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Chapter 3:
Amazing Life

The next morning, Asya’s parents went home almost immediately after she woke up. Asya was then left alone with grandfather Basil.

Initially, everything at the new place seemed surprising to Asya! Like, for example, when her granddaddy at breakfast fed everyone: he gave out a fragrant bowl of porridge to Asya, then to the cat Purr, and then to the dog Buddy. Only after feeding everyone else first, did he put a meal for himself.

… After breakfast, they all together went to explore the surroundings.

Asya was filled with delight — everything was happening so unusually! Grandfather knew how to speak with everyone: both with large trees in the forest, and with the plants growing in the garden beds, and with birds, and water, and the breeze, and with the sun, and with his bees, and with the cat Purr, and the dog Buddy.

So, it turned out that everyone understood him — and answered him with grateful love. And each answered in its own language: birds — in bird language, the cat — in cat language, the dog — in dog language, and plants — in a special kind of silent language.

Even water understood grandfather and replied to him. He smiled at the water in a spring or in a bucket — and the water smiled back at him! And his smile then began to as if live in every drop of water — and turned the water into healing water!

Asya very soon learned about the healing properties of this water from the neighbors of the nearest village, because they came for this water and to grandfather Basil in those cases when someone was ill. It was said that his water is more healing than many potions, if one drinks it with a smile like grandfather Basil’s!

And grandfather was always smiling to the water! He could even tell it kind words! But not as a ritual: rather he lived like that — happily and caressing others! And everyone around him, tried to do the same as well!

And Asya also, without realizing it, began to learn this joy from her grandfather.

And around grandfather’s house — everything was so beautiful that it was difficult to live there and not be happy!

Everything here was like an old magical fairy-tale, only it wasn’t happening sometime long ago, but right now. For example, there was a bench on a hill near the house, where Grandfather and Asya now often sat on this bench and chatted comfortably. This bench was at a very beautiful place. From here, there was a wonderful view of the surrounding area: the meadows, the river, and the forest along the coast. The bench was cut out from the roots and trunk of a dried-up tree and it like something out of a fairy tale! Asya had seen a lot of expensive and beautiful chairs: her mother worked as a designer, and visited exhibitions of all sorts with Asya. But here — everything was filled with beauty in a different way! Here, for example, the pine had outlived its age, but the benefit of its trunk, remaining on the ground, turned out to be great! So grandfather explained.

And so, in all things, grandfather tried to make it so that all his deeds created practical benefits, beauty, kindness, and joy!

Once, Asya asked:

“Are you, grandpa, a forest wizard?”

“Everyone can be a little bit like a wizard. But most people do not know everything about this…”

“And, do you know everything about it?”

“No, not everything. But I learn more and more about it every day — because it is so interesting to me to live like this!

“How to live on the Earth? And why do we need to live? Have you thought about this?”

“No…”

“I’m not young anymore. And I’ve thought a lot about it: how to live in happiness-joy, and how to help others in this?

“So, gradually, I learned about the Magical World and began to search for doors and passages into it.

“If we could at least smile every morning to the sun, or to a rainy cloud, or to a breeze — then at least a little joy would be added to the world.

“After all, every person is also a particle of this world!

“Look again: if you only stand next to a tree and breathe, then this is also good. Because the tree inhales what you exhale: you exhale carbon dioxide gas, and inhale oxygen, which is what the tree exhales! This is a great miracle! And it’s the way that God planned everything! It turns out that we are connected with the whole plant kingdom — even with just our breath!

“Or, we drink water and eat plants — and from this our bodies gain strength, grow, and get healthy!

“Here, drink this water and see tomorrow: how much strength will be in you! It will be two times more!”

“Grandfather, is that why you don’t live in the city? Because these trees are magical and the water is beautiful? Mom said that you were invited to live with us in the city, but you didn’t want to.”

“Here, Asya, is my place on the Earth. Here, the entrance into the Magical World is easily visible. And here, I can show other people, who need it, the entrance to this Magical World and talk about how to improve health.”

“What kind of World is it, grandpa? Why don’t other people know about it, but you do?”

“Many people have heard about that World or guessed a little. In that World, many beautiful fairy tales are born, and songs are heard, and music, and pictures are visible. And all this is made visible and audible by talented people — who are already in this world! They call the contacts with that World — inspiration.

“But it is not only artists, musicians, or poets who enter that World for a short time. Anyone can enter that World, if he or she has no anger, fear, and longing — and learns to live with love to everyone and to everything!”

“How do you know that you’re actually in that World, since you say that it is invisible? How can it be that some people see it and others don’t?”

Grandfather brought Asya to a small puddle:

“What do you see right now?”

“A dirty puddle, and a possibility to slip…”

“And what else?”

“I don’t know…”

… Grandpa took Asya by the shoulders and slightly moved her from side to side.

A sunray touched the surface of the water. The reflection of the shining sun could be seen in the puddle. And sparks of little suns danced around the edges. Even the sky in the puddle was blue, when Asya looked at it like how grandfather looked at it!

Asya said admiringly:

“Wow! This is a real miracle! I get it now! It’s possible to see in a puddle only mud — or the reflection of the sun! It depends on how we look at it!”

“That’s right! Good job, Asya!

“And so it is — in everything! It is only in the beginning that the Magical World is unseen. But when you learn to live in it and see everything like this — then this former world will seem illusory to you!

“The Magical World — is seen through the eyes of the heart!”

“What are the eyes of the heart? Are those eyes right here?” — Asya pointed to her chest. — “But you don’t have any eyes there, and you say that you see?”

“Yes, Asya, I see!”

… Grandpa took her hands and put them on his chest. And pressed on them with his palms.

“Listen to my heart! Listen with your hands! And with the soul — listen!”

… And it seemed to Asya that everything around also hears how the heart of her grandfather Basil beats. And as if both the birds, and flowers, and trees — also hear it…

And then the cat Purr and the dog Buddy came and clung to the feet of grandfather and Asya…

It seemed to Asya that the heart of her grandfather Basil is huge and enormous! And that all living beings are inside his heart…

And it was so quiet-quiet, nice and peaceful…

Afterwards, grandfather said:

“A soul — knows how to love, and to see, and to hear… But people have forgotten about these skills.

“There is the heart of the soul — the spiritual heart. It can be tremendous and tender! From it — the light of love flows! With rays or hands, coming from such a heart, you can stroke and hug everyone!

“Try to feel that you have a little sun in your chest!”

… Asya tried — and she started to feel so good! And she wanted to embrace everyone!

And now Asya, too, began to try to live so, to make friends with all around, and to love all!

For example, she embraced a tree with tenderness — and breathed deeply and calmly. And the tree admitted Asya’s breath into itself, and Asya inhaled the air, which was filled with oxygen by the tree.

Asya liked it so much that she tried to become related to each tree.

She even told grandpa:

“I read in a book about a little boy named Mowgli, he told the wild beasts: ‘We are of one blood: you and I!’. And they became friends. And I now became friends with trees!

“I become like a slender and tall birch when I’m hugging the birch tree! I can even feel my leaves rustling in the breeze!

“Or I become like a pine — strong and smooth. In the trunk — power is flowing! And in my body — it does too. And I feel the branches of the crown, and the roots!

“All the trees are different: every tree has its own character!”

… And, like this, life became very interesting for Asya!