Prasang 95
“Please forgive me”
In 2001, a group of children from North America visited India on a spiritual trip. During their stay in Bochāsan, Mahant Swami Maharaj was scheduled to give a discourse. His topic was “Swamibapa – Our Best Friend.”
A defining quality of Mahant Swami Maharaj is his deep commitment to any task he undertakes. Whenever he is assigned a topic for kathā, he thoroughly contemplates, reflects, and prepares meticulously to ensure it is presented with clarity. To prepare for this particular kathā, he traveled to Nadiād for focused study. Knowing that American children enjoy engaging presentations, he decided to make it more interactive. He personally drew 30–40 illustrations and even prepared a PowerPoint presentation to make it more visually appealing.
With such extensive preparation, Mahant Swami Maharaj began his discourse in Bochāsan. However, the children were exhausted from the long journey. As a result, many dozed off during the talk, and some even lay down and fell into a deep sleep!
After completing the kathā, Swamishri traveled to Atlādarā. From there, he wrote a heartfelt letter of apology to the children: “I am truly sorry that I could not convey what was in my heart. It must have felt like a punishment to you. Secondly, you are not accustomed to such long and difficult discourses, so that was another punishment. Thirdly, your knees must have been in pain, as I noticed how uncomfortable you were sitting cross-legged. My talks are never this long. This was my first attempt at using a slide presentation, and I could not manage the time well. This will not happen again. Please forgive me.”
Even though none of this was Swamishri’s fault, he took all the blame upon himself and sincerely apologized!
Years later, when someone asked Mahant Swami Maharaj, “Did you not feel that, as an elder, you should not have to apologize to young children?”, he humbly replied: “It’s not about being big or small. In Satsang, we must become dās nā dās (a servant of a servant). Even if a child is young, we must be willing to serve him and become his servant.”
On another occasion, Mahant Swami Maharaj said: “Asking for forgiveness should be without hesitation. Even Pramukh Swami Maharaj has asked for forgiveness despite not making any mistakes! From him, we have learned that this is the best path—the path of peace.”
Often, even when we are at fault, we struggle to apologize. But here, Swamishri teaches us that even if it’s not our fault, seeking forgiveness can resolve countless conflicts—whether in management, our Satsang community, or within our own families. By following in Mahant Swami Maharaj’s footsteps, let us also strive to walk the path of unity and peace.
