| Opsimath - noun. Refers to one who begins, or | | | | In 2005, at the age of 74, he visited Interlaken in the |
| continues, to study (takes up a new pursuit) late in | | | | Swiss Alps and gave a unique musical performance. |
| life. | | | | Over the course of seven hours and forty minutes, |
| As I penetrate deeper into the darkened corridors of | | | | Sri Chinmoy performed on 171 musical instruments |
| life after the age of fifty, the smaller mutinies of | | | | from around the world. Some of them, such as the |
| body and mind seem to occur with more and more | | | | Chinese erhu and lute, he had only started playing |
| frequency. The ability to learn languages quickly, to | | | | that same year. |
| remember names, places and significant events - | | | | In the realm of art, his recent accomplishments have |
| whole banks of memory appear to have receded | | | | also been staggering. While on a visit to the island of |
| into oblivion. Then there are other equally telling signs | | | | Malta in December 1991, he began to draw birds |
| of old age - resistance to change, lack of | | | | using simple, graceful outlines. He hoped that these |
| spontaneity, inflexibility of opinions and habits. | | | | birds would convey something of the freedom of the |
| And if the waning of the intellect was not enough, | | | | soul. As these avian images poured forth from his |
| the body has imposed its own set of non-negotiable | | | | pen in increasingly greater profusion and variety, it |
| and ever-narrowing limitations. It insists on remaining | | | | became clear that they had become more than just |
| ensconced in a comfortable chair for hours on end, | | | | a casual hobby. The artist had found his signature |
| reading, working, conversing, eating and, inevitably, | | | | mode of expression. His soul-bird drawings now |
| dozing. | | | | number more than 15 million. |
| I despaired of ever reversing this downward slide. | | | | Sri Chinmoy complements his musical performances |
| Then I began to take notice of elderly people who | | | | and artistic creations with poems, aphorisms, stories |
| were doing unconventional and often striking things - | | | | and songs. During a long distance journey on Japan's |
| taking up parachuting, running ultra-marathons, | | | | bullet train in 2006, he composed his 13,000th song in |
| enrolling in advanced courses at university. Somehow | | | | his native Bengali. In November 2006 his 1558th book |
| they had recharged their batteries, rekindled their | | | | was published. |
| enthusiasm and plunged into the whole learning curve | | | | His achievements in the sporting arena are no less |
| once more. | | | | impressive. Sidelined from running by an injury, he |
| The legendary American sprinter Payton Jordan (now | | | | took up serious weightlifting in 1985, at the age of |
| in his 90's) once said: "We don't retire, we just move | | | | 53. He progressed rapidly to lifting extremely heavy |
| in another direction and do new exciting things; face | | | | weights and was soon introducing new and |
| new challenges and new opportunities." And that was | | | | innovative lifts into his regimen. |
| when I realised what it is to be an opsimath and live | | | | What gives this septuagenarian the unique capacity |
| a life of constant newness and inner unfoldment. | | | | to renew himself at every moment, to maintain and |
| The number of opsimaths is steadily on the rise, but | | | | even augment his physical strength, to find the |
| of world class opsimaths, I know only one: | | | | energy and enthusiasm to sing, write, draw and |
| philosopher, mystic, poet, artist, musician, composer | | | | engage in so many diverse pursuits? He is both a |
| and athlete Sri Chinmoy. Born in India on August 27th, | | | | polymath and an opsimath. Sri Chinmoy attributes his |
| 1931, Sri Chinmoy moved to New York in 1964. Since | | | | inspiration to an inner source. "Prayer and meditation |
| then, he has been an ever-eager searcher of new | | | | are my inner secrets and my outer secrets," he says. |
| ways to express his far-reaching inner vision. Now | | | | I recently read a speech given in 2002 by Magnus |
| aged 75, Sri Chinmoy shows no signs of surrendering | | | | Magnussen, the Chancellor of the Glasgow City |
| to the advancing years. His perspective on old age is | | | | Chambers in which he said, "Lifelong learning - |
| encapsulated in the following short couplet he | | | | opsimathy: it is something we should all aspire to." |
| recently penned: | | | | I am convinced! I can only say, |
| Old age is a new page, | | | | I long to be an opsimath |
| And not a broken cage. | | | | And banish old age from my path! |