Letters from India - Part 2

45. Easwaramma Day & Summer Course - Apr to May 1992

In High Energy Level

April 23, 1992

Prasanthi Nilayam

Dear Parents,

Divya conveys her namaskars. As for me, I am fully recovered from typhoid and am quite well. Hospital is providing multi-vitamins, Vitamin C and B-complex. I am in high energy level - this usually happens after I’ve been sick for awhile, I feel better than ever! Still I'm on bland diet though – no oil or spices etc. Mostly I have bananas and rusk soaked in watery, sugary milk; sometimes I have veggies, but I have to boil them in a puree pulp in water then can only add a little salt so where is the appetite?? Uck! Never mind, only a few more weeks.

Venkamma is fine but feels weak a lot. She hasn’t really got to her old energy level since returning from December/January hospital stay.

Here most people have left so it’s quiet and friendly. Construction goes on at furious pace. New Canteen is really huge and impressive, two stories high and goes the whole length of the “Canteen row” street. All the offices (facing canteen) have been temporarily moved to ground floor of West Prasanthi building (owned rooms!).

Some say Swami has left Kodai. They say He’s in Ooty and will come to Whitefield about 2 May (big water trouble in Kodai, it seems). Some say He may even come here for one or two days to overlook construction.

I am feeling peaceful and good inside – now if one could keep this state in all places and situations, one would be near moksha I suppose!

Venkamma sends her Blessings.

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu.

Love,

Divya

_____________________

Easwaramma Day in Prasanthi Nilayam

May 7, 1992

Prasanthi Nilayam

Dear Parents,

Divya conveys her namaskars. Here all is well. I hope you are all well there.

Swami returned to Bangalore on May 3rd. Here Easwaramma Day went off quietly. Small crowds still came, but not many. Amma bough new sari & dhoti and put them on her parent’s samadhi. She had special garlands also made for them. Many relatives came – all broke coconuts, waved incense. The pujari did mantras and arathi. Then all relatives did pradakshina of the samadhi. They distributed sweet rice and spicy rice to all.

It’s finally become hot here, for awhile it wasn’t very hot. I am fully healthy, don’t worry at all. Amma is also fine and sends her blessings to you.

Swami is giving Darshan in the morning and bhajans in Kalyan Mandap hall in the evening, in Brindavan. They say He’s gone really thin since Kodai Kanal. They say that whereas before He had a double chin, now you can only see the neck-bones of emancipated Sai. Even His main cook in Brindavan and His driver who went, have become skinny shadows of their former selves! Well, the coolness of Kodai and the dangerous water is enough to make anyone sick, even the body of God!

By the way, I’ve been drinking one liter of barley water a day – a recent test shows that urine infection is gone. Only boiled water now!

Now here in Prasanthi Nilayam it is mobbed with thousands of hopeful parents trying to get their children into Swami’s schools. Now tests/interviews are going on. The famous “baby” Vijay Sri (great-granddaughter of V) who just turned five, will also enter school if Swami gives permission. When I was in the hospital (for typhoid fever) she refused to come see Amma (she stays with village in-laws & Amma is in the Ashram). She said, “Divya isn't there! Vidya isn’t there! What reason do I have to go there?” She even came to see me in the hospital!

Well as you can see, no news. Amma might go to summer course May 20 – June 2. I'm planning on taking full rest here. Be well all!

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu.

Love,

Divya

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Summer Course in Whitefield

June 2, 1992

Whitefield

Dear Parents,

Prasanthi Nilayam was nice and peaceful and quiet (except for the construction). Amma went to Whitefield for Summer Course on 19 May, with nine other members of her family. I stayed back to do major cleaning, which is impossible when she is there, because she gives constant other work. (In the past three months in several minor cleanings, I’ve found a total of 13 new-born ratlings (tiny, pink, closed-eyed babies). Each time I'm forced to offer them to the feet of Amma - who throws them out to the crows.

I arrived in Whitefield on 23 May. Vidya let me stay in her room with her - otherwise there is no place anywhere. They had thrown all devotees out and gave accommodation only to students and VIPs.

Mornings is Darshan as usual. VIPs and other people who have donated a lot of money and/or have pushed their way in, sit in front line. We sit behind.

Evenings is discourse in college hall. Only students and VIPs (badge-holders) sit inside. We sit outside by the one open door where Swami is visible, or by one of the two TVs that show close-ups of Swami and one can hear the discourse also.

Some days I have to baby-sit Vijai Sri (now 5 years old).

Room rents have soared here! Before it was Rs 5 (last year), now it’s Rs 100 a day! Donors must pay Rs 50 a day and even owners who have given hundreds of thousands of rupees, pay Rs 10 a day. Many people are upset and say this is unfair. I am happy I never gave money, because it would be of no use now - one still has to pay daily! Also donors can't even stay alone; they have to share with others.

Here, even when we gave things to Vijai Sri, they (her parents or other relatives) would just put it up on a high shelve on display. She had to continue to play only with rocks and dirt. Then we learnt our lesson. So, we kept things safely and when I’d bring Vijai to Vidya’s room she’d play happily with all the toys and books she wanted. Poor Indians are like this: they don’t want the kids to play with toys because they’d just break and they can’t replace them. So they put any toys that come, up high on display.

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu.

Love,

Divya