March 23, 1997
Shanti Ashram
Dear Parents,
Divya conveys her namaskars. By His Grace here all is going on as usual. Hope things are well there. Yesterday I received your letter dated 13 March. I am writing back immediately even though I sent a letter a day or two before.
Well, a while ago a heartbroken mother came to my room with her 5th-grade son, bemoaning her tale. The son is a “rowdy” in the ashram hostel, so he has been expelled – now that there’s only one month of school left! Next year he starts High School, but what will be his fate if he can’t take the tests? The boy has done a lot of odd jobs for me over the years, he’s very loyal but he’s in that teenage time.
His dire sin that caused him to be thrown out of the hostel is to have taken a swim in the nearby canal (you saw it while here – many people and children take dips but this boy got caught) and playfully imitating a few seconds of a cinema breakdance or the school grounds. You can see the strictness of India! Even in this village High School, if a boy or girl talk to each other, rumors spread that they have fallen into a life of sin and that rumor alone might get them expelled. What could I say to the poor mother? In fact, as she pleaded and cried to Lakshmi (Secretary) in the office, Lakshmi warned them that they better not try telling Divya, who was ruining the children completely by doting on them too much. Hari OM!
Well, happily I am not responsible for anyone.
Mmmm, enclosed is a letter Swami Satchidananda wrote me; and, for your entertainment, tracing of my hand. I am slowly but surely going through the Hand Book, now on about 350th page, half-way through. It is interesting and the people around here are intrigued with it. One thing I notice is the lack of fate lines on the villagers here – even Jnaneswari doesn’t have one! Do you?
Glad the video you took when you visited here, came nicely and you are making photos. People here are eagerly anticipating them. The warden of the girls school, the dhobi-girl and the postman send their special thanks and greetings to you.
So happy that you were specially blessed with inner experience in Prasanthi, and have been having good meditations and feeling the Presence upon returning. God’s Grace!
Yes, God is all there is, but it’s good to conserve energy and feel Him inside. I’m also feeling less sociable, and spending more time alone in silence. It’s too hot in my cottage now, in the afternoons I go to another far-off cottage (kept for VIPs like Swami Chidananda) where I can be cool and in a place no one will come to. In the nights I sleep on Jnaneswari’s doorstep, cold fresh air. Not for long! In another ten days we will all have to sleep on thick mattresses bundled in heavy layers of woolen quilts, socks, sweaters, etc. BRRRR! All to be in the Presence of the ever-calm Jnaneswari. God’s Will!
Nice that Jennifer had astral darshan of Swami. May he always bless her!
As for the addresses, my first project is to update the lists in a new book, and give new numbers. The old book has 1,200 addresses In Telugu and 700 in English, with about half or three-fourths cancelled in-between. New books have not yet been bought although I’ve been asking for the last four months. Village delay! Anyway I will have no address work until after Kotagiri (two months).
You do exercises in the snow, brrr! Here in winter I wake up shivering and shaking and quivering until the running exercises when I finally thaw out, and this is in the room with only one window slightly ajar, degrees about 70 or 75! I wonder at myself, submitting to going to the freezing hill station.
Actually, so far Jnaneswari’s has not asked or told me anything about Kotagiri! She asked the others and confirmed whether they wanted to come before she made the reservations, but not me. Both the Secretary Lakshmi and the driver (who got the reservations) told me there was a ticket for me, but so far Jnanewari hasn’t revealed anything. I am also being a silent and humble devotee, not even asking or hinting.
Yes, yes you were SO right the advice not to make reservations (for plane trips during your visit in India)! I have been suffering now for four months due to these tickets, with no end in sight yet.
Don’t remember if I wrote you how people asked me, “Did you cry upon leaving your parents at the airport? Did they cry?” I said we all laughed, each one looking forward to returning to their own home!
Susheela is greatly enjoying the “No Eyes” books. I was a little bored by them, and put off by the violence pictured therein. I don’t care about world changes or predictions. It’s enough if I improve my own inner world, and not bring harm to anyone in thought word or action, whom I come in contact with. To experience god and do good is enough to fill my head. There’s no place in my brain, for looking ahead to predictions and prophesies. However, Susheela is excited about it and thanks you for the books.
Postman is waiting so all for now. No luck yet for getting refund for the plane tickets (that were paid for but never given to us), after another trip to Kakinada and three more phone calls! Another trip awaits me.
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu.
Love,
Divya
YOU ARE READING
Letters from Shanti Ashram, India
SpiritualI lived in India from 1984-2005, and wrote to my parents regularly about my adventures in Indian ashrams. From 1984-1993 and again 2001-2005, I was living in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, and I am adding all of those my "Letters from India" book, whi...
