A friend named Sri Padi spoke to us about his encounter a few weeks earlier with one of the elephants.  While we were busily engaged in our ashram trash collection duties, he told us to be careful around the elephants.  We replied that the elephants posed no threat to us.   Sri Padi, however, had his own disturbing incident to share with us.   He said he was casually feeding one of the elephants some bananas that day, when the elephant wrapped her trunk around his wrist and started to tug him quite sharply.  Sri Padi had to run briskly forward as the force of the elephant was pulling him into the air!!  He said that, fortunately, he broke free of the elephant's grasp before he was thrown any further.  I don't think any of us paid that story any mind because it sounded just too unbelievable at the time.  Those elephants seemed so docile and friendly.

Weeks later, one morning before breakfast, a couple of us were pulling a large cart filled with containers of trash to be burned in the incinerator.  We were leisurely approaching the incinerator where an elephant was quietly standing off to the side...or so I thought.  I was in fact not paying much attention to the elephant.  Looking back, I'd say I was 'unconscious' of the elephant's activity.  In the next moment, I was nailed in the side of the head by a flying coconut branch.  With his long, gray, agile trunk, that mischievious elephant had tossed the branch like a missile.  She had made a direct hit, and the side of my head was now a little sore!!  After my rude awakening, I spent the next few minutes yelling at that huge animal.  The elephant just stood there swaying in a kind of a rhythmic dance.  But the incident had been my own doing. I hadn't been paying enough attention. 

From that day forward, whenever I was in the vicinity of either of the two elephants,  I remained conscious of their presence.   I also remembered to warn the other volunteer helpers to be on guard, to be watchful and aware, because even a friendly elephant can be dangerous.

I was assisting with the washing of the pots during a celebration event in southern India.  I needed to find a spot to relieve myself, because there weren't any toilets in the pot-washing area.  I sauntered on down the dirt road towards a grove of trees with a few cows grazing in the area.  I figured this was a pretty secluded spot to take a leak (pardon the expression...lol ) so I headed down the narrow trail in the direction of where a cow was tethered to a tree.  I recalled that a certain Mahatma named Sai Baba had once told a group of listeners: "When a cow's master sees the cow has done a good job of eating all the grass surrounding the tree, he will come and re-tether that cow to another tree.  Like that when a devotee of God has played out his role to the best of his abilities, sometimes God will grant the devotee another significant role to play in the divine drama of life".

In a kind of daydream as I approached the tethered cow, I was neither mindful nor relaxed.  I assumed that the cow would be friendly.  But to my astonishment this cow started to come at me with her horns.  I had to quickly jump back to avoid getting bumped.  Brought to an abrupt awakening, I moved on past the threatening cow and did my business behind the next tree.

On my way back, I remembered hearing the legendary tale that cows were always attracted to the enlightened Avatar known as Krishna.  This historical Krishna figure was a kind of Christ-like being who lived in India five thousand years ago.  Remembering this cow-connection with Krishna, I decided to stop and sing the cow a bhajan, a song that paid homage to Krishna.  In actuality, it was the only Indian bhajan I knew.  It went something like this:  "Sri Krishna, Govinda, Hari Murarai,  Aye Nahte' Narayana, Vasudeva...."  over and over, in a soft, melodic chant.   Well, to my surprise, that same cow, which had almost horned me earlier, gradually came forward and began to lick my lower legs and feet with his soft, prickly tongue!!  As I sang the gentle hymn of Sri Krishna, this cow was gently licking my feet!!  In India,  a devotee might bow and touch the feet of a Master.  It is a symbol of deepest respect and humility.   As I headed back along the narrow path, I wondered if there was something to that cow-connection with Krishna, or whether it was just the gentle-hearted bhajan I had offered which left that cow feeling safe and affectionate.