the banker said, “you could buy it at the auction tomorrow.”
the guru knew that he could not afford to buy it in auction. several of his rivals were going to bid on it, and they had deeper pockets than he did and were driven by spite.
so he meditated.
after much meditation, he had the answer, and he shared it with everyone: tomorrow, he would perform an amazing feat. anyone who came to the lake would see him extend his hands and ascend into the sky, past the moon, until he reached the realm of the Goddess herself.
then, he would not need to worry about petty concerns like payments and loans.
all of the villagers were excited, and the next day, they gathered by the shores of the lake. the guru’s rivals were there, as well, hoping he would fail. people whispered, “will he be able to do it?”
everyone was there. everyone except the guru.
the villagers asked, “where is he?”
he was at the bank, the only bidder in the auction for his school.
