PREFACE
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I. This book is neither a fiction nor a romance, nor a religious discourse. It is not a criticism of any person or society. There is no effort to prove or disprove anything. Everything is personal. Like a traveler, the author has tried to give a sketch of his spiritual life.
2. This is a picture of the life of a living Bengali, born and brought up in Eastern and Western Bengal in a Brahmin family where religious customs and traditions fully prevailed.
3. As the writer studied in school and colleges-science, physical geography, logic, metaphysics -his traditional beliefs were completely shaken.
4. While enjoying a worldly life and a prosperous business of publishing and selling books, he got a sudden mental shock and from that day his attention was drawn and turned to a spiritual direction and his search of God began.
5. This is the picture of a humble religious journey of a disillusioned person trying to find a trace of eternal joy and peace.
6. The author tried to find this spiritual world and it's God among hills and dales, the sacred books, various temples and religious men, in holy places, the important paths of Hinduism, but he could not find the Living God, Saviour of those who have gone astray.
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7. Failing for years to find the object of his search, he went to Vrindaban and became a strong enemy of Jesus Christ and Christianity.
8. In this condition in December 1926, in a big temple in Vrindaban he found God and God found him. He entered from darkness into light.
9. After that his search stopped but his desire to know more of that God and to grow in His knowledge and experience has continued to increase day by day.
10. Since then he has kept the doors and windows of his ears open, hoping that the unknown and everlasting light will come in forever and shine in his life.
11. The incidents and anecdotes of his childhood, except those he remembered distinctly, were related to him by his grandmother, father, mother and elder sister.
12. The customs and manners described in this book have greatly changed now.
The author will be extremely grateful to receive any suggestions regarding this book.
Christmas 1959.
A. C Chakraverti