Monks and a Starlet in the City of Angels

The sunlight was warm and the skies clear. I walked along the path of a well-landscaped garden built around a man-made lake, lead by latter-day monks, some dressed partly in orange and others in casual business clothes. We stopped at three different locations to meditate, in this lovely Santa Monica shangri-la. My favorite spot was the front of a docked white boat, through which one could see the tall palms across the lake. Direct light burst gently through the clear windows, and white room was aglow with spiritual energy and silence.

I won't reveal the identity of the monks (nor the name of their organization), for whom I developed a great deal of respect for with each passing minute, because I'm sure they would rather remain anonymous. They spent each moment with us, completely focused on us, never letting their attention wander. They explained the history and relevance of each building and monument on their premises, with intense devotion. We saw an ancient Dutch windmill; observed photographs at a museum which highlighted events from the life of their guru; sat in meditation halls for both adults and children; fed some swans, ducks, turtles and fish; and finally ogled at the beauty of the Pacific Ocean. At one point, we were served tea, delicious goat-cheese sandwiches, and biscuits as if we were long-awaited guests in a small English town.

Two evenings later I went out for dinner with my college friend, Marc, to a Japanese restaurant on the "Sunset Strip." From our host and waitresses to the female customers around, we were surrounded by beautiful women. One of them, apparently a starlet, wearing a silver-scaled tight dress, did everything to attract attention. Every time she got up from her table, all heads would veer in her direction. When her limousine drove up, she posed like a model or actress on a red carpet, much to the delight of every male around. A group of older men, caught her attention and tried to chat her up. I was quite fascinated by this aggressively extroverted and exhibitionist culture.

It's amazing that two such diametrically different cultures thrive so close to each other.