Gurudeva Profoundly Engaged with Mission and With World
S. Rajam
a. Indigenous peoples held a special place in Gurudeva’s heart. He met with Brazilian and African tribals, invited Inuit elders to help him found a temple in Anchorage and visited with Hopi elders in Arizona, putting their sacred texts online to help preserve a fading culture. b. Gurudeva was engaged in every aspect of his mission, knew every detail, approved every budget. He held weekly stewards’ meetings with his senior monks, often at seaside hotels, to keep an overview of his global mission. c. Everywhere he traveled, Gurudeva sought out leaders of all faiths, making connections to strengthen tolerance and understanding—from the Dalai Lama to the Grand Mufti, from Anandamayi Ma to Pramukh Swami to Chandrashekharendra Saraswati. d. For five years Gurudeva met monthly with the business, educational, media and political leaders of the island, their sole purpose being to map out a spiritual vision for the future of Kauai.