Author: utpal

Today there is a holiday in America.  It is not quite the proper July 4th celebration, but because the 4th is on a Saturday, the day off has been scheduled for today.  America will have its parades, concerts, and fireworks tomorrow for sure, so today the country gets to sleep in and take it easy.

For the runners a holiday means only that the streets are quieter and there is little, or no roar, rising up from the Grand Central nearby.  More importantly the day is warm, sunny, and dry.  The great thunderstorms that rolled in yesterday and lit up the sky and flooded the course are just an unpleasant memory.  Though one that’s devastation still lingers  in musty shoes piled up trying to dry, and numbers on the board, that were diminished due to hours of slogging through sloppy streets.

On this the eve of America’s independence it somehow seems fitting to find this country is hosting the longest distance race in the world.  It is after all a place in which big, grand, and powerful have been synonymous for much of what this Country has created.  But those words fall inadequately short in describing the Self-Transcendence 3100 mile race.  Long yes, but its greatness is beneath and beyond what we the public can see standing on a sidewalk.  There is an inner wonder here that is off the charts when it comes to luminosity and intensity.

Sri Chinmoy whose distance running life took place here once said of this country.

“America is a young nation. It does not want to walk; it wants to run as fast as possible in order to breast the tape first.

I appreciate America for its dynamism. If you are dynamic, you run towards your goal. If you do not know where the goal is, then you may run from this side to that side. But it is better than to remain static. Americans are running. They may not be sure of the goal, but they are constantly on the move. They go to one side and run into a wall and get hurt. Then they go to another side and the goal is not there, so they get another blow. But at least they go.

The best quality in th e spiritual life is not to hesitate once you know your goal. But even if you do not know your goal, it is good to run. God’s Compassion will dawn just because you are running, because you are on the move. Once you feel that your goal is not where you are, that your goal is somewhere ahead of you, then you have to run. And if you run, eventually you are bound to reach your goal.”

Continue reading “July 3 There is a Perfect Atmosphere Here”

When most of us are asked, what our idea of heaven and hell are, our impressions of them can change as quickly as grass shifting in a breeze.  Most, but perhaps not all, would like to see heaven as a place with all beauty and light and perhaps precious little to do.  Hell therefore would then be obligated to be on the other dark extreme of the spectrum.

The truth is that most of us, if we really examined our notions of Heaven and Hell, might just be a little disappointed once we arrived at the proverbial Pearly Gate and found all our wishes granted.  Heaven, where we hoped for peace and tranquility might just be a little boring and the other alternative might start to appear to have some more merit.  Excluding of course brimstone, fire, and dancing demons.

When most of us look at those who run here, we can appreciate and admire their efforts but few would want to be inside those pounding shoes.  If we were obligated to spend two months out here and be forced to do it, then logically it could easily be described as a kind of hell, and why not.  The runners of course have a different perspective.  Not every day are they dinning on ambrosia nor are they forced to eat stinging nettles.  The highs of course far surpass the lows, if not then all would have exited with speed to comforting homes in quiet countries long ago.  And yet they come back as well, again and again.

The best moment may not even be crossing the finish line after weeks and months of struggle.  It may not be to return home and recover and dream of precious moments when they ran through hot days and still nights here.  Instead heaven may exist in those singular moments of the present, when they know with utmost certainty that they are doing the right thing by being here and pushing themselves to their limits and beyond.  That they are listening to the call of their inner pilot who is asking them to go beyond and still further beyond.  This is the elixir that all of us wish to drink.

We do not have to come here and do what they do but we all need to listen within  and act upon the call of our inner voices.  To not be swayed by the siren cries of inertia and doubt.  There is some task in front of us all that we need to do, and we can do it.  And even if we fail, our sincere effort will be its own reward, and mark a moment when our own personal heaven was within our heart’s reach.  Hell is that we just didn’t even try.

Continue reading “July 2 A Mountain That Has To Be Climbed”

This evening in Miami there is going to be a major league baseball game.  The Miami Marlins are going to host the Washington Nationals in Landshark stadium.  It is a  building which can host about 38,000 people.  There is every reason to suspect that there will be a great turnout this evening though there is a chance of thundershowers which could happen as well here in New York.  Schools are out across America right now and kids are looking for events in which to have fun.  In fact, this is the season when a lot of folks, both big and small, are thinking hard and planning at length for the ideal summer vacation.  Looking forward to a chance to do nothing at all.

The distance to Landshark stadium is just over 1000 miles.  Right now, if most of the runners had been heading south instead of around this hard little concrete block in Queens they could be there right now.  Of course no one here is thinking much about entertainment or pleasure of any kind really.  The concept of just doing nothing is a luxury that none can afford, not even for a  casual moment.  Their thoughts may meander but their feet do not.  They may be thinking of baseball and beaches and millions of frivolous things from time to time but mostly they do not.  Their focus is only on the next lap and then the next one after that.  Their minds may wander but never their feet or their hearts.

Few will witness what they will do here this evening.  A handful will come by tonight to hand them treats, sing songs, and wish them well.  Mostly they will share the miles with themselves and a dark sky with its threatening showers.  We all hope of course that it remains dry but it might not.  Our encouragement of them counts for something but their courage, selfless action, and heart felt dedication of their entire beings to Self-Transcendence here is much more powerful than the sum total of a world of  best wishes.  They are challenging the limits of the physical while at the same time embracing the unlimited power of the spirit.  For those of us who watch, it is spectator sport that costs nothing.  Our only admission to this, is our hearts oneness with all those who run.

Continue reading “June 30 I Could Not Ask For Anything Better”

He is sometimes known as the 14th runner.  Swami Paramesh Ananda is a neighbor and friend of the race.  He can often be often found running around the course early in the morning, sometimes even before the setup crew has arrived.  He was away the last few weeks and seems happy to be back and once again circling the sacred loop.  He does not say much and most of the time it appears as though he is deep within his own meditation.  Other runners will zip by but he makes a very purposeful point of running only around the loop.  His respect for the runners and the course are unmistakable.

He says, “It is very nice here.  The atmosphere is good.  I like being around the disciples, their minds are peaceful.” He is very much aware of the self discipline all the runners have, which is similar to that of his own organization.  He knows that their goals are anything but worldly.  He describes it as not looking for outer stimulus but instead they are building inner strength.  “I am happy to be here.  I look forward to this kind of atmosphere.  It seems that in his frequent travels there are few if any places in which the inner ideals are combined so seamlessly with outer dynamism. He says, “This is the right atmosphere, for the upkeep and advancement of my spiritual life.  Which is all it is.”

“Everything we do should be for spiritual growth and progress.  The world out there is thinking of other things, quarreling and pleasures.  Very rarely do you come into contact with people who are thinking of spirituality.”  He feels that it is Sri Chinmoy, who is still giving inspiration and strength that allows miracle of the 3100 to take place here.  “The whole area is charged around here.  I can feel it.”

Continue reading “June 27 The Whole Area is Charged”

At one time, in the early 1950’s, Jim Peters was the best marathon runner in the world.  This English distance great broke the world record for the marathon 4 times.  He was the first to run under 2 hours and 20 minutes.  In this race he ran 2:17 which was his personal best.  He was well known for giving all that he had in each and every race that he ran.

Most athletes understand this attitude.  Holding nothing back in competition is what all the finest sports figures do.  In distance running however the consequences of this can be devastating.  In the commonwealth games marathon in Vancouver in 1954 Jim Peters collapsed from heat stroke just before the finish line.  At the time he was leading the next competitor by 17 minutes. Some years later, when the Commonwealth games returned to Vancouver, he was invited back to complete his historic last lap of the track. Continue reading “June 26 Can Only Happen Here”

From space the Google map can easily take in the entire course.   From this vantage you cannot see any pain, nor fatigue, nor heat, nor damp.  You are not aware of any challenge of any kind.  In fact, what you see from way up here is almost unreal.  The buildings and cars look like toys frozen in time, on some child’s playground. They say every picture tells a story but this one speaks so little.

Continue reading “June 25 Like Being On an Island”