Beg, "The Coconut Guy"

This morning after practice Saraswati told a few students leaving the shala that Begg, the "Coconut Guy" died last evening of a heart attack. I immediately looked to where Begg usually parks his truck and saw nothing, just an empty space with confused students shocked by the unexpected news. For the past month and a half I've come to expect Begg's warm smile and his generousity for helping thirsty yoga students. Now with his sudden departure I've realized the impact a person can have on a community as Beg did this with lots of smiles and lots of coconuts.

This morning I went to the memorial service that was held at Beg's house, as in the Muslim tradition the body is put in front of the house for family and friends to pay their last respects. What seemed like hundreds of people filled the narrow streets creating an incredibly intense atmosphere, within this emotional gathering I slowly made my way through swarms of people and came to Beg. I said my final thank you for his great service and moved away from the crowd.

There was later a procession to his mosque a few blocks away. The rest of the neighborhood seemed to stop their daily business as this powerful energy moved through the tiny streets. Entering the mosque I felt more than welcome and was guided through the rituals by some of the laymen. We removed our shoes and sat by a small pool where we cleaned our feet, face, arms and hair before the group gathered to say prayers. Everything was done with such sacred respect that you couldn't help but be proud for the great influence Beg had on people. The ceremony continued and ended at the cemetery where there was a light rain and I heard the most powerful prayer. I could really feel the sadness as this man cried out his pray and truly felt moved by his words even though I didn't understand the language.

I came to India with no expectations, knowing that the unexpected will happen. The ceremonies today somehow left a positive feeling on me, knowing that life does inevitably end we have a power to bring positive light to the people we interact with everyday. This is how Beg was to me every morning after practice and though I briefly knew him his positive influence will last a long time.