Paramahamsaji’s mission takes him all around the world to most countries. I recall that in Crete, Paramahamsaji had lectures in the four major cities of the island: Chania, Rethimno, Iraklio and Agios Nikolaos. We didn’t have a car in those days, so we arranged for a taxi to take him to the next lecture. One day, he and Swami Satsangi were in the back seat and I was in the front with the driver. It was close to midday and the temperature must have been over 40°C. The driver arrived fresh and cool in his air-conditioned taxi, but when we got in Paramahamsaji indicated to me that he preferred the air- conditioning to be turned off. “Would you mind turning the air-conditioning off?” I asked the driver, who wasn’t happy with this idea. He complied but immediately rolled down the windows.
Paramahamsaji let me know that the windows should be closed. I asked the driver to do this. He said, “Do you want to kill your visitors?” He had already taken off his shirt because of the rising heat. I said, “I’m sorry, but the gentleman in the back is used to living in high temperatures and this temperature is cool for him.” All this time the driver was getting hotter and hotter, temperature-wise and anger-wise. He told me over and over that I wasn’t a good example of Greek hospitality.
Paramahamsaji asked, “What’s he saying?” I explained that the Greeks naturally talk a lot, and Paramahamsaji said, “Ah, he’s saying his mantras.” Then the driver asked me, “What are you saying? Are you telling him what I’m saying? Are you showing a Greek guy in a bad light?” He kept going on and on and I said eventually, “No, I just told him that you were repeating the name of God.”
The temperature in the car continued to rise and then Paramahamsaji started to wind down the back window. As he did, the driver got a blast of cooler air and I looked around. Paramahamsaji said, “Oh,” and quickly wound the window back up. So it appeared to the driver that my action was one of disapproval and confirmed to him that turning off the air- conditioning and keeping the windows closed was my idea.
That was enough for the taxi driver. He stopped, got out of the car and got me out of the car and said, “You have no right to treat your guests like that. They won’t ever come back to Greece if you treat them like that.” Paramahamsaji sat with no expression on his face and asked, “Sivamurti, is there something wrong?” The taxi driver got Paramahamsaji and Swami Satsangi out of the car, opened all the windows, got everyone back in the car and we travelled the rest of the way with the windows open.
The transformation in the driver was remarkable. After having got the anger out of his system, he became a different person. Of course he thought I was the wicked one in the story, and he went out of his way to make Paramahamsaji comfortable. His attitude turned into that of a disciple. He offered tea, water and other refreshments. He opened the car doors and he helped Paramahamsaji out, he carried his luggage. By the end of that journey, Paramahamsaji had won another heart. He won hearts wherever he went in the most extraordinary ways.