DC Devi Bhava

[Guest guest]

Amma is wearing an orangey gold silk sari...or a golden orange, if

you like. She has been going very slowly giving darshan and at 6 AM

was barely to 3000.

 

The hotel is indeed very strange. It is very expensive, the most

expensive of the tour. I notice staff walking over from other

establishments nearby which cost half what the Hyatt does. Chicago

was in an even stranger place with hexagonal rooms and hallways

shaped like curved lightning which sometimes went nowhere, ending is

a cul-de-sac. Walking down hallways was like being buffeted by the

energy of your own aura being bounced back at you. It was

disorienting and draining. Walking outside and around the building

was better in spite of heat and humidity. We had thunder storms

there. Amma didn't like the hall which was three large hexagons

that curved around. She couldn't see the people in the third

segment which housed the bookstore. All the exciting energy was up

by Amma and the bookstore was mellow and laid back.

 

In Chicago, since it was a resort, there were pleasure seekers.

They were golfing and swimming, drinking and partying. We had a

wedding reception with rock and roll music competing for our ears

during the Devi Bhava talk. Here in DC we have tourists, convention

goers and power seekers in suits. At the same time Amma is here

there is a convention for safe schools and one dealing with

leadership. We are minutes from the Pentagon and so there are

plenty of military men, in and out of uniform.

 

We have had thunder storms each day in DC as well, the weather edge

of the Florida hurricane. Native Americans say thunder brings

change and this place is their center for trade and sharing visions

and news.

 

The DC part of my trip has been strange for me. On the second day I

felt as though I had fallen through a rabbit hole and emerged in an

alternate universe. I didn't feel any connection to Amma or anyone

else. I looked on the event as an observer from .... where?...?

 

My small group is having a bit of a crisis over the often used

term "imbibe good qualities." Amma, the swamis and the higher ups

say this term often. For Americans, it has no meaning. We imbibe

hot chocolate, not qualities, whether good or bad. We have a

discussion about that in my room. I put out that maybe it's

like "internalize" as in "internalized oppression" or

like "embody." "Embodied spirituality" is a big buzz word in

religious studies these days. These suggestions don't help anybody

but me. The next question is WHAT good qualities? Down we go to the

next program and, sure enough, somebody talks about imbibing good

qualities.

 

I had to talk about my post-rabbit hole mental state because it was

so strange. Had I fallen into a depression? Not enjoying what you

usually enjoy is a sign of depression.

 

Someone nearby was angry at Amma. Was I angry at Amma? I was

definitely angry at a monastic or two. Maybe I was angry at Amma

but just couldn't let myself feel it. Getting angry at the teacher

is a good thing, sort of like spiritual adolescence. That's what

I'd always thought. So then I should let myself feel the anger, if

it was there? Right?

 

The next day I took a break from the scene, walking out past all the

people in white trying so hard to look as if they had "imbibed good

qualities," or were at least willing to do so, whatever it meant. I

walked out of the giant Hyatt partly to see if I really was

depressed, or overtired, or what. I went to the National Museum of

the American Indian which is wonderful. I felt that I was in an

anteroom of Amma's program. Considering that it is a museum, the

place is remarkably alive and engages you in the native view of life

very effectively. On the walk from the metro to the front door I

passed flourishing beans, squash, corn and wild rice plants. For

lunch I ate vegetarian Northeast Woodland style. The sculptures of

Allan Houser give me a visceral feeling of reverence and peace.

 

Now this morning I am back to "normal" and the other person is over

being angry at Amma. I'll ride back to Western Pennsylvania with

Kalika and visit a Circle of Love Inside recipient of letters and

visits over the weekend.

 

Om namah Shivaya!

 

Aikya

[Guest guest]

Aikya,

 

Thanks so much for this. In my own way, I can really

relate, and I was seriously hating Amma midway through

the first half of the tour.

 

Really beautifully written, and very honest. Thank

you.

 

love,

 

Prajna

 

--- Aikya Param <aikya wrote:

 

> Amma is wearing an orangey gold silk sari...or a

> golden orange, if

> you like. She has been going very slowly giving

> darshan and at 6 AM

> was barely to 3000.

>

> The hotel is indeed very strange. It is very

> expensive, the most

> expensive of the tour. I notice staff walking over

> from other

> establishments nearby which cost half what the Hyatt

> does. Chicago

> was in an even stranger place with hexagonal rooms

> and hallways

> shaped like curved lightning which sometimes went

> nowhere, ending is

> a cul-de-sac. Walking down hallways was like being

> buffeted by the

> energy of your own aura being bounced back at you.

> It was

> disorienting and draining. Walking outside and

> around the building

> was better in spite of heat and humidity. We had

> thunder storms

> there. Amma didn't like the hall which was three

> large hexagons

> that curved around. She couldn't see the people in

> the third

> segment which housed the bookstore. All the

> exciting energy was up

> by Amma and the bookstore was mellow and laid back.

>

> In Chicago, since it was a resort, there were

> pleasure seekers.

> They were golfing and swimming, drinking and

> partying. We had a

> wedding reception with rock and roll music competing

> for our ears

> during the Devi Bhava talk. Here in DC we have

> tourists, convention

> goers and power seekers in suits. At the same time

> Amma is here

> there is a convention for safe schools and one

> dealing with

> leadership. We are minutes from the Pentagon and so

> there are

> plenty of military men, in and out of uniform.

>

> We have had thunder storms each day in DC as well,

> the weather edge

> of the Florida hurricane. Native Americans say

> thunder brings

> change and this place is their center for trade and

> sharing visions

> and news.

>

> The DC part of my trip has been strange for me. On

> the second day I

> felt as though I had fallen through a rabbit hole

> and emerged in an

> alternate universe. I didn't feel any connection to

> Amma or anyone

> else. I looked on the event as an observer from

> .... where?...?

>

> My small group is having a bit of a crisis over the

> often used

> term "imbibe good qualities." Amma, the swamis and

> the higher ups

> say this term often. For Americans, it has no

> meaning. We imbibe

> hot chocolate, not qualities, whether good or bad.

> We have a

> discussion about that in my room. I put out that

> maybe it's

> like "internalize" as in "internalized oppression"

> or

> like "embody." "Embodied spirituality" is a big

> buzz word in

> religious studies these days. These suggestions

> don't help anybody

> but me. The next question is WHAT good qualities?

> Down we go to the

> next program and, sure enough, somebody talks about

> imbibing good

> qualities.

>

> I had to talk about my post-rabbit hole mental state

> because it was

> so strange. Had I fallen into a depression? Not

> enjoying what you

> usually enjoy is a sign of depression.

>

> Someone nearby was angry at Amma. Was I angry at

> Amma? I was

> definitely angry at a monastic or two. Maybe I was

> angry at Amma

> but just couldn't let myself feel it. Getting angry

> at the teacher

> is a good thing, sort of like spiritual adolescence.

> That's what

> I'd always thought. So then I should let myself

> feel the anger, if

> it was there? Right?

>

> The next day I took a break from the scene, walking

> out past all the

> people in white trying so hard to look as if they

> had "imbibed good

> qualities," or were at least willing to do so,

> whatever it meant. I

> walked out of the giant Hyatt partly to see if I

> really was

> depressed, or overtired, or what. I went to the

> National Museum of

> the American Indian which is wonderful. I felt that

> I was in an

> anteroom of Amma's program. Considering that it is

> a museum, the

> place is remarkably alive and engages you in the

> native view of life

> very effectively. On the walk from the metro to the

> front door I

> passed flourishing beans, squash, corn and wild rice

> plants. For

> lunch I ate vegetarian Northeast Woodland style.

> The sculptures of

> Allan Houser give me a visceral feeling of reverence

> and peace.

>

> Now this morning I am back to "normal" and the other

> person is over

> being angry at Amma. I'll ride back to Western

> Pennsylvania with

> Kalika and visit a Circle of Love Inside recipient

> of letters and

> visits over the weekend.

>

> Om namah Shivaya!

>

> Aikya

>

>

>