At 8.30 a.m., on August 4th 1988, Sri Chinmoy lifted a 7,040¼ lb dumbbell using only his left arm, in Jamaica, New York. He attempted the lift four times, of which three were successful.
On August 3rd, the day prior to his momentous lift, Sri Chinmoy had said:
Whatever I have done in this lifetime, whatever I am doing, whatever I shall be doing in the near or distant future, as long as I am on earth, I am only an act, an expression, of my Lord Supreme’s unconditional Compassion.
After the lift, Sri Chinmoy allowed disciples to prayerfully walk through the room where the dumbbells were kept to see the immensity of the achievement.
Celebration of the Lift
In the evening of August 4th, a celebration was held at Aspiration Ground. Unmilan and his helpers had carried the 100 lb metal plates over so people could again see the dumbbell. Not only was the 7,040¼ lb left arm dumbbell at the court, but the 7,063¾ lb dumbbell which Sri Chinmoy had lifted in January 1987 was also taken over. Unmilan Howard who was instrumental in helping to build the lifting rack and move the weights with Bipin, Rupantar and others, remarked in his diary that many were surprised to see two 7,000 lb dumbbells. But, Sri Chinmoy said they were sacred which is why there were two.
The two sets of dumbbells were placed within a sea of 7,000 candles, creating a magical setting. Sri Chinmoy said of the scene:
"These are our aspiration-flames. If you can feel 7,000 aspiration flames in the twinkling of an eye, then is there anything on earth or in Heaven that we cannot accomplish for our dear, sweet Lord Beloved Supreme? If our aspiration-flames are countless, birthless and deathless, then we shall try to please our Lord Supreme at every moment. Let us all try and we are bound to succeed. Nothing can be more valuable than our aspiration-flames. Each mounting aspiration-flame makes us feel and realise how close, how intimate we are to our Lord Supreme. We call it aspiration-flame and God calls it His complete Satisfaction on earth."
Related
Sri Chinmoy's Miracle Lift - On January 30, 1987, Sri Chinmoy lifted a weight of 7,063¾ pounds using only his right arm.
Unmilan Howard's account of building the 7,063¾ lb dumbbell lifted on January 30, 1987
- Article on 7,040¼ Left-Arm Lift by Dr. Vidagdha Bennett.
Photo Credit
The photos of the 7,040¼ lb dumbbell lift were captured by Ranjana Ghose.