“Lata, I am appalled at what is happening at the Ananda Academy. That man, Narendranath, is mad. Mark my words, nothing good will come out of this.” Prime Minister Kaul leaned forward in his chair, his eyes narrowed and his fists clenched with rage, as he spoke to Lata. The last and most successful Prime Minister of India, PM Sarkar, had finally lost the previous General Elections by a small margin, giving the Federation party, finally, after twenty long years, a shot at ruling the country. Unlike the former Prime Minister, the new PM, Sahil Kaul, was from one of the most powerful political dynasties in India. He grew up watching his father, mother, and grandmother, all astute but also shrewd politicians. His government, though, far from being strong, stood on shaky stilts, propped up by several uneasy alliances. It was said that, being tall, handsome, and fair, with deep, resonant brown eyes, PM Kaul had charmed his way into the PMO. But Lata knew how much the Federation Party and the Kauls had struggled over the last 20 years being in the opposition. Everyone knew Sahil Kaul didn’t win the elections, but rather, Sarkar had lost the elections because of those harsh policies and unpopular reforms.
“I should dismantle this academy with immediate effect. Drugs, sex, and debauchery- is that how you will find the next Ananda? Tell me, Lata, explain this to me, just how did you convince Sarkar to approve this project?”
“We must trust Naren, Prime Minister. He is the only level 1 entity we have discovered in a country of 1.5 billion people. What choice do we have but to trust him? You can’t have someone who doesn’t know how to ride a horse, teach someone how to ride a horse.” Lata protested.
Silence, a long and uncomfortable one, pervaded the office after Rajeev responded.
“Keep the academy a top secret. None of the happenings at that academy must leak out. The press must not get wind of this. The people mustn’t know what’s happening in there. You are dismissed.” The Prime Minister spoke indignantly, waving his hands in the air. Lata got up and left quietly as the PM went back to his computer.
Thoughts about the Ananda Academy flitted through Lata’s mind as she walked out onto the expansive courtyard of the new PMO building.
‘Naren’s methods were indeed different. What was he trying to achieve?’ Lata thought to herself.
Her footsteps picked up pace and found their way out of the labyrinth of corridors and courtyards. I must meet him and understand his reasoning, she resolved as she walked out. She paced toward the SUV and asked the driver to take her to the IGI airport. Red lights flashing, the SUV sped along the tree-lined, busy roads of the capital towards the airport. The morning rush hour was in full effect, and traffic was at a crawl. Lata’s car, though, snaked its way through the traffic, its flashing red and blue lights assuring it priority. Finally, when they left the city, they sped toward the airport with urgency.
A black Honda Jet sat fueled and ready to go as Lata’s SUV pulled up alongside it. She got on the plane in a hurry and peeped into the cockpit, muttering to the pilots, “Destination, Coimbatore airport, let’s get going.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” The captain responded with a stout affirmation.
Lata threw her bags into the baggage hold and plopped onto the plush brown seat. The small but powerful jets of the Honda Jet came alive and the plane taxied to the main runway. Then, without warning, the small engines screamed to life and catapulted the sleek plane into the sky with a vengeance.
‘Coming in for a visit. Don’t Inform Naren. Arriving by evening.’ Lata sent a message to her assistant and put the phone on the table in front of her. In a matter of minutes, the plane ascended high, piercing its way through the puffy white clouds.
***
The sun was setting in the Nilgiris. The sky was ablaze with warm orange and violet, backdropped against mighty grey clouds. A heady fragrance of eucalyptus trees permeated the cold evening air. Rolling in from the western coast, light mist gathered at the foot of the mighty Nilgiris and rolled upwards on the evening breeze. It had not been more than a year since the academy had been set up in the lonely valley, some 50 kilometers from the mountain town of Ooty. Converted from an old sanatorium, the academy was austere and had few of the comforts of modern life. It had a central area laid with smooth stone that operated as an open-air gathering hall. The building overlooked forests on one side and vast green fields of carrots and Chinese cabbages on the other. When it opened, it was advertised as an ashram. The school quickly filled up with pupils, all of whom were searching, some for peace and others for a deeper meaning in life.
Naren was in one of the meditation corners meditating when Lata’s car rolled into the parking. Guests were rare at the Ananda Academy. The sound of the vehicle brought many of the pupils out onto the porch, investigating. Dressed in their beige robes, the pupils —men and women, boys and girls, old and young —a motley gathering of people —stood in the drizzle, waiting with curiosity in their hearts. The car’s doors opened, and Lata got out, smiling at the novitiates. Many eager waves and hellos came back, welcoming her.
“Where is Naren?” Lata enquired in a soft voice.
“He is in the meditation yard, meditating. You can go down this path to see him.” One young lady pointed towards a narrow path that snaked around the academy building.
Walking down the cobblestone path, Lata caught a glimpse of Naren in his radiant blue robe, sitting in Padmasan along the far corner of the wide-open courtyard. Naren sat with his eyes closed, and looked peaceful, happy, and blissful. Lata held herself back for a while, wondering whether she should rouse him from his meditative state now or wait a little longer. But Lata decided otherwise; she must awaken Naren, she thought, the occasion called for it.
“Naren. It’s me, Lata, I am sorry to bother you. But I need to speak to you. It is urgent,” Lata was crouching close to Naren as she called out to him.
Naren’s eyes opened, and he smiled, “I thought you would come. We had a few unwelcome visitors last week. Right then, I anticipated the repercussions. And here you are.”
“Yeah, they were sent by the aides of the new PM. I don’t know if you heard this, but Sahil Kaul has become the new Prime Minister of the country, and his party is vengefully seeking to overturn everything that Sarkar did.”
“I see.”
“The people who visited last week have given quite a dissentious and belligerent review of the academy to the PM. PM wanted to shut down the academy, but for now, I convinced them otherwise. I told him that there is method to the madness. However, we need to ensure that the press doesn’t end up here, and to do so, I have authorized security barricades at the entrance to the valley. I hope that’s ok with you.”
“Rajeev, do as you please. You asked me to create a place that could train the next Level 1 entity, and that’s what we do here. Let’s take a walk around and let me explain what we do here at the academy.”
“Yes, that would be great. I would love to see the facility.”
Lata and Naren started walking toward the main academy building. The light rain had turned into a steady drizzle. Dusk painted the sky in shimmering shades of dark gold and red. Night was approaching. Heavy drops of water fell from the trees onto grumpy frogs, who croaked incessantly all around. The gentle scent of night jasmine filled the air. It was a beautiful evening, Lata thought to herself.
“This way Lata.” Naren showed Lata the main entrance to the academy—a large teakwood double door that led to a central space with smooth laterite tile flooring. Lata found the space chaste and mostly empty of adornments. As they walked past the central courtyard, Lata observed that some students were sweeping the floor with a grass broom, while others cleaned the tables and chairs.
“This is the central hall. On the upper floor are the living quarters. In the academy, both men and women live together. There is no division of the sexes. The students are free to be friends, have a romantic relationship, and even engage in sex if they so wish. Just last month, we bid farewell to four couples who left the academy to live with each other and start a family,” Naren explained.
“I see, this was twisted and presented to me as debauchery and promiscuity,” Lata looked at Naren as he spoke.
“Right there is the marijuana and psychedelics wing. At the academy, if anyone wishes to use marijuana or psychedelics such as psilocybin, LSD, or DMT, they are given complete access without any of the stigma. They are even administered the drug of their choice under the care of a physician. The academy is open to students wanting to explore higher realms of consciousness through the use of substances if they so desire.”
“Ha! This is what they meant when they told me that the place is full of addicts.” Lata chuckled.
“Lata, you see, the academy is a place where one comes seeking. For some it is something deeper, while for others it is something more meaningful, but it is the seeking that brings everyone here. All transcendence begins with man’s search for answers to questions that have no answers.”
Naren continued speaking after a short pause.
“If they find what they are searching for in love, sex, drugs, friends, their journey at the academy comes to an end, and they leave. But then there are students who transcend this first stage of seeking. And once they do, the next stage begins. They learn to make peace with the fact that there is no elusive ultimate truth, nor do they have to memorize the Vedas and Upanishads, or that they must please the gods, dance, and sing to gain a glimpse of the divinity of the universe. They begin to realize that all the knowledge of the universe is within themselves, and it has always been. They begin to realize there are no superpowers, heightened senses, or increased intelligence to be had when one ascends. It is at this stage that many question the point of it all. They realize that living in a world of desires was far more interesting than transcendence. Heartbroken, most choose to return to the world of illusions and desires. We appreciate it. And you must know that we don’t create an atmosphere of competition, forcing people to stay. Each student here knows they can leave at any time, and there is no shame in choosing not to be an Ananda. Most of our students discover the joys of love and relationships here, and many of them find their significant other and want to start a family. While some return to doing good for society, others unapologetically return to making money. Ananda Academy fosters a safe space for individuals to explore life and cultivate higher consciousness. They have the choice to choose if it is their time to become one with the universe, or if they want to dive back into the world of samsara and live in it.”
Lata listened intently to Naren as they walked around.
“And finally, after all that, if someone remains, one who is ready to accept the truth that dwells within them, they will be your Level 1 entity!”
It was night now. Fog covered the entire valley. Lata was satisfied with what she saw. She understood what Naren was trying to achieve with the Ananda Academy. It was time for her to leave. Getting into her car, he asked Naren, “Naren, I must know, do we have any prospective level 1s for the first mission?”
Naren smiled and spoke unabashedly, “I am afraid, Lata, none of them wish to transcend to that level. The search continues. I am hopeful.”
Lata smiled, a hint of sadness flickering across her face. She sat in the car and drove away. The croaking of the amphibians, doing their promiscuous chorus, drowned out the sounds of her car. And soon, the bright headlights of her car quickly vanished into the dark, foggy night.
Rajeev smiled; a tinge of sadness flashed on his face. He sat in the car and left. The bright headlights of his car soon disappeared into the inky blackness of the foggy night. The croaking of the promiscuous amphibians drowned the sounds of Rajeev’s car as it drove away.