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INTRODUCTION
I have been blessed beyond words to spend the last year and a half
living in Rishikesh and working with Pujya Swamiji. During this
time, I have heard so many people ask, “Isn’t there anything published
with Swamiji’s teachings? Isn’t there any compilation of His
ideas, His wisdom?” The answer, much to my dismay, has been
“No.” The absence of such a work is grievous, for the wisdom
that flows forth with His every breath is worthy of being immortalized.
be present at times in which someone has asked Him a question to
which He did not directly respond. Rather, on these occasions, His
voice took on an even more ethereal tone and his eyes drifted even
more away from the Earth and toward the Heavens. He would
say, “Let me tell you a story,” or He would simply begin to tell it,
and we all knew something extraordinary was taking place.
Then, on these occasions, when He had finished the story, He would
explain —to we who are horribly ill-equipped to grasp the depth of
His wisdom — what the point was. Hence, these stories have two
parts: the story itself and the lesson He gave afterwards. To me,
these parables and lessons are like scriptures: words spoken by
God which a mere mortal has attempted to capture on paper. I beg
the reader to forgive my inadequacies as a scribe. Pujya Swamiji
was not as lucky as Vyasji, whose divine wisdom was captured
perfectly by Lord Ganesh.
On this auspicious occasion of Kumbha Mela, 1998 I have taken
the God-given opportunity to bring together as much “nectar of
wisdom” as I could. At this sacred time, people come from every
corner of the Earth to bathe in holy waters, and to imbibe of the
Therefore, the book has two tones. One is literary — writings
divine nectar of immortality. Yet, what is it that truly uplifts us, that
which have been presented in international magazines or newspa-
truly changes us, that truly brings our souls closer to God? For me,
pers; the other tone, for the stories, is oral — words which have
it has been His holy presence in my life. How to encompass, though,
been spoken. However, while the topics of the articles (or the
divine wisdom and insight in mere pages? The task is obviously
plots of the stories) differ, the underlying essence of Pujya Swamiji’s
impossible. Yet, while the words are a poor substitute for His presence,
they carry with them the essence of His teaching and mes-
message remains the same. His message is: go to God.
sage.
Yet, “go to God; be with God” is not only the message of His words.
It is the message of His life. Every breath He takes is divine; every
I have, therefore, compiled as many of His written articles (in En-
word He speaks is holy canon; every piece of work He does is
glish) as I could find. The articles come mainly from magazines,
Creation. Pujya Swamiji is a saint by title — it is His legal designa-
which are published in USA and Europe for the Indian community
tion. Yet, He is more than that. He is a saint in every pore, every
living abroad.
cell of His body. He is not only someone who sends you to God;
rather, He is someone whose mere presence carries you to God.
In addition to the articles, there are stories, or rather parables, that
However, should one ever try to praise Him, or thank Him, or ac-
I have heard Pujya Swamiji tell. I have frequently been blessed to
knowledge the miraculous nature of His being, His response is al-
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