As a child I was not satisfied with half measures. I had to get to the bottom of things, and at an early age I began to inquire into the meaning of life and became a restless seeker for truth and light.
I had been brought up to believe that suffering is the will of God, that suffering and dying are the means by which we enter heaven. Inasmuch as I accepted these thoughts into consciousness as true, my health began to give way. My strength began to wane, and I was always tired. Finally, while in a foreign country, I collapsed several times. The error was diagnosed as a severe circulatory disorder.
For several years I was unable to earn a living. I was alone and without relatives. The powers of darkness crept upon me and mocked me thus: "You have sought the meaning of life in vain. Now your life is without meaning; you are helpless, a burden to the few friends you have. End it! Such a life has no meaning whatsoever!" I reversed the tempter's quibbling, and replied: "God will give a meaning to my life! 'Get thee hence, Satan.'" And Satan fled.
