Letters from India

95. Back at Prasanthi Nilayam - Oct & Nov 1988

Back at Prasanthi Nilayam

October 1988

Prasanthi Nilayam

Dear Ones,

Swami had a fever in Whitefield for two days (27th & 28th September) and didn’t give Darshan. Other than that, He gave as usual on Thursday & Sunday mornings, and every evening bhajan. I couldn’t feel much intensely high energy, but outwardly He gave really beautiful Darshan. He’s been smiling and laughing so much. Outward attention to me is still basically nil – even after I returned from such hard times in exile!

Swami left Whitefield at 12:10 PM on September 30, 1988, and arrived Prasanthi Nilayam. My wonderful roommates were kind enough to give me place in the taxi, which taught me a good lesson: buses are just as good, if not better! Bus ride is only slightly bumpier, has fixed, timed stops if any; is fast, less money (of course) and one may travel without talking.

We were greeted with a new rule: anyone who stayed in the ashram before Swami left for Whitefield (my exile was no exception!) can only stay 7 days in the ashram, after which they must either leave immediately or seek special permission from Chiranjivi Rao, allias, Immortal.

My plight was: I am closed to going to USA. I will not stay outside in the village, and I don’t want to suffer in another ashram (much as this mind tries to convince me that all is one). There seemed to be only one outer choice, and that’s a pity because it would really be a shame to waste such a young, strong, healthy body which has been given.

After arriving, I saw Venkamma who complained about my reduced weight. She gave curd rice and a special dosa that had been made for Swami.

Prasanthi Nilayam Darshan grounds are now really and truly cement: sand days seem to be over, finished. There is only wide expansive cement with not a grain of sand in sight. When it rains big puddles are formed and it’s not possible to sit.

That morning I happened to see Venkamma right when she was completing her puja. She has a new, big, fat, pot-bellied purple Ganesha statue! Someone gave it to her. She gave me coffee, idlees, papaya and new vibhuti supplies.

The night I arrived was a bit hectic, and suddenly at 8 PM I realized I hadn’t seen Ganesha! Naturally I rushed there, via the offices (to check out mail) and East Prasanthi. I suddenly remembered that Parvatamma’s helper (who had been in Whitefield) had told me that Parvatamma was again inside the ashram, in the famous East A-4 room (which I had spent so, so much time in!). I realized too late, so had to continue ahead and pass the room.

Naturally, although it was so late, Swami had Parvatamma wondering on her verandah, no one inside and no one outside, only me going by. She saw me – she was wearing, get this, an all-pink sari which she rarely wears. I kept walking but put up my hands in namaskar, and said, “Sai Ram” to her. Oddly, she nodded to me and looked again, then looked away. Perhaps she didn’t realize who I was until after she nodded, or perhaps she had known it was me, and just nodded to be nice. I don’t know. I had a craving to go inside to touch her feet, but just then I reached Ganesha and saw a sight which I had never seen before: a stray cat clawing at a perfect half of coconut, which had been offered and was at Ganesha’s feet. I couldn’t really figure it out, the symbolism, but I did get that I better not return to go inside and touch her feet!

Swami is giving Darshan and interviews, and is coming for bhajan as usual. He has almost perfected His famous “glide walk” again! As you may have read in Sanathana Sarathi (and as He again said in Barb’s interview), He is saying that He did not take on any devotee’s karma, but that the fall was a natural effect of gravity and it was used as a lesson to teach us how to react to pain.

Regarding your memory troubles, take heart: Swami seems to be doing mind-destroying on a huge scale. Everyone I seem to talk to has trouble remembering things. They have blank-outs and are not able to concentrate sometimes.

Swami has given permission for all to stay until after Dasara! very happy.

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu.

Love,

Divya

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A Door Falls on Me! November 8, 1988

Prasanthi Nilayam

Dear Peoples,

Swami returned back to Whitefield again. He continued to give nice Darshan, though last lines only to me (but as we know, sometimes last lines are better than first).

The wedding went off grandly on November 3rd; I didn’t have an invitation so I was trapped under the tree for bhajans with everyone else. We didn’t see anything. That evening Swami gave a surprise nice discourse.

On November 5th at about noon, Swami left Whitefield and arrived in Puttaparthi. We were met with delightful news, all were welcomed without the least complaint and everyone’s card was marked, “Permission to stay up till November 25th by Swami’s orders.”

I got room R5-C2 with one nice but a bit worldly (with pictures of her boyfriend on her puja) Holland girl (young) and a mother-daughter from some South American country (mother is elderly, very hard of hearing, and only speaks Spanish!). But we’ll most likely be in the room only a week or one and a half week, as B-day is coming and there is no doubt in the three worlds that we’ll have to move to the sheds.

Meanwhile this Holland girl has a stove so I’ve bought veggies, soup, Soya chunks and milk powder for food. Maybe I’ll buy rice also. Although I ate sooo much in Whitefield, Puttaparthi people and foreigners are still complaining I'm really, really thin.

In Whitefield right after the wedding I was standing near some old door which was off its hinges, when it came crashing down suddenly on my head. The side banged on my teeth, but luckily I only got mauled above my upper lip (a small but deep cut, but not quite deep enough for stitches) and scratches on my lip. Thanks to Swami’s Grace, I got no head injury or teeth injury (although I went into shock a bit afterwards, and had an awful, awful headache the rest of the day). The cut has closed nicely (a devotee doctor put some butterfly Band-Aid on it) and it’s now a big scab and I don’t think a scar will be left. Venkamma laughed when I said a door fell on me! I also had a big, swollen upper lip for a few days.

Irmgard, SH and Barb send their love – Venkamma sends her blessings. All fine – will write after B-day.

Love,

Divya