My New Name

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Cal is helping raise money for the hospital in our Ashram grounds. He has been selling stickers!

I happened to chance 5mins alone with Swamiji on the lawn. They'd set him up there on his special chair and gone off to prepare other things and for some reason no one was around. I took the opportunity and asked what to do about Aiden's nose which has been how it is since I left the boys in Sept to return to Australia last year for my knee op (he said put warm ghee up the nose three times a day). I asked about a kids yoga program for Yoga in Daily Life. Swamiji said the comprehensive book he wrote that's in German can be translated. I also asked and Swamiji agreed that I record some of the children’s singing from the school (to accompany the book). It was a big night for me. Of course also that I now have a yoga name! The name Swamiji gave me is Yashoda. Yashoda is the adoptive mother of Krishna.

When we came back there was quite a commotion. Some goons who Swamiji had previously kicked out over a year ago (Indians) came back and Swamiji gave them a blessing and then they wanted to show him some jewels. There is some story about a cobra meant to have a special jewel in it that is what attracts prey to it, I'm not sure of the exact legend though apparently if you find a dead one you can't extract it.

Somehow they claimed to have one of these jewels and were offered a good price for it in America (several millions of course!) but were willing to negotiate with Swamiji if he wanted it. Of course it was fake! Swamiji was having some fun with the scenario. Something happened with the ‘jewel’ which turned out to be phosphorus and it spilt on the carpet which meant the carpet caught on fire! The carpet was dragged outside, one man’s thumb was also burned.

I heard that bicarb is the best neutraliser but Swamiji wanted photos sent to police and that it wasn't used on the carpet... it was glowing in the dark and still smoldering and they put other things on it like water and aloe vera and flour. It seemed to not be smoking in the morning though the carpet was left outside all night. It was one night I was seriously thinking about going to bed early and was very glad not to have missed the commotion!

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