I came to know Datta in the summer of 2006 through the web site Astroved. At that time, I had lost my job and was dealing with feelings of doubt and insecurity. I must admit, I wasn’t exactly sure what to think of Datta and his teachings, but for some reason I felt a strong connection. I had been searching for a Guru for a while and I decided that there was a reason why I found Datta, or should I say, Datta found me.

In August 2006 after practising the only mantra I knew, “Thiru Neela Kantam”, I had a very powerful dream. I was at a temple complex in Southern India during a festival. There was a priest walking alongside a temple elephant. He was holding a basket and giving each person prasadham. When the priest arrived to me, the elephant raised his trunk and made a very happy trumpeting sound. I looked at the priest’s face and I saw that it was Datta! I now realize that the elephant was actually Lord Ganesh in the form of a humble temple elephant.

The second dream occurred last Spring. Again I was in India, but this time I was going through an initiation ceremony. The priest shaved off all of my hair, applied Vibhuti (sacred ash) on my forehead and recited several mantras. I was clear to me that a fire ceremony had also taken place. The priest gave me a piece of paper with a manta on it and told me to recite it. I looked at the priest’s face: it was Datta’s!

The dream felt so real that when I woke up it took me several minutes to realise that I was back in Toronto. I believe that these dreams were Datta’s way of telling me that indeed I have found my Guru. For this I am eternally grateful.

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