Rice harvest joy As he is overseeing the start of the rice harvest from Pir Sahib’s place and giving practical and spiritual audiences, Maharaj ji looks at the rather sickly field of banana plants across the road to his left and orders that all the plants are to be dug up and replanted somewhere else. I ask if I may help, and he replies with a subtle grin, “Do it! It is women’s work. In our histories there is the story of the wife of Indra. She is the smartest one in all the universes. And she eats nothing but bananas.”

———- 6:45 p.m. – In the rice paddy, 15 of our sevadars and 12 paid labourers have been cutting rice all day. The paid labour stopped at sunset , but the full moon is bright and our volunteers continue. They are becoming euphoric, shouting, working very fast now. They are barefooted in the stubble and mud, drenched with sweat, but very happy.

———– 7:15 p.m. – With nothing but the moon to see by, the sevadars quit the field from the far side, with a great cry of Bole so nihal? Sat Sri Akal! (Who is always happy? The one who knows that God is eternal). With mosquitos swarming all about, they slosh across the field to bow to Maharaj Ji, the one who has been giving them the great energy with which they have been working. We don’t know how he does it, but anyone who has worked in his presence has surely felt it.