Bhikshu Prithusen raised his hand in benediction and said, ‘Devi, by the mercy of the Buddha, it has been possible for you to realize that attachment and infatuation are only illusions. Devi, peace does not lie in riches, not in prowess, nor in the gratification of the senses. Everlasting peace lies only in Nirvana. Devi, no sorrow of the world can mar the beatitude that lies in Nirvana. The unhappy ones of the world, oppressed by society, find peace in the shelter of the Buddha, in the protection of the True Faith, in the protection of the Monastic Order. Come into the sanctuary of the Infinite Mercy.’

For a second, Divya’s vision was clouded. In the room lit by torches, Rudradhir, the image of authority and power and the russet-robed bhikshu faded from before her eyes. She saw herself with her baby in her arms, an outcast in front of the closed doors of the Mahabodhi monastery in the town of Mathurapuri, under a tree, a destitute woman begging for shelter in the name of the Buddha, the True Faith and the Monastic Order.

Her eyes lit up again. In a voice trembling with emotion, she said, ‘Honoured sir, what is the position of woman in the religion of the bhikshu?’

In a calm voice the bhikshu replied, ‘Devi, the bhikshu’s purpose is Nirvana. Woman represents temptation. As such, she is a hindrance in the path to Nirvana, and, therefore, has to be given up.’

‘Honoured sir, then follow your religion of Nirvana,’ Divya replied in a slow but firm voice. ‘A woman’s religion is not Nirvana but creation. Let the bhikshu permit her to follow her own path.’

When his chance came to speak, the traveller from the east drew near, and addressing Divya, said, ‘I am Marish. I have come all the way from Mathurapuri to be near you, Devi.’

Once again Divya’s eyes opened wide and lit up with wonder and curiosity. The traveller, covered with dust from head to foot, said, ‘Devi, I cannot offer you the place of the First Lady in a royal palace; I cannot give you the assurance of the eternal joys of Nirvana. I live in the midst of the joys and sorrows of this world. Experience and reflection are my only assets. I can only offer to share those feelings and experiences with you. I am a traveller along the world’s rough and dusty roads. On that journey, impelled by the desire for your womanhood, I offer my manhood to you. I want an exchange of support. In this fleeting life I can only offer a feeling of fulfilment.’

He paused for breath, and added, ‘By reproducing my kind, I can try to add another link to the chain of human continuity.’

Divya sat quietly for a few moments, lost in thought. Then no longer needing the support of the wall, she stretched out both her hands towards Marish. In a tremulous voice, she said, ‘Grant me the abiding shelter of your arms, Arya.’