Letters from India

98. Injuries, PN Mom & Circles - Dec 1988

Small injuries & Wounds Lately

December 7th, 1988

Prasanthi Nilayam

Dear Peoples etc.,

Sai Ram! All is well here. I hope all is going nicefully and blissfully for all of you there.

Tis' the season to send letters and so, I’ve written to several of you.

Now the sheds are closed and I’ve been put in a room again, R1 A6 (ground floor!!). There are two others with me: an American lady who’s been here eight times (she’s about 40 years old) and an English lady (46 years). The American is sobered by her many stays, doesn’t expect great things, knows the personalities of long-time stayers (not usually so saintly), etc. A sarcastic nature, Paapam (poor thing!). Meanwhile the English lady is fresh, new and innocent. At least she’s unattached so far - doesn’t care about front lines, etc. These two love talking long together, sharing life’s experiences and what they’ve learnt. Luckily, I'm in the separate veranda room so I stay quiet and by myself. I forgot that people ruminate thus! My friends and I just talk of Sai and yearning for Bliss and liberation!

Check my horoscope – is it bad for small accidents lately?? I’ve had a series of cuts, burns and small but deep gashes. The Whitefield cut (door accident) healed nicely, and very quickly (within five days scab was off). But here in Parthi I’ve gotten no less than 10 incidents in the last month! Several burns on fingers (big blisters), falling and getting bloody cuts on my toes (one got very infected, red and swollen and painful). Then, one day my dull knife was misplaced and I borrowed someone’s nice sharp knife - you know how my knife-karma is. I promptly cut my finger – then sliced in-between the thumb and forefinger (on the web-like skin we have in-between) on left hand. A big gash – big hole there. I went to hospital but I absolutely refused stitches. (The unbearably painful stitches on my hand I got that time when I was a kid are fresh in my memory banks. Plus I didn’t want any “operation” done in India.)

However, I did get a tetanus injection. Plus they gave me a cholera shot at the same time – it’s going around the village now, we hear that two villagers died from it recently, and Swami ordered the cholera vaccination for all school children and ashram residents.

They dressed the wound nicely, but you know me, I'm stubborn and so continued to do my daily activities: washing, cooking, cleaning, splashing water, all using that hand. Finally the doctor Amma gave strict orders that the hand had to get total rest for a few days, or else it would never heal (because I didn’t get stitches remember). So I was forced to wear a glove when splashing water, have someone braid my hair for me, etc. Now it’s healing nicely, but it’s a big gap and looks terribly ugly to me – but I don’t care, I didn’t want stitches so this is what I have to accept. Also, the scar won't be visable because it is on the in-between portion of the thumb and forefinger.

Nothing much has happened. Swami is the same as usual. But one change, He’s picking a lot of individuals for interviews lately, foreigners and Indians also. For a long time there were many groups coming, but now mostly individuals are here. Not so many groups with scarves. The people are being called separately from all corners, in all different ways. Many, many first-timers.

I can't believe it was the 5th Sai Birthday I’ve seen! I hope eternal bliss and moksha will come soon! How to go on like this for so long!

Venkamma is fine. Her granddaughter and great-granddaughter (mother Neeraja and 18-month old baby ‘Vijay Sri’) stayed in her house two weeks. How that baby girl screeches, trying to talk! And she toddles around everywhere! Venkamma adores the baby and once she teasingly/affectionately called the baby 'rakshasi' (as Telugu people often do)! Venkamma is always seen planting kisses on the baby and happily attempting to teach her to say, “Baba” (baby’s not talking yet).