On the night of March 29, 1969 Acharyashree went to Jabalpur by Tufan Mail. I started corresponding with him. My life was full of problems and questions. I started writing all that to Acharyashree. Acharyashree’s letters would arrive on time. Those letters, drawn with beautiful letters written by his own hand, were very heartfelt. He used to write few words but the words were like mantras full of deep meaning. “The solution to all your problems is meditation, through meditation you will get spiritual energy and if the energy is excessive, all the problems will disappear by themselves. There is a sadhana camp in Dwarka in October.
It was difficult for me to travel alone to Dwarka at that age. I asked many friends to go with me, none of them agreed. I returned to Kathmandu on Dashain Bida disappointed, but even after coming here, Acharyashree kept pulling my heart. I couldn’t enjoy myself at all in the outer rush of Dashain and became even more restless. Finally I decided to travel from Kathmandu to Dwaraka even though I was alone. As soon as I decided to quit, I started to feel an amazing power. It was not difficult to get a railway reservation even in the rush of Dashain holidays and helpers started to be found on the route. I reached Dwaraka in distant Gujarat after a long journey in October 1669.
I have a deep affinity and fascination with the sea. Even today, when I get close to the sea, romance, mysterious aloneness and inner satisfaction surround me simultaneously. Before the vast expanse of water, my ego bows down and consciousness finds a long-awaited expansion and peace. Krishna’s favorite pastime, that beautiful, vast shore of the Arabian Sea and the delightful presence of Acharyashree – the combination of all these brought me to the peak of joy. Especially the meditations done on the sand of the sea in the darkness of the night proved to be the milestone of life transformation. Acharyashee’s presence, instructions on meditation on death would lead us into deep mysteries. After the discourse he gave in that camp, it was published in the form of a famous book titled ‘Main Mrityu Sikhata Hoon’.
All the people in that camp came from Gujarat and Maharashtra. There I was the only person who came from outside to participate. For the first time I found a group of joyful and loving young seekers who were free from all depression. Even though I was so far from home, for the first time I felt that I was among familiar relatives.
On the very first day, Acharyashree said, “All Hindus say that ‘the soul is immortal’, but no one realizes this. If there is only one self-aware person in a village, it will transform that village. Just as the presence of a single virtuous woman brings sweetness to the entire environment, just as a single well-bloomed flower perfumes the entire environment, so a self-realized person raises the consciousness of the entire society. Now if the number of sannyasis of all sects in India is added, they are more than one crore and all of them are walking saying ‘Shivoham Shivoham, Aham Brahaasmi’. Some are naked, some are wielding sticks, some are carrying tridents, some are walking around with bandages on their faces. Some people sleep in the open air. Some are making themselves clowns by pouring ashes on their bodies. Some beat themselves with whips in the name of spirituality. Some people live in the scorching heat. It is only a spiritual circus, not sadhana. If there had been a million spiritual people, this country would not have been in such a state of misery. These are not saints, they are hypocrites. This is the reason why we are in this poor state. Morality is falling. The common man is not so much at fault in this because the common man is always like that. If anyone is at fault in this, it is the leaders who drive the society and the so-called sadhus and sannyasis who teach moral lessons. Today they are saying that we improve the character of each person and make them moral, but this is not possible. The spiritual condition of the common man has always remained the same. If the world is to be changed, some people must go through the process of intensive soul transformation, who can become the light pillars of the society and can become the role models and guides of millions of souls. I only need a hundred such audacious people. If they can realize themselves, the face of this society will be different. Gurdjieff and Vivekananda also used to say – If I find 100 true seekers, I will change the map of the world. They could not find a hundred and had to leave the world disappointed. I also need a hundred people but I am not going to die disappointed. I travel from village to village, visit each person and wherever I find such a person who can become a pillar of light, I will pull such a person out of a thousand obstacles and use all my strength and power for their self-transformation. I am ready. If you have courage and such audacity, come, I will show you the secret of life and death.’
These fiery words of Acharyashree shook me from within. That whole night I was flooded with an excess of energy. In the morning, I wrote a small note to Acharyashree, “Acharyashree, now search for only ninety-nine, not a hundred, one has arrived.”
