Shree
Whoever had the opportunity to meet Shree was usually deeply touched by His sublime charisma. His appearance was rather simple, which was not just because of His clothing. Shree's face radiated freshness and youthfulness, as did His movements. Nevertheless, approaching Him, one almost fell to one´s knees. How could that be?
Horst Heigl said this about his first encounter, "When I met Shree, I saw Him translucent and was overwhelmed by His radiance and majesty. Love and humility seemed to flow from every fiber of His being." 3, p. 19
Some people also perceived such a luminous power that they had never before experienced before.
In general, Shree spoke very little. His statements were usually short and concise. He told some of the people in His immediate circles about some experiences of His life so that the memory about it would not get completely lost.
Shree did not make a big fuss about His body, but He was extremely clean and punctual. For several years one could always see Him with a wristwatch in His hand, perhaps to show us that He wasted no second of His life. His whole being was dedicated to His great task.
Shree: “Whatever the Almighty expects from me He will certainly get it done by me. I have totally surrendered my existence to His Will. Hence I am confident that the One who has made me realise my duties will also provide me the necessary ability to fulfill them.
I never propound or treat with difference any particular religion. The regard with which I will expound the Hindu religion, or the views belonging to the Hindu religion, in the same way and with the same regard I will do so for the Bible and the Koran too.
I have told many, in no uncertain words, not to take me as a Guru but some of them have unnecessarily identified me with the Guru sentiment. Many people might have experienced wonderful miracles or superhuman powers inhabited in my being, but even so, I am not the doer of all of that. I am just an observer and not a doer of those divine occurrences. I have given up ownership of my body and have completely handed it over to the Almighty. He then began using it in this way.” 4, p. 136, 137
Shree met all people with the same love. Origin, religious affiliation, social status, caste etc. --all this did not matter to Him. He accepted the religious customs of His environment, but sometimes He tried to reduce the strong veneration of His person. He said that true worship is to help the poor and the needy, and to follow the teachings given.
In the long evolution of man there are seven hierarchies. Shree confirmed that He was in the seventh and thus highest hierarchy. This enabled Him to set in motion the highest Divine powers in order to reestablish the Eternal Religion on earth. However, as Shree explained to one of His close devotees, Mr. Mahanubhav Madhavji Potdar (Potdarsaheb), the practical work is made by people who are not beyond the fifth hierarchy, or are temporarily stepping down into the fifth plane for a particular task.4, p 253
Shree gave the knowledge; He even showed it with His hand what the vessel to perform Agnihotra should look like. Others then took over the application and dissemination. Thus, the first Agnihotra, in the short form known today, was performed by a priest named Shri Hiralal Sharma, on the orders of Potdarsaheb, on 22 February 1963. Potdarsaheb also published the first books on the Fivefold Path and energetically began to spread it.
Shri Vasant Paranjpe (1921 - 2008) started to distribute it around the world. Shree had instructed him to pass on His words to all the people of the world. Shri Vasant travelled to every continent in the world, from 1972 onwards to practically his life’s end, always with the aim of spreading the Fivefold Path. In doing so, he could experience the constant and continuous guidance of Shree, which is not bound by space and time.
Many times a day, Shree was seen sitting in His room in deep Samadhi (state of union with God). Many visitors encountered Him like that. Nevertheless, Shree took care to convey the feeling of closeness to others. In a letter dated 16 June, 1944, He wrote:
Shree: "The path ordained by me is based on self-experience. It is not mere bookish knowledge. Have faith in it. Maintain your love for me and be self-attuned. Consider me as one of your family members. Do not deem me as an outsider, for I am not. Say, I belong to you and you are mine."
Shree also conveyed that no one should feel too small or unimportant to reach for the highest goal.
Shree: "It is not necessary to be as vast as an ocean to hold the reflection of the sky.
Even a small drop of water can reflect the entire sky.” 5, p. 65
Again and again Shree emphasized the great necessity of charity. For Him even an inanimate object or a temporary absence of well-being was “thy neighbor." There was nothing to which He would react with reluctance. He repeated the goal to be achieved in various words and on different occasions:
Total surrender to the Supreme Light to become an instrument for the Divine Will
Every spiritual exercise culminates in this. All Divine messengers and prophets have expressed this.
Another common feature of all of God's messengers is the lived example of forgiveness. Shree explained how far this can go with the example of Jesus Christ:
"Even those who touched Him (Jesus) with the intention of crucifying Him
were also liberated due to His Holy touch.
This is Forgiveness." 5, p. 140