Ramayana – Feb 13, 2022 Fun with Chairs

For Valentine’s Day tomorrow, and Hanumanasana.

…

Hanuman stood on the hilltop. He held his breath and sucked in his stomach. He frisked his tail and raised it a little at the end. He bent his knees and swung back his arms, and on one finger gleamed Rama's gold ring. Then without pausing to think he drew in his neck, laid back his ears and jumped.

It was grand! It was the greatest leap ever taken. The speed of Hanuman's jump pulled blossoms and flowers into the air after him and they fell like little stars on the waving treetops. The animals on the beach had never seen such a thing; they cheered Hanuman, then the air burned from his passage, and red clouds flamed over the sky and Hanuman was far out of sight of land.

The green hills of Lanka Island rose from the horizon. Hanuman saw the shoreline of warm white sand and scattered stones and water pools, and behind that many tall swaying palms, and plane trees, and forests of aloes. He saw rivers meet the sea and saw where pearls and cowrie shells and fine corals had been spread to dry. He flew inland, over stacks of gold and silver from the demon mines that lay blazing in thw sunlight, and then he saw the City.

Preceded by a little breeze, Hanuman landed under an overhanging cliff on the hill not far below the city, amid fruit trees in full flower and bearing fruit as well, in a soft scene like heaven. Blue rivers laughing with flowers fell running down channels and stairs of ruby, and trees of every color growing uphill reached out to catch the faint pink clouds. The warm sea-wind smelled like pepper and doves and fragrant spices.

Hanuman ate some dates and thought, "Not a hair out of place, I’m ready to do it again! I call that little ocean a puddle…”