Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007) was not only a prolific spiritual master, he was also active in weight-lifting. He started this sport in 1986, aged 54. Sri Chinmoy saw weightlifting as a way of demonstrating to the world that matter and spirit are not separate, but inter-connected. Between 1986 and 2007, his weightlifting career saw a rapid progression in conventional lifts, such as standing calf-raises and bench press dumbbells. He also undertook a panorama of unconventional lifts, including people, objects and animals – which gave a new and unique direction to his weightlifting. One particular program was entitled “Lifting up the World with a Oneness-Heart”. This involved lifting people from all walks of life, in a symbolic gesture of oneness with their uplifting achievements. Over 8,000 individuals were lifted and honoured in this way, including President Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Javier Pérez de Cuéllar.
Sri Chinmoy’s journey into weightlifting was unusual for a spiritual master, but he said that he felt compelled from within to take this new direction.
“From the outer point of view, I have taken up weightlifting because my knee injury has kept me from running and compelled me to do something else. So the unconscious human in me thought of weightlifting. But the conscious being in me took up weightlifting at the express command of my Inner Pilot. The conscious being in me has listened to and has obeyed implicitly the dictates of my Inner Pilot.”
Sri Chinmoy also said a motivation for his weightlifting was to inspire other people, showing that prayer and meditation could give both inner and outer strength. Some of his most significant achievements in the weightlifting world are:
- 7063 3/4-lb in a one-arm lift (right arm) 30 Jan 1987 (see picture)
- 1,500 pounds in the seated calf raise. November 13th, 2004. Public weightlifting anniversary.
- 2,400 lb in the standing calf raise. November 13th, 2004. York College.
- 270 lb wrist curl in both arms, Jan 30th, 2006.
- 350lb in both arms, bench press dumbbells. July 11th, 2000.
- Lifted a total of 111,524 pounds during a public three day weightlifting celebrations September 15-17, 2006
- Lifted over 8,000 people overhead as part of Lifting up the World with a Oneness-Heart (1988-2007)
- Lifted 1,000 lambs and 200 cows over a 2 week period during a visit to New Zealand in 2002.
- 1,300 pounds in the standing double dumbbell lift (2000)
- 100 repetitions of his own body weight with one arm 1:17 minutes (November 13th, 2004)
