Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati

However, on the airplane, I said to myself, “This makes no sense. You are traveling thousands of miles away for the simple reason that you can get good vegetarian food, when you can get good vegetarian food on your corner! You’re in the middle of getting a degree that means a lot to you. You’ve never been a wanderer. Therefore, there must be a reason for your trip to India that you are not aware of.” I took a vow then to keep my heart open, in order to discover the reason for my trip to India, and to follow any messages, signs, or calls from my heart.

OMTIMES: How did you meet your Guru?

Sadhvi Bhagawati Sarasvati:  Rishikesh was the first place we went after arriving in Delhi—again, serendipity or Divine Grace. After placing my luggage in the hotel, I made the conscious decision to put my feet in the river. At the time, I was not aware the river was sacred; but I’ve always been very drawn to nature and the outdoors.

As I stood there, on the banks of Ganga, it was as though a veil was lifted from my eyes. The divinity of what was shown to me changed my life forever. I burst into tears—not tears of sadness, of course, or even tears of joy, but tears of Truth. I had come home! I didn’t know what meditation or Samadhi were, so I wouldn’t have used these words to describe it. Wherever I looked, whatever I saw, with my eyes opened or eyes closed, I had this incredible experience and vision of Divinity. I had tears just streaming down my face almost constantly.

See Also

Miten: Temple at Midnight

One day, as I walked from the Ganga through Parmarth Niketan Ashram back to our hotel, I heard a voice, literally, that said, “You must stay here.” I looked around to see who had spoken, and there was no one. So I ignored it and kept walking. Then I heard it again. I was just about to ignore it for the second time when I remembered my vow from the plane. I said to myself, “Okay, I know this seems completely crazy but you made a vow to keep your heart open and follow it wherever the signs might take you. If you want to ignore this voice, fine; but then you must get on the next flight out of India, as you will be breaking your vow.” So, that’s how I ended up walking into the office at Parmarth and asking if I could stay. Pujya Swamiji was out of town, though, so I had to wait a week to meet him.