Divine Everyone - Be Ye Eagle or Chicken! Flying high or low!
Laying eggs, good or rotten! One and All!
Namastey to whatever level of consciousness within which you find yourself engulfed, as it contains exactly the lessons which you need at this stage of your evolution! (This goes for me too! Whatever I say to thee, I also say to me!)
Well! That was only the Salutation! From what I am getting as feedback - and most have given some news - everyone is facing their own challenges! Just remember! Be cheerful and get to work! Don’t think too much! Just do! See the situation and act accordingly. Don’t expect others to understand you. Just- you understand them! Little Dhivya and Anandraj cannot understand me and I don’t expect them to! But, I must understand them! The higher (in consciousness) can understand the lower, but the lower (in sub-consciousness) cannot understand the higher! That’s the Law! Sorry, kiddies! Face to Face with what must be, what need is there for sorrow! (Bhagavad Gita)
Perhaps, that is enough advice! I already gave you so much, you are full up to your ears! Now! You just have to fly! On the wings of Vairagya (detachment) and Viveka (discrimination).
NEWS FLASH! ANANDA TRAVELS ABROAD FOR THE FIRST TIME!
Ananda broke the bonds of earth and soared high as scheduled on Sunday April 1st 2007 (no joke). Well! Lots of obstacles were overcome, not the least was the Italian visa! (Ananda has India passport). Well! Souvenir Travels was the agent and let us down very badly on two accounts. First, they said it would take about one week or ten days to get visa from Italian Consulate in Bombay. We fulfilled all obligations, but they kept asking additional papers. Finally on Tuesday, at 11am they told us Ananda had to go for interview at Italian Consulate in Bombay and his appointment was 10am on Wednesday (next day). So flurry of activity and decisions. To go or not to go. Was it worth it? Anyway we had committed to the trip, so we got tuff in gear, got a ticket to Bombay and got Ananda on the plane that night itself by 8pm. Fortunately, Kiran More, an old student from 1985 at Sri Kambliswamy Madam had just phoned Ananda the night before for some Yoga questions so we had her cell phone etc. She had her driver pick Ananda up at airport, and took him to her house near Marina Drive in Bombay in the central part of the city on the ocean front. She fed him lavishly and gave great hospitality and put him in a hotel just around the corner form her apartment. Fortunately, the Italian Consulate happened to be just five minutes walk from her place. So next morning she took Ananda there. He had his private interview and they were satisfied and gave his visa. But he had to wait till Thursday (next day) to get his passport. Then, on the plane to Chennai Thursday night. Only one day, Friday, to prepare for Italian trip, and Saturday night. Sunday morning (1am) he was to fly. But! Someone had immigration problems, so flight took off (Air France) only by 2:30am. Since travel agent had only given Ananda one hour to move in Paris from Air France to the flight to Milano, Italy he missed the connection. Fortunately he was able to contact Yogananda so they knew he would be five hours late. They were waiting at Milano airport. So he touched down in Milano about 5:30pm. Italian time on Sunday night. Anyway, he was there safe. As he said “I learned already an immense amount just setting foot in Europe”. In France, though he had to wait 5 hours, Air France showed true French hospitality by giving him one egg sandwich. When he protested that he was vegetarian and wanted to change the sandwich, the lady cooly told him “C’est impossible!” Why don’t you take the egg out and eat the bread Well! It makes you appreciate India that much more.
Other adventures will be recorded later. Perhaps you can all identify with Ananda’s travel travails. (Especially Sita Devi with her experience in Sri Lanka).
Believe it or not! We have been able to bring about a wonderful cleansing in the Ashram. My desk is clean. Dhivya’s toys are in cupboard. Really! My mind is so refreshed. It is the best reorganization we have had since Dhivya’s birth. I am quite relieved. Now! To maintain this order. That is the challenge. Our apartment is clear of clutter. This summer I want to upgrade kitchen and bathroom. Then, I can rest a bit satisfied.
So we are slowly getting back to normal, whatever normal means, after the six month Sadhana course. For me it means Abhyasa, disciplined Sadhana (Repetition, Regularity and Rhythm). Sometimes we love it but that is also good because I feel “Chaos is the womb of creativity.” Or as John says, “Confusion precedes fusion.” Chaos is like a mixing up and breaking apart of old structures which no longer fit the present challenge. So, we have to face it and rebuild. This is not once in a lifetime but often, for some of us perhaps daily. (If we live intensely and with consciousness). Swamiji also old us, “The Greek root work for crisis is opportunity to change”. The Chinese character for crisis and opportunity to change is the same. All interesting thoughts. By the way, Ananda is phoning regularly (believe it or not, the day of his travels all our ICYER phone lines were not working so we didn't’ know whether he had arrived safely. We had to phone Italy to find out the problems. Ananda’s Italian experience is great. Latest news is he met the Italian Prime Minister in Rome a few days ago, part of a 24 - member group representing minority religions in Italy. Of course, Hinduism is a minority religion there. A new legislation is being drawn up to protect minority rights, and Ananda, represented Hindu minority and was part of it. Some of our European students also travelled to Italy to meet him there and many conferences and classes have been organized. The only drawback is that it is very cold as Gitananda Ashram is in Savona, near Milano, and in the lower region of the Alps. It has been a grand opening for him and though many obstacles had to be overcome, still, it is worth it.
Well! Little ones! And big ones for those of you who object to being called little. I remind you that Jiva in Sanskrit may be translated as little one or person as opposed to Paramatman who is Big One or Great Person. I further remind you of the wonderful remark (found now a days on t-shirts). NOBODY IS PERFECT. I AM NOBODY. I AM PERFECT. Now! Back to topic. This is mainly a note to let you know we are always here for you. Someone is here who watches you and understands. I may not agree with what you do but I will understand it. I have profound interest in you. That is Love, by any account. Do your best and leave the rest. Be in contact and share your journey with us. We have begun a relationship together. Now, it must be cultivated and nourished. I will always be here for you. You are now free to develop whatever relationship you wish, near or far, with the Guru and myself. That relationship can grow only if it is nourished by contact, love, interest, care. Of course, the relationship has to have the sunlight and water of Yoga Sadhana to grow! You are always welcome here. You know what we are doing, every time, every place, Regularity, Rhythm and Repetition. Let us all grow together.
Affectionately yours in Yoga,
AMMA
P.S. some of you newly batched eaglet-chickens may feel a bit lonely out there. You no doubt feel different and not part of the crowd. This of course touches the old sensitive part of the mammalian brain which is hard wired with the herd instinct and safety in numbers idea. Well! You all know we have to shed our mammalian conditioning and cultivate awareness centred in the cerebral cortex which makes us hu-man. The cerebral cortex is the control centre of creatures possessing manas or consciousness. Only in the human incarnation is it activated. A great saying came in the newspaper this morning. “Don’t follow the crowd anywhere. It’s too crowded there.“ Great advice. The spiritual path is the flight of the alone to the Alone and walking on the razor’s edge. One has to have tough feet - feet of steel and acrobatic skill to walk it. Furthermore, as the Buddha remarked. The Path is narrow there is only space on it for one at a time. Well! We may walk single file but we are all walking upwards together.
P.P.S. This letter has been sent to the graduates of the 38th Annual International Yoga Teacher Training Course, October 2nd 2006 to March 25th, 2007, but I thought some of you ‘old birds’ might also enjoy it.
Return to: Amma’s Letters Homepage
Return to: About The Art Page
