Oneness And Joy

After only three months as a disciple, apartment living became unbearably depressing to me. I would gaze out of my 13th story window lovingly at homes in the neighbourhood. Without a word, my sister's heart knew my growing unhappiness. One day she shared her dream with me: a dream of a house with other disciples. I jumped with joy at the suggestion. The very next morning as we both prepared for work, Nishtha quickly read an ad for a house for rent. The description sounded unbelievable: "…colonial estate with sprawling gardens, 13 rooms, 5 bathrooms…" We decided to go right then and there before our jobs. It was a foggy morning. The directions we had led us off a major highway directly to the driveway of the homestead. On the pillars flanking the entry read a plaque: "The Old Mill Farm". We slowly drove down the long, bumpy, dirt driveway. From the fog first emerged a stable, complete with a horse and mules in a corral. We were shocked. A bit further down was an old colonial gristmill with a waterfall. We gasped. At the end of the driveway we saw "1776" atop a chimney of a sprawling grand estate and carriage house. Silence we became. The real estate agent had not arrived yet, so with excitement we began to explore. Both of us decided this was the home for us, without a moment's hesitation. With Guru's approval, soon after 13 disciples moved into the Old Mill Farm and a vision unfolded. After five months of living at the Old Mill Farm, painting, scraping and decorating, we received an unannounced visit from our Guru. All of us were off at work. Guru apparently walked in the unlocked doors and surveyed the premises. Soon afterwards we received a phone call that Guru would like to come to the Old Mill Farm for a Joy Day and an inauguration of the Farm as a divine enterprise. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony in one of the large fields, Guru said, "Here is an enterprise that everyone can own. It is from here that oneness and joy will grow." But even more spectacular was our next discovery: United Nations Secretary-General U Thant lived just up the hill. He accepted Guru's invitation to attend a performance of Guru's play "Siddhartha Becomes the Buddha". Guru now shows a video of that immortal evening each time he presents the U Thant Peace Award.

Pranika (New York)