Letters from India

21. Henderson & Weed Have Just Left! - May 1985

Henderson & Weed Have Just Left!

May 03, 1985

Bangalore

Dear Family,

Well it seems that a part of this ongoing leela that I’ve been going through, has been fixed (ended) soo now I might as well inform you of happenings.

Before Sai left for Kodai, the office asked all foreigners who had been in Prasanthi over two months to vacate the ashram. Some made plans to leave. But many (like me) stalled. Then Swami left for Kodai. When we arrived back on the April 23rd, the office informed us (over-stayed foreigners) that they’d give accommodation for two days only. Then we had to leave, leave.

Next day, I was pleading my bad-foot-can't-travel case, to absolutely no avail, when a guy came in “straight from Swami” with a small piece of paper of like 15-20 names of over-stayed foreigners – including me. Swami had taken the paper, looked at the names and said, “All must go, all must follow ashram rules.” Well that was it, to say the least.

Next morning the 25th, (exactly one month from when Sai left to Kodai Kanal), Barbara and I left after Darshan and bhajans, in a taxi to Bangalore (the bus was just leaving as we came out the gates, but a taxi just happened to be nearby which just happened to have room for us).

I’d like to say that the office does this every year to clean out over-stayed devotees but this year, they seem especially strict. Sai’s sending all foreigners home, it seems. Group karma I guess.

Around five friends moved out into the village to stay for a couple of weeks, until their visas expire and when they have plane tickets home. The office wouldn’t let people stay even if they had plane tickets confirmed for a week in the future; you had to leave now.

Sai took His chances bringing me here to India – dangerous situation because, how in the world is He going to get me to leave?? :-) I found that I could leave Sai’s form with no problem – blessings because I was worried in the beginning, I didn’t want to get attached to His form – but to leave India Herself, bit of a problem. Soo Sai didn’t want me staying with an expired visa (which I bet I would’ve done, you know), soo He had me get this foot injury.

Soo, my plan was to go to Bangalore, get a visa extension, then go to a place several devotees had told me about, Tiruvannamalai. That’s where the Arunachala Mountain is, and where Ramana Maharshi’s ashram is. Going with Barbara, who is returning to the States on 10 May (her visa expires 12 May). She went to Bangalore with me, to get her ticket.

I got refereed to a doctor. The doctor I saw examined my foot, had X-rays taken, and prescribed pills. Then he wrote a certificate saying I needed three months rest, etc.

After all that, I went to extend my visa and you know what they said?? I had to go to Anantapur because I got my 1st extension there - !

Soo, next day Barbara and I left for good ole’ Puttaparthi. Arrived at 10:30 PM, went to SH’s room because were else to go?? The first thing she did when she realized who we were (knocking on her door late at night in the darkness), was take out all her new Kodai & Ooty photographs that she bought, and showed them to us!

Anyway, next morning I went to Anantapur with Teresa who has big visa problems – she got hers cleared, I just gave doctor’s note and was given endorsement immediately – which means I got it but it has to go to the Government for final approval, etc. Jai Sai Ram!

That night, we got a room in the village cuz, how could we return inside when we were soo rudely thrown out just days before? Rs 12 a night.

Then I got this urge to be dharmic so after night Darshan and bhajans I went to the guy (Chiranjivi Rao) in charge of all this throwing-out-overstayed-foreigners to explain why we were back and perhaps argue my invalid case to him, to stay. Messy business but what to do?? Anyway, the guy had spotted Barbara as she was going to the Canteen and he stood riveted where he was, staring up at the sky in shock!

I guess we had been a hard case, stalling and all, cuz the day we left for Bangalore, right after we left Rohani, a friend and over-stayed girl from Malaysia, was in the office being told (again) to vacate. Then she said another Public Relations guy suddenly came dashing into the room and excitedly and in a loud voice said, “HENDERSON AND WEED HAVE JUST LEFT!!!!!”

So anyway, I went in and explained everything politely – how my foot needed rest, and I had to come to Anantapur to do visa. He – the guy who everyone said was completely mean – suddenly turned nice. Maybe cuz I was honest or something. He ended up saying, no way here cuz Sai said leave buuut, that I could stay anywhere in India, and he gave me the address of the Madras Theosophical Society, even telling me how to get there via bus. Then he said I was welcome back in November. I tried to explain that after this visa expires, it will be impossible to renew (unless Sai gives another injury), but he just ignored that and said, “NO, no, no, no, no!! DON’T leave India! Just come to Anantapur and renew your visa again!” That was weird but interesting – maybe it was Sai talking! Then he changed and said, I could return in October! I couldn’t believe my good luck!! So it turned out to be very sweet, very decent stuff. Even though he said we must leave the next morning.

At the same time, I asked about Barbara who’s leaving on the 10th, and they said she could return for the two days before she left the country.

Soo, next morning we split for Bangalore.

The Darshans before I left the first time to Bangalore (the night after returning from Ooty), Sai gave me several front rows in Darshan and first lines into the Mandir for bhajans. But, buuuut, I was totally and completely ignored. Then when I came back to do visa, for those 3 Darshans I got 5th row each time, but every Darshan He gave me a long, beautiful looks of Love – deep stares. An experience, when God Himself pierces His eyes into yours, the eyes of the infinite, eyes of yourself…

Anyway, soo now we’re back in Bangalore. Today at 2 PM Barb and I leave for the Ramana Maharshi Ashram. Really weird for me because, all along I thought Sai had brought me to His ashram and didn’t want me going to others. Because you know, I might return to a nice cave and that would be the end of Darshan, Puttaparthi and Sai stuff like that there. And since He’s filled me with soo much calmness and unattachment to His form, I could still do that. And there are tons of caves on the Arunachala hill where we’re going (said to be the abode of Siva). One of my friends at the ashram, a Sanyasi named Sathya (from America) just spent 3 months there and told me a bit about it. She lived in a cave, you know. Soo, maybe Sai is gong to allow me to do that, who knows?

Well I guess I’ve failed to mention thus far, that the reason (or the main reason) why I'm so intent on getting visas and staying in India, is because Sai gave me permission to stay until His 60th Birthday. So I'm staying.

Well I’ll try to keep you informed on where I am – unless I go to a cave until October, that is. Then I'm a Sanyasi with no attachments. :-)

Om Sai Ram!

Eileen “Sanyasi”???

PS I'm glad this place is in Tamil Nadu state, cuz now that I'm fluent in reading & writing Telugu, I’ve just started to read & write & learn Tamil. Bus from Bangalore to Ramanashram 5½ hours, same as to Parti but opposite direction.