10^th February, 2007

 

My Dear Friends,

It is difficult to conceive that is has only been a week since I have last written you, as the days are so very full – not just with activity but very full of Spiritual content.

Last week I told you of Sheriff Baba, the Sufi Saint. On Saturday evening the saint and his group came into Swamiji's room for darshan to sing and to dance. Swamiji asked that I come and I was seated between Swamiji and Shariff Baba. I felt I was a child of these great Babas, so much love passed back and forth! Then Baba started a chant and then stood and whirled about. He said the right foot, which stays stationary, is centered on love; the other foot moves about. Swamiji asked, why not both feet in love. Baba answered when the dance leads to transcendence then both feet are love.

Swamiji watched in rapt attention, afterward he said that it lifted us up to God. All sat, not a muscle moved. When at last Swamiji gave the Hari Om, Baba knelt at Swamiji's feet then kissed his hands and placed his forehead on his hands repeatedly. Then Jem, the group's leader, did the same. Jem to told me later that as he looked into Swamiji eyes that, "I was ready to convert!" I asked him, convert to what. He said, "Oh yes, it is all One!"

Another 9:00p.m. darshan Swamiji told the story: a man was crossing the Jamuna when the current was very swift. A saint was sitting on the banks of the river, (wonderful to be in India where there are so many saints!) the saint wrote something on a chit (a piece of paper) and told the man crossing the river, "Take this folded chit with you, but do not open it." The man did as he was told and safely crossed. A second man did the same; he also had a chit. However, the second man opened the chit when he was half way across, the boat sank. The word Rama was written on the paper, and Swamiji concluded, such is the power of Name.

On another evening Ram had a Lila (a play) all set. We sad outside Swamiji's room in the Centenary Hall from 9:00 to 9:30, the time Swamiji has specified for our darshan. Now it was past the time, Kannon and Sri Krishna entered for darshan, but the doors had remained closed for us. We were leaving when Mansi said, "Why don't you go in, others are."

David, "I don't think we should our time is past."

Mansi, "But last night you stayed in Swamiji's room past 9:30."

David, "Yes, but that was at Swamiji's invitation."

Mansi, "You should go in now!"

I felt strongly not to go in.

Mansi, "I will go and ask."

David, "If Swamiji gives his permission, then ok."

Mansi soon returned and said Swamiji had asked us to come. We had a wonderful satsang with Swamiji and he ended with this funny story (many subjects that would be considered indiscreet in the West are commonly discussed in India).

Swamiji, "Papa always obeyed all the laws, what the government said. Once when we were riding in a train Papa was in the w. c. (water closet, or bathroom) when the train pulled into a station (there was a law not to use the w.c. while stopped at a station as the toilet drops directly onto the tracks). A devotee had come to see Papa at that train stop only, but Papa would not come out. He waited until the train was moving again before he dropped his stools."

This story had me laughing and I also saw it as confirmation that I was right in not coming in for darshan past the given time, honoring the "law" Swamiji had given me about our allotted time.

Swamiji, "You may come in past the time." Ah permission is now granted for the future!

This week we had had the pleasure of hearing some wonderful South Indian classical music. Although I have never been exposed to this music before it somehow felt anciently familiar to me.

The first came from an ashram visitor, a young woman of Indian heritage but she was raised in Toronto. Arany is a doctor doing an internship in Mangalore. In the year 2000 she and her mother came to India, Arany's fist trip here. They had been given a guidebook on ashrams in India. When seated on the plane her mother found herself talking to the author of that very same guidebook! The author told her mother they must visit Anandashram. Taking the train north from Trichur her mother spotted a sign reading Anandashram while the train was passing by the station. Even though it was dark out and they had no plans to stop, her mother insisted they get down at the next train station. Arany thought her mother had lost it completely, but she followed her off the train. The station manager, who was usually gone at this time of the day happened to be there and said there happened to be a southbound train coming in the next ten minutes! Indeed the said train arrived at the appointed time (no small miracle in itself). They then met someone on the train who was getting off on the next stop and knew how to get to Anandashram. They arrived at the ashram gates past 9:30 p.m. They were so warmly received, "Have you had your meal?" that they immediately felt at home. Now this wonderful soul, classically trained since she was six years old was singing to us, awakening our hearts. How wonderful God's Lila's are!

Next day one of the most famous classical singers of India gave a performance, one O.S . Thyagarajan, singing compositions of Thyagaraja, his namesake. The technical singing is really marvelous to observe.

On Wednesday night into Thursday I felt a very heavy heart. On Thursday for four hours Swamiji had extreme angina pain, loss of memory, it was a very serious time. There has been a lot of heartache and consternation here by many. As Mansi so rightly said, "This is a crucifixion."

Some have reacted by creating distance; even as disciples of Jesus stayed away at a crucial time. To stay connected to a great Master through thick and thin, not just in body, but emotionally, mentally and spiritually makes for great purification and spiritual progress. This is not easy as the feelings and experiences touch such deep chords within the heart and soul. Such profound moods require complete surrender to the Infinite Divine. Grief then becomes a purifying force for good when it is seen as such. If the individual holds the pain in ego-isolation or turns away from the experience then the purification is not elevating nor results in spiritual realization. The soul then cuts short the benefit that otherwise comes. Thus all are put to the test.

Mahoodin and Auranan, two brothers have just now returned from darshan with Swamiji and reported he is feeling much better. Good news! Although he is still bothered by leg jerks which can keep him without sleep. That is a good note to end with.

Bruce is scheduled to leave tomorrow morning. Jill has been keeping mouna, silence. Chad, Carla and I have been keeping well; the last of Carla's cold is leaving with some congestion still there. Another note: we took another pilgrimage to Guruvanam, Nithyananda's rustic cave ashram and received many blessings.

May this find you in a mood of God-attunement: feeling His Bliss, Joy and Enlightenment!

Hari Om

David