Monday, October 13, 2008

Modern Day Robinhood?

Scott, while walking near Times Square in New York notices a man intensely throwing shreds of paper into the air.  Obviously, Scott gets curious, and goes to the man: 

Scott: Sir, what are you doing?! 
Man: I am chasing elephants off of here. 
Scott: But there are no elephants here.
Man: See, it's working!"


I couldn't help but think of this joke*, while I was listening to a discourse by Sri Viswayogi Viswamjee Maharaj on September 13, 2008 in Austin, at Shirdi Sai Baba Temple.  He was speaking on the same day that Hurricane Ike made landfall in Galveston.  In the middle of his discourse, he said that on meditating at sixth level the previous night, he down graded the hurricane from Category 4 to Category 2! My immediate thought was, "why leave it at Category 2?"  

After his discourse, people stood in line to bow to his feet.  I was surprised to note that he was handing out his color photograph to each, along with his blessings.  As he was talking about the greatness of Shirdi Sai Baba at length a few minutes ago, I thought that it would have been apt for him to distribute Baba's photo instead of his.  Besides, for a while, when people were bowing to his feet, he was talking to someone on his cell phone (without even noticing who was to his feet!).   

I failed to see any more divinity in him than that is present in every rock, tree, and Joe.  If some managed to see it, I have great news for them!  
 
I own a bridge in Brooklyn and I am willing to sell it at a throw away price:-)

Joking aside, I learned that Sri Viswamji is doing a lot of public service, and like I opined before, he deserves respect for this aspect alone.

* Heard it in our Toastmasters' meeting.

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