Batman and Robin

I meet a guy called Robin, he leans out of his bedroom window, he has no shirt on. I am getting used to a lot of people leaning out of their windows, usually I feel a bit like I'm in a game, a bit of a chase...a bit like cat and mouse. It's like they're saying, you've rung my door bell, I've opened the window, what will happen next? Usually I go casual, like I'm relaxed with craning my neck up and talking about the charity a bit to them - they are usually so far away from me, maybe there is a degree of ease about this, for them and for me. A lot of the time I say: "I'm calling from a charity", they say: "which one", I say: "The Karuna Trust": "Oh, I don't know that one, hang on a sec, I'm coming down". When they open the door, usually they are really open, it's like somehow we've done all the getting to know each other from afar.

And so it was with Robin, he said immediately: "Will you come in for a cup of tea?". I say: "Yes, that would be lovely". When we're inside he opens his cupboard door: "What kind of tea do you like?" I see some decaf Tetley tea lurking in the corner of the cupboard. I say: "Ah, you have decaf tea, not a lot of people do, I'll have that please". He is still reeling off tens of different herbal teas. He says everytime he has a new girlfriend they leave a different type of tea in his cupboard. I ask him if he's had many girlfriends, he says "not really, but tea keeps for a long time doesn't it?"

He has decaf too, so he can use the teapot he tells me, then he realises he doesn't have any milk. "Are you alright sitting there while I pop out and get some milk". "Sure, I'll sit and get acquainted with Bonnie the cat, isn't she beautiful?". "Yes, and I'll turn up the music, this piece is just exquisite he says, it moves me deeply". Splendid, I think, and think to myself, how lovely it is that this man trusts me enough to walk straight out of his house leaving me in it when he's only known me for two minutes.

Robin and I chat and have tea for half an hour. When I leave I feel refreshed and nurtured for the journey ahead. I have never refused an invitation to go into someone's home, it's like an act of spontaneous generosity from them, and it feels that I want to meet it and receive it.

I call around to Simon, the last call of my night. The door is bolted, the curtains are closed, it's 9.20pm but I can see that the lights are still on. When I called at Simon's three nights ago he said that he'd never been to India and hadn't heard of the untouchables, but he told me to come back in three night's time. He unbolts his door and opens the curtains. I greet him and wait for him to talk to me. He says straight away: "I've decided to support you". "That's great". "Do you have a form for me or something?". "Yes, I do". "Great, you best come in then". "I've been looking at your website, and your finances, I'm concerned about how much money you spend in order to make money..." We chat about this and several other things. He then says, I can't give you that much money I'm afraid, as I'm already supporting others. I wait patiently, he fills in the form. He's decided on £15 per month. £15 per month supports the education and accommodation for one child in a hostel. He has given the gift of a child's education. I am moved and amazed as I type this and take it in some more.

We chat about cycling, he is a big cyclist, as is his wife he tells me. We chat about where I live, in Bethnal Green, and about the Radiohead concert that's just been held in the park there for the last two days. He tells me that he went for the Anti-racism concert about six weeks ago there and tells me he really enjoyed it. I explain that I was just coming back from a retreat that day so missed it, but didn't miss the crowds of people, it looked great.

We chat about Buddhism and my spiritual practice, volunteering for Karuna and he asks some basic questions about Buddhist philosophy and belief. I ask him about his beliefs, he's a Christian and we chat about how he practices this. I ask him to use his toilet before I cycle back.

It's dark outside and he's worried about where I'm parked as it's raining and I have a twenty minute cycle ride back. I tell him not to worry that I'm only around the corner and I have waterproofs. He sees me to the door, and I think, actually, you have provided a young Tibetan girl an education that may well mean the difference between a life of hardship and toil and a life full of possibilities and choices.

It is hard to take this in again as I type. That this man's money can mean an exact end to suffering for one girl or boy or woman or man somewhere. Tonight as I take my leave from Simon he is the hero, I am the conduit, and that young girl has been given a gift of an education. This is a privilege that I had access to and that I somewhat take for granted.

As I leave Simon's house, I look up at the darkness and the shape of the trees, and the light shining from his door. Earlier on in the evening I asked him what moved him about our charity and he said it was the hideousness of caste, and the fact that people just can't change what they are born into. He waves goodbye to me and says cycle carefully and as I look back I swear I see a bat hanging from the tree, and I realise Simon has become Batman, a superhero for me and that little girl tonight.