Letters to Pramukh Swami Maharaj (Part 1)
From Swaminarayan Bliss (Sep — Oct 2022)
Pramukh Swami Maharaj inspired, influenced and impacted the lives of many people, young and old, men and women, in a multitude of ways. As we celebrate his birth centenary, we have reached out to the worldwide satsang community to express their feelings and memories of Pramukh Swami Maharaj in the form of a letter addressed to him. This is a selection from the letters received so far.
Sometimes words on a paper are just not enough to express gratitude.
In the midst of life’s challenges you gave us hope.
In the midst of obstacles you gave us courage.
In the midst of the hustle and bustle of life you gave us peace and stability. You showed us the path and gave us direction.
For this we are forever indebted.
The global dimension of our lives means it is more important than ever to understand our true values, our identity and what spirituality really means. This is something you have given us unconditionally and keep doing so even today through Pragat Guruhari Mahant Swami Maharaj.
Your vision of reconnecting us to God seems so relevant in a constantly changing and forever evolving world. Your life and teachings are timeless and eternal and will help us rise above this.
— Hem Mehta, 42, Associate Director Strategy and Transactions, London, UK — Meera Mehta, 40, Commercial Manager, London, UK
Being an aimless wanderer, I found a GPS system in you — my Guru Positioning System. You navigated me through the labyrinth of this world. You have bailed me out of moral bankruptcy, rescued me from psychological bankruptcy and liberated me from spiritual bankruptcy. Your moral compass has guided me to internalize and practice ethical behavior.
What you do is like what a blacksmith does with iron and a goldsmith does with gold. You are a Soulsmith; you reshape and revitalize my soul. You taught me to change myself, and kindled my spiritual awakening.
Your pragmatic ways and divine grace have established my absolute faith.
Your hands of blessings on my head felt like the fingerprints of God.
I experience your promise that “I will always be with you” through your present form, Mahant Swami Maharaj.
I pray to you through him: keep navigating me, keep purifying my soul and enable me to achieve the highest level of ekantik dharma.
— Kunal Bhatt, 57, Architect, Bangalore, India
Thank you for replying to my every letter and guiding me towards the right path. Thank you for healing my every tear, soothing my every pain. Thank you for answering my every plea, my every silly question, my indecisiveness, my simple requests, my not-so-simple problems and my sensitive matters. Thank you for sharing so many unforgettable moments when you made me feel loved. Your care and affection will never be forgotten. You gave me your all. I pray that I can also give you my all to follow your every agna and niyam.
— Nayna, Leicester, UK
I regret not being in satsang when you were the president of the BAPS Sanstha and now I just wish I could see you at least once in my lifetime. On August 13, 2016, the moment I heard the news, tears just fell off my eyes and I felt like I have just lost my father. I slowly slowly came into satsang in 2017 when Mahant Swami Maharaj had come to Nairobi for his first vicharan and this made me realize that you haven’t left us; instead you are present in him. I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for handing us over to Mahant Swami Maharaj, through whom we will always have you and I know you are always there for me.
— Kesha Patel, 20, College Student, Nairobi, Kenya
No matter the circumstances, you have been happy because of the understanding that Maharaj is karta-harta. Growing up, that’s one of the main things I learned from you and it’s helped me get through various stages of my life.
Your aura gave a peaceful feeling and created an ineffable atmosphere. Experiencing that bliss with you has been a constant reminder that the world is temporary, and there is much more to life than the pleasures it provides.
Even though you may not physically be here today, your presence is still felt. You have given us Mahant Swami. I never thought I would be able to find a connection after having developed a strong love for you, but I have been able to do much more. Not only has my love for the Satpurush increased, but my understanding of satsang has deepened. He has pushed me to continuously reflect and do antardrashti, and it wouldn’t have been possible without you.
Thank you for all that you have done.
— Payal Lodhia, 21, Student, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
I still remember the day you visited our house, the day you put a kanthi around my neck and the last time I had your darshan at Neasden Mandir. You were very frail that day, yet you still made time to come out and see me while you were seated in your wheelchair. You gave me sanctified flowers. The fact you took so much trouble on a hectic day, while your health was so frail is still something that I remember so vividly.
You have been an inspiration to my generation — without you, we would not have found satsang and without satsang our lives would have been a waste.
In London, you have given us the gift of one of the most magnificent mandirs in this entire world. Through your teachings and blessings, you have made our lives so much better and given us the opportunity of moksha in this very life.
— Tushar Morzaria, 51, Chartered Accountant, London, UK
Swaminarayan Bliss | Sep — Oct 2022
