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PUNE, INDIA, July 29, 2004: This year, on August 2, Dada Vaswani turns 86. The Sadhu Vaswani Mission, of course, started with celebrations for the momentous occasion from July 12 itself. In a reflective mood, here, Dada speaks of life’s best lessons and unforgettable instances.



What is the one thing you have realized about living?

The older I grow, the more I realize how unique this universe is, and how unique each one of us is. To live right you need to drench yourself in love-love of God, love towards the suffering, children and even animal and birdlife. God has a purpose in sending you here, what you live through is God’s plan for you.



What is the most common mistake people commit?

Becoming selfish. Love is the greatest force on earth and life is about giving and not getting. The first law of happiness is to share love. Unfortunately, the lessons being given out today are all wrong. This pursuit of the self as the centre of life is misleading.



How can one break out of that circle?

Break loose of attachment to money, body and mind, ultimately nothing is yours. Find God within you and realize that this essence is greater than all that exists outside. If you pay greater attention to those small external details, the more life will seem like it’s suffocating you. Once you gain peace within, nothing will affect you. Know this; as long as ‘I’ am not, God is, and when ‘I’ am, God is not. It is this ‘I’ that acts acts a wall between you and God. Realising the power of God is a matter of a second.



Is there a birthday you particularly remember?

This is was in Karachi. I was about 11 years old and our family was going through a financial crunch. There used to be a novelty shop by the name of Asian Stores. In the window of this shop there used to be a toy train that I would admire, daily. Though I never had the money on me, I would enquire about its price. Finally on my birthday I received a cash amount exactly the price of the toy train. I was overjoyed and made my way to the shop. I was about to enter the shop when I spotted a beggar woman with a child. For moment I ignored her and went ahead and spent the amount on the train. Yet the echo of the beggar woman’s cry filled my ears. I returned the train and handed the money to the woman. Even today I request people to give a tenth of what they spend in celebrations towards charity and feel the happiness of sharing.

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