Dedicated a year ago, the new temple replaced a wooden one, a temporary structure that served Shantivanam and Ananda for 20-plus years. Yes.
And, yes, there are wasps this time of year, but as a Yearner for The Orkin Man I am a Minority of One, so have instead perfected certain Non-Mindfulness Techniques. One is to distract myself by watching one of the dark winged creatures make its way up somebody’s white shawl or saffron-colored robe, figuring as I do that somebody behind me is probably watching one of the creatures flit up or down my own clothes.
Having moaned for a paragraph, I must acknowledge what an absolutely and unquestionably wonderful place this is to pray. It’s a generous space, from these curving pink and white walls that soar towards an enormous white and gold lotus in the center of the ceiling, to these cool marble floors, so welcome on the warm-to-hot days. The Hours of the Divine Office, the Masses – the arati after all those – I think it must all take on a different texture because of this space.
mebtravelling 