Letters from India - Part 2

28. Birthday 1990

Engulfed in Birthday Smoke

November 30, 1990

Prasanthi Nilayam

Dear Parents,

Sai Ram! Divya conveys her namaskars. Here all is fine. Although it’s a week after the festival, still people are sleeping on verandahs and line-up begins in the darkness during Omkar in the morning, and in the heat of the afternoon (2 or 2:30 PM). Diseases are running rapid and I'm fighting off a cold. Why, I don’t know how we live in the shed! They built huge, long holes outside our windows and threw logs in them, and cooked for thousands! The smoke literally engulfed our shed 24 hours a day, for 6 days (19th – 24th) when they served free food to all. It was like a thick fog in the shed, lungs gasping for fresh air (unavailable), eyes itching and tearful, throat dry and scratchy. Outside was human traffic jam, even in mid-afternoon and 12 midnight.

Well! I wrote all B-day details and unfortunately gave it to Yash, he’s so busy who knows when you’ll get it.

The granddaughter Niraja and two children kept me so busy I could hardly have time to think, let alone clean my place in the shed or feel at rest. So much to do – I felt like a computer! They just left today and I plan to rest from the overwhelming strain and tension of Birthday. Your nerves definitely wouldn’t survived, Mahaji. I feel all black and burnt.

Sun is shining and Swami is giving Darshan & interviews as usual again.

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu.

Love,

Divya

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Birthday Prasad Distribution

December 10, 1990

Prasanthi Nilayam

Dear Parents,

Greetings & Salutations. Divya conveys her namaskars. Hope you are all well there, and will have a peasant Christmas without troubles from you-know-who.

Here, I'm feeling more rested and am busy recovering from World Conference. It seemed to take out all my psychological and physical strength. Perhaps there were great spiritual blessings also – if so, Swami is no doubt saving them to surface at some future date. :-)

Now, Swami actually had incredible excess of Birthday food supplies (and here I was worried all along that He would run out in the middle!). He sent to every room in the ashram, and to the old ladies shed to each person staying there: 10 laddus, 10 coconuts, 10 kgs rice.

Can you believe it! Every person got 10 each! Except of course, the foreigners sheds. I’ve been grumbling to Swami about it. I cook and could use the rice and coconuts, and I love laddus and could swallow all 10 at once. But, alas, Swami didn’t send me His prasad, noooo. I've been left out and rejected. Venkamma didn’t even give me anything. One old lady gave me 2 laddus and one coconut, without me even asking. When Venkamma found out about this, she gave me laddus. Still, I was not satisfied.

Then on 6 December I had an adventure dream, first dream I’ve had in a long, long time. The scene was a big storehouse, full of – yes! – laddus, coconuts and rice. Some people were there loading their share (of 10 each, of course) into sacks. I also was busy counting out 10 laddus and 10 coconuts. Suddenly, in comes a gang of kidnappers. They’re going to capture everyone there! For me, intelligence quickly dawns and I drop my treasured prasad supplies with both hands outstretched, and race for a small side door, the only escape door in the place. It leads down an ally with rows of small village houses. I don’t know if I'm pursued or not, but better to be safe. I enter a huge sort of “obstacle course” and must go through all the obstacles to get to the end, namely, “safety.” The obstacles are many – like a big sea. Parallel to it, on the beach where the sand is still wet, is a line of big, huge shovels. One must pick each one up and shovel (once) to the next, then pick up the next one and go on, a long time, maybe miles. Then other obstacles up hills etc. I did well, without noticeable problem, and got to the end unhindered, free and safe. Then I woke up.

Here Venkamma has taken a liking to ice-cream (probably the first time she’s had it in her life, her good ole’ younger brother Swami, put the shop in His ashram). It gives her cough and sometimes a slight cold. She looks guilty whenever I catch her with ice-cream but then she says, “What to do – eat the food, then take the medicine!”

The Mini-World of Prasanthi Nilayam is definitely getting a facelift. Now anyone who gives USA $8,000 gets an immediate permanent, allotted room, and all sorts of worldly characters are coming to settle here. This is mixed with the devoted, non-worldly, old-time ashramites here. Residents are heard wondering why they’re still staying on here. But, it all comes down to one thing: the Lord is here, and even if it’s a worldly place, we must stay here to see Him & be in His aura.

Eashwaramma’s youngest sister Vengamma came to visit recently. I was enthralled with her – her face looked just like Eashwaramma and I felt I was looking far back into the past (which I was!). She is not only Venkamma’s mother’s sister, but also Venkamma's husband Subba Raju’s sister! (Venkamma married Eashwaramma’s brother). Swami immediately sent her two thick, big silk saris and a wad of cash (Swami sent the stuff to Venkamma’s room for Venkamma to deliver it to her!). Venkamma went to the lady’s shed to deliver it. It seems she then asked for 2 gold bangles also! Swami came in the Mandir and talked to her and gave her namaskar. Venkamma only commented to me that although Vengamma did a lot of deceit to Eashwaramma and to herself, still, she was old and it was her duty to be good to her. (This shows respect of elders – especially family members). She left after a few days – don’t know if Swami fulfilled her wish for the bangles!

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu.

Love,

Divya