“One does not go by oneself in India,
You are led softly by the hand,
By whom you don’t know,
No words to ask.”
(Tears of Bliss: A Guru-Disciple Mystery, Narvada Puri, 2009)
I found that in the book written by the German woman who left her homeland in search of a bearded Indian Guru she had seen in a dream, and together they created the ashram I am staying in. It was the late 60s when Narvada Puri first came to India, and yet how true that statement remains to this day.
As India is leading you softly by the hand, she may also be shifting your best-laid plans. In fact, the more defined your plans, the more they will be adjusted. It’s usually a change for the better, so if you’re not willing to change your plans, there’s a good chance you will miss out. I might even go so far as to say, that after seven visits here, I think India is a country to buy a one-way ticket to, or if possible, at least a fully flexible one. I should have learnt my lesson from my last trip to India, when I encountered an alternative plan in the most beautiful way (a tale for another time).
