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Vasudayv photo by Gisele

Biography At seventeen, Vasudayv, reconnected with a friend from childhood. They had known each other at a special school, where they had studied art, music and drawing. Fortunately at fifteen years of age in Norway, Vasudayv had already become very disillusioned with life, realizing that it is all 'relative'. Finding the knowledge of meditation gave him a means to understand his true self, and to explore the vastness that his mind could perceive. In 1988, he met Swamiji in Norway, then a year later went to India. He turned down a career in Rock and Roll to pursue the path of the yogi, at twenty one years old. Written by Gisele Beaupre

Interview

Gisele: Vasudayv, what was your first meeting with Swamiji like?

Vasudayv: Well I had been meditating once a week and my friend told me that this knowledge is the beginning, now you know what the world is, you have to go inside and find what's inside you to reach the fulfillment. So I had already been meditating faithfully for a year when I met Swamiji.

When I first met him he was just sitting in a room all by himself and I entered the room. He didn't say much at all, he just gave me a hug. His presence was strong, so very strong. It was a big house full of a lot of people. It was quite a happening! So when I finished high school a year later, I went to Kullu.

Gisele: Why did you start meditating.

Vasudayv: Meditation was like an oasis. Slowly, I was able to incorporate that feeling into my everyday life, because otherwise I was pretty much unhappy with the world around me. The way I am living now is more fulfilling. Now I have the capacity to apply the knowledge in such a way that I can create my own reality. I feel I am on my way to accomplish creating a beautiful world for myself and whomever I meet.

Gisele: You are lucky to have become disillusioned so young!

Vasudayv: Yes, I feel that I have been guided all the way. There has always been the right thing for me when I needed it. Even when I planned to do something and it didn't work out. In retrospect I see now how it was all perfect. So many times I planned to do stupid things and they didn't work out the way I thought they should.

Gisele: What stupid things did you do?

Vasudayv: Like when I went on a bike trip and Swamiji went by in a cab and saw me. The next day I put myself in the front row and Swamiji had on his sunglasses and was very serious and didn't say much at all. He paid a lot of attention to my side of the room, I felt his eyes burning into me. I felt it was my ignorance burning! Then he turned his attention elsewhere and the rest of the satsang was filled with laughter. I felt it was a major change in me. He didn't say anything to me, like I shouldn't do this. The energy was so amazing. I felt so high afterward.

Transcribed by Gisele Beaupre

Vasudayv, later returned to Norway and did a similar project as this for a Masters degree. 

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