Devendra Kumar Rai

First and foremost, I bow down at the holy feet of Gurudev Shri Ramlal Ji Siyag and Dada Gurudev Baba Shri Gangainath Ji Yogi (Brahmaleen).

• I (Devendra Kumar Rai) am a resident of village Sonhariyan, District- Ghazipur. I had a strong desire to attain God from my childhood so I started looking for an empowered Guru. I got married at the age of 17, but I used to go to many ashrams due to an intense desire to attain God.

• First, I went to Gorakhnath's temple in Gorakhpur.There Mahant Avaidyanath told me that I will have to ask for alms all my life after renouncing the world but I did not accept this. So, I went to Ayodhya to the ashram of Nitya Gopaldas ji Maharaj.

• He asked me to do spiritual practice while staying at home. I started working in the construction and water supply department of the ashram to look after my family and continued the spiritual practice. Nearly three years passed but I got no spiritual experience or self satisfaction so I came back home.

• After staying at home for a few years, I went to the ashram of Swami Ram Nareshcharyaji in Kashi. There I was given mantra initiation and I was given a new name, Ramdas. After staying in the ashram for a few days I came to know about the activities of the ashram. I realized that there is unnecessary politics in the ashram and simple and honest people are neglected. I stayed there for 2-3 years and found that there is no truth here. After this I joined ‘Vingam Yoga’. I practiced there too but got no results. Even after all this, I did not give up and constantly kept looking for an enlightened empowered Guru.

• Later I went to the ashram of Baba Dnyaneshwar, Swami Sadananda Paramahansa, who calls himself Kalki avatar. There, the seekers were made to do hard work for many hours in the fields and in construction works. When they made a mistake, they were beaten with whips and sticks. It was also said that eating any food from outside the ashram will cause seeker’s death - such fear was also shown. And once anyone joined the ashram, he was not permitted to leave the ashram easily and was beaten fiercely for trying to leave the ashram. One day I too was beaten with a stick without any fault, so I decided that no matter what happens, I have to get out of here as soon as possible and one day I managed to escape from their Haridwar Ashram and in the fear of getting caught, I walked 14-15 km besides the railway track.

• After this I reached home via Varanasi and heaved a sigh of relief. I told my family that I cannot eat the food as I had a fear of death. Only when my family members convinced me that nothing will happen to me, then I ate the food. Such was my condition. After some time, it was found that Baba, who called himself ‘Kalki avatar’, was killed by someone. It was very disappointing to know that everywhere a goofy business of looting innocent people in the name of God was going on.

• Even after all these events, I did not lose courage and started looking for empowered Gurudev and this time I reached Adgadanandji's ashram. Since I was almost 50 and my hair had turned white, the ashram people said that only young people were allowed to stay at the ashram and not old people. After this, I decided to do spiritual practice at home but was always in search of a competent Guru.

• Now I was about 56 years of age and I was suffering from arthritis and suffered a lot while walking. Looking at my past, I see that I started looking for a real Guru at the age of 17, but I have not been able to get this good fortune so far, and nearly 39 years have passed.

• After that I reached the Siddha Yoga camp there and meditated but I took it casually. I reached home with the leaflets and cards of Siddha Yoga and told my uncle about this matter. My uncle advised me to watch carefully for a few days and said that if this cures my arthritis then I should accept Him as my Guru. I said okay.

• For about 15 days, I chanted and meditated on Gurudev's picture in the morning and evening. Then I noticed that my arthritis pain had completely reduced and now there is no problem in walking. I told this to everyone in my family. Everyone was very surprised and happy.

• I am so grateful to Gurudev by whose grace I got well. I thought that even when he is so far away and has not met me and without any medicines or any rituals, only by meditating on his picture and chanting the mantra, my arthritis got cured in just 15 days, then anything is possible for such a capable Gurudev. With this I became fully convinced that He is my empowered Guru whom I had been looking for and He will liberate me.

• Now I do regular meditation and chanting. I experience infinite bliss. Now it is my resolve that I will be in the service of Gurudev for lifetime.