AT dawn, while much of the world rushes toward deadlines and destinations, Ambika Prasad walks barefoot across his farm, listening to serenading birds and mooing cows.
There are no engines, no traffic, no hurry in his neck of the woods—only green fields and unadulterated air. Ambika Prasad, now 66, left Muaniweni Indian School in Class 3.
While children his age were only beginning to discover the world in a classroom, his came to an abrupt end.
He had no dreams of becoming something. Not because he lacked imagination or was too young, but because life gave him no space to dream.
“All I knew was that my mother and father were poor, very poor,” he said.
“So I had to help my father on the farm. There was no room to think of becoming anything else. I had no dreams.”
Ambika grew up on the same farm where he was raised alongside his six brothers and three sisters. To support the family, his father worked as a Public Works Department carpenter and a part-time farmer.
More importantly, he nurtured Ambika’s spiritual foundation, teaching him to read the Ramayan and have moral values, and involving him in religious activities.
“My father’s teachings never left me,” Ambika recalled.
“That is why, more than 40 years ago, I chose a life of solitude and became a priest.”
Today, Ambika is a Hindu priest, a respected spiritual leader in the farming community of Muaniweni, in Naitasiri.
He leads devotions in people’s homes and attends gatherings at the temple, offering guidance and prayer to those who seek it.
He keeps physically active by tending to his dalo and kumala farms and sustains himself on a vegan diet of fruits, root crops, and vegetables.
He lives alone on his 10-acre farm, managing most of the work himself and hiring labour only during planting and harvesting seasons.
As a priest, Ambika lives an ascetic life devoted to spiritual realization—renouncing worldly possessions and embracing simplicity, meditation, and rituals. In 1985, he made a lifelong vow of celibacy, choosing devotion over marriage.
His belief in simplicity is deeply rooted in Hindu spiritual principles that value inner wealth over material accumulation. For Ambika, freedom comes from letting go, not from acquiring more.
His quaint-looking farm house offers nothing captivating to the eyes, except an imagery of religious symbols, artefacts and idols.
“When you focus on spiritual enlightenment instead of worldly pleasure,” he explained, “your mind becomes calm. You find peace through prayer, meditation, and connection with the Divine.”
“I live a very simple life—from the clothes I wear and the food I eat, to the home I live in and the things I own.”
He chose the priesthood not for recognition, but for service.
“I wanted to serve the community,” he said.
“Most of all, I wanted to serve God.”
While the world relentlessly pursues fame and fortune, Ambika has chosen a different path—one rooted in stillness and meaning.
“When I sleep at night, I sleep in genuine peace,” he said.
“I don’t worry about money, stress, or what I will eat. The night is truly quiet and dark. The more you have, the more worries you carry. In the end, you lose inner peace.”
His days are filled not with traffic, noise, or pollution, but with birdsong, open fields, greenery, and fresh air. These natural gifts make his work in the farm enjoyable and stress-free.
Ambika believes wisdom comes when young people learn to let go of harmful desires.
“I advise the youth to stay away from alcohol and substances that damage the body,” he said.
“Listen to your parents. Work hard. Save money. And always help those in need.”
From a child with no room to dream, Ambika Prasad has grown into a man rich in peace—a reminder that true fulfillment does not come from what we own, but from who we choose to become.
A prayer counter outside Ambika’s main door. Picture: JOHN KAMEA
Showing the Hindu Holy Book, Ramayan. Picture: JOHN KAMEA
A portion of space beside Ambika’s bed is dedicated for sacred Vedic fire ritual.
Picture: JOHN KAMEA
Idols and worship items fill up the inside of Ambika’s house.
Picture: JOHN KAMEA
