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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...
    His Source of Light
    “Why did you decide to become a sadhu?”
    Question 1
Question

Prof. Raymond Williams1 : When exactly did you decide to become a sadhu and why?
Answer

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!
Question

Out of all the seva you have done, which two or three incidents in your life remain unforgettable?
Answer

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.
Question

This Sanstha is now on the international stage. How do you see your relations with other religions?
Answer

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.
 

(13 June 1994, Chicago)

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