I often remember an anecdote that took place when I was just eleven years old. I had often weird thoughts doubting the existence of God. I was not exactly non-believer but at the same not true believer in the true sense of the term. I used to attend the Sanskrit institution situated on the banks of Gomti river in my home town Dwarka. Once I asked my Guru, my Sanskrit teacher, how to find God. The teacher was muscular and burly. He said if I really wanted to find God and I answered that I really wanted to. So the teacher took me down to the river. On reaching the river, he grabbed me by my neck and held my head under water. At first I thought he was giving me a special baptism. But one minute over, he didn’t let go. I began struggling. Still the teacher would not release me. Second by second, I fought harder and harder. After three minutes, the teacher pulled me out of the water. He used to teach us **Pranayama and so he knew I could hold by breathe for more than two minutes in the circumstances. Then, he said when you desire God as much as you desired air; you have the epiphany of God.
I am, indeed, very lucky I got the longer time between epiphany and epitaph by the
grace of God.
*An ancient Indic language that is the language of Hinduism and the Vedas and is the
classical literary language of India.
**Inhaling for a minute, holding for a minute and the exhaling for a minute. It's an excercise for the lungs as in Yoga.
