In 1959, Swamiji accepted an invitation from Sri Vasudeva Daryanani, the secretary of the Divine Life Society, to give a series of lectures and demonstrations in Hong Kong. He spent two months there and in Malaysia, giving training in asanas, pranayama, concentration and meditation. Early in April 1961, Swamiji was invited to make a second, more extensive, Far Eastern tour. This time he would cover Japan and the Philippines, as well as Hong Kong and Malaysia.
In Hong Kong, Swamiji became acquainted with a family of people who quickly became devotees and dear friends. These were the Harilelas—a wealthy and successful family who were deeply devoted to God. In the Harilela mansion, each day began with an early morning worship service. The six Harilela brothers always started their work for the day by bowing down on the threshold of their places of business. Swamiji often cited them as an example of devout people. “How often do we see people who worship the threshold of their business place?”, Swamiji asked a group of devotees. “The Harilelas do that because they know it is not their business; it is God’s business. They sincerely feel that they are only caretakers. From the home to the office—everywhere—you see this devotion in their hearts. I think that is the secret of their success in life—total trust in God. They are the living proof that if you have absolute devotion to God, you won’t have to worry about anything.” Over many decades, the Harilelas continually invited Swamiji to return to Hong Kong and other Asian countries where they had businesses, to bless those ventures and to give programs on Yoga.
A new phase of Swami Satchidananda’s life had now begun. He was now called to serve the world…
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