March 13, 2005
Dear
Friends,
It
is wonderful to write to you again. It has been an eventful week
here. Master’s Mahasamadhi Anniversary was celebrated in a wonderful
fashion.
At
the YSS Ashram an altar was set up with a large picture of Master’s
“Last Smile” and a white sheet with flower petal designs in orange
and red flowers and green leaves in front of the picture. There was
a reading describing Master’s last day, kirtan and meditation. From
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. the program went. Then at the end was an
arati (here there is no sharing of the light afterward, it is all
done toward the altar) and then each person came forward (ladies
first) and pronammed before the picture, took some flower petals and
tossed them toward the picture-altar in prayer. Afterward there was
a sharing of prasad (like the ashram banana halva without the smoky
flavor). It all passed beautifully. In the evening was the normal
energization and meditation time between 5:30 and 7,00 p.m.
On
Sri Yukteswar’s Mahasamadhi Day it was a similar program. One
distinctive change however occurred during the meditation in the
morning. A very dark force was met and a terrific battle ensued. It
lasted the day into the night. Finally most of the darkness was
banished. During the meditation it felt to me that Sri Yukteswar’s
picture was a living presence, I asked him “Why has this dark force
come?” He inwardly answered, “It was for this purpose you have
come.” If such a battle was to happen, then when, or where better,
than this spiritually charged day in the positively charged area?
The week has passed with both Carla and I feeling the aftereffects
of this battle in the body. Just yesterday and today have we felt
better; today it feels the three bodies have been cleansed from the
inside out and a feeling of great peace has come. It does feel as if
we have been drained of everything, but all is coming right as of
this moment.
And “in the moment” is what India teaches you to live. Whether it is
having electricity, the sun shining, or any of their opposites,
anything can occur on a moment’s notice (or no notice at all!).
This week we have had some terrific thunderstorms come through,
starting on Sri Yukteswar’s Mahasamadhi Day. It is really fantastic,
for a fan of storms such as I, to hear the thunder roll and roll,
easily for 15 seconds at a time. Then come the lightning flashes,
usually from cloud to cloud rather than cloud to ground. At last
comes the rain, down in buckets. It is fantastic and a thrill to
watch (from the safety and dry location of our house)
Last night we watched a program in Hindi for a children’s summer
camp (three days long) in which a wonderful Brahmachrya,
Vyasadevananda, told the story of Hanuman going to Lanka and meeting
Sita. In between the readings the children would sing a song to Sita
Ram. It was charming to be there, feeling like I was one of the
children listening,
This brahmacharya is really a tremendous soul. He has been in the
YSS organization for the past 11 years and was sent to Dwarahat on
temporary assignment just at the time we arrived here. He is full of
light, love and fun. We have enjoyed him very much and he represents
a bright light for the future.
After the program last night we walked back to our house. What a
sight as the stars shone so brilliantly, so many stars! One feature
of the sky here, the crescent moon sits like a bowl, instead of up
on end like we are used to in more Northern climes. At this 6-7,000
foot altitude, very little lighting from houses and towns, it is a
breathtaking sight to see the sky filled with so many stars.
Familiar constellations like Orion’s Belt, the Bear and the Big
Dipper are there, but in different locations than we are used to.
These last two days the sun has been brilliant and we have once
again dispensed of the long winter underwear, coats and hats (the
house has no fire place or source of heating, though in Almora we
bought an electrical heater that we have here). The flowers are in
springtime bloom and especially so after these latest rains.
You are deeply in our hearts. As I write this I feel such
overflowing love and appreciation for you. May you feel the deep
blessings the Masters are pouring upon us here.
In
all love and blessings,
David
P.S. We need to shift from this house as the co-owners are coming
for a few days (it is the brother of Leela Sethi who, with her
husband, has made this house available to us). There is an “eye
camp” in which some visiting doctors will help many of the local
people with eye problems, including eye operations, for three days.
We plan to travel to Kausani for some days and see Rob Ivie, devotee
of Mother’s since many years ago. We have brought him some of
Master’s original writings for him as he engages in sadhana in these
isolated retreats.
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