*Written by Parvati*
I have always loved to sing but had a really difficult time trying to learn Sri Chinmoy’s songs — which were mostly composed in his mother language, Bengali. In 1999, on the Christmas Trip to Brazil, Sri Chinmoy invited me to form a group to learn some of his songs written in English.
Coincidentally, that evening his students were asking Sri Chinmoy questions and I asked about the quality enthusiasm. Specifically, what should I do about the fact that I did not find it appealing?
Well! Thus began my destiny with being forever tied to this quality. In the first set of songs Sri Chinmoy taught our newly formed group is one which has the lyrics: “Enthusiasm, enthusiasm, God’s Main Food. He begs me to eat, for my good!”.
Since 1999, our song group’s informal name was either “Parvati’s Group” or the “Enthusiasm Group” — we wore t-shirts that said “Enthusiasm” and the songs that Sri Chinmoy taught us were published as “Enthusiasm Songbooks”.
On 27 July 2007, Sri Chinmoy surprised us by giving us our formal name “ Enthusiasm-Awakeners” — which is the anniversary we are celebrating today. That day, he gave us new t-shirts imprinted with bird drawings and his handwritten “Enthusiasm-Awakeners”.
This is how it came about that we started singing at the 3100 Mile Race. In 2006, the singing group wanted to honor Sri Chinmoy’s 75th birthday by singing the 1,200+ English songs we had learned from him over those past 7 years. We decided to sing 75 songs a day for 19 consecutive days. Since the 3100 Mile Race was going on in our neighborhood we decided we could meet there early each morning and sing. We hoped it would not bother the runners too much and thought they might even be somewhat entertained by us.
Sri Chinmoy, who visited the Race every day, noticed that we were there and was very pleased with our presence there. Towards the end of our project he started to stop his car in front of our group, call Paree and me to the car, and teach us a newly composed English song. Once we learned it, the rest of the group —who were close enough to hear us— would come up and we’d all sing it together for Sri Chinmoy and then for the runners. That year, I believe we learned 23 new songs.
The next year, in 2007, Sri Chinmoy asked me if our group would again go and sing at the 3100 Mile Race. I said, ‘We were not planning to. We had just been doing that to honor your 75th birthday.” His response? “What? 76 is not special?” So later I told the group this and we decided that it was the right thing to do to go sing at the race.
That Race, Sri Chinmoy stopped each morning and taught us a new song in the same manner he had done the previous year. This year, he also handed each of the singers Prasad. We learned 65 new songs this way. It was an amazing summer, which I have since called “the summer of Grace”. We received so much kindness, affection and blessings from Sri Chinmoy that we will be nourished the rest of our lives.
Thus began our commitment to sing at the Race each morning.
The Board at the Start of Day 41…*Note totals may not be accurate… Magic Number is 2,384 *
Camp early
Kobi and Vajra
Surasa
William
Rupantar
Konstantin
Smarana
Kaneenika
Smarana and Ushika
Vasu
Kobi telling a story about his race in South Africa
Ready to go
Start Day 41
A humid day with showers later
Vasu had another 70 mile day
He now has 2763 miles
Stretching
Proudly showing me his new shirt
347 miles more
Flower
Gopi
Kobi did 64 miles
He started the day with 2681 miles
This morning he makes another record at 2700
Camp
Short conference
Enjoying his days at the race
Flower
Ushika did 64 miles
He now has 2460 miles
With Max
Flower
Dan, Aharan, and Max
Sopan did 57
He now has 2412 miles
He is 28 miles over the magic number
Flower
Oneness-Dreamboat-Shore
Surasa did 61 miles
She now has 2406 miles. 22 miles over the magic number
Long view
With Vasuprada
Flower
A very nice but very small bell
Kaneenika did 60 miles
She now has 2375 miles
With Leelavatee
She is 9 miles under the magic number
Flower
Quiet please
William did 52 miles
He now has 2273 miles
“Whenever you are ever cold just go to the corner of the room. It is always 90 degrees.”
Mango juice
Alan
Smarana did 50 miles
He now has 2257 miles
11 more days
Flower
Ananda-Lahari did 47 miles
He now has 2165 miles
Flower
Sasha and day 41
Flower
“Let me know when the cake comes. I am almost ready for desert.”
Poem of the Day read by Niriha
Click to Play:
Flowers for Parvati
Cooks
Photographer
Flower
Enthusiasm-Awakeners
Click to Play:
Enthusiasm is beautiful,
Enthusiasm is powerful,
Enthusiasm is fruitful
When it is found inside
Our life-breath.
Happy anniversary Enthusiasm-Awakeners. Thank you for your love for the race. That spot on the race course we be know as Enthusiasm-Awakeners spot for generation to come. And one day there will be a big statue of Guru and may be even small statues of His divine Enthusiasm-Awakeners singers
Happy, Happy Anniversary, you are really, really great!
I miss singing with you so much this summer, hope to come next year!
All my love and gratitude
Happy Anniversary Enthusiasm-Awakeners :)! I loved the poem reciting that you prepared for Utpal´s video! Wrote some poems down to learn them by heart :). Thank you for your dedication over the years! Keep up the enthusiasm work :))! Thank you Utpal!