Shogo the mystic

Moving from Malibu to Maui was far more significant than I expected. I was looking for a change of lifestyle, but was greeted with a change of life. It was like going from Ozzie and Harriet to the Twilight Zone. Nothing would ever be the same again and I never knew what major lesson I’d be taught next.

After becoming immersed in the practice of Kriya Yoga and joining the Self-Realization Fellowship, I was meditating every morning before walking from my place in Kihei, (“one mile mauka Azeka Store”) to the beach for a swim. From memory the distance was about 3/4 of a mile each way and I’d practice my breathing exercises there and back.

One morning during meditation I became aware of a message. It was crystal clear and I couldn’t ignore it. “Your guru is arriving at the airport in Kahului. Go now!”

Instead of my walk I got on my little Kawasaki 125 dirtbike and rode like the wind.

When I got there the stall holders and lei teams were just setting up for the first arrival of the day. To make sure I wouldn’t miss my guru I went up on the mezzanine so I could see every arrival.

I’d already decided I knew what my guru would look like and what I’d do when he stepped into the arrival lounge. He’d be wearing robes (your basic guru uniform) and have a long white beard. I’d rush down to the lounge and throw myself on the floor at his feet and declare my total devotion.

The first flight arrived and so did the arrivals. Maybe forty or fifty people. The official welcome teams placed leis on necks and the souvenir sellers sold to a few others . I searched every face and there was nobody who fit my description.

More flights arrived and it was the exact same scenario with different people. Then the stalls closed down and welcoming teams gathered up their remaining leis and left. Those were the flights for that morning and they wouldn’t resume for several hours.

I was stunned. I sat on the mezzanine stairs in the empty airport wondering what I’d done wrong. Then that crystal clear message came through again. “You have met your guru and didn’t recognize them. Everyone you meet in life is your guru. You learn from everyone.”

I rode back to my shack behind the abandoned mango orchard feeling both liberated and disappointed. I was looking forward to a life as an ascetic, dedicating myself to meditation and virtue. I saw myself wearing robes and walking around with a long beard spouting words of wisdom. Damn! I was going to be stuck being myself!

Well I was still digesting that lesson while nursing a drink on the downstairs veranda at the Pioneer Inn in Lahaina wen an interesting looking individual sat down across from me and started talking. He introduced himself as “Shogo” and told me he was there to teach me my next lesson.

I explained that I was just getting ready to head home to Kihei and invited him to join me. I explained that I didn’t have much to offer him to eat, but I was planning to have some brown rice and a small salad for dinner. He said it sounded perfect.

At the time I was looking after and old panel truck once used to transport workers to and from the cane fields. The rear had two wood benches along each side and windows with grills for ventilation. It was a monster to drive and a real fuel guzzler. But I drove it on occasion just to keep the battery charged.

The noise in the truck made it difficult to carry on a conversation so we’d sunk into silence as we drove along Honoapiilani Highway towards Olowalu when he suddenly asked, “How is your mother? How is her back/”

That sent chills down my back because I hadn’t mentioned my mother’s back surgery to anyone on the island. In fact, the only people who knew about it was my family on the mainland.

We were passing the steep valley going up from Olowalu to the Iao Valley lookout when he pointed up the valley and said, “That is where the eagles fly. That is where you fly with the eagles.”

And at that moment I left my body.

If you’ve ever experienced what I’m talking about you know it’s true. If not then there’s little point in trying to convince you. My awareness, my being my entire consciousness was suddenly above the cabin of the truck and experiencing total vision that encompassed everything. Like being a living bubble. My body was still sitting in the truck with Shogo, but the rest of me was somehow hovering above the truck, tanking the whole thing in.

Suddenly I became aware of some oncoming vehicles and found myself back in my body just as the question formed, “Who is driving?”

Shogo was sitting there with a knowing smile on his face and not a word was spoken.

I was still shaken when we arrived at my place and was able to calm myself by preparing the modest meal while Shogo sat in a lotus position on the tatami humming quietly to himself.

After dinner I sat across from him on one of the mattresses that served as sofas and beds. Shogo leaned over and said, “Carrying so many faces is tiring. You only need your own face from now on.” And when he placed his hand on my forehead I literally felt my faces slip away.

By my faces, Shogo meant the personas I’d been using since childhood to mask my true feelings. The masks I put on for other people. The face I used to please people or to mislead them. The masks I used so people would like me. They were all slipping away and I was left feeling many times lighter. A huge burden had melted away.

Shogo smiled and said, “Whenever you think of me, I’ll be there. But I’ll always be someone else. Now it’s time for you to rest.”

Again he placed his hand on my forehead and I fell asleep. The next morning when I woke Shogo was gone and there was no sign he’d ever been there.

Months later I was stopped in my car (the truck had gone back to its owner) when a bus carrying prisoners went by and I spotted Shogo sitting at a window. He was dressed in a prison jumpsuit. He smiled, waved and turned away. He was someone else now.