Amritapuri
Trip Start
Sep 03, 2007
1
11
17
Trip End
Oct 23, 2007
Kerala,
India
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
divine in you, in that place there is only one of us,. This is the
typical way of greeting each other in India. a constant reminder of
the unity and love that are our very nature-We are all brothers,
sisters, mothers, and fathers-one big family. We need to stop thinking
that we're different and try to see how we are the same. Suffering is a
condition of human life and we should cultivate compassion and love for
one another as if we were family and friends. True love is irresistible.
Amritapuri dormd from across backwater
Not even the (greatest evil or ego, as it were, can withstand it'sglory). As Baba would say "Love is The strongest medicine", there is
nothing it can't cure. The sooner we see each other as being an
extension of ourselves, the sooner the compassion will come. Don't
forget to forgive others all the time, and perhaps even more so
yourself. Love yourself! You are stuck with you your whole life. If you
can't befriend yourself how can you befriend others. I've been put
through the ringer here in India. I've seen how self-centered and
unaware I can be. Laziness creeps in around every corner and I have to
surrender or suffer-no two ways about it. It's been quite the roller
coaster ride. UP -DOWN-UP-DOWN. Yet I know everything I get is exactly
what I need. Neem Karoli keeps popping up here at Amritapuri. I've
randomly ran into devotees
Bridge across backwaters
. I don't socialize too much, but when I doNeem Karoli pops up in the conversation. He is a sneaky baba. I've met
two people who were thinking of going to Kainchi and couldn't make up
their mind until I told them I was just there. I told them my
experience and then they made up their mind. Do you think Baba was
involved? Not much of a question for me.
I was disappointed that on my birthday that Amma all of a
sudden decided not to give darshan to westerners that night. I
was a bit angry I might say. I thought she knows it's my birthday, and
she cut me off from darshan. I at least did prasad seva and touched her
had as she left. Just another chop at my ego-me me me-right? It's not
as if she never sleeps, barley eats and sacrifices every bit of her
time for selfless service for the devotees and poor
Down shot f main temple entrance
. Man, why does shedeserve a break? HA! Anyway, we went on a field trip to a town in
Kollum about two hours away yesterday and they were celebrating a great
saint of Kerala who died a couple of hundred years ago. He is pretty
big here and has a big Math (order of renunciate's) There were thousands
of sanyassis there and it was inspiring. Amma was invited to give a
speech (of course it wasn't ranslated and kind of boring, but the
devotional erergy and food were sweet). It was a rather
bumpy and uncomfortable bus ride there though, standing room only for
many). I was exsausted upon returen to the ashram and rested. I slept a
long time again and was upset I missed the 4:30am archana. I seemed to
have forgot to get an alarm clock. I will have to investigate that one.
Ocean about 1 km from ashram
I had an aryuvedic consultaion for my stomach problem and was givensome stuff that cleaned me out big time. I havn't eaten today per
instruction and am looking forward to some food later. I am also eager
for Amma's darshan. The normal ashram sceduel it messed up do to the
preperatipn for her birthday. So everything is up in the air. A darshan
soon would sure be nice. I really got to feel her on stage the other
night for the first time in India. It was that radiant warn blanket
feeling, as some of you know. It is amazing how it eminates directly
from her physical body anywhere from 10 too 20 feet it is unmistakable.
It's like being in the womb again (even though I can't remeber that
feeling I'm sure that's what it feels like-a peace unlike any other
I've ever felt. Drugs and alcohol don't even compare. It is a radiant
love and peace that Mahatma's (great souls) have
Ocean view from balcony I'm staying 15th floor
. You have to be thereto see what I mean, and if some of you have not gone I suggest you see
for youself someday, don't take my word for it. Get the first hand
experience for yourself. I may have lied in my life before, but I
assure you this I would not lie about. It it peace beyond anything you
will ever know. You feel like your home for the first time. Om Namah Amma
Hopefully after her birthday celebration on the 27th and things calm down I will
pehaps take a boat trip through the backwaters of Kerala, it is
supposed to be unbeivalbe in beauty. There is a beach you can swim at
around 20km aways too I'd like to check out. A lillte vaction from
ashram life may be nice, although nature is just a spiritual to me as
everything else. Be well my dear friend's and I'll be in touch LOVE
PEACE
P.S. HAPPAY BIRTHDAY MOM (Maternal Mother) She has the same B-day as
Amma-imagine that! LOve you and ENJOY your trip in South Africa. Miss
you LOVE JEFF a.k.a JAgadish
