Day 19: We Have To Be Grateful

“I have learned a lot of things.  I have tried to learn.”  I had asked Vasu if he had gained anything from the physical troubles that he had been experiencing recently and which now seems to be resolved.

His dilemma had not gone unnoticed by his friends and admirers both near and far.

“I want to thank all my friends and all those who have written letters to encourage me.  I would also like to thank those who came to the race and tried to encourage me.”

Sri Chinmoy Ultra photo

“The last 2 years I was unable to run the 3100 mile race.  So many things I have forgotten and I had to learn again.  Now once more I have to learn how to work with blisters.  How to work with skin and with legs  all this I had to learn again.”

Sri Chinmoy Ultra Photo

Vasu then describes how miraculous and transformative it was for how his attitude to Wei Ming changed so dramatically.  My first impression was that we were competitors.  Now we have become good friends.  I am happy with that.”  In fact Wei Ming has given Vasu pairs of running sandals, the kind that he himself wears.

Vasu feels that as he realizes he is getting older he is willing to take advantage of any new thing that might help him complete the race.

When asked if he had gained something inwardly from the tough time he recently had gone through.  “I understood that I need to be grateful.  When we are grateful, gratitude enters us, enters our body, and takes away our pain.”

The Board at the start of Day 19

Camp

Counting table

Rupantar

Stutisheel

Wei Ming checks the board

Getting ready

Harita

Andrea

Start Day 19

Andrea ran 72

He now has 1267 miles

Flower

Things to do

Virendra and Vajra

Wei Ming did 63 miles

He now has 1154 miles

Flower

Medur and Vladimir

Sumanas

Harita did 62 miles

She now has 1127 miles

Doing well

Harita

Flower

Fresh figs from Samahita

Ro calculating

Stutisheel did 63 miles

He now has 1080

Changing shoes

Flower

A social call

Takasumi did 59 miles

He now has 1076 miles

Flower

Same shirt

A neighbor makes a donation

Ananda-Lahari did 46 miles

He now has 1036 miles

Sanjay brought treats

Sutushti

Vajra and Sahishnu

My gratitude-heart
Always knows
The way.
My oneness-perfection
Always is
The way.

7 thoughts on “Day 19: We Have To Be Grateful”

  1. Gratitude, no less!! Just this morning I was gratefully reading: At every moment, if we can offer our gratitude to God, then the receptivity of our heart increases. And inside our receptivity is strength, light and power to cure the sufferings of mankind.

  2. Each of these seven world-class athletes seem to have, first and foremost, tremendous humility and gratitude. Thank you, Utpal, for your dedication and skills in getting them to voice their inner contemplations. Without these interviews, we might know of their outer accomplishments — but we would not know of the how-or-why that moves them onward and forward.

  3. Thank you so much Utpal, really helps all of us feel we are there! It would be nice to get videos interviewing you and others who are there every day, your experiences, etc
    Great to see the neighbor bringing donation! I also wonder how different it is for the runners to have school in session…
    Thanks again!

  4. …. including YOU ….
    gratitude gratitude gratitude
    So focused, strong and fresh faces of the runners
    Some pictures showing them deep, deep inside, beyond

  5. Would be so nice to have an interview with one of the helpers. To get to know what is their day is like during the race.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *