Letters from India

66. Busy With Seva & Vivekananda Reincarnated - Apr 1987

Busy With Seva & Vivekananda Reincarnated

April 4, 1987

Prasanthi Nilayam

Dear Peoples,

On March 26th there was a wedding performed in one of the halls (Indian couple). It was held during morning bhajans so no one would attend (only wedding party). But a few of us went anyway. :-) Swami came. He went inside and sat in a chair near the front. We (about 50 foreigners and residents of Prasanthi Nilayam) happened to be up in front, just behind the wedding party. We had a nice view of Swami! He laughed, twirled in His chair and joked, and thus directed the wedding, saying, “Stop that part and start the next,” or motioning what they should do (the priest looked mystified when Swami wanted to change the ceremony – but he obediently obeyed).

Swami went to the stage at one point, and created the Mangala Sutra – but He didn’t move His hand in motions to make it, He just opened His hand palm downward, and out it fell!

Then He had pictures taken with all, then allowed all the people sitting on the stage (family of bride & groom) to touch His feet.

In all, He only stayed fifteen minutes or so. Much shorter than the other wedding I saw Swami do – at Brindavan a year ago.

Sometime in March a group from Sri Lanka arrived. With them, a boy who Swami announced in the interview room, was the reincarnation of Swami Vivekananda. Thus started “Vivekananda madness” throughout the ashram! All watched as Swami took the boy into the interview room daily.

People began to come to this boy’s room (he’s in Round House 5 – like me), touch his feet, have him sign pictures. Swami then sent word forbidding this.

Swami had announced long ago that Vivekananda had just been born in Sri Lanka, that the boy would come to Him at age 18 or 19, and that he would take care of the ashram when Swami would leave His body. The boy is 18 or 19, tall, thin, black hair a little curly. I saw him a few times and he always had a far-away look in his eyes, not on this world. Very good, spiritual vibrations from him. Now everything’s calmed down, I haven’t heard of or seen the boy lately. Last I heard, Swami told him in the interview room that he should stay in India and join Swami’s school.

(Note in 2012: the boy was Nalin Sedera - by all accounts, just a normal, average Sri Lankan kid. One of my Sri Lankan friends visited him and she told me they talked about normal teenage things, like his favorite movies. As far as I know, he never did join Swami's school. Someone posted a report online about meeting him in 1998 and he was still quite resentful at the unwanted attention he continued to receive, people had high hopes for him!)

March 30th was Ugadi – Telugu New Year’s day. Not very crowded here now, so Swami gave a discourse in the Mandir only – not in the Poornachandra. So none of us got in, only students, doctors, teachers. But I sat on the verandah and saw Him nicely.

The office sent a note so I went in – they asked me to leave, I had been here over a month. But I told them I had given Swami two letters, “Special permission to stay” (one from me, one from the lady I'm taking care of). So they said, “Come back in two days and see if Swami sends word that you can stay.” (If He sends no word, giving the letter means nothing). That was on the 25th. So, that was that. I didn’t go back and they haven’t called me. :-) So, I'm just waiting. (On 3rd April He took two more letters, morning and evening, ‘Special permission to stay.’)

I'm still doing soo much seva, taking care of the Indian lady (Krishnaa from West Bengal). Now I'm helping another lady (Geetha from Sri Lanka). Her elderly mother is bedridden, so she’s so busy all the time taking care of her. I'm helping with a little cleaning and dusting. (They have a maid but in India the servants are constantly arguing, refusing to do work, demanding advances and raises, and threatening to leave at any given moment.) Also now, I’ve been “caught” and asked to pick flowers for making garlands for the pictures in the Mandir. Just 30 or 40 minutes I do this – but where’s the time!

I’ve figured out the hours in my day: seva 8 hours; puja (Darshan and bhajan) 4½ hours, Telugu practice 2 hours; me (wash, eat, etc) 2½ hours; sleep 7 hours.

Weather is nice and hot. Water and electricity are always coming and going, coming and going. We keep plenty of buckets of water, candles & matches on hand.

I am healthy and pretty happy… just a little tired. One Darshan I was so tired, Swami came by and He looked right into my eyes and said something twice in Hindi. From that moment I was filled with boundless energy! A strong experience of healing!

Om Sri Sai Ram, Jai Sai Ram,

Love,

Eileen