(Darshan given on February 24th, 1997)
A visitor: What year did you come here for the first time?
Swamiji: I came in the month of May in 1944. So many years have passed. In 1944 – I was a little boy. Fifty-three years I have lived here in this Ashram. It is a great achievement to stay in one place continuously for 53 years without moving. That is also a great thing. I never felt attracted to any other place. I did not want to see anybody. Everything was okay here.
Visitor: And how old were you then?
Swamiji: I was 22 at that time. I came to see Swami Sivananda without knowing much about him at that time, but within a few days I found out that he is a real person – magnificent, very encouraging, accommodating, large-hearted, who would tolerate anything. That is a very great thing; to tolerate anything is very difficult. He would do that. He would say, “Even if a person makes a mistake, he is on the way. You rectify him, that's all.” When a person makes a mistake, he will say, “He is on the way. Train him. He is all right. Don't reject him.” So I found a great person. Whatever we are today, whatever value anyone can see in us, is due to a personal contact with him.
He won't give lectures, and all that. He won't speak much. If somebody asks him to please give advice he will say, “Don't ask me any question. You see how I am living.” He was still writing always – writing, writing, writing. He has got a set routine. He will get up in the morning at 3 o'clock, and then start writing. Endlessly he has written on every subject practically, any number of books. From 3 o'clock to 8 o'clock he will write a manuscript, and he will himself bring the manuscript to his disciples to have it typed, and then he will send it to the press. At that time he had no printing press. He used to have it printed in Amritsar and Calcutta and other places.
Very busy man. He was a superman. I have never seen a person like this – so accommodative, so large-hearted, so charitable, and truly spiritual. This is what I found in him. Otherwise, I would have gone to any other Guru; why should I stick to this place? But we found no Guru is equal to this. This is the best. With any difficulty, we will stay here only. We found that there is no one equal to him. There are so many big, big mahatmas, but nobody is equal to this mahatma.
Visitor: And how long had you been here before you decided to stay?
Swamiji: Oh, in three days. Within three days he said, “You stay here.” For three days he didn't speak. I was just sitting somewhere in a corner. So I was not clear in my mind: What is the matter now? Nobody speaks to me. But on the third day he called me and said, “You stay here.” And he told me, “Stay here till death.”
Visitor: After three days?
Swamiji: He told me, “Stay here till death.” Now what can I do? So I cannot go until I die. [Laughter]
He is right; he is right. He has given so much that there is no necessity to go anywhere. Anything that you want, you will find here, the whole world of facilities – intellectual, rational, spiritual, material, economic, literary – everything you will find here in this Ashram. Nothing is lacking. We have food to eat, a library to read, a temple to worship in, Ganga to bathe in, the Himalayas breath we are breathing, and there is a satsanga. There is nothing lacking here. He has created this Ashram in such a comprehensive way; he has seen to it that there is nothing lacking. So we are considering ourselves as blessed.
So I don't go anywhere; even to Rishikesh town I will not go. I will sit here only. I don't like to go to any bazaar, market, nothing. I don't even know how many streets are there in Rishikesh. I would have to ask somebody which is the street, and all that. I have never seen Uttarakashi. Nowhere I go. This little room gives everything. I never went abroad though people invited me a hundred times. I said, “No, I don't want to go to any place.” I won't go anywhere. Even in India I don't want to go anywhere, let alone abroad. I have a faith that whatever I want will come to me. Why should I go to the world? The world should come to me. And I honestly feel it. If the world wants me, let it come to me. Why should I go there, like a beggar? I'm not a beggar; let the world come. This faith I have got, and it works miraculously. That is the blessing of Swami Sivananda.
I was a little boy. I knew nothing of anything. He said, “I will see that kings and ministers will fall at your feet.” I had never seen a king or a minister. I was not understanding what he is saying. But his words are correct. They have become true. Kings and ministers, presidents, prime ministers, all come here and touch our feet. They won't even sit on a chair; they sit on the ground. Very big officials of the government, and they will not sit on the chair also. They sit below. It is the power of this great man.
Everybody knows Swami Sivananda, everybody knows what is The Divine Life Society, because we are, to tell the least, 100% honest in feeling that there is nothing more than God, and nothing equal to God. If this faith is planted in your heart 100%, you will have no problem. But you should not have any doubt in your mind. If you want anything, you think and it comes; that's all. “Ask and it shall be given” are Christ's words. Seek and you shall find it. Knock and it shall be opened. Yes.
Hari Om! God bless you all.