Letters from Shanti Ashram, India

35. Nature Diet, Organizing Library

Nature Cure Diet

November 10, 1997

Visakhapatnam

Dear Parents,

Jnaneswari and I came here on the 3rd. I am enjoying the time hearing and seeing the majestic ocean, in the peaceful atmosphere. There are only a few residents here – less than ten. Jnaneswari is doing her own cooking and as I am the only helper, I keep busy with errands etc. Still, there is a lot of free time. There is no satsang here – only the children’s satsang at 6 AM in the morning, for half an hour only. In the evening someone comes and gives discourse in Telugu on spiritual topics, but Jnaneswari and I sit outside in the fresh air to hear.

Many devotees come to see Jnaneswari, plus she is also busy with discussing plans for the temple they are building on the hill, named Mt. Kailash. The work has started and they have invited Swami Chidanandaji to do the opening in January.

Here a nature-cure doctor has been staying for the last six months, having great success treating patients with his unique diet restrictions. About 400 people are undergoing treatment – so the ashram is a little busy with them coming and going all day. His method is simple, one only has to give up completely: 1. salt 2. oil, ghee, butter etc. 3. tamarind 4. sugar & jaggery 5. dried chilies. The two main things one has to do is drink plenty of water (5-6 liters a day) and take lemon-water daily, using ¼ kilogram of honey a day! Long fasts of 30 – 40 days are undertaken, taking only lemon water with plenty of honey. Patients report no hunger, no weakness, and disappearance of bodily aches and pains as well as various diseases. That is the big news here! Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu!

Love,

Divya

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Library Organizing in Visakhapatnam

November 23, 1997

Shanti Ashram

Dear Parents,

While in Visakhapatnam I became busy with Library work. All the books were mixed together, all subjects in Telugu & English, then numbered 1, 2, 3 - up to 3,500! I had to take down all the books, sort by subject, author and language, then renumber in sections. I felt it was no good to leave the library in that hopeless state, so I undertook the work even though no one asked me to. By Swami’s Grace I finished most of the work by the time we left. Children helped paste the labels, and the last few days one assistant came to help me with sorting a few Telugu books I had trouble with.

We arrived back here to the main ashram on 21st November, after over three weeks there in Visakhapatnam.

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu.

Love,

Divya

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Yagna in Visakhapatnam

December 19, 1997

Dear Parents,

I went to Visakhapatnam on 11 December and returned on the 14th here. Six of us went together on the 5-hour bus journey: the girl-helper Kumari, the dhobi girl and her small son, three hostel students and I. Kumari and the dhobi stayed at the yagna site and the four of us others went to the ashram by the sea. We attended the holy but very busy yagna, complete with 108 (yes, one hundred and eight) fire-pits (homas) and hundreds of priests, thousands of volunteers and visitors.

We had one day free time at the ashram, to go on Kailash hill and take bath in the sea (this time, even though I went out very, very far, there was no depth and water only came up to my waist. God’s Will!

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu.

Love,

Divya

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Mud Man!

January 28, 1998

Here we celebrated Christmas as usual. The afternoon of Christmas day brought a new event, making of “MUD MAN” (in lieu of “snowman”), organized by (who else?) Susheela. Dirt was brought by children from ant hills, and joyfully pounded and mixed by eager, willing children. Susheela skillfully sculpted a MUD MAN, one for the girl’s hostel and another for the boys.

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu!

Love,

Divya

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B-Day Preparations & Visa Drama

January 11, 1998

Dear Parents,

Here we are all busy with B-day preparations. Except for me – due to not joining the kitchen staff, I still have hours of free time alone in the room. What a waste it seems to me, to spend all day making things to please the palate! Some VIPs from South Africa are here and all are eager to serve them. Their two grandchildren aged 7 & 8 years, are terrors – naughty, loud boys like foreigner children (though Indian by decent), always screaming & running!

Recent drama is the new SP of Police came to Kakinada and has refused Susheela’s visa, student visa which she has been renewing every year for the last seven years, saying new rules say no extensions will be granted to any visas, only if one marries an Indian or has citizenship! This happened early December. They gave her 3-month grace period to leave, and she is busy writing letters, etc., trying to get extension.

All for now, take care! Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu.

Love,

Divya