"You have to understand the poetic way of saying that whenever somebody becomes enlightened it is not only his enlightenment – because he has disappeared, that's why there is enlightenment – it spreads all over existence, it is being felt through every fiber of life.

"And with each single individual becoming enlightened, the whole level of consciousness of humanity goes a little higher. Whatever man is today, it is not due to his own effort; the credit goes to those few enlightened people around the world. They can be counted on fingers. But each disappearing, becoming pure light, has given a tremendous push to the whole sleeping humanity towards a better state of consciousness.

"Wherever we are, we owe tremendously to people we don't even know.

"But with poetry there is a difficulty. One difficulty is, if you explain it, it becomes prose; it loses its poetic quality. Secondly, the believers, the faithful, think that it is not poetry; whatever is said did actually happen, it is history – not fiction but factuality. They get angry if you call it poetry – although poetry is a far higher expression than prose.

"And this kind of poetry has been used for all enlightened people around the world.

"It happened, the first time I had come to Bombay – it must have been in 1960 – to speak at the birthday celebrations of Mahavira. And Bombay is the stronghold of the Jainas.

"I was absolutely unknown to them.

"They had two speakers. I was introduced to them by a very eminent person in India, a very simple and humble man; but by chance he was the general manager of Jamnalal Bajaj in Wardha. Jamnalal Bajaj was one of the richest men in India who sacrificed his everything for the freedom struggle. He had made a big guest house, at least five hundred people can stay there at a time, and continually there were conferences for the freedom fighters. And finally he persuaded Mahatma Gandhi also – who was the leader – to come to Wardha, and he made an ashram for him nearby, outside the city.

"And this old man, Chiranjilal Badjatya, was in charge of taking care of all the guests."