( Continued from Part 1 )

Dissatisfied with the college education, Swami ji yearned to go abroad for higher professional education. With little financial means he did not know how to realize his ambition. He , however, chanted a mantra regularly, which was supposed to fulfill his ambition through the law of attraction. Fortunately the mantra worked sooner than he expected and he met an acquaintance who agreed to arrange for his stay in Australia for higher studies. His father approved of the idea and withdrew his retirement funds to meet the initial expenses of tuition fees and air ticket.
” Chanting the mantra had manifested my desire, but I was responsible for living through the consequences. Alone but overconfident, unprepared but resolute, clueless but hopeful at heart, I was ready to face everything life would throw at me “. After landing at Australia, things did not turn out as planned. No one from the college came to receive him and ensure his stay. After a long but futile wait, he rang up the Agent’s son who agreed to provide him home accommodation for a few weeks. He looked for a job to take care of expenses but received rejection letters as he had no practical experience. Fortunately his problem of stay was temporarily resolved through the blessings of his mother whose nephew also happened to be in Australia and who had a flourishing business. Looking for a job, he managed to find odd jobs but did not stick to them as either the work involved no payment or the conditions were humiliating. He also had to look for an accommodation as he could not be a burden on his relations. He shifted to an apartment shared with another person. Finally, he had some luck as an IT firm offered him a package at A$ 40,000 impressed with his inventiveness and abilty to work hard. In the meanwhile, the University agreed to reduce his period of acquiring the bachelor’s degree from three years to two years provided he put in extra hours. Things seemed to work in his favour as he showed grit, determination and perseverance in the tasks that he was engaged in. Ever aspiring to get new experience and taking up new challenges, he handled two diverse jobs in IT coding and a e-commerce project at the world’s biggest shopping mall company, Westfield , earning as an executive technology -management role- a quarter million dollar package.

During this time his elder brother and mother visited him.They had not seen him for two years since he left for Australia.” I wanted to take my mother around, and thought of buying a car costing $70,000. This was symbolic of grace. Otherwise, how could some one who had winced at the thought of boarding a bus because the fare was $2 two years ago now could buy a convertible that was nearly a $ 70,000 Grace. I wanted to spend that money for my mother.I loved her in a way I loved no one else.It was not possibe to ever repay her for the sacrifices she had made for me, the countless nights she had stayed awake with me when I was suffering from asthma and the way she had always stood by my side. It was not part of her job description to support my sadhana or my interest in astrology, chess, books and other things, but she had. I wanted her to have the best of time in Sydney…My mother loved her time in Australia and spent three months with me. It was one of the most memorable periods of my life because, for the first time, I was hosting my mother. And because she showerd the love, care and blessings that only a mother could….I opened up to her. Don’t get me wrong, Ma. I love it here. This country has offered me so much but to tell you the truth, my heart is not here. I told her how I missed putting those hours in my meditation, how I wanted to further my sadhana but just didn’t have the time.I understand the role of education and I wasn’t discounting the importance of money, but this was certainly not going to be the totality of my life. My goal had always been , and still remained, God. I wish to lead a more spiritual life one day “. “Whatever gives you happiness, she said softly. I just know you ‘ll never make a thoughtless move “. ” Before we knew it, it was time for our mother to go back to India. Rajan stayed back as he had been sponsored by a company and now had a work visa. After she left, I felt terrible because I had barely spent time with her. She had not come here to see my car and my flat, the buildings and the tourist attractions. She had come to see me “.

” My life was finally stable now, with my basic education complete and a steady income coming in.Since I had arrived in Australia, I hadn’t really had the time to focus on myself, on my inner life. My sadhana had not intensified or improved . Now, as things settled around me , the void that had always been within, but veiled briefly by my external pursuits, bared itself to me again. My goal of renunciation was clear to me and I knew where I was clearly headed . But it wasn’t time yet. I HAD TO BE CERTAIN I WASN’T CHOOSING THE SPIRITUAL PATH AS AN ESCAPE FROM THE MATERIAL CHALLENGES OF THE WORLD. TO ACHIEVE THE PINNACLE OF MATERIAL SUCCESS AND THEN TO WALK AWAY WOULD BE A FAR TRUER RUNUNCIATION. IF I HAD NOTHING TO LOSE IN THE FIRST PLACE, WHAT I WAS RENOUNCING? I WANTED TO MAKE SURE MY INTENT FOR SPIRITUAL LIFE WAS CLEAR AND PURE ”.

In a heart to heart conversation with his brother Rajan, Swami ji broached his intent to run his own business and then to retire at the age of 30 years. Rajan was flabbergasted at this atrocious decision. He asked Swami ji, ” But what if God has other plans for you. I haven’t seen anyone retiring at thirty …but what will you do after retiring ?” ” I want to devote my life to my search for truth ‘- replied Swami ji.

” In July 2005, I moved to Canada as a millionaire. A week later , a seal grey top model Porsche 4s , was parked in the in the garage of our four -bedroom house in Canada. I launched a marketing campaign to develop my business and signed up seven new customers within a span of five weeks. I built a customer base in India and also signed on small customers in the US. CASH WAS FLOWING , PROFITS WERE GOOD AND I WAS BACK IN BUSINESS.

” NOW, I FINALLY PAUSED AND TOOK A LONG LOOK AT MYSELF. I STILL HAD TO DISCOVER THE TRUTH OF MY EXISTENCE .MY DESIRE TO MEET GOD WAS WAITING TO BE FULFILLED. THIS LIFE I WAS LIVING AT THE MOMENT WAS GOOD ,WAS EVEN TRUE, BUT THIS WAS NOT THE ONLY TRUTH AND CERTAINLY NOT THE ETERNAL TRUTH I LONGED FOR. IT WAS TIME TO MOVE BACK TO INDIA. IT WAS TIME TO FIND MY GOD ”.

( Over to renunciation and spiritual voyage….. in the concluding part )