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Why Mukt Gulam?
Why this book? Why Mukt Gulam? In Hindi, gulam means slave. But the gulam in this book refers to the prisoner confined by the walls of a prison, or one who is a slave to a system of beliefs.
I was born and raised in a Jain family, in quite a free-thinking environment. I had friends from Buddhist, Muslim, and Hindu backgrounds. My mother would go to college every day as I would go to high school. My dad would read aloud to us at dinner. We would discuss with him all aspects of society, from ethics to business to politics. After finishing high school at the age of 15, college at 18, and getting married at 19, I left my small town in India and came to the USA. At the time, I only knew the foundational Jain prayer, Namokar Mantra.
As a child, I felt lucky to have so many chances to learn and grow, but I always felt dependent on my parents. My parents were everything to me. As an adult, I was driven by a desire to prove myself--as a mother, a wife, and a professional. The United States offered extraordinary opportunities, and I strived to take advantage of them. The more goals I pursued, the more these goals consumed my life. Yet, achieving such goals only provided a temporary satisfaction.
Along the way, I did find some time to begin a spiritual life. In 1979, my husband and I helped start a Jain Center in Connecticut, and
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