The practical world has lots and lots to offer us.  It has countless comforts and many many remarkable things but it is missing something that is most significant to all of us.  The practical world does not have dreams of transcendence.

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photo by Alakananda

The practical world has boundaries and dimensions that can be measured and recorded and kept safe.  Human beings need to have firm structures in order to pursue the things that matter to them.  But spiritual seekers feel the call and pull of the divine world that exists within us all. A realm of light that has no dimensions or boundaries.

The practical world doesn’t want or feel the need to look within.  The divine world however is compelled to express itself continuously in the outer world in and through those willing to transform themselves.  In this same process the outer world is as well transformed.  In so doing, the divine creation evolves into the perfect perfection of what the creator intended.

Today 37 year old Atmavir Spacil from the Czech republic completed the Self Transcendence race for the 8th time.  He came in 5th and his time was 48 days 7 hours and 13 minutes.  He did something that no practical person would do.

He won nothing.  His name will not appear on the news tonight and other than the few hundred people who follow the race, most of the world will not even know what a remarkable thing he has done here today.

His distance over 8 years (24,800 miles) is enough to take him around the world.  Atmavir has run now 45,192 times around a school in Queens New York in a time span that would take up a full year of his life.  What he has done and what he actually has accomplished cannot be explained or understood by the practical world.

Spirituality expresses itself in and through him with each of the countless steps, laps, and miles that he has completed here.  Is the world changed by it in ways that we can see and understand?

Only our hearts can feel and understand this.  Atmavir however has no questions of this as he crossed the finish line of Self transcendence yet again.  As he truly sits down for the first time in many many days.  A large cake is placed upon his lap and he promises to the few happy souls gathered around and about him, to come back next year and do it all again.

Click to Play the Sound of his finish:

finish

Baladev arrives

A long day ahead for most of the runners.  The exception Atmavir who arrives with just 33 miles to run.

Sadanand attends to Nirbhasa’s feet.  They are in a rush.  The race starts soon.

Surasa now has just 95 miles to go.

Start Day 49

For the last 6 days he has run more than 70 miles a day.

Now he is focused on only reaching the goal.

The Enthusiasm Awakeners honor him on his last morning.

Nearly there.

Nothing but golden light this morning.

“I always try and run as fast as I can, no matter what the distance.”  Ashprihanal  has spent a lot of time here since he finished the race more than a week ago.

“Of course I take training runs and I do not go all out.”

When asked if it has sunk in what he has accomplished here this summer.  “Yeah.  I think so.”

He also sees new goals, “but they are my goals.”

“It is always good to have goals in life.  Something to look ahead to.  Don’t look to the past but look to the future.  That is how we stay happy.”

Click to Play Interview:

ashprihanal

Ashprihanal flying across the finish line in 2nd place in the 2 mile race today.

Not ready for flight

Surasa is nearly ready to finish.

She did 63 miles yesterday and now has 3005 miles.

Her average now is 62.61 miles the current record is 62.49 miles

Still golden

Stutisheel did 60 miles yesterday.

Stutisheel has 2924 miles and will finish on Monday.

Grahak still here and still smiling.

Something else to smile about

And bark about.

The goal is nearly there.

Nirbhasa had 62 miles yesterday.

He has 2885 miles and will finish on Tuesday.

Time for a few more skits.

Kaneenika had 49 miles yesterday.

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