Letters from India

17. Intense Here, Sivarathri & Sports Meet - Feb & March 1985

Really Intense Here Lately

February 25, 1985

Prasanthi Nilayam

Dear Family.

I haven’t really felt like writing lately, so I wanted to write a short note to update you, then write of Bombay and Madras 2, separately and later.

We came back and accommodations were full so us three (Barbara, Diane, me) couldn’t get a room together. One day I spent in the wonderful Indian (lady’s) shed #1: they leave the lights on all night long, they cook inside all day long, plus are always talking (plus the men’s shed and two other sheds – Indian families & couples – are right beside you and you must walk past them to get to the bathroom/toilet stalls, used by both men & women, of course).

Then I got a room, 1st Round House (Sai Sedan C-5), with three elderly Italian ladies (no English). I think I mentioned this before but, Italians talk all the time. I learned your basic Italian. I even had a dream during that time where Sai walked straight up to me & spoke Italian! (He knows I like communicating in different languages!) Now I can speak bits & pieces of Italian, Spanish, Sanskrit, Hindi, Telugu and English.

Anyway, then Sivarathri came along with donors & owners of rooms, and I was kicked out to foreigner’s lady’s shed #8. Really nice here, I'm very happy. Cost nothing too. Now I could get a room but I choose not to. For Sivarathri, a dream, a dream! Sai gave a long discourse, then sang ‘Hari Bhajana Bina’ and a Siva song, ‘Hey Siva Sankara.’ Buuut, there was no all-night bhajans as in previous years, no Lingam birth, no vibhuthi abhishekam. Sai is really toning down festivals.

Right now, it is REALLY, really, really, intense here. The Darshans are intense, the attention, the Grace, the lessons, the experiences, are all intense, intense. It’s like many weeks of before, compacted into one day now. A permanent resident (American), Susan, came up to me the other day and out of the blue said, “There’s a general feeling around here now of intensity; everything’s concentrated on the Darshans and on Sai’s attention and Grace.” She said it’s because Baba is withdrawing already and people are feeling it. I was surprised she said “general feeling,” – so it’s not just me!

Soooo much Grace and attention – can't write about it because most is personal. But it’s really something here – heavy. You should be here experiencing it.

Love from the Abode of Experience,

Eileen

Sports Competition

February 25, 1985

Prasanthi Nilayam

Dear Peoples,

This is a continuation from the airmail letter. I can deal with updating you on some trivial stuff, get some lightness into all this super-intensity here.

Sai has put me in contact with permanent resident SH, which I consider a blessing. On the 6th morning Darshan, Sai left in His car before we were all inside of the compound. Luckily, I was wondering around with nothing else to do, wondering if I should follow Him, when SH appeared and said, “COME ON!” Turned out, like only 50 or 100 of us went (that’s total, out of the whole ashram!).

It was sports competition by college students and lecturers, at Sai’s school nearby. Sai was watching from the stage with us on the bleachers all around Him. He watched and boy was it funny - !! Events like running, dashes, spoon-in-mouth-with-lime-on-the-spoon races, three-legged race, walk race, musical chairs (the funniest - !). Sai would laugh, clap, and point at cheaters! (Can you imagine cheating in front of Sai – God Himself - !) Someone would run in the walking race or pick up their lime after it dropped off the spoon – and Sai on the stage would point and point at the person, turn to those around Him and open-mouthed would motion and say, “Look at him! Did you see that! He cheated, he cheated (point, point)!!”

Then the winners and sometimes all the participants would come on stage and touch Sai’s Feet – He’d give these hard, hard loving slams on their backs and heads of some, or shake His fingers accusingly at those who cheated – and we’d all burst out laughing. What a Play! Most of the events had the grown-up lecturers so it was funny seeing familiar faces – like American resident Al Drucker – competing in front of Sai.

Anyway, the next day there was no morning Darshan and a few hundred of us followed Sai to the college auditorium where He gave out the awards for the sports events and then gave a discourse (we weren’t allowed in but could see & hear Him from outside).

Sivarathri discourse on the 17th was the 12th I heard & seen Sai give – Sai Blessings! During it, he started to reel off heartfelt prayers – just indescribable, hearing God Himself voicing prayers that so many hearts cry out to Him. He went on and on, He’d start out some prayers with, “Oh Lord!”

Sivarathri was really nice because I was one of the first lines to get in (I got there at the Poornachandra immediately after the morning program at 10 AM, to wait for the 4:30 PM program).

Diane left on the 23rd. The super-intensity here, for me at least, started a few days before she left and still continues..

Love from India,

Eileen

Permanent Residents from California

March 12, 1985

Prasanthi Nilayam

Dear Sis,

I'm still in Shed 8 here. There’s like a group of us shed die-hards about 20 of us. We like it and stay. Others come when they first arrive then shortly afterwards, got a room so leave. So we see a lot of coming and going.

Guess what – the three permanent residents I know best are all form California! One lived by Mt. Shasta (Virginia), one in Redding (SH) on in Ojai (Susan). They’ve been here like an average of 5 years each. Looks like Sai likes picking His foreigner permanent residents from California. (Heeeellooooo! I'm from C.A.!!)

Sai was intense, showering Grace, for awhile. Then He was Siva. Now He’s half and half. He gives really nice morning Darshan, but hasn’t been coming out for night Darshan. Bummer! Never did that before. See, bhajans used to be 5:30 to 6 PM, and Darshan 4:30 to 5 PM. But then, bhajans changed to 6 to 6:30 PM, Darshan changed to 5:30 PM! That meant Sai had to be quick and give Darshan by 5:45 PM, so we couldn’t get to the Mandir for bhajans. These last two nights, He’s come out at like 6:10 PM, stared at us from the verandah, then gone in for bhajans. But you know, somehow He pours out soo much energy and Love that you come away feeling like you’d just had a really special Darshan where He’s come close and stared at you! So either way, Darshan or no, He gives, gives, GIVES!

Om Sai Ram!

Love,

Eileen