Page 88 of Tiger's Quest
“I still do whatever it takes to win. Perhaps by losing the game, I won something better.”
I laughed. “Won something better? What do you think you won?”
He pushed the game to the side of the table and stretched his hand across to hold mine. “What I won was seeing you happy, happy like youwere. I want to see your smile come back. You smile and laugh, but it never reaches your eyes. I haven’t seen youreallyhappy these last few months.”
I squeezed his hand. “It’s hard. But, if Kishan, the ultimate competitor, is willing to throw a game, then, for you, I’ll try.”
“Good.” He let go of my hand reluctantly and stood up to stretch.
I set the game on the shelf and said, “Kishan, I keep having nightmares about Ren. I think Lokesh is torturing him.”
“I’ve been dreaming of Ren as well. I’ve dreamed that he begs me to keep you safe.” He grinned. “He also threatens me to keep my hands to myself.”
“He’d definitely be saying that. Do you think it’s a dream or a true vision?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know.”
I pressed my hands on top of the game. “Every time I try to save him or help him escape, he pushes me away as if I’m the one in danger. It feels real, but how do we know?”
Kishan wrapped his arms around me from behind and hugged me. “I’m not sure, but I do feel he’s still alive.”
“I feel the same.” He turned to leave. “Kishan?”
“Yes?”
I grinned. “Thanks for letting me win.Andfor keeping your hands to yourself.Mostly.”
“Ah, but you forget, this is just one battle. The war is far from over, and you will find that I make a formidable opponent. Inanyarena.”
“Fine,” I offered. “Then it’s a rematch. Tomorrow.”
He bowed slightly. “I look forward to the challenge,bilauta. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Kishan.”
The next day at breakfast, I picked Mr. Kadam’s brain about the Dalai Lama, Buddhism, karma, and reincarnation. Kishan quietly listened while curled up at my feet as the black tiger.
“You see, Miss Kelsey, karma is the belief that everything you do, everything you say, every choice that you make, affects your present or your future. Those who believe in reincarnation live with the hope that if they make good choices and sacrifices in lifenow, they will have a brighter future or a better position in the next life.
“Dharma is about maintaining order in the universe and following the rules that govern all mankind in civil and religious customs.”
“So if you follow your dharma, you’ll have good karma?”
Mr. Kadam laughed. “I suppose that is an accurate statement. Moksha is the state of nirvana. When you have passed the tests the mortal world offers and you rise above it to a state of higher consciousness, you reach enlightenment or moksha. For this person, there is no rebirth. You become a spiritual being, and the temporal worldly things are no longer of import. The passions of the flesh become meaningless. You become one with the eternal.”
“You’re kind of an eternal beingnow. Have you experienced moksha? Do you think it’s possible to attain it while you’re alive?”
“That’s an interesting question.” He sat back in his chair and thought for a moment. “I would have to say that, despite my many years on this planet, no. I havenotexperienced total spiritual enlightenment; however, I have not truly sought after it either. My relationship with the divine is perhaps still a quest I have yet to take. That is not one I wish to tackle at this very moment though. Instead, how about a walk to the marketplace?”
I nodded, eager to see something new and focus on the more immediate quest at hand. The market was full of interesting products. We passed stands selling statues of Buddha, incense, jewelry, clothing, books, postcards, andmalas—similar in purpose to Catholic prayer beads. Other interesting items we saw for sale were singing bowls and bells— which were used to produce sounds that helped focus energies and were also used in certain religious ceremonies and during meditation. I saw prayer flags and woven or paintedthangkas. Mr. Kadam said the banners taught myths, showed important historical events, or depicted the life of Buddha.
At the appointed time, Kishan, Mr. Kadam, and I were ushered into the business office of the Dalai Lama. It was a testament to Mr. Kadam’s resources that we’d even gotten this far since usually only dignitaries made it into this office. We were met by an austere man dressed in a typical business suit who indicated that he would do an initial screening and that if our case proved urgent enough, he would refer us to an upper office.
He invited us to sit, and I was content to let Mr. Kadam wade through the interview. The man asked several questions about our purpose. Mr. Kadam again answered vaguely, hinting that the answers to his questions were not meant for just anyone’s ears. The man was intrigued and pressed harder for answers. Mr. Kadam’s reply was that the information we needed to share must be heard only by the Ocean Teacher.
At those words, I noticed a slight shift in the man’s eyes. The interview ended, and we were led into another room where we were met by a woman who continued the same line of questioning. Mr. Kadam kept to the same answers as before. He responded politely without giving away too much information.
“We are pilgrims seeking an audience on a matter of great import to the people of India.”
