PART THREE: Wearing the Yoke (1951-1970)

I should say that I am by nature a hard-hearted sort of man. No one's death grieves me, no one's birth gives me joy, no one's sickness causes me much anxiety. But the experiences which have come to me in the bhoodan (land-gift) movement have softened me, so my heart is now easily melted. I have received the gift of bhakti, of that loving devotion to God which, with all my diligence on the path of meditation and knowledge, I have never before been able to reach. I have had very sacred experiences, for I have become aware of the great purity of heart to be found among ordinary people, and have realized what a strength this is to our country. It is the foundation upon which, if we will, we may build a strong nation.