Up ahead, there was a small scuffle in the line as a group of ladies tried to cut in to join their friends. Voices were raised and some elbows thrown to block the line-cutters, but eventually the host organism flexed to accommodate the invaders, and the slow procession of the line resumed. Jaya carried a tote bag with only a floor cushion, a water bottle, and her car keys. A simple vegetarian lunch would be served in the middle of the day.

As soon as she entered the building, Jaya joined the throngs of people ahead of her who began walking faster, even running (those who were physically able, for many in the crowd were in wheelchairs or walkers) to secure their seats in the large open auditorium. Jaya skirted around the edge of the crowd and found herself a good spot toward the front, directly facing the stage. It helped that she was alone, as most people had come in groups.

Sitting cross-legged on her floor cushion, Jaya closed her eyes and began to do her pranayama, deep breathing exercises. The sounds of thousands of people moving and speaking built to create a buzz around her. She was not accustomed to being in crowds of this size. After some time passed, a sudden hush fell over the crowd and Jaya opened her eyes. The Guru was walking onto the stage, escorted by a woman in a white sari, the color of widows and religious devotees. He sat on a raised platform, on a floor cushion just like the rest of the audience. It was completely silent in the large auditorium, and even this moment of absolute quiet felt holy. The Guru put his hands together and bowed his head. The audience did the same, some prostrating themselves on the floor.

He began to speak in a mellifluous voice that hadn’t come through on the CDs. He told the story of Lord Ram, from the Hindu scripture Ramayana, which everyone in the audience surely already knew. The Guru started with Ram’s boyhood, described his home and the land on which he was raised, his ambitions and altercations with others, and finally his exile to the forest. Along the way, the Guru departed from the story to explain how the events in Ram’s life mirrored our own. When Ram was confronted by others who challenged him, he reacted first with pride and anger. He battled with others because of his ego, and it wasn’t until he was banished to live alone in the woods for years that he understood the fault in his ways.

Before Jaya knew it, the white sari–clad woman had returned to the stage to assist the Guru from his seat, and an announcement was made that lunch would be served. Jaya unfolded her tingling legs and stretched them out in front of her. Glancing around, she was almost surprised to see so many others, two thousand people in all. She had forgotten the crowd as she listened. She had been so singularly focused on the Guru’s words, she didn’t realize three hours had passed.