A few years ago, I attended Sri Chinmoy’s weightlifting celebration of 2004. It was a remarkable night of lifting prowess, but as these things tend to do, it had mostly faded from my memory. Also as someone with no background in weightlifting, it was hard to find any reference point for judging the weightlifting of Sri Chinmoy.

The film, Challenging Impossibility, helps put Sri Chinmoy’s lifting in perspective through fascinating insights through speaking to some of the top bodybuilders and weightlifters.

It seems hard to know what to expect from a film which is an unusual blend of weightlifting and Spiritual Teacher. As one newscaster mentioned in the film, what happens when you mix the Incredible Hulk and the Dalai Lama?

On its own the lifting feats of Sri Chinmoy are quite extraordinary, especially when you consider his age and relatively frail physical frame. However, images of a 73 year old Spiritual Teacher lifting a smart car above his shoulders, leave many questions unanswered- not least, how? and why?

The success of the film is that it allows you to understand the how and why without any direct explanation or lecture. There is a variety of perspectives from top body builders to fitness experts and those who were just lifted by Sri Chinmoy. It is a curious blend of topics and people, but this adds to its fascination. It is very revealing to gain a glimpse into why these weightlifters were moved by these unique lifting feats. The film is definitely stronger from having the feedback of some great athletes, even in their own right they make interesting viewing. But, in the case of Sri Chinmoy’s lifting, there is a feeling they were confronted with something very new and unexpected. To each it meant something different, and seeing how people react is part of the charm.

The film is much more than weightlifting; in fact you get the impression weightlifting was just a vehicle to express certain ideas and concepts. Sri Chinmoy doesn’t look like a body body builder, and he definitely doesn’t talk like your average weightlifter either. In the short extracts of Sri Chinmoy speaking, you get an unmistakeable feeling of humility which is unexpected given the dramatic nature of the achievements. You could have heard more from Sri Chinmoy, but perhaps that is part of the philosophy – too many words are unnecessary.

You can’t help but be moved by the film, it is a rare combination of energy and positivity which will leave you inspired, at least in some way. It also leaves as many questions as it answers. What are we really capable of? Is our view of old age outdated? What should our motivation be for doing things?

You could have listened to Sri Chinmoy and those interviewed for longer. But, by being so concise and focused, it packs as much as possible into 30 minutes without making the mistake of trying too hard. Within the film, there is definitely space to think and mull over the issues, and this is part of its appeal. It is a film which engages the viewer in the experience.

It is so tight and well produced it is hard to find any meaningful criticism, perhaps the background music is a little too loud in some parts, but to look for insignificant faults is to miss the point of the film. Just go with an open mind and enjoy this unusual visual and audio production. If nothing else it will be very thought provoking. For myself I found it both enjoyable and surprisingly moving. The only real point worth making is that it could have gone on for longer.

Related

• Sri Chinmoy’s Weightlifting at Tejvan
• Sri Chinmoy’s Strength on Display at NY1 – including short video introducing the Weightlifting display
• A Monument to Strength, New York Times
• Challenging Impossibility
• Spirit over Matter
• Inspiration Lifts

Challenging Impossibility Trailer from Sanjay Rawal on Vimeo.

This will be a great film to watch.

I saw many of Sri Chinmoy’s lifting when in New York and other places. This helps to put into context by getting perspective from some of most experienced body builders and weightlifters.

Challenging Impossibility

Related
Inspiration Lifts.org

These Flower Flames are from a selection of 207 Poems that Sri Chinmoy made from his series 10,000 Flower Flames.

Today I am Wise

Yesterday I was clever.
That is why
I wanted to change the world.

Today I am wise.
That is why
I am changing myself.

~

One Thing To Learn

Every day there is only
One thing to learn:
How to be honestly happy.

~

A Diplomatic Death

Since each thought
Is an atomic power,
You can give each thought
A diplomatic death.
~

I Am Not Needed

I am not needed
To say the right thing.
I am only required
To be the right thing.

~

Miracles Worth Seeing

Only two miracles are worth seeing:
The miracle of loving
And
The miracle of forgiving.

~

Two Lines To Heaven

The soulful meditation-line to Heaven
Is never busy
Because
Very few seekers can afford
To use that line.

The wild frustration-line to Heaven
Is always busy
Because
Everybody has the capacity
To use that line.

~

They Will Do It For You

Do not blame yourself.
This world will do it for you,
Far beyond your imagination.

Do not admire yourself.
The higher worlds will do it for you,
Far beyond your expectation.

~

If It is True

If it is true
That Jesus is coming again,
Then it is also true
That you and I should go to meet Him
And welcome Him
At the halfway point.

~

To Be In God’s Company

If you do not have
A sense of humour,
Then God will not choose you
To be in His close company.
~

Do Not Speak Ill of Yourself.

Do not speak ill of yourself.
The world around you
Will always gladly do that
On your behalf.
~

God The Lover

We pray to God the Power,
But God the Lover
Answers our prayers.

~

I Chose

I chose not to understand God.
I chose not to understand even man.
But alas,
I chose to understand my clever mind.

By Sri Chinmoy

View the selection of 207 Poems at Short Poems.org

The Guiness Record Breaking pencil was built to honour Sri Chinmoy’s 76th birthday

The Pencil has been lying in Jamaica, Queens, but has now found a home at a museum in St Louis.

The pencil is so large it showed up on satellite screens, prompting a visit by local police officers; they were relieved to find it was a giant pencil, rather than a missile!

Bob Cassilly, the founder of the St Louis City Museum said he was happy to take the unusual pencil. He said: “We’re sort of like opportunists and we don’t have a plan, the museum just grows organically by whatever goes our way.”

The pencil had to be cut in half to be transported

Extract From: Second Meeting with Leonard Bernstein

SRI CHINMOY: Our admiration for you is also boundless. Just recently in Central Park, you gave so much joy to 500,000 people-not for a fleeting second but for hours. It is beyond the flight of our imagination how a single God-lover can inspire, illumine and give joy to 500,000 people. For us, this is something unheard of!

LEONARD BERNSTEIN: I think the secret is what you said about not a fleeting second. The secret of music is that it makes time stop. We are all prisoners of clock time: “I have to be at my job” or “I have to see my wife” or “I promised I would be there at eight o’clock and it’s now that time.” What music does is release you from that, so that you can be in the time of the music.

The YouTube clip below is of Leonard Bernstein conducting Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. – I feel Ode to Joy is a fitting tribute to the musical life of Leonard Bernstein.

Thanks to Shambhu for his post on Leonard Bernstein and Sri Chinmoywhich inspired this page

“I do not give up,
I never give up,
For there is nothing
In this entire world
that is irrevocably unchangeable.”

- Sri Chinmoy

“Just make tremendous progress
And tremendous improvement
In your own life
Others will definitely be inspired
By the result.”

- Sri Chinmoy

Photo from Lake Rydal, Lake District

Related 

Obituary of Sri Chinmoy at Independent (quite nice, although Sri Chinmoy never swam the English Channel. He did however, encourage people to try and complete the crossing.) – Nice tribute here: from Kevin Murphy ‘King of the Channel’ – 34 successful swims

When a yogi /spiritual master passes away, we often refer it to as their ‘mahasamadhi’

Mahasamadhi is a term used to describe the death of a fully realised Guru / yogi. Mahasamadhi is a yogi’s conscious decision to leave the body. This conscious decision to leave the body can be only attained by a yogi who has attained God Realisation.

For many, death is a frightening experience, but for a realised spiritual masters, death is a natural transition from the one plane of consciousness to another.

Sri Sarada Devi said something most significant about death.

“The difference between a spiritual man and an ordinary man is very simple. Easily you can know the difference between the two. An ordinary man cries and sheds bitter tears when death approaches him; whereas a spiritual man, if he is really spiritual, he will laugh and laugh when death approaches him, for to him death is fun, nothing else”.

Philosophy of death at Sri Chinmoy.org

Therefore, when the hour of God strikes – when their mission on earth is complete, a yogi is able to consciously withdraw his life-breath from his body. A yogi then enters his final resting place – the consciousness of nirvana / heaven.

However, when a spiritual master leaves the body, it does not mean that their mission is over. What it means is that now they work from a different plane of consciousness.

This photo of Sri Chinmoy was taken by Projjwal a few days before Sri Chinmoy’s mahasamadhi.

Sri Chinmoy in high meditation, photo by Pavitrata

As mentioned here: The final poem in the last poetry book sold by Sri Chinmoy, offered these immortal lines.

“My physical death
Is not the end of my life -
I am an eternal journey.”

- Sri Chinmoy

Many of my fellow students of Sri Chinmoy, feel that the spirit of Sri Chinmoy is as visibly tangible now, as it was during his lifetime. If anything the meditative consciousness of Sri Chinmoy has been heightened by the atmosphere of veneration and dignified silence which has encouraged a profound peace to descend on our meeting place.

Quite often, students and well wishers would express their kind hopes that Sri Chinmoy would live to a 100 years. But, I remember on quite a few occasions Sri Chinmoy commenting that he really didn’t wish to live for such a long time!

Sri Chinmoy never worried about the future or made great plans as to what would have after his death. In this video, posted by Shambhu, we see Sri Chinmoy respond to a question about “What would happen after your death?”

In his later years, Sri Chinmoy was often in great physical pain, as his body slowly deteriorated. In this thoughtful essay, Tribute to Sri Chinmoy we can understand why Sri Chinmoy’s death was a natural progression.

Before Sri Aurobindo passed away in 1950, at the age of 78, he commented that he would be able to achieve more by leaving the body.

Some Recent Tributes from friends

• The Tallest Tree – A giant among us has died – Sharani.org
• Sri Chinmoy at Sensitivity to Things

My beloved spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy died on Thursday 11th October.

• You can leave a comment / tribute here
  
• Sri Chinmoy Obituary at Sri Chinmoy.org
• Sri Chinmoy article at NY Times
• Sri Chinmoy’s passing at rp.com

“The power that dominates cannot solve world problems. The power that loves can solve world problems.”- Sri Chinmoy

 This is a biography I wrote of Sri Chinmoy, from his early life in India to his later life in the West.

• Biography of Sri Chinmoy in India (- 1964)
• Biography of Sri Chinmoy in the West
• Service and Activities of Sri Chinmoy at Sri Chinmoy Centre
• Quotes of Sri Chinmoy
• Sri Chinmoy News

Photo by: Unmesh Swanson, Sri Chinmoy Centre Galleries.

” Hope is at once both simple and profound.
It is hope that binds Heaven and earth. Hope is the bridge between Heaven and earth.
It is hope that makes us feel, at the beginning of our spiritual journey, that we are of God and that we are for God. “

- Sri Chinmoy

Photo by Tejvan. View of Magdalen Tower and Christ Church Meadow Oxford, October 18th 2007