Letters from India

16. Madras Again - Jan 1985

Madras Again

March 01, 1985

Prasanthi Nilayam

Dear Peoples,

Before I start I have to tell you this story I heard – true story, Kasturi told it: it seems one day, Kasturi and Sai were riding in a car. There were going past some really rice scenery: nature, mountains and all. Kasturi said to Sai, “Oh, how beautiful is Your Creation!” Swami answered, “Yes – that is what I think when I come out on the verandah for Darshan and look around: HOW BEAUTIFUL IS MY CREATION…” Om Sai Ram!

The plane ride Bombay to Madras was probably the most Blissful experience outside of samadhi, available in this creation. Who but Sai knows, why He granted such Grace. I was

We landed and, by Sai’s Grace, I was right behind Him getting out – that is, like 2nd after His party. When I stepped down, Sai was a few feet in front of me walking to His car. He got in, drove like 1 foot past me (two or three other devotees had reached there, as He was almost past), then I sorta halfway followed as He drove slowly around (of course, He doesn’t drive) in a semi-circle (SH was beside me then), then out and away.

After everyone got their luggage (us small group of foreigners who had followed – ladies stuck together) (I think only one or two foreigner men followed, at the most), we got taxis to – where else! – Sundaram. Once arrived, I couldn’t stomach leaving, so the others went to find a hotel. It was like 4:50 PM and bhajans were to start at 5 PM. The place was packed, but there were a few spaces in the waay back of the 2nd section. Gave me a taste of what the general population gets all the time…

The bhajans were so high, so wonderful after the flight … can't explain. I was in perfect tune with them, heavenly… a different stage of consciousness.

It seemed Sai waited patiently until all the foreigners who had followed Him, had gotten their hotels and had returned to Sundaram! Because, He let the bhajans go on and on, and didn’t appear for Darshan until all the foreigners, including Barbara and Diane, had come and were sitting around me!

Sai came and went straight to the dais and sat for bhajans – distant Darshan of the Lord of all Creation, the ONE.

After, reluctantly, we returned to the “real world,” to face a seedy-looking hotel in the middle of empty roads (the name of the hotel was “Seedee’s”!!). The first thing we were faced with was a toilet which seemed to receive sewage from other toilets; plus a sink which had roaches and other bugs peaking out at us from the pipes.

Buuut, it was late sooo, they gave us a bucket and we flushed the toilet, closed our eyes to the bugs, and settled down (after a dinner of ‘Milk Bikis’ cookies, orange soda and bananas) to a nice rest; hoping that tomorrow our sacred Hotel Karpagam would have vacancies.

Next morning, finding a rickshaw to get to Sundaram was hard. We walked aaaall the way up the street - either the rickshaws didn’t want to take us (do you believe these guys??) or they quoted a huge fee and wouldn’t use the meter. What to do? Finally, we paid the huge fee to got through the empty streets (it was still dark out - like 5 AM).

Only a few other crazy people were there that early soo, we ended up getting great seats: I got in position 1-2 (front line, 2nd from center), with a Seva Dal in 1-1 (the Seva volunteers gets the best position!).

Anyway, Sai had us singing about 45 minutes before He came - He went around granting Darshan, and stood a long, long time taking letters & doing stuff right by me. His Lotus hand would be right by my nose, taking letters.

As the night before, bhajans were a blissful experience, very high. Welcome back to Madras, Sai.

After bhajans we were all leaving when Seva Dals started to clear the roads – Sai was coming! He drove by and off into the streets of Madras.