Sri Chinmoy Lifts Thai Elephants

Sri Chinmoy's elephant lifting odyssey began in the heart of the Northern Thailand jungle at the camp of German-born trainer Bodo Foerster. Here Sri Chinmoy lifted overhead a baby elephant for a total weight of 785 pounds - his striking calf raise lift was a dramatic show of support for the elephants' continued survival and well-being. Bodo Foerster, in whose honour the baby elephant was named Bodo, stated, "This has been a great experience for both the elephant and for me! I am astonished at what Sri Chinmoy has done with the power of his mind and I am grateful for his encouragement!" Sri Chinmoy lifted the baby elephant several inches over his head with his calf muscles, as can be seen by the large space between the long white bars in the photograph.

Sri Chinmoy then went on to lift another two baby elephants at an elephant park - the heaviest of which was 1,074 pounds including the lifting apparatus. At the same location, he also lifted nine mature elephants ranging from over 4,000 pounds to the heaviest elephant he has ever lifted - a 8,046 pound female elephant carrying a mahout and the apparatus for a total of 8,622 pounds! The owner of the park commented, "This lift by Sri Chinmoy is the reason my wife and I started the elephant camp 12 years ago, because he is showing that we can succeed at anything that is good for life on this planet." Sri Chinmoy's dramatic lift is also one of the heaviest calf raise lifts ever performed according to British weightlifting expert Jim Smith.

Prior to lifting the baby elephants, Sri Chinmoy wrote a song in honour of these cute animals. The words are included below and images of the lifts are displayed below the song.

BABY ELEPHANT, I LOVE YOU!

Baby elephant, baby elephant, I love you!
You are Mother Earth's achievement new.
Your father, your mother - strong, stronger, strongest;
You are, indeed, cute, cuter, cutest!
I love, I love, your sweet family;
You give my eyes and my heart purest glee.

- Sri Chinmoy.

Sri Chinmoy lifting the baby elephants - lifts of 785lb and 1,074lb respectively

Sri Chinmoy lifts 8,622lb of elephant, it's mahout and the apparatus - his personal record for an elephant lift to date

Explaining how he has achieved what most people consider impossible at any age, Sri Chinmoy states, "When we pray and meditate, when we live in the heart, there is no such thing as impossibility."

Sri Chinmoy was born in Bengal, India, and has been living in New York since 1964. He has devoted his life to the pursuit of a dream: a world where harmony and oneness reign supreme. Towards that end, for over forty years he has been a dynamic proponent of cross-cultural understanding through the arts, athletics and humanitarian service. Since coming to America in 1964, Sri Chinmoy has established a wide range of cultural, humanitarian and spiritual programmes in many countries, involving countless citizens from all walks of life. Read more about Sri Chinmoy's dedicated service and the life of Sri Chinmoy.