Shri Ambalal Muljibhai Patel (1908 - 1988), was a business man from Gujarat, who got bestowed with Enlightenment in a but natural way while waiting on Surat (Gujarat – India) railway station in the year 1958. Later, He was known as Akram Vigyani ‘Dada Bhagwan’. The Nature revealed to Him, its many intricacies and secrets of spiritual path as well as worldly life and living. An embodiment of pure love and compassion, Dada Bhagwan had an unparalleled ability to explain and impart understandings about life and living in a very simple and heartfelt language through His dialogues with seekers coming from different walks of life, beliefs, and nationalities. Although, Dada Bhagwan himself didn’t write any book, the noting of excerpts, audio tapes and a few videos of His conversations are available as such and a series of volumes titled ‘Aptavani’ as also large number of topic-wise edited books have been published in Gujarati (of which many are translated in other languages) by various organizations engaged in this activity. Large chunk of His audios have been uploaded on websites and Mobile Apps for universal access.
Dadaji always answered the seekers by explaining the concepts clearly in a consistent way with simple illustrations and similes. He encouraged them to ask more and more questions and they wondered how He was able to relate myriad things that are going on in Nature; in such a short, precise answers for which scholars and scientists may take years to research and find out. He gave the perspective that »Man is a Guest of Nature« and one should not interfere in the scheme of ‘Mother Nature’; He said if you do that, you have consequences and disturbances in Nature.
It was Dadaji’s desire to disseminate His scientific explorations and explanations to general public through the scholars, thinkers, and scientists throughout the world so that all human beings can live a happy, ideal, holistic life of peace, prosperity, and harmony. He believed that this is feasible in the present era of widespread education and literacy coupled with communication technology. These are His words:
“If we are able to illuminate the path of those scientists (thinkers), they would convert the knowledge in their lexicons, then it would be available to each and every person. It is my idea that this science has to be made available to everyone in every nook and corner of this world; everyone in the world has to feel happiness and peace. That is my intention, my idea and the thrust of my inner force.”
Dada Bhagwan blessed about 24 youths for celibate life dedicated to explain the spiritual aspirational prayers (Sat-sadhan) to seekers.
Dada Bhagwan had a unique spiritual power of bestowing self-realization to the seekers on one-on-one basis. About 60 thousand seekers from India and abroad were fortunate to derive such rare benefit of Enlightenment through His direct grace. This path of Enlightenment through direct one-on-one grace of a living Enlightened One is known as Akram Marg (stepless path of enlightenment). Dadaji declared that He has blessed and empowered Shri Chandrakantbhai R. Patel and Shri Kanubhai K. Patel as His successors with this unique spiritual prowess, since both are destined to be evolved as Tirthankars in the time-cycle to follow. Dada Bhagwan said that both these persons are associated with Him for most of the time through His spiritual journey of about a million years of transmigrations!