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Each time he spoke lobserved in him what one might call a fountain of abundance. He overflowed with an abundance of cheerfulness and good humor which lit up those around him. Every part of his being beamed maitri, an open friendliness toward all life, the invisible language of his heart. At the end of his talks, I noticed how so many of his listeners who had entered the room in a state of sorrow, exhaustion, or anxiety felt different, infused with energy, transformed. I heard people whisper to one another, “That talk was meant just for me. It touched on so many things I needed to hear,” and “He really shares himself from his life, doesn't he? He is so open."
"How does he talk like that without any notes?” someone asked. Later I discovered the answer. He is dipping into the depths of what he calls the “nectar of consciousness." He transmits through mind and heart the pure authenticity of lived experience. That is the source of his love and compassion. That is why he can pick up the needs of others and speak extemporaneously to their most profound inner core.
I wanted to know how he came into this vast experience of the human condition. I found out that he was not a superman who had descended from the heavens! He was an ordinary human being who had gone through ups and downs, trials and tests. Crises had helped him to take a giant step forward in his life. He had chosen the process of selfinvestigation. Gradually he had climbed out from the valley of fear and attachment to the mountainpeak of understanding and bliss.
My desire to know more about his inward journey was aroused at Powell House, a Quaker retreat centre where he was leading a two-day retreat with Douglas Steere. When it was his turn to tell briefly the story of his life, he spoke so simply, so openly. It was only a glimpse, but it led to this, to A Man with a Vision.
Gurudev said, “Events can make you dull, passive, and escapist, or they can give you strength, understanding, and energy to work out with your life.” Gurudev's life story became a means for me to work on my outlook on life and to bring harmony where there was disharmony.
Behind the narrative are glimpses of that which gave an
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