“The words I would give you would be the same words I gave to the others.”
The monk nodded brusquely. “I see. Then I am sorry, but the Ocean Teacher has no time to meet with you, especially as you have been unforthcoming as to your purpose. If the matter you wish to discuss is deemed important enough, your message will be conveyed.”
I spoke up, “But it’s very important that we speak with him. We would share our reasons, but it’s a matter of trusting the right people.”
The monk looked thoughtfully at each of us. “Perhaps you would answer one last question.”
Mr. Kadam nodded.
The monk pulled a medallion from around his neck, handed it to Mr. Kadam, and said, “Tell me, what do you see?”
Mr. Kadam replied, “I see a design similar in nature to the yin-yang symbol. The yin or dark side represents the female and the yang, which is the light side, represents the male. These two sides are in perfect balance and harmony with one another.”
The monk nodded as if he expected that answer and stretched out a hand. His expression was closed. I knew he was going to dismiss us.
I hurried to interject, “May we look at the medallion?”
His hand arrested in midair before handing the medallion to Kishan.
Kishan turned the medallion back and forth for a moment and whispered, “I see two tigers, one black and one white, each chasing the other’s tail.”
The monk pressed his hands on the desk as I took the medallion and nodded with interest. I quickly glanced at Mr. Kadam, and then at the monk, who was now leaning forward waiting for me to speak.
The medallion was similar to a yin-yang symbol, but a line divided the medallion in half. The outline of white and black could be identified as cats, so I could easily see why Kishan had said they were tigers, each with a strategically placed dot for an eye. The tails curled around the center and twisted together around the bisecting line.
I looked up at the monk. “I see part of a thangka. A long, central thread, which is female, serves as the warp and the white and black tigers are both male and wrap around her. They are the weft which complete the fabric.”
The monk inched closer. “And how is this thangka woven?”
“With a divine shuttle.”
“What does this thangka represent?”
“The thangka is the whole world. The fabric is the story of the world.”
He sat back in his chair and ran a hand over his bald head. I handed him back the medallion. He took it, looked at it thoughtfully for a moment, and then placed it around his neck. He rose.
“Will you excuse me for a moment?”
Mr. Kadam nodded. “Of course.”
We didn’t wait long. The young woman who had interviewed us earlier instructed us to follow her. We did and were given accommodations in a comfortable suite of rooms. Our bags were packed at the hotel and brought to us.
We took an early dinner together after which Mr. Kadam and Kishan retired to their rooms. Having nothing better to do, I went to mine also. The monks brought me some orange blossom tea. It was an effective soporific, and I soon drifted off to sleep, but I dreamed fitfully of Ren again. In my dream, he was becoming desperate.
This time Ren was even more fiercely protective of me and demanded that I leave him immediately. He kept saying that Lokesh was getting closer, and he needed me to be as far away from him as possible. The dreams felt real, and I woke up crying. There was nothing I could do. I tried to comfort myself with Durga’s promise to watch over him.
Kishan joined me at the breakfast buffet the next morning. I was already at the end of the line spooning some yogurt into a bowl when Mr. Kadam entered, stepped behind me, and asked me how I slept.
I fibbed and said I slept well, but he studied the dark circles under my eyes and patted my hand knowingly. Guiltily, I turned away from Mr. Kadam’s perusal and waited for the monk in front of me as he finished putting fruit onto his plate.
The monk’s hand shook as he lifted a small piece of slippery mango from the bowl. He dropped it onto his plate with a splat and began the slow process of digging for another piece. Without looking at us, the old monk spoke, “I understand you wish to visit with me.”