Countless footsteps headed towards the portals of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission. They belonged to the young and the old, the strong and the feeble, the rich and the poor, the dignitaries and the ordinary folk, those from far-away lands and from the local neighbourhood. They were all bound by the common thread of zeal; to be a part of the unveiling of the first statue of their heart's beloved, Dada J. P. Vaswani; at the Satsang Hall of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, on June 4, 2019.
Representatives from different religious institutions and spiritual organisations came and paid homage to this great soul. These different streams of people became one unified river which flowed into the calm mansarovar, the lake of Dada's spiritual oneness.
The environment buzzed with enthusiasm and pulsated with a wide range of emotions. Bright smiles reflected joy, while damp eyes portrayed the anguish at the physical absence of the Master. Hearts were thudding in anticipation of the unveiling, yet lips were quivering with remembered pain and grief.
There was incessant chanting of the Gayatri Mantra, which commenced from 6 am, and its pure rivulets flowed through the entire day. An Akhand Path of theNuri Granth, a compilation of songs by Sadhu Vaswani; and of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib was started. Various service activities were performed throughout the day.
Yes, the morning with its deep emotions and eager anticipation was truly very special. Words of praise by other enlightened ones, for Dada, were accepted humbly. But truly, no words could do justice to this gentle soul who had touched and transformed so many hearts.
Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj did the honours of unveiling Dada's statue and everyone waited with bated breath for the first glimpse of Beloved Dada. Tears flowed freely down many faces at the sight of his outstretched arms beckoning them lovingly.
A loud gasp accompanied the unveiling as the first glimpse was obtained of the life-size replica of Dada. At first, the attention was drawn to the physical resemblance. But, in a short while, these minor details were forgotten, as all were lost in the aura that emerged from the image and the glory of Dada's spiritual presence.
it was time to hear beloved Dada's words. We felt him emerging from the statue and bowing down to everyone, sharing his message with us: “We are not the physical bodies that we wear.” He said. “The body is only a garment. We are not the mind. The mind is only an instrument that we have brought with ourselves to be able to do our work on the physical plane. We are essentially the Spirit. Once we realise that, our lives will become dedicated, consecrated and we will become instruments of God’s help and healing in this world of doubt, despair and disbelief.”
In his speech, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj spoke fondly of his close association with Rev. Dada. He spoke with reverence and admiration for the light-filled life that Dada had lived – the heights that he had reached and the depths of his humility. “Dada was always smiling and ever willing to help and serve others. Whenever Dada spoke, his talks were filled with passion which invariably moved the listeners.” He also referred to how Dada was a saint, who mingled with all – it was so easy for devotees to meet him every day and blossom in his spiritual aura.
He also added saying, “Dada may not be physically with us anymore but he will live in our hearts forever.” He continued that, this statue would be a reminder of what Dada was and of his wonderful qualities. He concluded saying, “All of you must pledge that not only will you imbibe his teachings in your life but that each one of you will be an ambassador of his message and spread it around the globe.”
