With love and respect, I greet everyone who reads this message. Denmark is a country that starts with a “D”. A long time ago before I ever had plans to live in Denmark, our dear Sadgurudeva, Sri Sri Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji, had predicted that I would live in a land that started with a “D”. Denmark has become my home. It is very cold land with little winter sunlight which gives me a good reason to escape to Mysore, my true home; the seat of Lord Dattatreya, who in the form of our beloved Sri Appaji. When I say this, I say it from the depth of my heart. He has assumed His true form several times in my dreams and in great visions where I can look at Him and see the full glory of Lord Dattatreya. What that means cannot be put in any words because words are too feeble; too short to express that glory and greatness and that completeness of Dattatreya.

Swamiji has such a multifaceted personality and my experiences with Him have been so intense and multiple that for me it is difficult to start and explain. But with His blessings I will start. I saw Sri Swamiji for the first time in a dream in 1983. I did not know who He was. I was engaged in successful business but I always had a dear relationship with God since I was a child. I loved to gaze at the universe and the stars and see the endlessness of it. As a child I asked myself; who am I? What am I? Why have I come here? What is all of this about? Why do I live, etc?. All these questions came to me and I started to do yoga and meditation.

At this time, I was about twenty seven years old and the Sadguru that I had been searching had not appeared in my life. In the dream a dark skinned man with black hair, and beautiful, piercing, loving eyes had come to me. He looked at me and showed me the palm of His right hand. From that hand some energy came into me and transformed my whole being so that my body was vibrating with a kind of joy which I had never known before. Intuitively I knew that this was a major shift in my life. I did not know that this was my Sadguru but I knew that it was a major dream that I would never forget. Then in 1984, one year after having that wonderful dream, I met Sri Swamiji.

Not long after that dream I saw a photograph of Sri Swamiji at the home of my brother, who is a famous astrologer in Germany. Maheshwara is not only my brother, but a dear friend. When I saw the photograph of Sri Swamiji I was elated and impressed that I almost started to cry. I told him that I have to meet this person; who is He? He explained that Swamiji is a great Sadguru from South India and that He is in control of the eight potent cosmic powers. In my excitement I decided immediately that I have to go there and meet this great soul.

I took leave from my business and headed for India. On my way to the Mysore Ashram I visited different ashrams and other holy places. Everywhere I went I felt very happy. I meditated a lot and had great spiritual experiences. I even went to Bangalore and met Sri Sathya Sai Baba; I was very attracted to the bhajans and Baba but still felt that I need to move on and meet Sri Swamiji . I took the bus to Mysore and came to a simple ashram that was half a jungle but pristinely wonderful. Unfortunate for me though, Sri Swamiji was not at the Ashrama and nobody knew when He was coming back, so I roamed the ashram uninhibited. In the meantime, as I loved to swim, I decided to go to Kerala and have a short vacation.

After meditation to Lord Dattatreya in the ashram, I took a bus to Bangalore. While I was traveling to Bangalore I started having a strong sensation along my spine that hurt so much that I was crying and I feeling miserable. An unbelievable amount of pain was permeating my body and I was unable to sit or stand comfortably. As soon as I came off the bus I asked for the directions to the nearest hospital as I thought I was going to die and I needed treatment immediately. But amazingly when I reached the hospital the pain was gone, I was very happy as I did not have to see the doctors. I do not like the smell of hospitals as I think that you get sicker in them.

I went on to Kerala and had a wonderful vacation on the beach. After one week I was ready to meet my Sadguru. I came back to Mysore and Sri Swamiji was still out of the ashram, but I was told that He may be returning that evening. As I was sitting in the Datta Temple quietly meditating and focusing on Lord Dattatreya, I suddenly felt a fresh, beautiful fragrant wind pass my face. I opened my eyes to see Sri Swamiji for the first time, standing in front of me. He just looked at me for a fraction of a second, pointed His finger and then turned and walked away. Again I closed my eye and saw the image of Sri Swamiji pointing at me and I was moved. That day a transformation took place in me that even when I think about it today, I feel as though what happened then is just happened now. Then a sudden spontaneous prayer occurred from the depth of my soul.

I love to pray, but pray and prayer is two different things. People pray for some benefits, mostly when they are in trouble, then they ask God for help. I believe we should think of God all the time, not only when it is bad in our life. He should be our true and only companion wherever we go or wherever we are. I love God, but that prayer I said after seeing Sri Swamiji was something of a different quality. It was something that bubbled up from the depth of my soul and there were some words that I did not produce myself, but it just came from the depth of my soul, and even though it was a very intimate experience I am sharing it so that perhaps others can recognize something for themselves.

As I prayed, I felt that I was begging His Holiness to purify me my soul; to free me from the bondage of identification and illusion. That was my true and only wish that I prayer for. After this incident, my body started vibrating and sweating simultaneously and I crying and laughing hysterically at the same time. My body was literally bouncing on the floor and I thought that I would go over the bridge. After sometime I came back to a normal state. Sri Swamiji had gone to His room and was impossible for me to see Him then. Arrangements were made and I was given permission to stay in the old Rama Shankara Kuteera, a privilege that was not given to new visitors. I was told that I was to sleep there as Sri Swamiji wanted to observe me and know who I was. I wondered how that would be possible as He was in His room and I would be in mine. I went to bed and did not sleep well because I was so excited about the entire trip.

I knew that I have had another transformation and that there would be another shift in my life by meeting Him. The next day I waited for a couple of hours before I would meet with Sri Swamiji. He really tested my patience, because I thought I came to select a Sadguru. I wanted to test whether that guru would be fit for me but I learned that it was the other way around. The true Guru is testing us, but we are not fit to test the Guru. We do not have enough discrimination to decide who is a true Sadguru.

When I saw Sri Swamiji in the interview room, He welcomed me and asked what I wanted. I replied that I was looking for a Sadguru and realization. He looked at me and said “You are looking for a guru? You don’t need any guru. Why are you looking for a guru? You are a guru yourself.” I replied that I needed a spiritual guide, someone who can guide and help me. He told me that I should continue what I was doing; that I was doing mediation but I should also do self-realization. I said that it was not so easy to do and I needed help. He said that He did not think that He was my Guru or that He could help me. I asked Him then, who is my guru was and where I could find him? He smiled and said I think your Guru is in the Himalayas. I thanked and said that even though the Himalayans were very big, I would go and look. I went to the Himalayas and found no Gurus. It is a beautiful place and I met many great souls but I did not find what I was looking for.

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