The first Sri Chinmoy Masters Games was held in Greenwich, CT, USA. July 27th 1985.
Sri Chinmoy's opening address to the 1985 games:
"Sri Chinmoy Masters Games is the smile of a oneness-family in a oneness-home. Masters-Games is at once the aspiration and dedication of the body, and the vision and illumination of the soul. Here each participant is competing against his or her own present capacities. The goal of these games is self-transcendence. Humanity's self-transcendence gift is the only perfection-beauty that God the Absolute Athlete Supreme truly and fondly treasures.
And now, for tremendous outer success and momentous inner progress, may each participant receive the highest benediction from Heaven and the strongest aspiration from earth. Sri Chinmoy Masters Games begins to proceed on, forever on!"
The Games began with a walk past once around the track to the accompaniment of a band. Singers of Sri Chinmoy Centre sang some of Sri Chinmoy's songs, appropriate for the occasion, such as: "Running Makes the Body Young"
Original Brochure from the first Sri Chinmoy Masters Games
- SCMT article at Sri Chinmoy Races
Before the start of the games, Sri Chinmoy released seven doves, a universal symbol of peace.
In 1990, Sri Chinmoy composed a specific song for the event
Sri Chinmoy Masters Games!
Age-challenging,
Life-transforming.
Aspiration-flower-beauty,
Dedication-tower-duty.
No failures, all victors,
Defeat-cure, great doctors.
Oneness-perfection-flames.
The Sri Chinmoy Masters Games were perhaps inspired by Sri Chinmoy's involvement in the World Masters Games. In 1983, he was invited to offer the opening meditation. During an interview, Sri Chinmoy remarked:
"These Masters Games offer us a special message. They make us feel that even though we may be forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty or even ninety years old, we are still God's children. When someone is fifty years old, it is very difficult for him to think of himself as a child. For us to think of ourselves as children is very difficult because we have developed the mind. But the Masters Games help us feel that we are truly children, for it is only children who like to play. People who are advanced in years will stay home and watch television or read newspapers, but children have boundless energy. They have hope, they have ambition, they have determination. They want to become good, better, best.
Most of the time, elderly people feel that they are finished products, that their life is over. So they don't have any hope or promise. But the Masters Games show us that elderly people can have hope and promise. It shows that elderly people can become inseparably one with children, with the new generation."
- Sri Chinmoy, The Outer Running and The Inner Running, Agni Press, New York, 1984
Photos from the event
The Sri Chinmoy Masters Games were held annually for several years in different locations.
Sri Chinmoy at the start of a 100m race Rarotonga, Cook Islands. January 12th 1994.
Sri Chinmoy sprinting during the Sri Chinmoy Masters Games, Victory Field, New York 23 July 1988.
The great Olympic discus champion Al Oerter came to participate in the 1988 Sri Chinmoy Masters Games in Victory Field, New York. He was 53 years old at the time.
Related
- Sri Chinmoy World Masters Games at Sri Chinmoy Races
- Comments about World Masters Games at Sri Chinmoy Library