When your understanding has passed,
Beyond the thicket of delusions,
There is nothing you need to learn
From even the most sacred scripture.
—Bhagavad Gita

Ishvari woke early to bathe in the river, so swollen with rain it spilled generously over onto banks rich with river reeds and velvety bulrushes. A storm had exploded over the mountains during the night, drawing from the earth green spears of grass and the red-and-white speckled mushrooms which, when consumed, induced a cascade of mystical visions. Delighted, Ishvari saw that the tiny crimson-breasted birds that nested seasonally in the riverside foliage were back, warbling songs that floated sweetly over the gushing waters.

She gasped at the first shock of the cold water then swam to a fl...

Please subscribe to keep reading.