Chapter 52

           ThebiggestobstacleinmyAshramexperienceisnotmeditation,actually.That’sdifficult,ofcourse,butnotmurderous.There’ssomethingevenharderformehere.Themurderousthingiswhatwedoeverymorningaftermeditationandbeforebreakfast(myGod,butthesemorningsarelong)-achantcalledtheGurugita.Richardcallsit"TheGeet."IhavesomuchtroublewithTheGeet.Idonotlikeitatall,neverhave,notsincethefirsttimeIhearditsungattheAshraminupstateNewYork.IlovealltheotherchantsandhymnsofthisYogictradition,buttheGurugitafeelslong,tedious,sonorousandinsufferable.That’sjustmyopinion,ofcourse;otherpeopleclaimtoloveit,thoughIcan’tfathomwhy.

           TheGurugitais182verseslong,forcryingoutloud(andsometimesIdo),andeachverseisaparagraphofimpenetrableSanskrit.Togetherwiththepreamblechantandthewrap-upchorus,theentireritualtakesaboutanhourandhalftoperform.Thisisbeforebreakfast,remember,andafterwehavealreadyhadanhourofmeditationandatwenty-minutechantingofthefirstmorninghymn.TheGurugitaisbasicallythereasonyouhavetogetupat3:00AMaroundhere.

           Idon’tlikethetune,andIdon’tlikethewords.WheneverItellanyonearoundtheAshramthis,theysay,"Oh,butit’ssosacred!"Yes,butsoistheBookofJob,andIdon’tchoosetosingthethingaloudeverymorningbeforebreakfast.