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DISCOURSE 55 stand the significance of the omens properly. And when once people get such a fear, they will find it difficult to get rid of it. There is a small town on the Poona-Bombay road. A bungalow stands there on the roadside. People call it Bhuth Bungalow (a haunted bungalow). When the bungalow was built, people began to fear that it was a haunted house; and the owner never occupied it.
OUR OWN EXPERIENCE
Once, we happened to go there during a Padyatra under the guidance of our Gurudev. We were nearly 50 sadhus. We needed a large house for our stay during the night. We saw that haunted bungalow. We asked the watchman, "Brother can we stay in this house for this night. We will go away in the morning". The watchman said, “Maharaj! This is a haunted house. Even the owner does not stay in it during night times because the ghost appears during night times”. I felt amused by his words. I said, "Brother, please permit us to stay in this house so that we too may see the ghost. We have not seen a ghost at any time". He said, "If you want to stay in the house you may but I shall not be responsible if any untoward thing were to happen to you". We said, "You need not at all worry. Nothing will happen to us. Even if, there is a ghost, it will go away".
We got his permission. He opend the doors of the bungalow. The watchman swept the rooms in the bungalow. We went up to the first floor for our stay. We did not tell the other Sadhus about the ghost. We informed only our Acharyadev of what we had heard. The Gurudev said, “You need not worry; but two sadhus must keep awake at a time". We received his commands; and another sadhu and I kept awake till midnight. It was the night of a new moonday: and the splendid moonlight was falling into the bungalow.
NO GHOST APPEARED
The bungalow had four doors. The watchman showed us one door; and told us to be attentive regarding that door. He
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