Being the president of a global religious organization and the spiritual leader of millions, Pramukh Swami Maharaj is surprisingly simple. His transparent and pure personality has inspired many people around the world. People anywhere and of all backgrounds are able to relate to him because of his simplicity, Swamishri is able to overcome hardships and alter his schedule in order to please his devotees.

In 1975, Swamishri was on his way to perform a murti-pratishtha ceremony in a village near Bhavnagar. As he was travelling with some sadhus and devotees, rain started to pour down and the roads became very muddy. Soon, the van got stuck I n a mud ditch. Even with the efforts of all the sadhus and devotees, the van would not budge. The devotees told Swamishri to wait under a tree while they began to place large rocks under the wheels to help the car move forward. But, instead, he joined in their efforts. The sadhus begged Swamishri to stop, but he insisted “There’s nothing wrong with lifting a few rocks. I used to lift rocks during the time of Shastriji Maharaj and Yogiji Maharaj. It’s nothing new.” Saying this, Swamishri continued to move the rocks. After many unsuccessful attempts, the group decided to walk to the nearby Dudhadhar village to get help. During the whole journey in the unrelenting rain, Swamishri was unfazed and sang the Swaminarayan dhun. In such times, Swamishri’s happy outlook never changes.