27th January 2007
Dear Friends,
Another week has sped by here at
Bliss's Abode! Each day continues to stretch out to be much more
than an ordinary day; filled with divine experience and human
connections.
We have been joined by Phyllis
Victory, she has been in India for several months already and
Jonni and Tom left for Canada this week. The Ashram routine was
accelerated this week as there has b
een a commemoration of Mataji's mahasamadhi. It was in 1989 that
she left the body; Swamiji has been ashram head ever since.
Mataji's presence is very much felt here, as this ashram is an
outer expression of her.
The cleanliness, timeliness,
service orientation are all Mataji personified. Stories abound
about her devotion to Papa, extreme work ethic, generosity and
willingness to speak her mind!
"Swamiji," I looked entreatingly,
"will you tell us a story about Mataji?" We were at our 9:00
p.m. satsang that we now have each evening. He told, "There was a
poor man who asked Mataji what to do? "I cannot feed my family."
Mataji gave him a milk cow – it will give 10 or 11 liters of milk
a day. The man went away happy but came back the next day. He
said, "I have no shelter for the cow." Mataji, "We will send
workers to build you a shed!" The third day he returned, with
folded hands to Mataji he said, "Mataji, we have no feed for the
cow." Again Mataji responded, "feed
we have, we will send you feed for the cow." Finally the man
returned after several days, "Mataji, I am sorry to say no one
will give me a good price for the milk, what to do?" (Mataji's
genius came to the fore here), she said, "We need milk here we
will buy it from you." Such was her love. And such was
Swamiji's love that his eyes sparkled and a smile danced upon his
lips as he held my eyes in a steady gaze while recounting one of
my favorite stories of Mataji.
We generally have darshan with
Swamiji twice a day, 5:00 or 5:30 in the afternoon and our group
has been asked to come in at 9:00 p.m. each day by Swamiji. To
all those who have been to the ashram you know how wonderful these
times are.
It has been said by many that
since our arrival Swamiji has been stronger. One night when we
came he was having leg jerks. Soon after we sat with him the
jerks were gone. Swamiji said, "The leg saw that David was here
and it knew not to jerk."
All the group members have really
been finding their way here, meeting and making many friends,
getting some clothes handmade, having profound inner experiences,
some difficult and many joyful; each receiving according to their
own nature.
We visited both of Nithyananda's
ashram here, a saint who left the body in the early sixties. We
left Anandashram at 6:30 a.m. by three auto rickshaws. A
pre-dawn walk through coconut groves, then an elevated cement walk
through rice paddy fields that led to an expansive lake. A warm
breeze felt refreshing and we took some tea from our flasks and
snapped some pictures. Our reverie was broken when some gopis
were seen guiding some large cows toward us on the three foot wide
concrete walk! As they drew near we lined up on one side of the
narrow walk, lake water on both sides! The skittish cows and goats
hesitantly made their way past, the cows were perhaps more nervous
than the humans pedestrians! One cow slipped, hind quarters into
the water, as he scrambled up some of our group bunched up away
from him blocking his way, but they quickly reformed their single
line to avert further panic in the cow.
We arrived at Guruvanam,
Nithyananda's first ashram. As we passed the brick arch we enter
a land reminiscent of ancient rishis. Nut trees, banana trees and
coconut trees provide sustenance for the ashram. We walk up a
red brick path that climbs the valley. Tropical birds chant their
mantras, the atmosphere noticeably takes a spiritual vibrancy.
Then appears a blue dome and a couple of buildings, the small
ashram. The local priest chants invocations and smears yellow and
red cum-cum with a rice grain on the ajna in blessing. The stone
steps project a foot and a half out from the wall; each step
apparently without support except what is buried in the wall. We
climb the steps and enter the small, narrow cave, one at a time
and found seats, propping ourselves inside. Ram Nam is sung into
silence – but silence is not empty but full – packed with a
surcharged environment. Various visions of light and Nithyananda
gives way to eternity stretched out in all directions. Ahhhh!
What silence is this! What blessings were had that day.
The week was also blessed by a
visiting householder saint, Arun Kaka. Arun Kaka (kaka meaning
uncle) was initiated into Ram Nam when he was three years old! His
father was a great devotee of Papa's and traveled with him when
Papa was wandering in the Himalayas.
Carla and I have had colds, I lost
my voice for some time (enforced Mouna, silence!) Others have had
some colds etc., but for the most part we have been without
serious illness. May this find you well and feeling the
spiritual uplift which we have been experiencing here.
Ever yours in God,
David
P.S. Adam, Janice, Phyllis and
George, are all taking their leave of the ashram the first of this
week and are returning to their respective homes. Jill Hough
will be arriving on Tuesday.
