Letters from India - Part 2

16. Birthday - Nov 1989

Birthday, New Roads, Flashing Lights & Revolving Stage

25 November 1989

Prasanthi Nilayam

Sai Ram!

It seems a long time since I wrote. Swami went to Whitefield from 18 October till 8 November, now all are back in Prasanthi Nilayam.

Things always seem to be unsure and changing here, but the present moment is usually fine. So I’ve been happy & alright, living in the moment!

Still I'm busy with making flowers for Venkamma. My routine is polished with getting up and taking a shower at 3 AM (twice a week when I wash hair it’s earlier!) and going out to pick flowers, then sitting on Venkamma’s verandah and make the garlands. After she gets up & does her puja (about 6 AM) she gives me hot coffee (mostly milk) and I'm off again to do more flowers up until bhajans (9 AM). After that usually I'm doing errands for Venkamma or others, and about 11 AM I'm free to cook & eat! The afternoon is less work and usually I get a one-hour nap then get to bed by 9 PM at night.

Swami is walking so slowly and giving such nice Darshans. I only sat inside once since He’s returned, then He looked my way, lovingly and said, “Very happy” three times! That made me very happy, as I felt He was showing His approval with me spending time serving Venkamma.

Now Venkamma is almost always nice to me. I overheard her tell her maid a few days back, “What can I do? I scold and scold but she doesn’t go, she keeps coming back, I’ve tried my best. Now I’ll just have to stop scolding and be nice to her.”

This has led to her telling many things. She says that her love is so great, that she must keep people distant or there would be crowds in her room all day long. She does this by giving prasad and shouting at them to get away so they’ll go soon.

One amusing incident that happened: sometimes there’s extra food at night. Sometimes Venkamma gives me herself, and sometimes she orders the maid to give it to me. Now, this time Venkamma had told the maid to put rice and one veggie for me. There was another veggie, Venkamma told her maid not to give it to me but throw it away. Venkamma didn’t know that the maid didn’t hear her (or she forgot), and she put both veggies out for me. Knowing nothing of all this, I innocently came and Venkamma shouted at me to eat.

So, I sat down and ate a few bites of a leafy veggie. Then I took some of the other “veggie” (the one I wasn’t supposed to have even seen). It was an unrecognizable mush with typical Indian brownish coloring (not odd for Indian veggies!). I put some in my mouth and chewed – it was strangely like gummy cheese! I thought, “How odd, they cook with cheese! Never before had I tasted cheese in their cooking.” As I chewed – no cheese flavor! Rather flavorless cheese, I thought, I swallowed it thinking, “Not so nice.”

I again took up this “veggie” in my hand, to find a hard, thick object. I struggled in all my memory banks to remember a veggie with hard shell like that, but could not. I scraped off all the curry coloring, getting suspicious. It was a BONE! I immediately shouted to Venkamma, “Hey, what’s this! What’s this?! A… a… BONE?!” She immediately jumped up hysterically and made a mad dash for me, choking on the betel nut she’d been chewing, saying, “What? What?!” I handed her the object and she grabbed it, then immediately scooped from my plate the rest of the curry, ran to the toilet and flushed it all down!

What had happened was this: all of Swami’s family except the two sisters are meat-eaters (not daily, but occasionally), Venkamma’s grandson comes to eat lunch at Venkamma’s house daily, and the family sends veggies for both of them everyday. That day they had sent meat-curry and there was some left.

I was rather amused, though Venkamma got very hysterical. I thought that anyway, it was Venkamma’s prasad. This led to a long conversation between us on meat. Venkamma might’ve eaten meat longer than both of you, even! I quit meat at age 9 years old, but up until she was in her mid-30’s, Venkamma was cooking and eating meat! Even now the people that are cooking for Swami, are making and eating meat in their house! I accidentally got served this meat curry. (When this happened Swami was in Whitefield and Venkamma assures me that when Sai is here they don’t make meat in the house). (Venkamma will never eat meat now, but serves it to her grandchildren.)

Meanwhile, the accommodation people are giving much trouble, complaining about me staying on. Seems the new rule is no one can stay in the ashram if they’re under 25 years old! They’re sending all the young people out on the streets. Luckily, Indian age is counted one year ahead so, my 24th Birthday is coming up which by Indian age, is 25 years old. I’ll try that. Also, nice Vibhishana said if I only go in a room with some resident, I’d never have to go to the office for permission. He suggested one elderly Indian lady who has just had an operation. Nice idea but because I'm busy with Venkamma, it would be impossible. How can I take care of anyone? My schedule is always up to Venkamma, changing. So what to do? Simply wait & see.

Swami’s been very busy. He seems extremely fond of His new revolving Poornachandra stage, visiting it up to 5 times a day - which gives the devotees much going to/coming from the Poornachandra hall Darshan. The stage seems quite small, the middle divider quite low.

Swami’s also giving saris - He also sent saris to Venkamma and family members. Also to college lecturer’s wives (the men do all the work and Swami is always giving saris to all the wives!) and Anantapur students. Every day Swami’s been going out in the car also, some construction is outside.

Swami also drives to see His new roads, daily. Nicely they’re making roads, not only past all the round buildings and up till the new South Building, but also they’ve started the huge task of building roads past all the 32 sheds also. Now I see how they make them: first digging up the ground, then laying rocks, then mud over the rocks. Then the big tractor comes with a big round stone, and smashes all the rocks down. Then they pour the cement, then let it dry, then make cement dividers and splash water on the new roads for a few days.

Well, the permanent cement foundation is put up on the top of the Mandir and Swami is loading decoration after decoration on it. Hundreds of multi-colored blinking lights, in circles and lines, spelling words like, “Prema Sathya Swarupa,” “Allah is Great” etc. Swami also has put huge dolls of himself (in white robe) and Shirdi Sai, all flashing lights, and moving from one side of the roof to the other.

Birthday was a little less crowded because of elections (people are afraid to travel as many scuabbles go on between opposing parties).

22 November was Convocation celebration. Such rush – I stayed out. Swami came in dazzling purple velvet robe, as last year, matching all the other VIPs He walked with. Old devotees told me how they remembered how He used to wear all colors: light blue, yellow, white, even green!

Birthday, I also stayed out. There was bhajan and Swami sat in the big blue chair. Then He gave a discourse – seemed simple but I don’t remember what He said now. After, laddus were distributed to all.

At night, there was jhoola (swing). I happened to notice a nice, big tree (in the middle of the huge ocean of people). Skillfully I climbed up and sat there, with full superb view of Sai, in jhoola the whole time! I was alone and peaceful and undisturbed – because no one else could manage to climb up the tree (no branches low enough). Sai gave that gift, perhaps, as I felt bad about not sitting inside for jhoola. (Far down below me was the human ocean struggling for a glimpse.)

The next morning, Venkamma gave me a full laddu prasad, and even gave ¼ of the laddu Swami threw in her hand! :-)

Sooo, all happened grandly and I am in a very, very happy mood at the moment. Although if I had the option, I would pick the bliss of moksha.

Be well all!

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu.

Love,

Divya