nothing more than a series of memory pegs designed to teach
Julian the elements of his ancient philosophy for enlightened living,
while at the same time helping him remember it. I shared my
discovery with him.
"Ah, the sixth sense of a litigator. You are quite right. My wise
teacher's methods appeared odd at first and I struggled to
understand the significance of his tale just as you wondered what I
was speaking of when I first shared it with you. But I must tell you,
John, all seven elements of the story, from the garden and the
naked sumo wrestler to the yellow roses and the path of diamonds,
which I am soon getting to, serve as powerful reminders of the
wisdom I learned in Sivana. The garden keeps me focused on
inspiring thoughts, the lighthouse reminds me that the purpose of
life is a life of purpose, the sumo wrestler keeps me centered on
continuous self-discovery, while the pink wire cable links me to the
wonders of will power. A day doesn't pass without me thinking
about the fable and considering the principles Yogi Raman taught
me."
"And exactly what does the shiny gold stopwatch represent?"
"It is a symbol of our most important commodity — time."
"What about positive thinking and goal-getting and self-
mastery?"
"They all mean nothing without time. About six months after I
made the delightful forest retreat in Sivana my temporary home,
one of the sages came to my hut of roses while I was studying. Her
name was Divea. She was a stunningly beautiful woman with jet
black hair that fell just below her waist, and in a very gentle and
sweet voice she informed me that she was the youngest of all the
sages living in that secret mountain abode. She also said that she
had come to me on the instructions of Yogi Raman who had told her