Light of Nonviolence

Author(s): Sushilmuni
Publisher: Vishwa Ahimsa Sangh Delhi

Page 18

He possessed an extremely high level of self-realization.
I was very fortunate to have met him when he first came to America in 1975. I was asked by a student to sponsor him for a special public lecture at Worcester State College where I teach philosophy. It was a turning point in my life. I had known many great teachers before Guruji but never had I met anyone as spiritually deep.
Guruji was also a strong-willed, passionate, and articulate person. Most importantly, Guruji's words matched his actions, and his faith in what could be done, was awesome. I never knew him to shrink from a struggle or challenge because it seemed too great. In fact, the larger the stakes, the more Guruji was emboldened. In this respect, if for none other, he was a great moral leader who could inspire tolerance, peace, and love.
4 In 1982, about seven years after I first met Guruji, and after many valuable experiences with him, I received sixteen painstakingly transcribed tapes of his talks from a group of his American disciples. The material was heavily spiced by Guruji's native Hindi, Sanskrit, and Gujarati languages. As I studied the transcripts it became evident that the essential meanings were expressed in narrative or story form. Throughout the spring and summer of 1982, I gathered the stories together from the transcripts, conversing with Guruji continually and collecting new stories from our conversations in the pro