In 1997, I met Meenakshi, an Art of Living teacher in the Bay Area of California, and I was taken in by her enormous energy and enthusiasm. She introduced me to Art of Living and invited me to see Gurudev at the Swaminarayan Temple. I saw him, but he did not even look at me, and I felt disappointed.
In the next few years, I did the basic course with Mark Ball and the advanced course with Gurudev. My only motive and interest in the Art of Living was to improve my singing skills. I was very irregular in my sadhana practices and almost never went for the long kriya. A few years later, I was very depressed and a nervous wreck when Meenakshi urged me to do the DSN. I went to Sangeeta Ji and asked her if I could do the DSN. She asked me if I could place my life in Gurudev’s hands with no questions asked. I said YES, and life after DSN has not been the same.
DSN taught me how to value time and abundance, take responsibility for myself and society. As I became more regular in my practices, I started to see divine grace flow during difficult times. I would be hooked on the internet, listening to and reading anything Gurudev said.
Every word that Gurudev uttered became a mantra for me. Every random cassette I listened to or knowledge sheet I read had a solution to what I was encountering. The Silver Jubilee opened my eyes to some spectacular experiences. Listening to Astavakra Gita with Uma Ji was yet another great blessing that opened me up even further. The Art of Living family, with many selfless volunteers and teachers, provided a much-needed umbrella of love and service with a smile. I remember what Gurudev had said in one of the knowledge cassettes: “The journey to heaven is very long and is made of 108 steps. The steps are made of soap and it is pouring. Each time you try to climb, you slip! Gurudev is your railing… Hang in There!”
