One of my deepest experiences of Swamiji occurred with my father, which made it even more special. It was in 1992, during a talk Swamiji gave in our community courtyard. He opened with a chant and then suggested we do a long meditation together.
My heart sank at these words. Due to fibromyalgia, I could only sit comfortably for about an hour. A long meditation meant I could probably have to leave in the middle of the lecture and go home to lie own.
During the meditation, as usual, I noticed my back begin to tense up. However, as my resistance declined, a calming peace flowed through me. My back muscles relaxed and I enjoyed the half hour meditation. I also enjoyed the lecture, which I was able to sit through in its entirety for about an hour.
I cant tell you what the lecture was about, but that didnt matter. The peace I felt was deeper than words could create or describe. My father and I floated wordlessly back to my apartment. All I could say was, Lets meditate together. He nodded his head in agreement, and we fell into a deep meditation.
Although my father wasnt a regular meditator, we both meditated for about an hour. Afterwards he said, Thank you, that was really nice. I passed the thanks onto Swamiji. I knew then why Swamiji has always stressed that magnetism is the most important quality for a lecturer to develop. Peace speaks louder than words.
-Kit Gardiser
