Devastated, we joined the other line for food -- the one for people with no money -- and continued to do so for the rest of the event.

I became aware, pretty instantaneously, that my biggest problem was not the lack of money. It was how to stop my mind from screaming "DO SOMETHING! FIX THIS!"

I considered going to the Lost and Found tent, but such was my faith in the people attending the event that my cynical mind decided if anyone found my wad of cash they would think it was an act of Grace. I could see them all dancing and whooping for joy!

Next plan of mine was to file a police report, so I could claim the loss on my travel insurance, but my vision of the police roaming the site, interviewing site managers to investigate my claim, filled me with fear and horror.

More than all of this, my primary concern was how to enjoy the event after traveling thousands of miles to be there and how not waste the precious opportunity I had to be with Prem.

The solution was simple: Shut up and go deep inside to the extent that not even a single thought in my mind could escape.

Days went by deep inside. I didn't dare indulge a single squeak of thought -- there was lots of prayer -- even in sleep, waking up and diving, once again, inside.

And it was amazing because it wasn't long before help came in the form of a beautiful feeling deep inside my breath, so sublimely, exquisitely adorable that I didn't want to lose it for anything in the world, certainly not for a mere thought, NOT EVEN FOR THE DISTRACTION OFPREM HIMSELF.

"Please, please let me stay in this beauty," I kept saying to myself.

So there I was in the reception line, waiting to see Prem -- positioned behind a big guy in a yellow t-shirt and doing my best to stay with the beautiful feeling inside me.

When I peeped out from behind the guy in the yellow t-shirt, Prem was looking straight at me. I ducked and closed my eyes, determined not to allow ANY distraction.

A few more steps and then another peep.

"Oh no!"

There was Prem looking straight at me again.

"No distraction, no distraction. This is too beautiful to leave. "HELP!'" I said to myself.

And on it went, Prem looking at me every time I peeped, and me ducking out of sight behind the guy in the yellow t-shirt, holding onto the sweet feeling within me for dear life -- a case of "I know that he knows that I know that he knows” going on ad infinitum.

By the time the line moved and I found myself standing in front of Prem, it all seemed so hilariously funny, I almost laughed out loud.

Anyway, the last day of the event came and we made our way to the front gates. So many people didn't have any money to get back home and were begging for change. I saw a long tent off to the side with a sign saying "Lost Property" and I found myself wandering over. Once there, the guy behind the counter asked me to remember the number of $100s, $50s that I had lost.

I told him.

"Here you are," he said, smiling. "Someone turned your lost money in on the first day of the event."

At that precise moment, a shout from outside the tent got our attention. Everyone was looking up and waving. There was Prem in a hot air balloon slowly sailing over the gates.

Lots of tears and laughter followed.

In the hours that followed, we became very aware of people asking us if we had any money to spare so they could get home. Before we got through the gates, most of our recently-recovered money was gone! But I took home, with me, everything I could ever want -- in every breath the treasure waiting to be felt.

-- Irene Woodhead

PremRawat.com