Inner Experiences with Mahatma Gandhi

I wish to tell you about an inner experience when Mahatma Gandhi personally did me a favour. As you know, Gandhi was in South Africa when they dragged him down from a first-class train compartment, and he was kicked mercilessly. When I was visiting Pietermaritzburg in South Africa, I went to the railway station and stood at the place where he was dragged down from the train and ruthlessly kicked. I saw that the station was so dangerous – dangerous is the right word.

That evening I was giving a talk at a hall in Pietermaritzburg. I was on the stage, when I saw Gandhi vividly. He was warning me, “This place is very dangerous, very dangerous. Be careful.” He also said, “You are in close connection with many cosmic gods. Ask them to protect you,” he added.

I was on the stage, and Gandhi’s grand-daughter Ela, Sita’s younger sister, was also on the stage. She was a distinguished Member of Parliament. I saw vividly Gandhi’s soul, saying, “You need protection here. You need protection.” I invoked Lord Shiva because he is the most powerful. Lord Shiva came and was there on the stage. Then I did not have any fear. There was no problem. I had another inner experience with Gandhi. When we were in South Africa, Sita Gandhi²² sent a message that she would like to become my disciple. It came via Kritagyata – they had become very close friends. In those days early in the morning I used to ride standing bicycles. I was in the hotel, and it was around five o’clock in the morning. I was not thinking of Gandhi, far from it! I was only thinking of my Supreme. I was in the highest height of meditation while riding the bicycle. All of a sudden, I saw Gandhi in front of me. He appeared before me and said, “I am so glad that you have accepted Sita as your disciple.”

These are two of the good things that have happened between me and Gandhi.

When I was 15 or 16 years old, I wrote a play about Indian independence. Alas, in my dream I saw clearly that Gandhi would be assassinated. Then I wrote a play with Gandhi, Jinnah and others, in which Gandhi was assassinated.

In those days, I had many Gujarati friends, and Gandhi was born in Gujarat. I said, “Let me change it.” I saw clearly that Gandhi would be assassinated, but I changed the plot because of my Gujarati friends, and I wrote that Jinnah was assassinated.

My dream was correct, but I had to tell a lie. Gandhi was alive at that time, and my Gujarati friends would not have appreciated it. I changed it and wrote that Jinnah was killed. I still have that Bengali play.

These are called my life’s sweet stories. Politics has no mother, no father. It is all lies, all lies.

15 September 2007, Aspiration-Ground, New York