Farrokh Anklesaria June 30, 2012 From Program at Farrokh's last rites: Farrokh K. Anklesaria, Esq., was a Barrister-at-Law, a British-trained attorney. He practiced family law in England before he found his true passion in life when he became a devotee of the spiritual Master, His Holiness Maharishi Yogi, founder of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) program. He became a TM teacher and lived and worked closely with Maharishi for many years. Maharishi treated Farrokh like a son, and spoke to him directly over the years. He told Farrokh to call him personally whenever he wanted to. Maharishi exerted the greatest influence on Farrokh’s life and work and Farrokh faithfully taught all that Maharishi had trained him to do. Farrokh was a man of the world. He traveled the globe as Ambassador for Maharishi, bringing Maharishi’s unique style of consciousness-based rehabilitation to nine heads of state, and directing the instruction of over 33,000 individuals in Maharishi’s TM program in 12 countries. He lectured widely on law, justice and rehabilitation and became the world’s leading expert in implementing Maharishi’s programs for rehabilitation in legal and correctional settings. He authored and edited five publications on the application of the Transcendental Meditation program to the fields of law, justice and rehabilitation. He met with hundreds of executive, legislative, judicial and correctional leaders at all levels of government in the United States and abroad. He addressed numerous legal and correctional conferences as well as press conferences and television and radio audiences worldwide. It was while addressing one of these correctional conferences that he met Hon. Judge David C. Mason. Judge Mason and Farrokh developed a deep friendship that transcended their work, and the Mason and Anklesaria families became very close. Judge Mason’s wife, Mrs. Taunia Mason, became a favored aunt to the Anklesaria girls, and a dear friend of Ruffina’s. When it became known that Farrokh needed a liver transplant to survive, Taunia selflessly offered to give half of her own organ for him to live. The Anklesarias will be forever indebted to the Masons for their offer of life to save Farrokh’s own. Farrokh founded The Enlightened Sentencing Project (TESP), a non-profit organization, in St Louis, in 1997. This was after he got the invaluable support of Judge Mason. Judge Mason had heard Farrokh’s convincing presentation on his work, and had reviewed the scientific evidence available. He pledged to send as many offenders as possible to TESP for this unique style of rehabilitation, which was both highly effective and enjoyable. Farrokh taught judges, correction officers and offenders sent by the courts in St Louis. He also taught members of the public. He taught with the drive and passion of a missionary and profoundly changed many lives. It seemed that nature compensated Farrokh for his selfless work by giving him a wife in whom he found a perfect match for his own spiritual, intellectual and emotional prowess. Farrokh and Ruffina became one in their marriage, their work, and in all that they did together. While Farrokh interfaced with clients, Ruffina took care of all administrative details and gave Farrokh the drive, support and love he needed. This combination of a man steeped in spirituality, a missionary at heart and on the job, wrapped in a warm blanket of unconditional love and support from his wife and children, Anahita and Julee, made Farrokh a very happy, strong, radiant and courageous man. Farrokh and Ruffina embodied all that is admirable in a couple devoted to each other. They, by their own admission, lived a heavenly life together. They held each other’s hands on all occasions and for all who knew them, were a symbol of true love. Farrokh was a devoted family man and loved his two girls dearly. His one regret was that he would not live to see them grow into womanhood. In the last two years, his one prayer was for more time on earth to give his girls the security of a father for as long as possible. Farrokh was a man of great integrity. He was a loving, caring husband and father. He was devoted to his mother as well when she was alive. He was a stalwart in his field. He was well educated and well traveled and was a great lecturer and conversationalist. He was a great lover of English literature, and loved reading poetry. It was his greatest joy when Ruffina published her book of poetry, “Kavita – Poems of Light and Communion,” in 2009, dedicated to him. It was his favorite book and he helped to bring it to fruition. He was Ruffina’s biggest fan and he would spend many hours enjoying her poetry and writings. “Farrokh and Ruffina” was a beautiful love story. In the last six months or so, Ruffina also became Farrokh’s nurse as his illness progressed. Their love and devotion to each other became even more intense. Even the angels in heaven must have weeped to see them. In the end, Farrokh hugged Ruffina several times as he lay in the hospital, and said that she was like the actress in a Bollywood movie in which the sick husband is doted upon by his loving wife right to the end. He tenderly asked each of his daughters to take care of their mother and of the other sister. He held his wife’s hands all of the last day, as he had done on so many other days, and asked her to never leave his side. He took his last breath holding her hands, in the company of his beloved girls, with his wife reciting his Zoroastrian prayers for him as he made the peaceful transition to his celestial abode. Excerpted from “Kavita: Poems of Light and Communion”, by Ruffina Farrokh Anklesaria Last Favor A streak of light across the skies, My soul is soaring, flashing by; One last look upon the earth, I bless her; she's nurtured me from birth. I blow my kisses to beautiful flowers - They filled my life with delightful hours; I fly quickly through the trees at night; Still a green and pretty sight. I take a last tumble in the blessed sea And feel the warm waters wave goodbye to me; I blow my last breath upon the earth And bless God's creatures, fill them with mirth. I ask Lord Surya one last favor Which he grants me, his devoted daughter – My little light filled the vast universe, Pervaded the ethers and lokas diverse; I felt the Divine coursing through me; I was the essence of all that could be. Every creature became my child; I filled up the cosmos, the earth, sea and sky. Stripped of all conditioning, I was Brahman, the One eternal Being. I was bliss, and bliss was all; All matter reverberated with the cosmic call; My Being was full, in everything; My soul expanded to all of Being – Then Lord Surya exhaled a cosmic breath; My tiny light from His was rent – I flashed across the twilight skies To bless the earth with my blissful goodbyes. ------------------------------------------------- Thank you for having enriched our lives and for coming today to bid a last farewell to my Beloved Farrokh, gentle spirit, spiritual giant, loving partner, dearest friend, sweet husband, devoted father, fearless teacher, now resting peacefully in God’s arms. Ruffina Farrokh Anklesaria