The Sounds of Rain

I woke up this morning to the sound of thunder. The rainclouds hung thick above the Ganges and the current looked strong. No swim this morning, I thought. And off to yoga I went.

Later, after breakfast, I got a haircut and shave at the local barbershop. Had it not been for the flies picking at my ankles, the experience would have been extraordinarily delightful. After the cut, Bob, the young-looking Nepalese barber gave me an amazing head, face and arm massage. Amazingly, the cost for the cut, the shave (with a razor) and the massage all together was $1.40. So I felt a nice tip was in order.

Later on, we finished the reading of the Gita which now means we will go back over the subtler points as well as do a more extensive Q & A with Thom.

Speaking of which, I have an embarrassing story from last night. Thom was reading chapter 11 of the Gita and I was seated in the front row, fighting to remain alert and awake.

There were 50 of us in the room, all seated around the little makeshift platform where Thom was sitting.

Previously, I had mentioned to Thom how soothing and melodic his voice was and how many times, when I listen to him---no matter how much energy I thought I had---i will spontaneously begin to transcend (or get the feeling of going to sleep).

He agreed, and explained how many times the voice of someone's meditation teacher can be quite soperific---sleep inducing, and that he's used to that happening.

Regardless, when I'm sitting in the front row of someone's lecture I at least want to appear to be paying attention.
So there I am, sitting under the bright lights, heavy-eyed and drifting in and out of consciousness when the windows and doors started rattling, signalling the oncoming of the storm.

Soon after though, even those sounds started to blend into the background.

Meantime, I apparently was hovering in that between state of not being fully sleep and not being fully awake.

All of the sudden I hear "BOOM"---the window had been slammed shut by the wind---and I jumped clear out of my seat, dazed and confused, looking like a deer in the headlights, right there in the front row. And I was the only one who jumped.

Thom paused and everyone laughed as I relaxed back into my chair, realizing that it was just the sound of the window. Needless to say, I was not only thoroughly embarrassed for losing my composure but I sat there wide awake for the rest of Thom's lecture.

The rain has since stopped and the weather is now even more beautiful than before.

Light-Saber