Peace

Sri Chinmoy was able to use the inner peace that he received through his meditation as a deep source for tremendous physical strength. He was able to lift weights seemingly beyond comprehension.  Through his weightlifting he hoped to inspire people to dive within and find their own hidden potential.

“The reason I have entered into bodybuilding and weightlifting is to inspire everybody to pray and meditate so they can bring to the fore their own inner strength. If everybody brings to the fore his own inner strength, the world will eventually be inundated with peace.” – Sri Chinmoy

Sri Chinmoy honored individuals with the Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart award by lifting them overhead - literally - on a specially constructed platform, as an expression of his  appreciation for their unique achievements and contributions in their respective fields.

Notable recipients of the award include world statesmen, UN leaders, Nobel Peace Prize winners, university professors, Olympic champions, musicians, artists, humanitarians as well as people from many other fields who contributed in their own way to creating a better world.

“I am trying to reach people in various walks of life who have inspired others in sports, in literature, in science and in politics. In various fields they have inspired many, many people. So I am trying with my capacity to encourage and inspire them. When someone does something great, he is cheered by his colleagues. They congratulate him. Here also I am trying to congratulate them with my prayerful meditation and inner oneness with them. I lift them up to show my deepest appreciation for their achievements. As you can see, I am not a bodybuilder, I am not a weightlifter. I do not have the strength of a weightlifter. But I am a truth-seeker and a God-lover. I pray and meditate so that I can establish my oneness-heart with each and every human being in the whole world.“ – Sri Chinmoy

“I had the privilege of being the first person, of over 8,000, to be lifted and supported overhead by Sri Chinmoy during his weightlifting career. This took place at the Julia Richman Auditorium in Manhattan, New York, on June 26, 1988. While acting as Master of Ceremonies for Sri Chinmoy's third anniversary – where he performed amazing feats of strength, lifting over 40,000 lbs in one hour, forty-five minutes - he invited me to ascend the ladder to the top of the one-arm lift machine, for the closing strength feat. Shaking my head in amazement I gladly agreed. Sri Chinmoy took his lifting stance under the platform, breathed deeply several times and, with a sudden explosive push, propelled me upwards with his right arm.  Within seconds the audience was on its feet honoring Sri Chinmoy with a resounding standing ovation.

This concluding feat of strength that Sri Chinmoy performed that night reflected the very essence of his philosophy: “The inner life and the outer life can be fully harmonised and they can go side by side, like two complementary souls.“ I descended the ladder to approach the microphone with a broad smile on my face, still shaking my head as I closed the show saying: “I hope you have been as inspired as I with what you have seen this evening. And, if you have a little extra faith, a little extra strength, perhaps you can find a friend who is not as strong as you, and place him on your shoulders and help him out a bit.“ - Bill Pearl

"World-peace can be achieved, when the power of love, replaces the love of power."  - Sri Chinmoy