When You Hear a Siren

Tonight I went to both of Narayan's classes, the "beginners" at 6 and the "old yogis" at 7:15. I love being in her presence. We are discouraged from taking notes during talks so it is hard to recall exactly what she says, although I think that the Center does record some talks. In any case, I try to remember so I can write it down later. She can say "turn off all electronic devices" and you feel bathed in love. I've never experienced anyone like her before. During the beginners class, an ambulance went by with a loud siren. Without missing a beat, she said, "I grew up Catholic. My mother was Catholic and my father was Jewish. She taught us that whenever an ambulance goes by with their siren on, you should send a prayer of well-wishing to whoever is in need of their services. My mother taught me very deep Buddhist lessons." And then she went on to whatever else she was saying.

In a way I prefer the beginners class because she talks more. I wonder how many hours I could listen to her straight? It seems like it could last a lifetime and I'd still be hungry for more of her. The advanced class puts more emphasis on small group and 1-to-1 discussion with other class members.

I spoke in the large group for the first time tonight when she asked for questions. I described the work environment and how negative it is. I said that I'm making a little progress in not feeding the fires of gossip, but am stymied about how to introduce "unifying speech" into the mix. She said that she would answer that next week. After class several people approached me and thanked me for asking that question and we are all eager to hear what she has to say next week. Stay tuned!

I rode my bike home. A very satisfying day.