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Nirmala Photo by Raj Kamal

Biography Nirmala met Swamiji in 1971, during his first trip to Canada. She was enthralled and followed him everywhere, eventually to India, where she was treated as a part of Swamiji's family. Nirmala has three children, was married to a successful businessman, and was at the height of her career as an artist, when she became disillusioned with it all, and began to search for a deeper reality or meaning to life. After spending many years in Kullu, pursing the highest knowledge, she considers her life to be her art. The sense of ease within her being, she attributes directly to Swami Shyam's teachings. It was he who led her to her own inner knowledge of her immortal and blissful identity. Written by Gisele Beaupre

Interview

Gisele:  Nirmala, how did you come to Kullu and meet Swami Shyam?

Nirmala: It was a time in my life around 1971, when I experienced a very disillusioned state. Somehow I had felt that I had attained everything. I had a very beautiful family, a home, and a great career in art with tremendous promise. But there was a great dissatisfaction in me. I felt that anything that I would do, since I had already done so much, it was not going to give me the satisfaction that I needed. That was the time when I stopped. I stopped running in my car, and visiting and lunches, and shopping. I just stopped my life, and sat down, and waited, and watched.

I had a friend whose name is Brahmanand, who is here now with his family. He had met Swami Shyam, and told me about him. I was also disillusioned with Gurus because I had already done five years of Hath Yog, and pranayam. So finally just to please Brahmanand, I went to meet Swamiji.

First of all I was very ,very delighted with the scene. Everybody there was quiet and watchful, friendly and joyful and not presumptuous. So that was pleasing, to my surprise, because I was not planning to be pleased. After a half an hour, all of a sudden everyone's heads turned, and there walked in Swamiji. I remember the sensation; just the fragrance in the air gave me a sensation of bliss. I was instantaneously absorbed. He sat down and just closed his eyes.

I thought "Don't close your eyes, I want to hear you speak." But I closed my eyes. I don't know how long the meditation was, one minute or thirty, I really lost track. I do remember Swamiji saying, "Take your own time," and we opened our eyes. I felt very much at ease. I hadn't felt that for a long time because I had been in such a disturbed state. Then Swamiji began to speak. The words were so beautiful and simple. Swamiji said, "You are the Self, and everything is One, and it is all One Self, you are not separate from anything." When I heard that, it was what I always knew, but forgot that I knew.

It wasn't as if I had to wonder, "Is he the real thing. Is he a real Guru?" There was nothing like that. I realized that this is what I know! So I immediately got very, very one pointed in pursing this man, or great Guru. I had three children at the time. Two of them were already in school. My youngest child was only three and a half. I followed him everywhere I was just completely concentrated for the first time in my life. This was kind of like a new life. I felt that I had gained something so valuable that I was determined to alter everything so that I could follow up and pursue this study.

Transcribed by Gisele Beaupre

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