Editing A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (section)

=== Pramukh Swami as Guru ===
Kalam's desire to meet spiritual leaders to help create a more prosperous, spiritual, and unified India was what initially led him to meet [[Pramukh Swami Maharaj|Pramukh Swami]], the Hindu guru of the [[Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha|BAPS Swaminarayan Sampradaya]], who Kalam would come to consider his ultimate spiritual teacher and guru.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":2" /> The first of eight meetings between Kalam and Pramukh Swami over a fourteen-year period took place on 30 June 2001, in New Delhi, during which Kalam described being immediately drawn to Pramukh Swami's simplicity and spiritual purity.<ref name=":8" /> Kalam stated that he was inspired by Pramukh Swami throughout their numerous interactions. One such incident occurred the day following the [[Akshardham Temple attack|terrorist attack on BAPS]]' [[Akshardham (Gandhinagar)|Akshardham, Gandhinagar]] complex in September 2002; Pramukh Swami prayed for, and sprinkled holy water upon, the sites of all of the deceased, including the terrorists, demonstrating the view that all human life is sacred. Kalam recalled being moved by Pramukh Swami's equanimity and compassion, citing this incident as one of his motivations for writing ''[[Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji]]''.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji|last1 = Kalam|first1 = APJ Abdul|publisher = HarperCollins India|date = 2015|isbn = 978-93-5177-405-1|location = Noida|pages = 14–18|last2 = Tiwari|first2 = Arun}}</ref> Summarising the effect that Pramukh Swami had on him, Kalam stated that "[Pramukh Swami] has indeed transformed me. He is the ultimate stage of the spiritual ascent in my life ... Pramukh Swamiji has put me in a God-synchronous orbit. No manoeuvres are required any more, as I am placed in my final position in eternity."<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite book|title = Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji|last1 = Kalam|first1 = APJ Abdul|publisher = HarperCollins India|date = 2015|isbn = 978-93-5177-405-1|location = Noida|page = 50|last2 = Tiwari|first2 = Arun}}</ref> Following Kalam's death a month after his final book was released, co-author Arun Tiwari pointed to this passage as potentially prophetic and premonitory of Kalam's death.<ref>{{Cite news|title = Did Kalam sense his end was near? Arun Tiwari suspects|url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/arun-tiwari-suspects-kalams-premonition-of-his-death/article7478169.ece|newspaper = The Hindu|date = 30 July 2015|access-date = 4 August 2015|issn = 0971-751X|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161222061032/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/arun-tiwari-suspects-kalams-premonition-of-his-death/article7478169.ece|archive-date = 22 December 2016}}</ref>