ears.  A poem, written by the late Spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy was recited by his students in 111 different languages.

For Ashrita Furman, who organized the event, it was his 100th current Guinness record. As someone who has been breaking all manner of Guinness records for 30 years it was also unique and special.  Though he has always dedicated his efforts to his teacher, in this one he had to be assisted by more than 100 of Sri Chinmoy’s students who had come to New York for the anniversary celebrations marking Sri Chinmoy’s arrival in the West in 1964.

from My Flute by Sri Chinmoy.

The old record for reciting a single poem in different languages was 79.  Ashrita, when asked, why attempt this record, told how the poem was appropriate in particular to the philosophy of Sri Chinmoy. “We thought this would be a really great way to honor his vision of World Peace.”

The poem ‘Precious‘ was chosen because he said it was one of Sri Chinmoy’s favourites and that it would be inspiring for everyone.

He said, “Sri Chinmoy really loved this poem.”  Ashrita was the last speaker in the alphabetical order and recited the poem in Zulu, which he had been practicing for a few days.  The demands of this record are quite different than most of his other records, in that it is not physically demanding but instead presents for him a very large organizational challenge.  He is thrilled of course to be part of this project.  With enthusiasm he says,”No poem in the history of the world has ever been translated and recited in more than 79 languages.  We are doing something unprecedented. It is a thrill to do something that has never been done before.  In this case it has a broader meaning because we really believe in the oneness of the world.”

Ashrita interview

The event was of such significance that Danny Girton jr., an adjudication executive with Guinness World records was there to observe the event.   He says, “Ashrita and I had discussed the details of his attempt extensively before today.  Including what the languages would be, who was going to speak the languages, what the translations were and who did them, just to ensure all the background work was done.   That, I noticed, is the common thread in all Guinness World Record achievements.”

Danny Girton jr. interview

City Councilman Jim Gennaro helped to get permission for the event to take place in City Hall park.  He was also the first speaker to start off, reciting the poem in English.  He said, “this is the kind of event that should happen in the seat of government here right in New York city.  It is the greatest city in the world.”  He also talked about the inspiration from the event as being one of the most memorable experiences of his life.

Ashrita opening remarks

“You really inwardly have to go deep within and feel the inner feeling the inner vibration and somehow come up with words that best reflect that.”  Nirbhasa Magee from Dublin Ireland (Gaelic).

Prakashita Bercic (Slovenia) says, “when you say it in your own language somehow the poem gets closer to you.”

Prakashita interview

Bangshidar Medeiros recited the poem in Hawaiian, the translation was provided by a family member.  “To hear Sri Chinmoy’s poetry in that type of musical language moves me especially.” He grew up in Maui and feels the language is still deep inside of him. Bangshidhar interview

Dundubhi Dikel from Switzerland performed for the entire record.

Prabhavati Evans recited the poem in Welsh.  It was translated by a colleague at work who thought the poem, “was absolutely beautiful.”Prabhavati interview

It is a very deep philosophical poem and so makes you think of very many very serious and deep questions. Tejomayi (Ukraine) Tejomayi interview

Some reciters of course recited in several languages.  Deeldar Sedjav from Mongolia used both Bhutanese and Tibetan.  Gombosuren Luvavsandorj, also from Mongolia represented that Country and another from the region.  For Deeldar it was as he describes it, “a very sweet experience.”

Deeldar-Gombosuren interview

Shardul Dillicar from New Zealand recited the poem in an Aboriginal dialect from Australia.  He describes that his translation was too difficult to read in the actual language and he read instead its phonetic translation.  Shardul interview

Valishtha Upmane from Latvia says about her work on the poem, ” the more you do something about it the more value or depth you find there.”Valishtha interview

Hemabha Jang from Korea says, “Poetry is the universal language.  Sri Chinmoy’s poetry has the universal feeling of it.”Hemabha interview

Gangane Stefansson (Iceland) keeps track of the number.

Vijay Mishra interview…no picture

Stefano interview…no picture

Meriem Alt Ouyahia from Algeria recited the poem in three languages.  She describes how the very nature of the project required many people to participate.  The translator from Togo said to her, “O wow what a beautiful poem. Thankyou so much for making me part of this project.”Meriem Alt-Ouyahia interview

Padmasini Guillet represented France

Aparajita Fishman represented Indonesia.”I loved the whole event there was a charm to it.  Each language is an instrument in the symphony of humanity.”

Kailash Beyer represented Germany

Snatak Matthiasson represented Iceland

The line of reciters moves slowly along.  All prepare for their brief time dealing with a language that may be second nature or may be foreign.  All will have one common bond.  They have recited a single poem in a group effort that was all about harmony, oneness, and expressing the eternal beauty that lies so close within us all.

Danny Girton-speech

“What I saw today demonstrated true character, and commitment, and resourcefulness.”

Some sports have set standards that remain fixed, which can easily capture the popular imagination of a world audience.   The great tests of speed, power, and endurance remain elusive and almost certainly unattainable to the vast sweep of humanity.

You will be extolled for climbing Mount Everest and be but a footnote if you fail.  That is if you fail and still return to camp.  You achieve a different sort of notoriety if you do not survive the journey back to Terra fir-ma.  It has been more than 50 years since the 4 minute mile was first broken but still it remains a significant indicator of excellence for runners who manage to attain it.

Amateur theater is an art form that is glaringly difficult to perfect and grudgingly difficult to be objectively judged.  The odds of even creating a memorable original script and then producing something noteworthy on a stage is statistically slim to impossible to achieve .  As one who was once a Theater Major in University I understand all too well the incredible challenge of writing a captivating script, find willing and talented actors, and then to stage a production in which you will be rewarded, if you are lucky, with only heartfelt applause.  The staging of an original Historical drama pushes the odds of success even further into the realm of impossibility.

Yet on April 12, before an audience of his fellow students of Sri Chinmoy, Tejaswi Van Der Walt, along with the writing and directorial assistance of Devashishu Torpy, staged an amazing monumental play. It was an original production called, ‘Akbar the Great’.  That he selected as his subject a 16th century Mughal emperor is not surprising.  Sri Chinmoy himself had written many short stories about this, perhaps the greatest of all the Mughal Emperors.  A man born into power and wealth, who throughout his lifetime sought not just more power but also Spiritual enlightenment for himself and the world he ruled.

The play was performed with almost no real rehearsal under weather conditions that were uncharitably frigid, before an audience, who the majority of which, English was a second language.  These obvious elements just begins to show the tip of the colossal challenge confronting the production.  Add to this a running time of almost 2 and a half hours and the recipe of catastrophic disaster should have been it’s inevitable downfall.  Nothing of course would be further from the truth.

Akbar the Great was in my estimation a supremely enjoyable and lastingly memorable experience for all who were present that cold April night.  That the audience endured several hours of uninterrupted hard bench seats, had to rub their hands and stamp their feet simply to maintain circulation, will just add to the brilliant memories of the performance.   Akbar shone, if not with the radiance of perfection, than certainly with the luster of true brilliance.   There was an harmonious balance and evenness in all its elements, right from the cast, down through the set, script, costuming, and direction.  The audience can say that it was offered a work in which they could both laugh and cry and in the end see, that the sum of all its hard working parts, were something special, powerful, and self transcendent.  Tejaswi’s motivation he describes simply, “I wanted to inspire people.” That he succeeded so undeniably is a mark of his courage, talent, and commitment to an astoundingly difficult project.  Keep in mind that he was also able to swim the English channel in his first attempt in 2000 (13 hrs 21 minutes) and you can have some idea of his courage in jumping wholeheartedly into the frigid and impossibly challenging theatrical waters

Devashishu who co authored the play was the director as well.  He had first talked with Tejaswi about doing a play the previous August.  Two celebrations by that time had taken place since their teachers passing and they both felt it was time to do something big.  Performing skits and plays was an endeavor that Sri Chinmoy himself had always encouraged in his students.  Tejaswi had said to him, “if I have an idea will you help me.  I said sure.” In October Tejaswi he said came up with the idea of doing a play revolving around the life of Akbar.  He said, “that would be cool, and then I didn’t do anything.”

Tejaswi proceeded to do research throughout the fall and early winter.  What the study provided was clear evidence that the life of Akbar was more interesting and compelling than they both imagined.  Devashishu says, “He did more work than anyone else to bring all religions together.”

He confesses, “I don’t get going unless the deadline is approaching fast.”  It was only in January that he started to read in detail the history of Akbar and then it was not until late February and March that Tejaswi started to send him scenes that he had written.  He admits that he procrastinated and admits that he had never co-written on such a big production before.  His most shocking admission, “I didn’t really get something down on paper until perhaps 3 weeks before the production.”

Devashsishu interview

The play is less than 2 days away from being performed and the massive stage is being slowly constructed under very wet conditions.  Sudhip has designed a monumental stage for a mammoth production.  The play in many ways fits comfortably under the Umbrella of a performance group that Sri Chinmoy created some years ago.  It was called Udar’s Unbounded troop.  This performance will require a very large cast and also a very large work crew.

Udar who will perform in Akbar is comfortable in wearing many hats.  Including one as part of the construction crew.

Abhijatri oversaw construction of the set.

Gangane has an important part on stage and in finding a useful place for this screw.

Devashishu, the director chose not to act in the play in order to oversee all elements of the production.

It is the afternoon of the 12th and the play is to be performed that evening.  The set is not ready so the actors rehearse in a nearby back yard.  The rehearsal has been carefully timed so that the actors know when to arrive for their scenes.  For the first time blocking takes place, admittedly on a lawn without props but at least the actors have some idea of the staging.  Tejaswi has the most difficult role of all.  He is Akbar and though he has written most of his own lines the job of memorizing them all is immense.

Tejaswi interview

Gangane is a Jain priest.

Budhsamudra will play Akbar’s evil foster brother Adham Khan.  He has a long history of acting and enjoys the chance to entertain and inspire people.

“It’s always last minute but this time it is a little more last minute than usual,” says Sahadeva who plays the narrator Jauhar.  He says of these productions, “It is one of the rare times in which we all come together.”  He describes how the intense effort of such a project is exactly the same as when Sri Chinmoy was still present.  He says, “I think he would be proud of us.  He is the one who trained us, to be the like this, and give so much of our time.  It is the sense that everyone is giving everything they have that the magic comes.”

Sahadeva interview

There is one short run through on the set.

Jauhar….part of opening monologue

I have a tale to tell.  Now, you may look at this tired body, these crooked legs, my tufted ears and these rheumy old old eyes and think to yourself, what kind of tale could this dried root have to tell?  But my friends, by the grace of God, these tired eyes have seen such sights that the celestialsth envy these ears have imbibed ambrosial discourses that shimmered on the air like jewels adorning the most enchanting princesses.  This wizened body has served he whose peerless vision penetrated the veil of the Divine, whose dauntless valor echoed and re-echoed throughout the world and whose compassion and wisdom were a beacon in an age of savagery and wickedness.

Nobody seems panicked.  It will be the first and only run through for the lights, audio, and musicians who have very simple cues as to when and what to perform.

Sheikh Salim: God sees inside the secret hearts of men and knows that your mighty soul is not satisfied with the worldly trappings of name and fame.  Yours is a mystic soul, Jalaluddin.  It is restless for God.  You will never find peace until it dives into the ocean of God’s love.  Then it will merge and become the ocean itself.  You know deep within yourself, that the things of this world are ultimately meaningless, useless  and utterly false.  They lead us away from our true destiny which is the Divine Intelligence within us.  God wants me to tell you that great though your earthly destiny is this lifetime, your spiritual destiny in future lives will far eclipse it.  Your soul will be a beacon for humanity that will illumine all of the worlds.

The veil that divides you from God is so thin, Jalaluddin!  It is gossamer!  A butterfly’s wing!  Seek Him!  Seek him earnestly and you will find Him!  The bliss of God union will be yours forever!

Gangane interview

Atga Khan (kaivalya) is a loyal Prime Minister to the Emperor Akbar.

Adham Khan (Budhsamudra), foster brother to Akbar was the notable villain of the performance and met a gruesome end.

Bairam Khan (Purnendu) ruled Akbar’s empire when he was made Emperor at the age of 14.

I am ashamed.  What have I done with my strength?  I curse my life more than anybody else on earth.  Becasueth and power, I have offended you and caused the death of so many innocent people.  If I did not have such strength, such capacity, then you would not have had to sen me away.  This strength of mine ..is it a blessing or a curse?  I am going to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca.  I will pray to God to forgive me.  You have been gracious towards me, Jahanpanah.  Your father would be extremely proud of you.

Mehboob:This is the King’s seal

Habeeb: I know.  If he is telling the truth and we turn him away, and the Emperor hears about it, we will lose our heads.

Mehboob: Yes. Mmmm, It’s a difficult one.

Habeeb: Not It’s not a difficult one. We let him in.  Then we don’t lose our heads.

Mehboob (Udar) and Habeeb (Mukul) are the comedic elements in a story that might otherwise be too heavy on betrayal and intrigue.  Mukul says, “my character was culturally challenged.”  Udar says, “playing stupid comes naturally to me.”

Birbal (Bijon)

The distance between Truth and Falsehood is three inches. It is the distance between the eye and the ear. What we see with the eye is the truth, and what we hear with the ear is all gossip, all falsehood. So the distance between truth and falsehood is about three inches.

Let me rest and I promise to return as your divine warrior armed with Your Supreme weapons: love, compassion, peace, light and bliss! Together let us rend the veil of ignorance that engulfs the world. O Allah, O God, my beloved Lord Supreme, take this drop and merge it into Your ocean of Compassion Infinite…

I shall listen to Your Command, I shall.
In Your Sky I shall fly, I shall fly.
Eternally You are mine, my very own.
You are my heart’s wealth.
For You at night, in tears I shall cry.
For You at dawn, with light I shall smile.
For You, for You, Beloved, only for You.

Excerpt from My Flute by Sri Chinmoy.

The audience offers to the performers what Sri Chinmoy would have no doubt asked.  Give them a thunderous applause.

The appreciative cast offers up its own grateful applause.

Heaven and Hell by Sri Chinmoy

Akbar once asked Birbal, “After death, who are the people that go to Heaven and who are the people that go to hell?”

“Your Majesty,” replied the Minister, “only clever people go to Heaven after death. The fools go to hell.”

“Why is that?” asked the Emperor. “Why do the clever people go to Heaven? How do they become clever?”

“They become clever by knowing that there is only one thing worth having, and that is love. When they give love to the world and receive love from the world in return, everything is done. Only those who love the world and get love from the world are clever, and they go to Heaven. Those who do not love the world and do not get love from the world go to hell.”

The Emperor was silent.

Commentary

Birbal’s answer is almost perfect. His only mistake is to say “clever” when what he really means is “wise.” Now we have to know whether we love the world for its own sake, or whether we love God inside the world. If we feel that the Creator and the creation are one, then by loving the Creator of the world we can love His creation as well. Otherwise, we will love the world and expect love from the world in return. And if we do not get love from the world, we will feel sad and miserable.

According to spiritual philosophy, only those who love God in mankind and do not expect anything in return go to the real Heaven. Only those who offer love constantly and unconditionally to God in man can go to the highest abode of peace, light and bliss after death. Those who do not do that will naturally go to an inferior world where these divine qualities are found in less than sufficient measure.

Again, where is Heaven? Heaven is not just a place where we go after death. We go to Heaven and hell every day. Heaven and hell are states of consciousness. In the perfection of the mind, in the peace of the mind, Heaven abides. In the frustration of the mind, in the depression of the mind, hell lives. Every day we experience Heaven and hell in our lives. Frustration, depression, insecurity, worry, doubt, fear, anxiety and jealousy all make us live in hell. Security, beauty, joy, peace, light and love all allow us to dwell in Heaven at every moment.

Excerpt from The Moghul Emperors by Sri Chinmoy.

Throughout his sporting life he himself trained often and trained hard.  There were times when injuries prevented him from his favorite sport of running but he still would go out and walk, often several times a day.  In April of 1980 he invited his students to take part in a new and unexpected challenge for the first time, the 12 hour walk.  In this first event he himself will take part and he will complete 45 1/4 miles.

Sri Chinmoy walking at Night

Click to play Movie….courtesy of Abakash

In its early years the race would start at midnight.  The number of participants was small enough in number that the little dusty Jamaica High school track was good enough to accommodate all participants.  The race of course has continued almost uninterrupted over the past 29 years and it still attracts an enthusiastic field, that represents a broad cross section of Sri Chinmoy students that have come to New York for April celebrations, from all over the world.

I also took part in the first race and did so for many years afterwards.  I see old film of myself taking part which I can now barely recognize the young man striding along.  There is a look of hard concentration etched across my face as I move through the still dark night.  I look at film of Sri Chinmoy and he is also moving with intensity and with effort.  On this cool spring morning with the race about to start at 7am there is nothing but joy and fresh faced enthusiasm in the expressions of the 80 plus participants and those who will count and help them on their long long journey ahead.

Pratyaya and other Canadians have been organizing the race since its inception.  The race of course takes lots of manpower to allow it to operate smoothly and there are no shortage of volunteers from many other countries who look forward to helping.

In 1993 Pratyaya made some notes about what Sri Chinmoy said at the start of the race.  He said, “Today you will be walking along eternity’s road.  As you are walking you will be encouraged, guided, and inspired, by divinity’s beauty, and fragrance.”

For the counters, their job is to remain cheerful and focused for their entire 6 hour shift.  For the walkers it is an opportunity to embark upon a modern day pilgrimage.  One, in which they may or not defy or challenge their previous bests, but still they will be required to step boldly forward towards new horizons within their own consciousness.

Tarit has entered this race many times himself.  Today he is acting as an official but understands as well as most what takes place in the bodies, minds, and spirits of those who enter the 12 hour walk.  He says, “What you have here is very inspiring.  What you have here is a big mix between the talented and the well trained and the not so talented and the not so well trained.”  He has always participated as one who is both well trained and talented.  But he describes the inspiration he receives from those who still participate cheerfully without preparation.  He says of those, “it is inspiring to watch because it is hard for them.”

Tarit interview

Despite the cool weather the walkers will be drinking lots of fluids over the 12 hours. 

“It’s very tough because it is long, and if you want to be competitive you have to be fast.”  Smarana is doing this race for what he believes is his 10th time.  The last 3 years he has won the event and so for him the race will provide a challenge that most in the field will not experience.  Across the street, is where for the past 7 summers he has participated in the 3100 mile race.  This summer he will not return.

Start of 12 hour walk

Lauren Armstrong from New Zealand is in many ways typical of most of the walkers here today.  Her quest is less about miles and more about her  own inner journey.  She says, “It is not about the distance.” She was able to participate in the walk when Sri Chinmoy was still alive and says emphatically the experience for her now without him is no different. She still feels the same sweetness and strength he was able to inspire her with then, now.

“I am trying not to expect anything,” Emma says and laughs with open delight.  She is from the Czech republic and this is the first time she has done the race.  An injury kept her from participating last year and this year she has trained for walking because she knows that one uses different muscles than when one runs.  Her goal is simple, “I want to be happy, and be happy at the end.”

Emma interview

Jogyata admits that he was trapped by his own wisdom into doing the 12 hour race this year.  This 60 year old plus New Zealander had been giving a talk about the spiritual importance of the race when someone asked him if he was going to do it.  He admits that he was caught and had to reply that yes he was.  Telling this story he laughs with delight.  Prachar, who is walking along to briefly support his friend enjoys this as well.  It has been 4 years since he last did the race and describes that when you train for it you can be amazed at how well your body can do during the race.  He does confess that when he entered in the past without training, it was quite a different story.

He says that when one participates in ultra events like this it can give you confidence in any other field of endeavour. He describes the 12 hour walk like a metaphor, “of the infinite possibilities that each and every human has.  It is like a window into the infinite, the possibilities of the human spirit.”

Jogyata interview

Ashanka from San Francisco has been doing the walk for so many years she has forgotten the number.  She once held the women’s record in the event of just over 58 miles. She has no expectation today regarding her mileage, just that she stay and be happy for 12 hours.

“There are 3 phases.  The first one is the cheerfulness phase.  Then there is the determination phase, and then the surrender phase.”  Pataka is recounting what Sri Chinmoy once said happens to those who participate in marathons.  For the most part he is one of those rare individuals in which the cheerfulness realm is the place he most often can be found. He admits to not having any ambitions regarding the distance he will cover this day.

Pataka interview

The hours pass and the day remains pleasant.  It is a far cry from the days when there was a midnight start and many could not wait for the dawn to come. The budding brightness of those hours brought new strength to tired legs eager to make the final push until noon when the race would end.

Vladimir (Moscow) seems to be tireless and full of life and energy all day long

“I am a kind of person who loves to reach goals,” says Sergey from Donetsk.  He is moving along strongly in the very late afternoon and is very solidly in third place.  He says he does not pay attention to the board to see who is in front of him or behind. He just concentrates on his own race experience.  He says he would like reach 60 miles but more importantly, “I want to be happy along the way.”

Sergey interview

“It was so difficult for me,” says Darya (Moscow), describing the first time she entered the 12 hour race and it started at midnight.  She also admits that she had not trained enough as well.  It was 3 years ago and she still managed to complete 86 km or 53 miles.  She says her race was very consistent, “it was a surprise for me.”  She also says she feels very clearly the presence of her late teacher Sri Chinmoy inspiring during the time she has been out here walking.

Darya interview

Smarana, like the true champion he is will, in the end, win his 4th straight 12 hour walk.  An unprecedented feat.  During the day he will experience much, both highs and lows.  His distance covered today will be 60.87 miles.  Yet what he will best remember is the intense sense of devotion and gratitude that he experienced today which is the goal of everyone who walks here.

Smarana interview

The counters will have faithfully kept track of each walker’s laps.  As it gets closer to the cut off some have no time for one more lap and so celebrations of the finishing walkers come at dfferent intervals.

Jwalanta is ecstatic.

Elena from Skopje will finish the race with 51.21 miles.

Darya will better her previous best of 53 miles by coming in second with 56.72 miles

Emma who walked here today for the first time will finish with 47.86 miles.  She will be in 11th place for the girls.

Garima who has done this race perhaps more than anyone else will finish with 43.61 miles.  Just 2 miles less than what Sri Chinmoy completed when he did the race.

The day is now spent.  The sun nearly gone over the horizon, dusk is offering its last few glimmers of light.  It is 7pm and the race is now over.

Pataka, cheerful throughout, will finish with 48 miles.

We celebrate all those who came here and walked and helped and inspired this brave group of walkers.  Those 12 hours are so brief compared to the great eternal journey that all of us must take.  For those who walked just a few weeks ago, and for myself, whose races are now years ago, the memories will start to dim and fade but never go entirely away.  What remains of course is always the most important thing, the beautiful and sacred experience of participating, is now safely enshrined within our hearts.

The picture below shows Sri Chinmoy finishing the 12 hour walk for the first time.  The joy on his face is clearly evident. Just a very few will recall what it was like to share his dynamic presence churning along the dusty cinder track for 12 hours.  Inwardly that inspiration is of course still available, and will eternally remain available, to all who push the limits of their beings and search for divinity’s beauty within their own hearts.

Sri Chinmoy completing 45 1/4 miles in the first 12 hour walk….courtesy Abakash

Excerpt from Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, Part 19 by Sri Chinmoy.