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Autobiography of Gnani Purursh
of the headdress made from flowers. I looked to the side and did not see Hiraba anywhere. The turban had tilted to one side. I looked up to take a peek at Hiraba but I could not see her because of the headdress. Surely the groom is going to be curious about the bride because in those days it was not customary for the bride or the groom to meet before their marriage. They would see each other, for the first time at their wedding-alter. Because of my big headdress, I could not see Hiraba. It was at that time that it occurred to me that although we were getting married, one of us was bound to become a widow, not both of us but one of us. Such a thought occurred to me during this time; it touched me for a moment. It was because I was not able to see Hiraba's face.
Considered Them As Guests
I was nineteen years old, when my son was born. To celebrate his birth I had distributed pendas (sweets) to all my friends and shortly after when he died, I celebrated his death by distributing the sweets again. When I distributed the pendas the second time, people thought we had a second son. When they asked about the occasion, I told them, First eat the sweets and then I will tell you the occasion', because if I were to tell them the reason beforehand, they would not accept the sweets. After they finished eating I told them, "The guest who had come , is now gone (died).' They were appalled and asked me how I could do such a thing because the news I gave them made them feel like throwing up. I assured them there was no need for them to do so. I told them he was only a guest and that when guests come we welcome them and when they leave, we bid them farewell. They asked 'How could he be your guest, he was your son?" I told them they can think of him as my son but to me he was a guest. The same thing happened when our
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daughter was born. Everyone forgot about the incident with my son. They ate the pendas when she was born and even when she passed away. People tend to forget. How long does it take to forget? Does it take long? People forget easily because they live in illusion. Illusion of the world makes one forget.
Super Human Being
Questioner: How old were you when you started giving satsang? And when you distributed sweets in the park, is that considered a satsang?
Dadashri: No that is not considered satsang. That is my inner understanding and vision from the spiritual perspective. Satsang commenced in the year of 1942, so about forty-one years ago. I was born in 1908 and satsang started in 1942. That makes me thirty-four years old but actually I was about thirty-two, when satsang started. Previously however, people did receive some sentences of spiritual significance.
When I was twenty-two, I told my friends that they need not do any of my work for me. I had a big ego. I also told them that they could call on me at any time for their work. My friends told me there was no need for me to say such things and turn the issue into an affair of mine-yours.
It so happened that once I had gone to someone's place at midnight after watching a movie. On seeing me, that person thought, 'How come this man, who is never late, has come here today at midnight? May be he wants to borrow money? His demeanor changed. I did not want anything from him. I saw the change in his demeanor from his usual one. When I went home I analyzed the situation and realized that it does not take long for people to change their worldly appearances and expectations.