October 2008 Annual Subscription Rs. 60 - Swaminarayan Sanstha

With my mind floating and my
panic gone I was able to make
the right decision. I jumped
into the waves and swam back
to the shore in record-breaking
time. There and then I thanked
Swamiji for having become my
lifeline. I believed it to be a
miracle of sorts, but perfectly
acceptable and explicable.
The experience itself was a down-to-earth
one. I was out there, scared to death, alone and
desperate, with a strong sense of survival. I had
nothing to grasp on to, nowhere to run away to
and the engulfing presence of the shark and the
ocean had minimized my chances of survival.
Swamiji's all-encompassing protective power had
felt supernatural. And a change had taken place
within me on the spiritual level, something which
for a Westerner is not easy to understand or
Prayer
is the spirit
speaking truth
to Truth.
- Philip James Bailey
accept. I had greatly felt
Swamiji's closeness, experienced
the conviction of his saving
love. I have chosen – if
choice is the right word – for
Pramukh Swami Maharaj to be
my guide, to lead me on to that
path of conscience necessary for
spiritual progress. In other
words, he is the only person
capable of transforming my life. Through this
incident, more than 35 years ago, he has reached
out, given his hand to me and I have grasped it.
His touch has changed me. His words have carved
my thoughts and his love has touched my soul.
The voiceless prayers which filled my mind
when confronted by the shark were answered by
Swami Bapa and have changed the course of my
life.
◆
Prayers:
Helped to Obliterate
Heart Blockage
Dr. Indrapalsingh Kalra
(Cardiologist, New Delhi)
God alone is the all-doer. Nothing is in
the hands of man. Man must have
absolute confidence in God and must
surrender to God’s wish. Nevertheless he must
pray and endeavour sincerely. God would then
surely shower his grace on him. It is necessary,
however, that his life be pure and heart
absolutely clean as proposed by God. This is my
own experience of prayer.
The story dates back to the 1970s. In spite of
the demise and loss of my father and three
brothers I had joined the Indian Air Force. As a
medical specialist my duties were those of a
squadron leader. My family was quite big; in
addition to the brothers, there were eight sisters.
The huge burden of a big family bore
heavily on me. Yet my elder brother suggested
that I continue working in the Air Force. He was
18 Swaminarayan Bliss ◆ October 2008