The Journey Will Soon Begin

Dear friends, strangers and those of you who may just be curious
readers here,

I do not know why I am writing this, nor do I know how it will turn
out. I suppose I just need to vent some outer nervousness as well as
share some inner inspiration for an event in which I am about to
participate for the first time.

It is the Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race, starting on Sunday,
June 13. I really should be spending this time preparing, but in a
way this is also part of my preparation. Perhaps I am
psychologically getting ready to face the long, arduous road ahead.

I do know that others who are also preparing to do this event,
especially for the first time, may also feel similar feelings. For
those who are helping on a regular, daily basis, I am sure you
likewise are getting psyched.

Then there are the rest of humanity who may be just wondering what
and why the heck are we doing this? There are 12 runners going to
the starting line on Sunday morning, and there are probably 12
different answers to that question. Some people who may not see eye
to eye with our events or our philosophy may find this a perfect
opportunity to hurl their darts of criticism at us. After all, such
an intense and amazing event can inspire intense and amazing
feedback, in a positive and a negative way as well.

Since those of us involved in this event are always trying to be
positive about ourselves and others, I myself am not interested in
the negative reactions that may result from others nor from my own
mind sometimes. After all, I am far from perfect, and as part of a
very imperfect human race at this point in evolution, I too may
experience negative emotions and thoughts about even the most
sublime and divine realities sometimes.

But to finally get to the point of why I am attempting to write this
when I should be sleeping or shopping for running shoes or something
practical, I am posting the following poem I wrote about this race
two years ago when I was spending much of my time helping out there.
I feel the only valid critique of an event can come from a person
who spends the time and energy experiencing it on some direct and
deeply personal level. Describing it, criticizing it or trying to
assimilate an experience of it, good or bad, can only come if you
have a direct and deep experience of that which you wish to
communicate to others. Distant dissection is meaningless and
pointless, a waste of time and energy.

So the following poem comes not from reading about the race nor from
reading Sri Chinmoy's philosophy about running or life itself. It
comes from many years and many, many hours of being there, helping
the runners, getting to know the runners and helpers and what they
were experiencing. But most of all feeling and assimilating the
incrediblly high energy and level of consciousness that were ever
present at this other-worldly race site.

Even though this event takes place only about four blocks from where
I live, it is like travelling to another world or planet where the
perceptual context of the everyday mind is challenged and "the still
infinity of an endless peace surrounds you gently in its soft
embrace".

There is so much more to say about this race, which I would rather
call a journey, and I even wrote about four pages the other night
but had no time to type it. Nor do I have any time left now. So I
will now offer the poem I called, 'Journey To The Unknown'. I am
sure I will have lots more to communicate about this race once I
immerse myself in the 18 hours a day participation of it. I intend
to have a small tape recorder with me to record my feelings and
experiences as they happen, when I am in the mood, of course.
Kamalakanta has offered to transcribe them regularly and post them
here and on the race website:

http://www.srichinmoyraces.org/us

If I talk too much and he he gets bogged down, other local
volunteers are welcome to post our experiences for us. We simply
will not have the time.

I hope that whatever perceptual shifts may occur and variations of
consciousness and states of mind and moods that may oscillate
throughout the days, weeks and miles, I can express in an
interesting and 'uplifting'(oops) way. I must get going here. This
is probably my last direct post for a while. Stay tuned for the
transcribed stories from 'another realm'. I hope they add some
spiritual 'spice' to this wonderful website. I also hope I will have
some time to read some of the reactions to our 'long and arduous
Journey to the Unknown'.

Here's the poem:

Journey To The Unknown

A 3,100 mile orbit of concrete,
Automobiles and local humanity,
Lightly spiced with a hint of nature
And fed by the Grace of God,
Supported with the efforts of friends
Who sympathize with the pain,
The joys
And the challenges
Facing at every moment
The handful of hero-warriors.

Running, walking, struggling
To the beat of their own
Undying aspirations
Of this fifty-one day
Epic adventure,
These Ultimate Survivors
Of obstacles unimaginable
Are proving to humanity
With their unparalleled perseverance
And adamantine wills
That the impossible
Can be done,
And the Universal Energy
Can be unleashed
To raise our standards
And lift our minds
Beyond the limits
Of our broken bodies
And faithless thoughts,
To reveal the Beauty
And the Power
Of Life's long and arduous
Journey to the Unknown.

Arpan DeAngelo