Letters from India - Part 2

25a. Inner Messages & Swami's Food Prep - Oct 1990

Inner Messages & Swami's Food Prep

October 1990

Prasanthi Nilayam

Dear Mom & Dad,

Divya coveys her namaskars, your letter dated 22 Sept and postmarked 27 Sept, reached me safely and unopened on Venkamma's doorstep on 4 Oct.

Venkamma with her eagle eyes, immediately saw my chart and scolded, “What!! She's written your horoscope and not Vijai Sri's? How is that?” She repeated it at least three times while I read your letter. Not only that when she sat with her old lady friends while waiting for bhajan, she told them also, “See, Divya's mother wrote her horoscope but not Vijai Sri's. Tsk Tsk Tsk.” Therefore, I kindly request you to send the horoscope of Vijai Sri, that spunky fearless, courageous, full of character spoilt, famous great granddaughter of Venkamma. Along with it, a few general personality comments and, say, the major planets and periods and sub-periods.

She definitely must have been Telugu in her past birth because her grasp of the language from small age, has been amazing. Her clever phrases and comments, far beyond her years, mark her personality.

Well, all is well here. Swami came out this evening at 7:30pm, when no one as around, to inspect the wonderful new lighting of the Mandir. Nice bright lights and mini-chandeliers illumine the verandah and top of the Mandir. He wandered all over the dark compound with His nose in the air admiring the lights on high. I was lucky enough to be buying veggies at the shops, and enjoyed the rare scene!

I liked your comment on how people arriving back from Parthi to their own countries, don't have many blissful stories to tell! One lady came out of a recent interview, instead of being blissful she sighed painfully, “He talked a lot of discipline, so much of discipline. It's good, I suppose,” and trailed off sadly.

I think the Indians laughed at the Chief Minister not only because he's a bit senile, can't hear or see, yet has been in office 40 years or something like that, but also because he brings all the ceremony as if he's the king of the world. Even Rajiv Gandhi might not have so much ceremony! Alas, the politics of it all.

They put in some special, air-circulating bricks, it seems, in the new building, to reduce heat. We also figured out the small windows are put in so people inside aren't seen. After all, the new building is practically on top of Round Buildings 1, 2, & 3, and the foreigners Canteen also.

3 Oct: It seems around here most Indians are interested in each others business to the extreme, foreigners aren't so much like that. Foreigners concentrate mostly on inner voice and guidance, which many times turns out to be wrong, by the way. Or contradicted by Swami Himself in the interview room. Of the ones who have gone mad here, ALL of them started in this “Inner Message” way. I'm glad I don’t have messages. I just act and if Swami doesn't approve, it's stopped (at least I trust it will be!). Also, with people's messages, they strangely suddenly change according to situation. For example, “inside Swami” will say to stay on longer, He'll do a miracle with their visa. When no miracle is done (even after days/weeks of confirming “signs” and “guidance” from “Swami”), “Swami” suddenly changes His story and tells them it's time to go. With these people, I dare not give advice, they won't listen and will instead turn verbally violent, as if I’m rejecting the true God's Will. So I listen quietly. Sometimes what inside Swami says is right, but not usually. The question is (since these people are so convinced): is Sai truly giving prankster advice, simply to tease and churn and rid them of karma? Or is it all their ego and mind? Or both? Or neither? Never mind, we leave it to Swami!

About Ketu period, it is definitely interesting that in early November 1989 Venkamma made the announcement that she would stop trying to get rid of me. From that time onward, I’ve been “having to conform to wishes and lifestyle of others” (as you put it). My own favorite daily routine was smashed overnight, and since then I’ve been running hither and thither for Venkamma doing errands, or spending sadhana time in her room on some context or the other, like babysitting her great granddaughter Vijai Sri, or keeping company with her mother Niraja (on Venkamma's instructions). Also being scolded and having to change my habits to some extent, to a proper Telugu village girl way. So this will last how many, 6 or 7 years? Oh my! Hopefully, moksha will arrive the day after Ketu period ends!

The good news is, visas are more readily available nowadays. We have yet to see my situation. There is one officer in Malaysia, it seems, who is giving entry visas to foreigners! An easy 5-6 years of stay! I will have the unpleasant job in January (visa up till 2 February 1991) of running around for visa if all else fails I might be forced to go to Malaysia again. I presently have enough money in the bank for such a venture. The other thing is a brand new “Five year tourist visa” I I would be grateful if you could call u p the San Francisco Indian Consulate after you read this sentence, and ask about it. Is it true?

Well, the first of the “Birthday Boom” babies was born on 4the October in the early morning. Much to the mother's dismay it was a girl. All Prasanthi-born babies are girls, usually – that's what they say around here, anyway! She wanted a boy. This was a nice scandal for the Prasanthi gossipers. The mother is a chief hard nose “sanyasi” volunteer, with a 10-year old daughter in the school and lecturer-husband who works in Swami's college. She's in her mid-30s. I was hoping the unexpected baby would soften her, but as she dislikes girls, I’m fearful she'll take her disappointment out on us. Already one foreigner has voiced fear that it might be Mataji reborn, and is looking for the familiar GLARE in the baby's eyes! Hah, ha! (This volunteer and Mataji were good friends.) SO, you get a taste of Prasanthi gossip!

Why does it take so long for Venkamma to cook Swami's food? Well, Swami has to have four (curry/sambar/rasam/chutney) dishes a day, each put into a large carrier container (about two cups veggies each). Swami usually takes half or 3/4th of it. She must make enough to have for others too - not only for herself, but for the two times (lunch & dinner) that her grandson Subri comes to eat, for her grandson's wife Pushpita, for her maid (one time) and sometimes for her other second grandson Sekhar, and also for occasional house guests.

She works on one small and another slightly bigger kerosene stoves. So, cooking for at least five people to last two meals each and a four-course meal at that, on two small kerosene stoves! When she arises, she cuts all the veggies herself, and puts them on the stove. The maid just looks after it and pounds anything that needs it (no blender for her, she pounds it all in a big stone in the traditional way). I help a little in the morning like peeling and pounding garlic, arranging cutting board and plates for her and peeling carrots, potatoes, etc. Then she urges me to run to darshan lines.

The weather is strange lately, after Swami came it started raining. Then it was very hot for about four days, then we just had a deep freeze for 2-3 days, suddenly a terrible chill in the air. Now it's gone back to being warm today.

They are completing the Mandir painting. And surprise, surprise, a second coat of paint on all Prasanthi buildings. The new West Prasanthi buildings still aren’t painted, they must still have work. Roads are completed, except another one they have to put by Ganesh, ladies shed area.

Many, many more new foreigners then the old timers who used to stay several months of the year. Barbara hasn't shown up. I finally wrote to poor her after not writing for months.

Stay well!

Jai Sai Ram!

Love,

Divya