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For
decades Swamishri has been
guiding others towards God.
Inspiring them in times of
hardship; consoling them in
times of sadness, he has been a
constant source of light in their
lives when there has been only
engulfing darkness. But what
has been his source of inspiration
over the years? How has he
managed to remain composed
during incidents of both honour
and insult? What drives him to
push himself night and day in the
service of others? Delving into
the depths of his heart we find
the source of his light...
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| His
Source of Light |
| “Why
did you decide to become a sadhu?” |
| Question
1 |
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Prof. Raymond Williams1 : When exactly did you decide to become
a sadhu and why?
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Swamishri : From the beginning we had Swaminarayan Satsang in our
family. As a child, I’d go to the temple, sit with the sadhus,
do seva... I’d also go to the Hanumanji Temple. By meeting
sadhus there, I had decided that I wanted to go to Hardwar and Rishikesh.
And just then, Shastriji Maharaj sent a message telling me to join
him, and that’s how I became a sadhu!
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Out of all the seva you have done, which two or three
incidents in your life remain unforgettable?
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Swamishri : We were small but we did seva. I was loved by all and
inspired by them. Everyone was co-operative in all my activities.
When Shastriji Maharaj’s Suvarna Tula was celebrated, by his
grace, everything went well. Shastriji Maharaj’s Centenary
Celebrations were also a huge success. We were worried that we wouldn’t
be able to handle it, but we did everything according to Swami’s
commands and it happened!
It was successful because it was Shastriji Maharaj’s wish.
Otherwise it was a case of ‘beyond funds and beyond capability’.
This time (Yogi Centenary Celebrations, Gandhinagar) we felt the
same way. Would all the preparations be completed in time? But everything
turned out so successful that everyone was 100% satisfied.
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This Sanstha is now on the international stage. How do
you see your relations with other religions?
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Swamishri : We meet everyone, and help them if we can. We try to
keep good relations with all. The Sanstha is expanding but it respects
others. It doesn’t harbour any ill-will towards other religions.
In their own way, whatever they are doing is good. They are encouraging
people to worship God and follow dharma. They are bringing peace
into people’s lives. It doesn’t matter how one believes
in God; it matters that they do good.
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(13 June 1994, Chicago)
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