He reached out and opened the door and the rich smells and sounds of an Indian city exploded out at them, fighting Osaka for each inch of ground.
"Welcome to Gita," said the hostess who was neatly dressed in a starched white shirt and embroidered vest. She spoke in the overly-articulated English which Japan was recognizable by as she ushered them in, "two tonight?"
Connor nodded, thanked her and gave his name.
"There's a bit of a wait," she said in English before looking down quickly at the host stand. Suddenly the slightest bit flustered, the young girl's eyes darted from side to side before she turned to Maruko, gestured towards a room lit softly in oranges and reds and continued in Japanese, "please feel free to get a cocktail in the lounge or perhaps peruse our artwork."
The tables in the lounge were arranged neatly into small groupings and each was lit with candles. Across the room was a long bar. Still, few sat. Most roamed around the room. Along the walls hung ancient Hindu manuscripts and tapestries; each mounted on silk.
"Hence the name," Connor whispered to Maruko in the soft light- how he wanted to place a kiss upon her cheek. "These are from the Bhagavad Gita, one of ancient India's most cherished stories. Here, let's start over here."
They mulled about, moving past numerous tapestries, each depicting a scene from one of the text's eighteen chapters. Below each tapestry was a placard which held two to four lines from that accompanying verse.
"Each chapter was called a yoga," Connor began, "note the flexibility of the paper." He halted and, noting a small giggle from Maruko, backtracked like a late-night talk show host. "Right, you see, flexible, like a person who does... OK," he abandoned ship and started again. "Each is called a yoga, a meditation on one aspect of this world's relationship with the Eternal." Connor looked to Maruko not because he wondered if she could keep up, but because he could not believe that anything he'd learned in college, even if it had been at Dartmouth, might be enough to earn the attention of this wonderful creature. "We're beginning with pictures from the brink of battle, a battle between this world and that Other and as we learn, we move further away from that imminent destruction. Each step closer to the origin of it all is further from any concern of this moment."
"The colors are beautiful," Maruko responded, and indeed they were. Vibrant reds and greens mixed with startling gold and the blue of Krishna's skin. "This is great," she began again, making sure she hadn't frozen him or trivialized his lesson, "go on, K?"
While each tapestry depicted a different scene, they shared many common features. Here was Arjuna, Earthly prince. He stood, or more often knelt, in golden breast plate and sleeves. He wore a gold helmet in the shape of an egg. Beneath his armor, he wore a flowing silk robe in white. In all of the scenes, he appeared young, strong and handsome, with a full mustache. Without exception, he always held his attention directly on Krishna.
Krishna was pictured as a beautiful young boy with varying shades of blue skin. He was younger than the earthly prince and no larger or taller. He wore flowing robes, tangerine in color. Around his neck were pearls and garlands and often he wore earrings. On each bicep and wrist he wore rings and bracelets made of gold. In many scenes, he played a flute, while in others he seemed to be giving instruction to all present, each of whom were totally captivated.
Connor and Maruko's eyes were drawn to one of the placards which read:
Come to me alone for refuge
Abandoning all things of law,
And have no fear, from every ill
I shall release you ever more.
The tapestry above the reading showed Arjuna sitting in his golden chariot with his hands clasped in prayer to Krishna. Krishna stood almost casually for the sermon he'd just uttered inside the foot of Arjuna's chariot. Behind Krishna were depictions of many other Hindu God-heads with Siva featuring prominently.
"I don't think he's saying worship me," Maruko observed with wonder in her voice, "It's more that he is speaking for all gods and, whereas I know I can get lost in who I am praying to, He wants to assure Arjuna of the safety in looking only to him.
Connor smiled and agreed, "You know, it does look like a peaceful gathering of many gods. From my western influence, I'd have read that more as a warning: 'Come to ME alone!'" Connor paused to underscore the word alone, "Arjuna felt forced," he continued, "to fight a war that would kill family and friends on both sides. He told Krishna he would not fight."
"I wonder," Maruko questioned both the tapestry and Connor, "if this was Krishna saying, 'it's OK, don't worry about what you've been required to do?'"
Connor shook his head and a suppressed grin broke out across his lips, "That's one of the main things about this teaching really, is no, Krishna was very clear that the world's natural flow needed for this action to occur. Maybe he was relieving Arjuna from guilt or from thinking too much about it, but the action was stressed as absolutely necessary."
"The cycle of life; it's kind of like our samurai on the screen."
"Exactly!" Connor reacted excitedly; this being the second time that night that the image of their determined samurai had made an appearance. "That's why I smiled actually. Arjuna's duty, the need for a right confrontation to occur, is exactly like the conflict you taught me about at the castle.
"And have no fear," Maruko seamlessly moved to the next portion of the reading, "I shall release you evermore.
"Hmm," Maruko continued. "The Buddhist thoughts that have so shaped Japan are descendant from Hinduism. Hindus believe in rebirth. Perhaps Krishna was promising Arjuna a release from some crap rebirth as a saddle or something."
"Crap rebirth?" Connor tried to contain his laughter as he repeated her words. "A crap rebirth… I'm not sure even Krishna could have said it that eloquently, but I could see someone wanting to avoid that!"
They both laughed together before suddenly becoming aware once again that they were not alone. They tried to suppress their reaction and moved towards the next tapestry. It showed a gentler looking Krishna; pudgier and in a pink sarong. He was playing a flute near an enormous tree, surrounded by birds and flowers in pinks and yellows. It was accompanied by a card, which read:
This fig tree then with roots so firmly grown,
Detachment's mighty ax must cut it down
Then one should seek the place to which they go
And having found return no more below...
Maruko looked at the card and began reread it, this time out loud, "This fig tree then with roots so firmly grown. Mighty detachment's ax must cut it down." Silent, her eyes returned to the tree. It was enormous and everything underneath it was rich and full of life.
"Look at how much life has grown on, under or around this tree," Connor observed, "Hindu detachment stated that to be bound to this world would prevent one from reaching the next and that, no matter how beautiful this life might be, would be unthinkable."
"Connor, look at the rest of the tapestry," Maruko said, gesturing at how the tree was placed in the center of an otherwise empty page.
"Maybe," Maruko began cautiously, "all of this empty space is meant as part of the lesson. Maybe it's that while under the safety of this tree, none of the beauty can share itself with the outside world. Look at all of these things, so many things marvelously blessed to grow under this mighty umbrella."
"Kind of like Japan," Connor offered, trying to make sure that his thinking was aligned to hers.
"Yeah, exactly. We have so much to share, yet we allow so little of it to escape. The tree, our home, is so safe and so warm; we grow our roots deep in its shade. But if we stay here forever, helping only our own (and what a great life that might be)… if we did that, who would really benefit?"
"Oh come on though, so many people benefit from the art, the food, the culture. I know that I'm blown away by this place!"
"Yes, but you oh pale one," Maruko mockingly lowered her head and placed her hand along his cheek, "You came to us from outside of our tree. Please note who did the moving, the tree didn't come to you, you ventured to it. I'm really glad you did," she giggled before continuing, "but you understand, right?"
Connor grinned and nodded, "so you believe that to truly experience the beauty that life here has afforded you..."
Maruko finished his sentence, "I must share Japan with those who do not currently reside beneath our shade."
"That's a wonderful gift, Maruko." This was all that Connor could say; any other words would have given him away. He feared and welcomed that he was quite sure to be falling in love with this girl.
The hostess called their names and showed these two, they whose body language announced for all to see that they were quickly becoming a couple, to a corner table.
