036. Rishyasringar in California

Bob Macfarlane of New York earned the reputation of being Rishyasringar, as his visits to Pondicherry use to bring with them the heaviest rainfall. To him, it was a source of annoyance.  On one of his visits, the rains were so heavy, that many houses in the colony had to be evacuated.

Now Bob lives in California where the rains are normally spread over the period from October to February. This year October and November had been very dry. It was Bob's experience that his prayer for rains never failed. Once he even saw that his prayer for rains in California brought heavy rains here in Pondicherry during the dry summer season.

But a few months ago Bob found that the rain God refused to listen to his prayer. What more could he do? As his presence always goes with rains and his prayer for rains had always been unfailing, he had never had occasion to resort to any disciplines to bring the rain. Now was the time for disciplines!

He knew that giving attention to water is a call of love to the rains from the heavens. He began by becoming very frugal in his use of water, even though the supply was presently copious. He recollected water and its usage with warm emotions. He began to feel a live relationship in his emotions with water, rain and their spirit.

The heavens heard his call. Ten inches of rain poured down. A day later, five more inches came. Bob lives on one side of a mountain range. On the other side, a typhoon struck the coast of California, bringing 24 inches of rain.

• o Attention succeeds as nothing else succeeds.
• o Attention is the physical version of affection, which is a quality of Spirit.
• o Even material objects like water respond to attention, as attention evokes the Spirit in material things.
• o Spirit goes out to meet Spirit with divine results.