Greetings.

We offer these podcasts freely and your support really matters.

To make a donation, please visit tarabrock.com.

Namaste and welcome.

I'd like to start this first class of the new year

with a story that I've always loved.

And it's about a diamond thief who was an absolute fabulous

pickpock.

And what he'd do is he'd hang around the diamond district.

And when someone would come and buy a diamond,

he'd just follow them and always manage to get it from them.

So a very wealthy well-known diamond merchant came to town

and the sky said, ah, he's my target.

And he bought the most beautiful diamond imaginable.

And so the thief followed him and he boarded a train

and took a three-day journey.

And he kept trying to pick the merchant's pocket

and obtain the diamond.

But by the end of the journey, he hadn't found the gem.

So he was really frustrated because he was an accomplished thief.

He had some pride in himself.

So he actually confronted the guy.

...