Forms of Loving Wisdom

Method makes a difference. This is undoubtedly true.

Many play cricket from the street to the cricket ground, but only those who play in a disciplined way seem to acquire real competence.

During an examination, many fill up their answer books, but only those who write in a disciplined way have gold medals adorning their necks.

Many run businesses, but only those who conduct them in a disciplined way mint money.

Naturally, the garland of success is attained because of discipline. Defeat results from undisciplined work habits. To carve a stone into an attractive work of sculpture, to carve out an attractive form from a piece of wood, to make a pot from sand or make a rough diamond into a precious one requires appropriate method.

The world seems to be with the young, and many are interested in shaping their lives and making them admirable. However, the stumbling block is always the method they use. Even when thousands of people have made innumerable attempts to shape the lives of the young, often the result has been dismal failure. Why?

One can try to polish a rough diamond, but it does not shine. Why?

One can tap on a pile of sand, but that doesn’t make it a pot. Why?

The reason is: The number of those who break stones has gone up, but the number of those who can sculpt has gone down. Woodcutters have become a huge majority, but those who can carve wood have become a minority. Diamond-polishers are increasing in number, but diamond-carvers are becoming fewer.

In our ancient India, we had Taxashila Vidyapith. Shila means ‘stone’, taxan means ‘to shape into form, to carve’. Wherever the young are shaped, wherever they develop, that place is Taxashila. Pramukh Swami Maharaj was a mobile Taxashila, shaping the lives of generations of young men and women. Understanding this method is bound to transform anyone worried about the young today — a sculptor from a mere stonebreaker.

OTHER-WORLDLY METHOD OF LOVE

Childhood in itself is naturally a helpless state of being; it is a stage without experience or thought. One can control it by bribe or threat. We can make a child walk around us just by showing the child a chocolate. But for the young in the liminal stage, this trick is not useful.

The young have logic and intelligence. They are strong and competent. They know enough about the calculus of profit and loss. They also have become self-dependent. Under such circumstances, bribes, threats, and advice are bound to seem like dull weapons. In that context, orders or threats do not by themselves improve anyone; but if there is the warmth of a loving heart, that is bound to succeed.

This is the only art that can lead to success.

Questions are bound to arise here:

• “Have the elders withheld their affection from the young so that they do not obey them?”
• “Have the teachers not given their love to the students so that they refuse to respect them?”
• “Is there a lack of care in the attitude of social workers and leaders so that the young show their utter disrespect for them?”
• “Have the sadhus not given much love to the young so that they simply turn their noses up at them?”

Rather than saying ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ in response to such questions, it is best to hold a mirror up to them, because one cannot argue against what the mirror shows. It shows things as they are.

The parents of a young man in New Jersey did a grand expensive ceremony for their son’s marriage in India. But then the son refused to invite his wife to the USA from India. The relatives endeavored to persuade him, but to no avail. The parents were hardly in any shape to say anything.

At that time, Pramukh Swami Maharaj happened to plan in New Jersey the Cultural Festival of India. During this festival, the young man met Swamishri. His exposure to Swamishri’s boundless love began to impress the young man.

One evening when Swamishri asked him about his marriage, the young man responded without hesitation: “I am willing to do whatever you tell me. If I have your blessings, I will call her.”

A troubling problem was resolved within moments. We naturally ask this question: How did the love of the parents and elders fail to match with Swamishri’s love?

In 1988, SSC (tenth grade) examinations were taking place in India. On a particular day, students were taking their examination in mathematics. At one exam center, students were simply copying answers from their books right in the presence of their supervisor. At that time a young man, Himanshu Poonambhai Patel, was trying to remember some details for an answer.

The supervisor simply started advising the young man: ‘It is a matter for your future… Everybody is using their books… Why don’t you do that?’ But the young man refused to budge.

The young man simply said: “Pramukh Swami is my guru. His guru, Yogiji Maharaj, used to say that copying in an examination amounts to cheating God. I will not copy answers.”

A SHADOW PASSED OVER THE SUPERVISOR’S FACE

Pramukh Swami Maharaj nourished moral values that neither laws nor specific provisions for punishments can provide. How did the love of teachers or social workers fall behind that of Pramukh Swami Maharaj?

No doubt, we have love for the young, but it is important to state again: “Method makes the difference.”

The method of Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s love is something special. In the following discussion we will drink, so to speak, the nectar of his worldly love.

CONTACT AT THE RIGHT TIME

People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

The essential point is that one can reach someone’s heart only on the bridge of caring.

Saying that “Caring is the barometer of love,” Erich Fromm says, “To love a person productively implies to care and feel responsible for his or her life not only for his physical existence but for the development of all his human powers.” Love means caring for a person in every possible way.

Martin Buber also held the same view. He says: “Love means being fully responsible for the person one loves.”

In Pramukh Swami Maharaj such love was natural, spontaneous, and ceaseless.

On July 14, 2007, a camp for the young was organized in Gainesville, Florida. More than 2,000 young men and women participated in it. During a program at the camp, it was announced, “From the young men sitting here those whose names Swamishri himself had given in their infancy are requested to stand up or those young men whose children’s names Swamishri had given are requested to stand up.” Many got up.

After that another announcement was made, “Those whom Swamishri had given guidance through letters are requested to stand up.” Many got up.

Again, another announcement was made, ‘Those whom Swamishri had guided by phone are requested to stand up.’ Many got up.

This was followed by yet another announcement, “Those whom Swamishri had guided in matters of education are requested to stand up.” In response to this too, many got up.

As it happened, virtually every young man in the assembly hall had stood up in response to one or another announcement.

This was Swamishri’s abiding love for the young. He always heard the young. It is because of such loving attentiveness the young today are stalwartly resisting temptations and overcoming obstacles.

LOVING CARE FOR THE SICK

In 2003, Yogi Trivedi, a young devotee in New York, had come to India for Swamishri’s darshan and to participate in satsang activities. However, in the second week, he got jaundice, along with a high fever. He told Swamishri: “Since my relatives live in Ahmedabad, I should go live with them, so that our sadhus don’t have to worry about me.”

At once Swamishri told him, “You don’t need to go anywhere. Just stay here with us. Yogicharan Swami will take care of you.”

He, then, told the sadhu taking care of him also to take care of this young man.

Two days later, when the young man came for darshan, Swamishri asked him: “How are you now?” Yogi said: “Bapa! It is now unbearable. I feel I am going to die.”

On hearing this, Swamishri looked straight into his eyes, saying firmly: “I am here! How can you die?” He then placed his hand on Yogi’s head and blessed him.

Within about three to four weeks Yogi recovered. When he came for Swamishri’s darshan, he was eating. Seeing Yogi, Swamishri asked him to come nearer and gave him prasad from his wooden bowl and said, “Eat all of this. You haven’t had much food for a month.”

Such loving care brought tears to the young man’s eyes.

A year later, when Swamishri came to New York, seeing Yogi he immediately asked, “How is your health? Is it good now?” Hearing this the young man was awestruck, thinking that, “During this whole year Swamishri must have met countless persons. He must have heard innumerable things from them. And yet he remembers me!” So deeply moved, he had tears flowing out of his eyes.

“When did I ever desire anything from you?
And still you consecrated me with rain from clouds.
When did I ever ask for anything from you?
And yet the rising sun always inquires about me.
No, O Lord! I want nothing!”

Swamishri’s loving care leaves the young naturally moved. The lines quoted above seem highly appropriate for the events described below.

On February 12, 1995, Swamishri was in Atladara. The thal offered to Thakorji at noon had already been placed before him. Suddenly, the news reached him that Dinesh, Bhavnagar’s dedicated young devotee, had an accident and had been taken to a hospital. He had suffered a brain injury and was unconscious.

On hearing this, Swamishri right away started reciting the Swaminarayan mantra. Intensely focused and with his eyes closed, he prayed for the young man’s health and then only placed a bit of prasad in his mouth. Swamishri’s care was always so loving that even one’s illness becomes sweetly memorable.

Once, Swamishri had gone to the Sushrusha Hospital in Mumbai to inquire about the health of a devotee, Vajubhai Khatri. There, he heard that Arvind, the son of Mumbai’s then-Mayor Shri Ramesh Prabhu, had suffered an accident.

Immediately, Swamishri went to see Arvind. His father gave Swamishri details about the accident.

Gently running his hand over the young man’s head, Swamishri said, “Your father has told me everything. God has protected you, and we are praying for you. You will be fine. Have confidence.”

With Swami’s loving care the young easily overcame the blows of illness.

Harshad Chavda had served for years in numerous construction activities. When he suddenly suffered a serious accident, Swamishri wrote four letters to him within a month and showered so much loving care on him that we are all left deeply moved.

Swamishri wrote to Harshad Chavada: “Your news gives me pain. I pray to Maharaj and Swami for your quick recovery. You are like our hands and feet, so your illness causes pain to me, too. I should serve you in this time of your suffering because you have served us with great understanding. Whatever we can do for you is not enough. When I am not able to serve you in such circumstances, it naturally pains me… Do not worry about expenses necessary for your recovery. We can never forget the seva you have done for us all. Even if we must spend hundreds of thousands of rupees or much more than that, that is nothing. Your life is more important than that of even a sadhu. You are a quiet, true, and faithful worker for our institution. Whatever we can do for you is never enough….”

The loving care that Swamishri showered on the young was so evident on innumerable occasions that they were inexorably drawn to him. It is impossible to resist selfless love. It has the capacity to affect us in the innermost sources of our being.

On March 3, 2008, a devotee from Sydney, Australia, had come for Swamishri’s darshan. The car taking him from Ahmedabad to Bhavnagar had an accident. A young woman from Dallas travelling in the car suffered some injury, but because of her intense desire for darshan she disregarded the injury and reached Bhavnagar. When informed about this, Swamishri said, “Since she has come here arrange for her medical treatment.” He even asked a devotee doctor to provide all necessary treatment.

TAKING CARE OF THEIR FOOD

A young man from Toronto wished to receive diksha from Swamishri. Hearing about this, Prakash Patel, the brother of this young man, felt the shock that “I have lived like a friend with my brother for 18 years. If now he becomes a sadhu, what will I do alone by myself ?” Prakash decided to inform Swamishri about his anxiety.

Before long an opportunity arose to deal with this issue. He got a chance to go with his father to meet Swamishri. The brother planning to take diksha in future was also with them. Swamishri immediately asked Prakash, “If your brother becomes a sadhu, is there any objection from you or your mother?”

Prakash instantly responded: “No, I have no objection.”

Awed by being in the presence of Swamishri, Prakash could not say a word. Perhaps catching what was there in his innermost being, Swamishri said: “Do not worry. I will be your mother, father, and brother.”

What an other-worldly assurance!

This is such a concrete substantiation of Victor Hugo’s prescient remark, “The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved.”

Many young men have experienced Swamishri’s loving care at such an unforgettably right time.

Kanti (now Yogeshdas Swami) and Suresh (now Yagneshdas Swami) had done a tremendous amount of running around bringing stones from Rajasthan to Gandhinagar for the construction of Akshardham. Once, they came for Swamishri’s darshan in Ahmedabad. During their seemingly casual conversation Swamishri asked them, “When you go by train, do you take some snacks to eat during your journey?”

The two of them remained silent in response. Swamishri understood right away and told them, “You must ask for them. You still have a lot of work to do. Make a reservation in the sleeping compartment. Money spent for this is not wrong. When we run around so much, health is likely to suffer. If we are careless about health, we end up spending money for treatment and work also doesn’t get done. So you must reduce fasts also.”

Swamishri never failed to consider the smallest details for the well-being of the young.

Once, Harshad Chavada came to Mehsana for Swamishri’s darshan. During the conversation he told Swamishri about the stone-cutting work going on in Rajasthan. He said, “Right now the workers have gone to their native places to celebrate Holi. Kanti has been taking care of everything. He is also running the machine by himself.”

Hearing this Swamishri immediately told his attendant sadhu, “Kanti is there. Send some packages of prasad to him so that he will have more food.”

Swamishri’s love for these young devotees had something deeply maternal about it.

Once, Swamishri had come to Ahmedabad in 1977. It happened to be winter. The young men accompanying Swamishri had their stay on the first floor in the mandir complex. Swamishri stayed on the ground floor. When they reached Ahmedabad, Jagdish, a young man who had joined Swamishri’s vicharan (now Narayancharandas Swami), had become ill. Rajendra (Narendraprasad (Acharya) Swami) looked around for a blanket for the ill young man, but he couldn’t find one. It was already midnight. While Rajendra was wrestling with what to do, Swamishri himself showed up with a blanket, saying, “Cover him up with this,” and left.

The next morning, everyone came to know that the blanket Swamishri had given was meant for himself. On that bitterly cold night Swamishri had only his upper cloth (gatariyu) to cover himself, but he made sure the ill young man slept in comfort.

The young who experienced such deeply maternal affection from Swamishri naturally became gentle, compassionate and kind. No difficulties or challenges could prevent such young men from developing in ways that Swamishri desired for them.

Translation of a chapter from ‘Yuva Kranti na Viral Vishwakarma’ by Prof. Suresh Raval (USA)
Swaminarayan Bliss | Nov — Dec 2022