There are about 22 million Twitter users worldwide today, with nearly 500 crore messages being tweeted daily. Often a single tweet is enough to create a huge sensation or ruckus throughout the entire globe. This powerful social media platform had a revenue of Rs 40,000 crore in 2021. Seeing it as a huge money making and a potent marketing weapon, Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla tried to purchase the entire company for an amount of $40 billion.
Musk, too has more than eight million followers on Twitter, to the extent that its eight thousand employees have been placed in a quandary. But ironically, It is said that people do not trust this tycoon who has assets worth 250 billion dollars. As per the saying, ships traverse the ocean on trust, corollary it also means that sometimes keeping trust on the wrong person or company can also sink the ship. Only time will tell whether Twitter will sink or swim, what kind of crests and troughs it will go through. But one thing is definitely clear, that it is faith, which is the very breath that moves individuals and the entire world.
Pramukh Swami Maharaj was a saint on whom everyone, right from the common man to the most affluent could easily place their trust. It didn't matter whether the person was rich or poor, or where one hails from or what is one's occupation. What mattered was Swamiji's trustworthy leadership. Everyone had a firm belief that everything he spoke or foretold would turn out to be true. Whoever believed in his words enjoyed unparalleled success.
A poor child from Mumbai and his widowed mother had immense faith in Swamiji's words. Swamiji encouraged this penurious, but very intelligent child by continuously giving him valuable guidance. He kept working and studying as per Swamiji's instructions. In time he gained admission in one of the prestigious institutes like IIM, where on completing his studies and getting a degree, he would get a salary worth lakhs of rupees per annum. But Swamiji insisted that he take the IAS exam and become a civil officer. On Swamiji's words, the youth let go of what could potentially be millions and crores of future earnings in an instant. He cleared the tough upsc exam in one go and became an honest civil servant and is now rendering great service to the country. In another instance, a very intelligent girl, who was very brilliant in her studies had immense ambitions to become a doctor. She would score marks, which lived upto her dream. Her father told Swamiji that his daughter wanted to go to a medical school. Swamiji did not consent to that and instead told her to become a lawyer. The girl happily set aside her medical ambitions and obeying swamiji's wish, she became a brilliant lawyer. A few years back a devotee requested Swamiji to seek suitable grooms for his beloved two daughters. Swamiji mentioned this to two Satsangi youths. Both of them had full faith in Swamiji's wisdom, and immediately said yes without even seeing their respective brides. The girls too said that they had full faith in swamiji's selection. No further inquiry, interview etc. In fact, one of the couple was seeing each other for the first time in the wedding hall!
There are thousands of such examples, where devotees and other individuals have achieved success and happiness by putting aside their own ideas or other people's opinion and following Swamiji's instructions. One can get to know of many such incidents from the devotees themselves. The long queue of such trusting devotees and individuals surpasses even beyond the horizon.
The former Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Babubhai Jashbhai Patel too witnessed an example of such infinite faith. It happened during the occasion of AksharBrahma Gunatitanand Swami Bicentenary Festival in Swaminarayan Nagar, Amdavad. On 12.11.85 he described this particular incident in his own words during a public address:
"One evening I was standing in line at the bus stand from Lal Darwaja to Gandhinagar. I talked to a bystander that what will happen this time? Will Gujarat survive? Drought waves have descended upon Gujarat. Grass can be brought from anywhere, but what will happen without water? Without any hesitation, he said: 'It is going to rain.' I said: 'No such sign is visible.' Then he said, 'Pramukh Swami has said so.' " Faith was ringing in his every word. Faith was visibly pouring out of his eyes.
Creating and building faith in people's hearts is more important than merely leading them. People can also be led by pressure. People can be enticed by lust, people can be drawn by pomp. But, creating and building faith in the followers and leading them to the right path is the testimony of the ideal Guru. Countless individuals had such firm faith in Swamiji.
Undying faith in Swamiji is the very life of millions of individuals. Swamiji has won the trust of everyone, right from ordinary citizens to leaders. Even great saints had unswerving faith in Swamiji.
Jainacharya Munishree Sushilkumarji said: “India is enriched by saints and avatars like Buddha and Tirthankara, Rama and Krishna, Kabir and Nanak etc. We were waiting for someone who will be the torchbearer of this rich Indian culture. A leader, who will nurture society at the family, spiritual, social and political levels. By God's grace such a leader has been found. His name is Pramukh Swami Maharaj." Such was the faith and respect that even holy saints had towards Swamiji.
Sadhu Amrutvadandas
Email Connect : art.msmj@gmail.com
Thanks Giving
This article is written and submitted to The E Today by Sadhu Amrutvadandas. We thank swamiji for his research and analysis and hope to see the awareness about life and peace being spread ahead to larger mass of our citizens.