Page 181 - Demo

seeing him PVG Raju remarked, %u201cOh, you've become a Minister.%u201d Ashok replied, %u201cYes Daddy, for a second time.%u201d %u201cOh, that's good,%u201d his father abruptly said %u201cRun along, there are so many people waiting for you now%u201d and brought the conversation to a close.The above incident was typical of the man. PVG Raju grew up in an environment where showing emotions was taboo. He learned both by precept and teaching that one had to be a stoic, you couldn't wear your heart on your sleeve. He was not a demonstrative father; his children recall him as being aloof and rather detached. He was born as the heir apparent and grew up in great privilege and comfort. Waking up in the morning to people touching his feet or in some cases prostrating themselves in front of him. Even elders in the family, his grandmother or uncle would not call him by name. Yet he remained indifferent to all of this. He sought intellectual engagement, which he found in books or through spirituality. Leaning on Swami Jnanananda and later Jiddu Krishnamurthy and The Mother at Pondicherry.PVG Raju was mindful that he was the hereditary trustee of temples. These were properties that belonged to God and he was only a trustee. He took on a lot of challenges to maintain them. His spiritual side also shielded him from the disappointments of life and of not being able to do many things. He would frequently bring up the term karma. Karmawas what actually evolved with him. He felt he had to extinguish or expel it. One way to do so was through Dharma, by exercising his free will. He was very mindful of balancing these two.167