Armed with my best defence, I went to get coffee. As I watched the hard, angry faces impatiently pushing and bustling against one another for the best seats and first place in the line, I used my Gatha. I looked at each one in turn, ‘A lotus for you; a Buddha to be’ and offered them a glowing white lotus flower from the palm of my hand. Then something miraculous happened.

I was stunned to see a man who has been the greatest influence on my spiritual awakening for the past twenty years suddenly standing before me.

‘Hello!’ I blurted, as I waved awkwardly; all the while curiously aware that my heart was racing and my palms were sweaty. Eckhart looked at me with his soft, sparkling eyes. He smiled warmly, revealing the dimple on his right cheek and nodded in acknowledgement…