________________
The next thing he saw was a kind of seed thought which had been recurring in brief glimpses for nearly seven years. He had not allowed it to surface because his subconscious was holding it back. It came in the form of vibrations he had been feeling in the presence of one longtime student, Pramoda Shah. He had felt from the beginning a deep connection with her. It was a very tender and loving feeling. Now he saw the reason for this affection and the purpose of her coming into his life. The relationship was nothing but a continuous thread of love flowing from its deep root in the time of his youth. The girl whom he had cherished as his soulmate during his college days and who had expired of malaria was again in life, in the form of Pramoda. He saw that she had come back into his presence because of the powerful bhogāvali karmas which connected them. Now that he had transcended the boundaries of tradition, sect, and country, he freed the vibrations of love to come forth. They emerged in such a flood that he knew that this was a commitment to accept, a process to complete, an aspect of his life to fulfill.
Another glimpse came to him. For a long time, floating on the surface of his consciousness, in dream and vision, he had seen that two children were to enter into his life. It was as if they had been knocking on his door and requesting to become a part of his world. He knew that they had been related to him for many lifetimes. Now he saw the way in which they would fulfill this relation: they would come as his own two sons. Together they would grow. Through them, he would experience the joys and trials of fatherhood; through him, they would complete the process of their spiritual evolution. The family he envisioned would open itself to the universal family and share with the world the beauty and truth of a life lived in the light of Mahāvir's teaching.
Gurudev was watching from the vantage point of the eternal present. In this way, he was able to observe the past, present, and future events in his life as in a slow motion continuum, from seed to flower to fruit. In his state of calmness, this vision came as a direct insight from his soul. He had something meaningful to share from his own life; now was the moment to give forth. What was right for his personal growth
280
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
