When my mother died several years ago, I was devastated and felt a part of me had also died with her. "Where has she gone?" was my constant question. I felt abandoned. One day I felt particularly sad and wrote Guru a note saying how much I longed to see her, to speak with her and to feel her presence. On her birthday I sent Guru flowers and a simple card honouring her former soul's day—once on earth, now in Heaven. That night, although I was working, I felt an inner compulsion to leave and go to see Guru. It was a public meditation and quite formal. I came in and sat at the back. Immediately I felt a sensation of my mother's soul come from Guru's heart and then sit down next to me. I felt she was speaking to me very lovingly and with deep concern to make sure I was all right. I felt her arm over my shoulders, and a deep feeling of peace came over me. I looked up to see Guru interrupt his meditation, take up my card from its flower arrangement and write something on it. I was deeply moved by Guru's complete oneness with the experience I had just received. I always wonder if these experiences are my imagination, but this time Guru proved to me that my imagination and his oneness were completely in tune with each other.

Kokila (New York)

Some years ago I asked Guru if I could publish a book I had written about the great Indian yogi Gorakshanath, but I did not get any clear answer. More than one year later, quite unexpectedly, Guru himself brought up the subject once more, expressing his consent for the publication. Amazingly, this was exactly at the time when I had to get an answer, for shortly after that, the publisher finally decided that he would publish the book.

Jyotishman (Zurich)

In December 1981 I had been a disciple for a little over one year, and I came to New York to see Guru before he went on the Christmas trip. At the function the night before Guru's departure, Guru had small groups of five or six disciples come to the back of the hall and stand in front of him in his private room. Guru then blessed each person on the head with his hand and said something nice like, "I am very pleased with you, I am very proud of you." At that time my main concerns in life were basically two things: to become a good disciple and to get my spiritual name. I had been longing for a proper name since childhood, so the longing had become quite intense over the years. When Guru came to me, the second he touched my head, I thought, "Oh my God, I am so bad. How can Guru be pleased with me? I will never get my name, never, never!" Guru backed up one or two steps and looked at me with a huge smile. Then he said very slowly and reassuringly: "You will get your name. You will get your name. You will get your name." I was caught, and I burst out laughing at my own stupidity. It took another year for me to get my spiritual name, but needless to say I never worried about it any more after Guru's most affectionate prediction.

Kanti (Cologne)