Acharya Maharaj was about to commence his discourse at a religious conference. There was a sudden movement in the crowd and an old woman managed to mount the dais. Before the volunteers could stop her, she bowed low, removed a few gold ornaments and laid them at the feet of Maharaj. This rendered everyone in the assembly speechless.
It transpired that the elderly lady was not born a Jain, but certainly was a Jain by conduct. On her first encounter with Acharya Maharaj today, she was so overwhelmed by his conquest of attachment and aversion, his sacrifice and his spiritual endeavours, that she willingly gave up her dearest possessions. Verily, true faith belongs to all. Everyone is free to adopt it. It gives the right perspective and the right knowledge and shows the right path.
Muktagiri (1990)