Gloria's Letters
from India
Dec. 23, 2004
Dec. 27, 2004
Jan. 04, 2005
(tsunami update)
Jan. 01-11, 2006









 

Greetings from India after 6 weeks, (sorry)

Om Namah Sivaya,
 
 I just got a converter, finally, so now I can charge and use my computer here, and my new Ipod Nano (which I love). The two Radio Shack sold me were wrong. This rented computer shut it’s se! lf down as it was so low on power. It didn’t take a charge in Singapore even thought we plugged it in to the hotel converter!
I bought a “memory stick” or what ever you call it in San Ramon, Ca., so I can work on my fast computer in my flat and then take the doc. In the “stick” to a net café and plug it in. However, can’t find a computer café that takes it. There are Pentium computers here but apparently they must be pent.3!
I spent an hour and a half on Saturday at a net café in Vallicavu, and all I did was scribble 2 quick notes to a sick friend and go through my tons of emails. Didn’t get a letter written! Then got back to the ashram to find I left my good Nalgene water bottle there!  (Went back a week later and there it was!)
Today Amma gave satsang for residents and fed us lunch. This is my last day on antibiotics for an amoeba I got. So I’ve had to eat suppers, which I usually don’t take, to have food in my stomach to take the horse pills 12 hrs apart. Normally I fast and am in silence on Tuesdays. Tomorrow I start on Asidophilous (sp), to put back the good bacteria.
John and I are going on the South India Tour Dec. 19 to 24rd (tentative schedule) He flies home on the 29th. So those that I would write to who don’t have email, I’ll just have him call when he gets home as he’ll be faster than the mail.
My experience here this year is really different than last year. I was a seva junkie last year, did so much selfish service all the time.
Now, after getting a cold in San Ramon, which really messed my ears for the flights, hurting my back, just enough to put me down in Allepy(at the top of our backwater cruise), prior to the ashram, and then going down with an intestinal bug, probably from Aleppy once we arrived at the ashram, I FINALLY realized I need to just stop and heal and re-cooperate from the draining last few months.
So I slept and meditated and read Amma books for 5 days. Then did healing work on myself and now getting back to normal, what ever that is. I never give myself time to rest or recouperate at home. Always go, go go!  So I started treating myself as a client, what a difference!!
So, this year , here I have 1 seva, and doing more meditation, and ease.
 
Thursday dec. 16th
Om Namah Sivaya,
 
I got up early, 4:50am for Archana, then the IAM meditation refresher course. Now I’ve had 2, I can receive the 2nd level whenever it’s taught.
John took the course in Sam Ramon. So we can do it together.
I met 2 wonderful women today! from Seattle. One is apparently a Franciscan Priest. She is blown away by Amma. She said “She is living the Gospel”. I shared some Amma stories and she sobbed. We’ll do the S. India trip together, I gave then a lot of tips about what to bring and things to make life easier…
I got a Jotish reading done for my daughter yesterday, and I spent the first 8 minutes finding out about my 2nd Saturn return that I’m in. I left my husband during our 1st one, so I was a bit concerned… Well no worries, It’s all fine and spiritual, all is well. I however have just been in 3 week period which was unsupported planetarily, Very unusual, this weekend is the last of it. No wonder I’ve been a wreck!  I had one day last year like this.
I was going to take harmonium classes but! when I hurt my back, the chiro said not to sit on the floor, which you have to do to play it. Now my back is better, perhaps I’ll start when the trip ends.
I;m also seriously considering going to Amma’s AIMS dental hospital to get my amalgams removed.
 
Friday 17th
Continued…
So of course I bump into Sneha down from Aims Dental hospital in Cochin, after breakie this am. She said to email her and she’ll look into the amalgam removal procedure for me.
 
December 30, 2005,
I gave up on this letter as I couldn’t connect my comp. with ones here, after many false leads. Today by Ammas grace, Beverly told me, the ashram computers take the memory sticks, for mac as well!! I had given up on them as you have to wait in line for hours, sometimes, for a half hours use. I can down load 3 letters in that time….
So…I try again….
Johnny left yesterday. It’s been wonderful! having him here, he’s had his heart and mind blown open. One never knows what will happen to relationships here. Everything is in your face. We actually grew closer. Great test, being together and celebate.
He got a last Darshan tolken with Amma for noon, his cab left at 3pm. I was sitting in the front of the hall watching Amma give Darshan to the Indians. A woman came up to me and asked if I would like to do “Pull” position with Amma at 1:10pm. That is “lap” in the west, but here you literally have to pull the Indians up and away from Amma, as it all goes so quickly. I thought “ would Amma give me this grace to be there at Her side while John receives darsahn??  So I was standing in front of Amma and to the side a bit and here comes John for his darshan, what a sweet experience, She hugged him then released him and pulled him back ag! ain. He was blissed out for awhile….. So was I. My position was for 10 minutes, it can be grueling, and no one came to relieve me, so I did at least 20. Great experience. I sat behind and to the side the day before, rolling Prasad (a hard candy tightly wrapped in a paper packet of vibhuti [ash]) These are handed to Amma 3 at a time for Her to give out.
We did the South India tour 19 Dec. to 24th. Instead of going to Kanyakumari, at the tip of India, the tour was cut short so Amma could be back at the ashram Dec 24th,for her western children. We went to the East coast, in Tamil Nadu, where the tsunami hit the hardest. Long dirty bus rides. Went to Nagappattinam first where Amma is building homes. She dedicated the first 300 or so homes. Huge, huge gathering of people, biggest I’ve seen. Then up to Pondicherry, and Chennai. This is India’s lon! gest beach, a huge dirty, polluted city, Unfortunately we were unable to see the nice part, the beaches and houses here. We just go and help the darshan occur, like a traveling road show. Incredible experience, and great way to see the country. Luckily I didn’t see the rats in the ceiling of our dorm building until breakie, just before we left. Just the normal Canadian size, not the small cat size at the ashram.
There are so many people her, peak season. They are asking flat owners to accept a roommate! Amma said there will be 50,000 residents here in the future. Hummm. It’s not a quiet retreat place. It’s a rock tumbler.
 
Now that I’m well, I’ll start doing my Healing work in the temple somewhere. I have to find out where and make a poster.
Because I lost my hard drive I have no template with me, and I lost my Dreamweaver programme to access my website for that info stored there, not to mention making changes….Argh!.
I’m also on Sat. getting a book from the library about customs of India/Hindu, and will start the prep work for the pamphlet. “How to be a polite visitor to Amritapuri”
Customs, etiquette, and dress.
 
Hopefully I can take the 2xweek harmonium classes offered, we’ll see…..
Life is good, I am finally well, great friends here, I am at peace.
 
Om Amriteshwaryai Namah,
Kalavati
 
Om Lokah Samastah Sukino Bhavantu (May all beings in all worlds be happy)

Beloved Friends, Jan.1, 06

Om Namah Sivaya,
Happy new year to you. I haven’t had time to check the email, I’ll write this and take it on the memory stick and send it from the net room on the balcony of the temple. It works if I have all the writing done. Then I trust I’ll have a letter from you.
I got John’s parting gift, a sore throat and ear thing, ache-y all over. Slept from 3:30pm through New Years eve missing Amma’s Darshan and talk. I was really dehydrated and unable to get up and go for water, and had no water to take my last Tylenol. Whine, snivel, no Johnny to fetch and help.
Went (staggered) to Vallacavu and got some Septilin by Himalaya, they are ayruvedic meds. for the bug. Spaced out, forgot to get Tylenol type pills, and throat lozenges. A customer brought me chai and another brought me throat lozenges yesterday. I felt so loved. Getting better now…..

It’s the 2nd of Jan. and everything is different. I’ve been so busy since yesterday afternoon, arranging things and making posters and schedules. I’m preparing to do healing in my flat starting this Wed. 1500 Rs for 1.5 hrs. My friend Prashanta is my 1st client. I’ll take 500 Rs deposit and give a day pass to my flat. Sign up is in the western canteen, after breakie, next to the seva desk.
I got a thermos for hot water at Ram’s Bazaar, (very rare) so I can have my herbal tea as I work. I’ve also switched to herbal Amrita chai for breakie at the canteen.
The N. India tour starts Thursday, so I’m alone then at Ram’s Flea market seva, doing 10:30am-12:30 shifts for 10 days. They’ll try to get someone to assist me.
I’ll get my locker moved up tomorrow at 7:45am. I’ll nab 2 strong young men, with Bills help, at lunch and give them passes to the bldg. when I meet them in the am at the elevator. I put a note on the student’s door of 706 warning them to expect us.
I’ve rearranged the flat and nested. I fold the bed up against the wall and draped a cloth over it. So it doesn’t look like a bedroom when clients come.
I finally got the book re spiritual customs, The adult library is only open when I’m doing my seva, so I switched seva shifts so I could go. It’s now being photocopied. So I can work on the pamphlet on being a polite visitor at Amritapuri, in my own time, probably back at home.
I started 1 hr, 2 x wk Harmonium and voice classes- together. 100r’s a class. It should help satsang. It takes me back to my voice lessons in 1990 in Gibsons, where I studied for a year with an opera singer, just to develop voice control to chant. I have the taped sessions still.
I got a couple of books from the kids library, it also has adult books, which is way better than the adult library! Got another Dan Brown book, who wrote The DaVinci Code. Excellent book. I want to save the Harry Potter’s book for the way home.
How pleasant it is to write in my room without pressure, then take the info….to the café… So, off I go the the net…
Blessings to all.
Om Amriteshwarya Namah
Kalavati

Beloved Ones, 1/11/06
Today Amulya and her daughter Swarna from Victoria turned up at breakfast, they arrived last night. What a pleasant surprise. I had been expecting them a couple of weeks ago, then let it go.
It’s Swarna’s first visit, I’m so excited for her. She left us after lunch and went off to explore. Amulya and I discussed going to Trivandrum to look at and perhaps purchase harmoniums. She has the address from a dealer where Marge bought hers, by searching their web site. I’m going to search more and hopefully find another place, to at least get comparisons. We were both considering stopping there on our way to the airport on our respective departure dates. A day with no luggage and going together would be way better. Yahoo! , It is a 3 hour, scarey, Indian highway drive each way though.
Amulya mentioned that the Singapore airport has a pool on the roof for those with layovers. She said it was raining so they were the only ones in it. I’m in Singapore over night, and the Airline hotels often have pools also, it was a good reminder. I didn’t bring a swim suit as swim dresses are the required female attire here at the ashram. So I amazingly found one at Ram’s and it fit, for Rs 35 (a dollar). I’ll take a dip on the way home.
Amulya told me that John came down to Victoria’s satsang for New Years Eve and some people didn’t recognize him. I mentioned his beard, she said, no being with Amma changed him. She talked about how really nice he is and emotionally smitten with Amma. She was going to invite him to spend the night rather than drive the 1 ? hours home, but by the time she got around to it he had left. He hadn’t been back from India long, so I’m sure he was still quite jet lagged.
My daytimer is now full with clients and I had to shuffle to get a day off before I leave, to take the trip to Trivandrum. I’m considering quitting Ram’s and booking afternoon clients instead, I could make Rs1500 more a day for Amma’s charities. I do like the social aspect of the thrift store though. Several people are certified to handle money. There must be a replacement. It’s nice however to have time off from my “Work”. Hmm…. I’ll take a ”look” at it.
I just realized what I’ve been doing with people who bug me, or rub me the wrong way. I am connecting with them and becoming friendly, its very interesting, I wasn’t even conscious of it….Like the French woman with the library books, or the older French woman who wore underwear on the outside of her clothes. Copying the kids at home, with lacy nylon camisoles and half slips, or a man who is wrapped up in his illness. Go Girl!
Well the tour busses must be returning, I can hear my next door neighbours who went. She has a unique Thai voice, and her partner is German, apparently neither realize there are open windows from their flat to others. You really have to speak softly. Floors are tile and walls concrete. There is nothing to deaden the sound. Amma must be here too then, her camper goes faster than the busses. It’ll be nice to have Her back. Bhajans are not the same without Her. The men and women are separated, and in the temple the Bramincharinis lead all the bhajans, choosing their obscure Malayam ones, and the book and page numbers aren’t announced.
When Amma’s here it’s held on stage in the big hall with Amma and the swami’s leading. With lots of tablas, harmoniums, tambourines, bells and an electric piano. Also women back up singers. It’s wonderful. Hundreds of people attend. It is entrancing watching and listening to Amma sing love songs to God, Krishna, Devi, or Mother. Sometimes it difficult to pull my eyes away from Amma to read the words in the books to sing the response, rather than just watch Her, or just bliss out.
Boy, I’m really making up for lost time having this computer in my flat. The hard part is still getting time on the ashram computer to download it. It’s only open during my seva times. If I can just take 5 minutes and download the letters, I could go across to Vallicavu and use the net cafes there, as there are no time limits. I just have to be back before dark. Net café, ha! That’s a laugh. They actually are computer sweat shops. 4 computers in a tiny room. Rs 60/hr.