A story of Patrick's that I particularly enjoyed recounts
pure bliss – and my knee remained pain-free afterwards.
an incident from his 18th year, when his parents bought
I have since run two more time trials and raced 10km
him an air ticket from Mumbai to London so he could
at the famous Foot of Africa race in Bredasdorp, without
pursue his studies there. Partying with friends, he missed
any problems. It seems that this man's channelling of
his flight. He went to his aunt in Mumbai and asked her
divine energy has healed my dodgy knee. What I find
to phone his parents; but then he saw his aunt frozen
really surprising are the reactions of various of my friends.
in shock at the window. Following her gaze, he saw the
Most of them do not want to admit that a miracle healed
plane he had been booked on going up in flames. In
my knee.
conclusion, Patrick's message to us was that all is always
good. We should trust the unfolding of our life.
I can only conclude from all this that our universe
possesses an unfathomable mystery, and that we should
I felt a bit embarrassed to trouble him with my right
delight in it. Yet it is very hard for us ego-driven humans
knee problem. I had developed a cyst in this knee at the
to say: 'Thy will, not mine'. I call to mind the writings
age of 24 from too much running. A surgeon removed
of the late Dr David Hawkins, who – like Patrick San
the cyst, but unfortunately had to remove some cartilage
Francesco – urges us to surrender to the will of the
along with it. In 2009, at age 54, I was told by the sport
Divine.
physicians at the Sport Science Institute that I should not
The Ven