On the evening of October 9, 2016, in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, the sun dipped low over the BAPS campus, bathing the surroundings in a soft, golden calm. The day’s programs had concluded. Silence settled gently into the air. And Mahant Swami Maharaj, as was his daily routine, began walking back to his room.
What unfolded next was not dramatic. There was no grand discourse, no microphone, no crowd-stopping announcement. Yet within this quiet moment lived a lesson profound enough to reshape how we see people—and love them.
A Pause That Revealed a Way of Living
More Than a Routine Darshan
As Swamishri stepped onto the metal bridge connecting the Sabha Hall to the Pradakshina path, devotees stood waiting for his darshan. Many had stood there countless times before. Same place. Same posture. Same folded hands. Same hopeful eyes.
And Swamishri stopped.
He didn’t offer a passing glance. He didn’t rush forward. He folded his hands in return and looked—truly looked—at every single devotee. His gaze was steady, affectionate, and deeply respectful. This was not habit. This was presence.
“It wasn’t a routine. It was a sacred exchange between soul and soul.”
“So What If They Are the Same People?”
Watching this, a sadhu nearby, Yogvijay Swami, remarked almost casually,
“They’re all the same people.”
Swamishri turned to him, his response immediate and unforgettable:
“So what if they are the same people?
If we do darshan of them a thousand times, it’s still not enough.”
In that moment, a simple observation became a spiritual teaching.
Love That Does Not Tire
No One Is Ever “Just Another Person”
To Mahant Swami Maharaj, familiarity never dulls value. Repetition never reduces worth. Seeing the same devotee day after day does not lessen love—it deepens it.
“His heart doesn’t grow weary. His love doesn’t lessen. His humility never pauses.”
Where we often see repetition, Swamishri sees relationship. Where we see routine, he sees responsibility—to honor the soul standing before him, every single time.
The Divine Vision Behind the Gesture
This is not merely kindness. It is a spiritual worldview.
In every devotee, Swamishri sees:
- A soul on a journey
- A being worthy of reverence
- Someone deserving of full attention
This is how saints love—not selectively, not efficiently, but completely.
The Trap of Familiarity in Our Own Lives
When Seeing Turns Into Overlooking
Most of us move through life on autopilot.
We see the same people every day:
- Parents
- Spouses
- Colleagues
- Friends
And slowly, unintentionally, we stop seeing them.
“We take the familiar for granted—simply because it’s familiar.”
We forget to smile. We stop saying thank you. We assume presence without offering appreciation.
Not out of malice—but out of habit.
A Quiet Spiritual Warning
This story gently asks us:
Have we allowed repetition to rob our relationships of reverence?
Because love that is real does not say, “I’ve seen you already.”
It says, “Even now, it’s not enough.”
Learning to See Again
Presence Is a Form of Seva
Mahant Swami Maharaj teaches us that seva is not only done with hands—it is done with attention.
- Looking up from our phones
- Meeting someone’s eyes
- Listening without rushing
- Being emotionally and spiritually present
“Sometimes, the smallest act of genuine attention echoes louder than any grand gesture.”
These moments may feel small—but they touch the soul.
Practicing Saintliness at Home and Work
We may not stand on a metal bridge offering darshan, but we stand daily at countless intersections of human connection.
What if we treated those moments with the same sincerity?
Conclusion: No Soul Should Ever Go Unseen
That evening in Bhavnagar was quiet. But its message is loud and lasting.
Through one simple sentence, Mahant Swami Maharaj showed us how saints love—and how we can learn to love better.
“If we do darshan of them a thousand times, it’s still not enough.”
Let that line stay with us.
Today, pause. Notice someone you see every day. Acknowledge them. Appreciate them. Let them feel seen.
Because they matter.
And because Swamishri has shown us, again and again, that no soul is ever ordinary—and no moment of love is ever enough.
To know more about Mahant Swami Maharaj: https://www.baps.org/About-BAPS/TheFounder%E2%80%93BhagwanSwaminarayan/TheSpiritualLineage-TheGuruParampara/Mahant-Swami-Maharaj.aspx
Mahant Swami Maharaj: An Introductory Film on the Spiritual Leader of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s1OeBc3lHw&t=9s
BAPS Website: https://www.baps.org/
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