To continue the story, we got to conversing for a bit – the air traffic controller and I. He shared his impressions of the ashram with me. To his gaze, most people there appeared to be stoned. He seemed pretty sure of his thesis that the average Joe there was high. I tried to present the view that most folks were solidly anchored to the ground, and that the few who seemed to have attained altitude, were probably flying on little more than a broken wing and a prayer. The alternate hypothesis was a tough sell. After a brief struggle, I gave it up. I figured that he had probably been watching blips with altitude markers on radar screens for far too long to see anything else. I now know from the news reports on the recent Comair crash that ATCs have eyes only for planes in the sky; they’re not really supposed to track ground traffic.
Just when it seemed as though our conversation had reached a minor impasse and I gave up, it moved again. This was trivial in itself, but there may be a broader lesson for life here. Over the years, there have been innumerable instances when I pushed hard for a particular outcome, failed to make any headway, then pulled back in surrender. At that point, things start to happen. The Divine Mother's grace or happenstance? Take your pick.
Having noticed that the residents of the ashram work exceedingly hard, our friend asks me why they do so. I see an opening to talk about service, the love for Amma, the Hindu concept of Guru etc. I gave him quick spiritual round-up in soft focus – a sort of advertorial. As I did so, I wondered why I felt called upon to do the pro bono job of ashram public relations executive. Depending on the context and polarities invoked, sometimes I find myself playing the Pope and at other times I play Devil’s Advocate, much like our dear friend Nandu who loves to soak the gulab jamuns that others fry in sugar syrup. I’m a party spokesman with the newbies and sceptics but when I’m with the die-hard devotees, I voice my doubts.
My 20 minute primer on spirituality for dummies (never mind that I am one myself!) concluded with a mention of the reason I was there – to get mantra initiation. For one who was only in the vicinity by accident, I found him oddly interested. He even signed on to the program without any persuasion from my side. He decided to accompany me to the Devi Bhava and get initiated too, whatever that entailed.
So we assemble in our apartment after dinner and prepare to go down to catch the Devi Bhava. I have already warned my new friend and protégé that the night will be a long one, because those seeking mantra initiation have to wait until the last man, woman or child has experienced the gentle grip of the Goddess. I see that my friend has taken note of my caution and has equipped himself with a meditation mat, rolled up underarm. Once again, I am more than a little surprised by his desire to take part in what must seem like a really weird ritual from a totally alien culture. As for myself, despite wearing veteran garb and posing as a spiritual tour guide, I was unsure of what the evening held in store. How would it all unfold? Would there be miracles? Revelations? The Aha! experience I longed to have? We shall see.
Om Amriteshwaryai Namah
Saturday, October 14, 2006
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