While spending time in Johannesburg, I taught the students of Jerry Smith, skilled in several forms of Chinese Boxing, and was also, like me, a fellow book addict, researcher of Sufism and various other esoterica and very knowledgeable about yoga as well. His bullshit detector works well and we had a lot to catch up on as regards teachers and training in South Africa and the U.S.

Jerry, like many good teachers, has a wide range of ages in his students, I'd say from their 20's to their 70's. They treated me kindly, I enjoyed teaching them, and look forward to seeing them in the future.

Jerry took his wife, Hasina, and I out to Krugersderp (sp?) Game Reserve for a day. Upon entering the gate, I read the clause (claws?) on our ticket, “The management is not responsible for any damage, injury or loss of any nature sustained by a visitor.” Seems a camera-happy Japanese man left his car to wave his hands and get the attention of a lethargic lion who took note of him and ate him. With this in mind, Hasina rolled her window up and we entered a 30' gate. I quickly recalled a cat can jump two to three times its body length.

We followed the winding pavement into the tall amber grass and as I could not see a lion, I looked at the amber waves of grass and realized that it was exactly the same color as a lion and, as a result, I could be looking at a lion and not even know it. I contemplated the meaning of a flat tire under such conditions, then I wondered, 'What if the car goes dead? Recalling Livingston's description of the beauty of a tiger's face - as it bit into his shoulder - I wondered why a lion has no stripes. We could not see anything but I was quite sure anything could see us. I imagined the car looking like a mobile sardine can. The car bumped over a hunk of dung that could have been made by four cows and we continued over the grassy plain.

I noticed two large gray stones and as we neared them, they turned into two rhinos. It is not like TV. The space and the feeling of vulnerability become amplified. Realizing a rhino can outrun a man does not help. Moreover they can pierce a car with their horn and flip it over. Even more insulting you cannot sneak up behind them as they are powerfully retromingent. I was glad the rhinos were grazing and not moving.

Along with these idle terrors were mixed views of springboks, small, graceful animals who, it seems, contradict the "only the strong survive" philosophy perpetrated by Darwin from a rather economical perspective. There were also large impala, antelope and gazelles. I could imagine walking over the Velt (Afrikaans for “field” sounds like “felt”) and viewing the whole spectacle on foot. Hair raising. On lions, I recall the Christians in the coliseum scoring low, though the prophet Daniel did well with them as did Born Free's Joy Davidman.

While at the British Museum, I looked at a copy of engravings of St. Jerome with his wonderfully content lion loafing in varied locations in his study (probably following the sun spot). The Zulus say there used to be three big cats (perhaps this is the Nemean Lion of Hercules?). The lion, the tiger and another I have not found a description of except in records of gigantism in ancient times - the 25' Saber Tooth Tiger. Be grateful for small mercies I say.

As we left the game reserve, there was a lioness in a pen with her cub - for us tourists who saw no lions on the plains. The lioness was 5-6' in length and I noticed just behind and below her was a large stone behind which a large tail flicked at flies. Old Simbha keeping a low profile.

So a renewed respect for the wild and the odd awareness that the small lithe and graceful Springbok coexists on the same plain as the lion.