Oliver Benjamin
free. This is false. We are already way down on the great totem pole,
beneath the advanced organisms of society, intellect, and technology,
and unless we take drastic steps, we will become like animals in a
zoo. Unless we rise up, we will be slaves to a machine we created.”
She turned her gaze to the group once more and asked for the
next volunteer to share their problems with the group. I was next, but
I begged out, claiming I was not ready yet. Oscar went a step further
and suggested that Safora be the one to share her problems with him.
“Let me guesssss…” she said wryly, “you’re in the ‘So You Want
to be a Spiritual Leader’ seminar.”
“Well, yes, as a matter of fact…”
“Sssave it for your ssseminar, ssswami, you’ll never get to the
next level unless you get through this group, and unless you share
your problems with us you’ll never graduate to the next level.” She
looked over at me and added, “I highly recommend that those of you
who declined to share today think about what you want to share with
us next session. That’s enough for today, children. You can go play
now. Praise Omniraja.”
“Praise Omniraja,” the group echoed and bounded jubilantly
outside into the brilliant Indian sun. Oscar and I brought up the rear,
and as we emerged from the hall, someone called my name.
“Nivenada. Hi!” I stumbled, “How are you?”
“All right. Would you like to go for a walk?”
I said that I would, and let Oscar go on to the Zennis courts by
himself.
She beamed, “I just got out of my first palm-reading class and I
was wondering if I could practice on you.” She was clearly a lot
happier than she had been the other night when we met, so I said that
I’d be pleased to play guinea pig.
We sat down under the shade of a banyan tree and asked me a
few questions as she held my hand and peered deeply into it. After
consulting her textbook for a minute she told me my fortune.
“You have just recently had a painful separation from a loved
one…”
I nodded.
“You, umm…like people but they make you feel uncomfortable a
lot of the time…”
I nodded again.
“And according to this you…uh…”
She looked in her book while I continued nodding
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