*“Ashram”*
Now that place too had begun to feel like an ashram. Only one thought was repeating in my mind — a miracle will happen, and the land will come to us!
And that is exactly what happened.
The owner called and asked if we could come to his office. We went to meet him there, and he said he wanted to sell the land!
My eyes opened wide with joy — and the very next moment, my heart sank in fear: How will this happen?
In my heart I wished for it to become ours, but it seemed impossible.
We spoke with him. He said there were already some people interested in buying that land.
I asked, “But you weren’t planning to sell it — why such a sudden decision?”
He said, “Babaji, I don’t know… this thought just came to me suddenly.”
I knew then — this was the divine play of God.
But still I thought to myself, I had said it would take seven years, and it’s only been seven months!
Yet this was the will of God — it had to happen.
Then I said to him, “Why are you selling it to someone else? Give it to us.”
He replied, “Babaji, what could be better than that! If you want it, please take it.”
I knew well what the land was worth — and at that moment it felt as if this could never happen, not even in seven lifetimes.
A strange kind of worry filled my mind. Around that time, I was to go on the Kedarnath pilgrimage — my first ever 250-kilometer journey on foot. I didn’t want to carry any worry in my mind during that trip.
So I told him, “I’ll let you know after a month whether I’ll take the land or not.”
That day, I had released an arrow of faith into the air.
He said, “Babaji, please go peacefully on your pilgrimage. We’ll wait for you.”
After returning home, my heart was heavy. It felt as if the ashram had ended even before it began.
Surely that land would now be sold — such a beautiful place would bring the owner whatever price he asked for.
My mind kept questioning, Will they really wait for me?
And my heart kept answering, Be still. A miracle will happen.
The heart kept whispering, This is meant to be an ashram — and an ashram it shall become!
Everything happening was the divine play of God — God Himself weaving this illusion.
We only had to watch — just watch.
And that is how life is: when circumstances go beyond your understanding, you must stop struggling.
Time will take you wherever you are meant to go.
It’s just like someone who falls into a pond — if they don’t know how to swim and begin flailing, thrashing to save themselves, the water only pulls them deeper.
But when the body becomes still, the water itself lifts them to the surface.
Many times, it is our effort that drowns us.
So when life feels incomprehensible, free yourself from that burden you keep hidden in your heart.
…To be continued…