Page 199 - Microsoft Word - SPIRIT AND THE MIND.doc

First Lesson
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
NO QUESTION that we were in store for the unexpected. We landed in Bangalore to find that our luggage was missing. Right off the bat I showed the depth of my spirituality, the level of my renunciation and detachment, by running all over the airport yelling and screaming. I hadn’t brought much, but my four friends had lost everything they brought to India. I thought it would be nice to start off at least with the material necessities. But ranting and raving didn’t bring them back. We would have to wait until later that day after airport officials had had time to check. Recovering my composure, I said, “Oh well, let’s take a philosophical and spiritual look at this. It must be an auspicious sign: preparing us to take pleasure and pain with equanimity.”
Bangalore is a beautiful city, and the ride through the countryside, dotted with multi-colored foliage, animals and people meandering about in the slow-paced down-to-earth Indian village life brought a welcome calm from the shock at the airport. We would stay at the East-West Hotel, where accommodations were comfortable
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