Letters from India

53. Daily Schedule in Ooty & Back to Brindavan - May 1986

Ooty Continued & Back to Brindavan

May 1986

Brindavan, Karnataka

Dear Peoples,

Ootacammund continued: a day in the life in Ooty with Sai: The day starts when the alarm rings at 4:30 AM. Next is a cold bath – cupfuls of ice poured over you. Then quickly dress, bundle up in shawl. Breakfast of cheese sandwiches and coffee was delivered the night before by the hotel – quickly stuff the sandwiches in a plastic bag, stuff in purse, gulp down coffee with milk and sugar, grab sitting mat and it’s out into the cold, misty Ooty!

Walk half a mile to the hill, then nearly a mile uphill to “Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar” – the school/Swami’s residence in Ooty/Darshan grounds. Outside the gates a queue is forming – I arrive at 6:15 AM to be eighth or ninth in the line. That’s the ladies queue. Men’s queue is several feet away – men aren’t so serious about this queue business, the first men come 45 minutes later!

Finally at 8 AM when 100 or 200 are in two long queues (gents and ladies), we file in neatly (ladies line first) until 50 feet or so from the grounds, when everyone breaks into fast walking then a run, to secure front line.

There is complete silence until 9 or 9:30 AM, when Sri Sai appears. He walks straight to the gents, pulling up His sleeve to accept the first letter or materialize vibhuti. He goes around all, granting Darshan, calling some in for interview (usually Indians, holding places in the Sai organization and needing guidance on different matters). Darshan lasts about 15 minutes. When Swami goes in, most stay in their seats. An hour or 90 minutes later, Sai again appears at the door. Interview people come out. The sun is shining now – it’s getting very hot. Sai either goes out in the car (in which case, all stay in their seats until He returns), or gives a “compensation Darshan”, standing at the door, smiling and waving; or coming and going around again for another Darshan.

After this Darshan, we’re requested to leave the immediate grounds and either go to the large tent (a short walk from the grounds), or go and come in the evening for Darshan.

Most leave. Some go to the tents. There’s one large tent. All make themselves at home – people lay out blankets and have picnics. After lunch most lay down on blankets to nap in an informal queue formation. Some sit in small groups and talk quietly.

This is around 11 AM. At 2:30 PM, others begin to arrive. We in the tent arise from our naps and the queue straightens out into three or four long lines (ladies side – gents form queues on the other side of the tent). At 3:30 PM, the Seva Dals (volunteers) arrive and announce we will all go in one line one by one, back to the Darshan grounds. Slowly all four lines go together, merge, and attempt to re-form into one long line. Some people protest – first line first! One line! But for the most part, people are quiet and lines are broken “peacefully”. People who arrived at 3 PM end up in front of those who had been there all day. Most resign themselves to the consolation, “The Lord’s Will” or “The first will be the last and the last will be the first” or, “Swami’s Play, He’s doing all this.” Anyone here for any amount of time, knows there is no “fair” or “unfair”. According to God’s desire, He rewards or withholds, not according to seemingly outward merit or penance.

At 4:30 PM or so, Sai appears for Darshan. He goes around as in the morning, except usually no evening interviews.

As soon as He’s in, all madly dash to the back door (gents to front door). Volunteers vainly insist, “One line to go in, one line!” Slowly, caught in the crush, we are pushed along by the current, the waves of human bodies, until we find ourselves inside the large hall. There we’re urged to “move up, move up,” crush together so all may squeeze into the hall. We all become one body – touching others on all sides, limbs seem to merge into one. A lesson in unity!