A little news from San Ramon

[Guest guest]

Namah Shivaya Divine Siblings,

 

Last night we returned from three heavenly days in San Ramon. California

is experiencing weird weather for this time of year, and it is warm and

beautiful. The hills around the ashram are gorgeous, the breeze is warm.

Due to my health and lack of stamina, I was unable to spend a lot of

time at the programs and at the ashram, but enjoyed every minute there.

The first day, Thursday, we arrived a little late, at about 11:00am. It

was SO crowded. To walk from one side of the hall to the other was, at

times, a real challenge because there were so many people. We got a

token to get a token. Just being in the temple hall we could feel the

peace permeate our being. I felt my usually chattering mind slow down

and just "be" (well, as much as that is possible). The decorations in

the hall were very beautiful. On the stage behind Mother were huge

fabric decorations of gold and shades of orange. There were little

lights in the sheer panels of fabric - hard to describe. The swamis

didn't do their bhajans early as they usually do - instead there was a

video about mother and the tsunami, the rescue work done by Mother and

Mother's children, etc.

 

Later in the afternoon the crowd thinned out and I was able to sit on

the floor a little closer to Mother. I was thinking about and asking

Mother for blessings for the people I know who couldn't be there - the

list members who said they couldn't be there, of course Shehalata, then

as Mother made my mind expand, the whole world! At one point a little

girl sang a couple of songs. In the last one she was pleading with

Mother to let her go to India. Mother's reaction was hysterical. She

laughed and laughed, and every time she did so, the crowd laughed at

Mother laughing. We then learned that we could have darshan. It was so

wonderful to be in the arms of the beloved once again. It is always too

short, but we are SO lucky! Mother left the hall at about 4:15 pm.

 

There were a lot of new people there all three days, and they had

priority for darshan. The second day we arrived at the ashram at about

9:00AM, to discover that there was hardly any space on the floor, but

chairs set up all over the hall. I asked one of the hosts what was

going on, and she said that it was Mother's chair leela, She said the

night before Mother said to put up the chairs, then She said to take

them down. That morning it was put up the chairs again. My husband and I

decided to sit at the front of the hall very near Mother's chair and

meditate until they kicked us out. We sat there until 11:30, when we

were asked to leave, squished against everyone else like sardines,

enjoying every second. No matter where a person sits, it is very

difficult to see Mother because of all the assistants around Her (from

the balcony one can see the best). But just sitting a few feet away from

Her was such a blessing. We walked away with sore knees and big grins.

 

The next day we arrived at about the same time, and attempted to do the

same. It became apparent that everyone else had the same idea. It was

really rather funny, with so many people attempting to fit into such a

small space. One woman pointed to a small space on the floor and said

"four of us are going to sit here". Four infants maybe, but anyone over

2 would just not fit! The host came along and said that anyone who had

been siting there the day before had to leave and give someone else a

chance. We went to the balcony. I decided that this was a good excuse to

do a little seva. I usually don't do too much seva at the ashram

because, as enjoyable as it is, it exhausts me.

 

While we were there I bought "Sacred Journey", written by Swamini

Krishamrita. It is a wonderful, sweet, sweet book that I don't want to

end. I have always really liked Swamini, and felt compelled to tell her

how much I liked the book. She said "I know" Then she said "Amma wrote

it" She said people say "YOU wrote THAT?" It is possibly the sweetest

book written about Mother.

 

I'm sure other list members have way more stories to tell. I didn't go

to any of the evening programs - too tired. Even though I am totally

exhausted at the moment, I think I came home a new person. Mother opens

our hearts and automatically makes us get our priorities straight. I

don't think a person can be in Her presence and not have that happen.

She is - well - just incredible. I have no words.

.

Pranams,

Prasadini

[Guest guest]

Prasidini-ji,

 

Thank you for the detailed description. Please do more and spare no

words in your writing :-).

 

-yogaman

 

Ammachi, Prasadini <ganesh1008@c...> wrote:

>

>

> Namah Shivaya Divine Siblings,

>

> Last night we returned from three heavenly days in San Ramon.

California

> is experiencing weird weather for this time of year, and it is warm

and

> beautiful. The hills around the ashram are gorgeous, the breeze is

warm.

> Due to my health and lack of stamina, I was unable to spend a lot

of

> time at the programs and at the ashram, but enjoyed every minute

there.

> The first day, Thursday, we arrived a little late, at about

11:00am. It

> was SO crowded. To walk from one side of the hall to the other was,

at

> times, a real challenge because there were so many people. We got a

> token to get a token. Just being in the temple hall we could feel

the

> peace permeate our being. I felt my usually chattering mind slow

down

> and just "be" (well, as much as that is possible). The decorations

in

> the hall were very beautiful. On the stage behind Mother were huge

> fabric decorations of gold and shades of orange. There were little

> lights in the sheer panels of fabric - hard to describe. The

swamis

> didn't do their bhajans early as they usually do - instead there

was a

> video about mother and the tsunami, the rescue work done by Mother

and

> Mother's children, etc.

>

> Later in the afternoon the crowd thinned out and I was able to sit

on

> the floor a little closer to Mother. I was thinking about and

asking

> Mother for blessings for the people I know who couldn't be there -

the

> list members who said they couldn't be there, of course Shehalata,

then

> as Mother made my mind expand, the whole world! At one point a

little

> girl sang a couple of songs. In the last one she was pleading with

> Mother to let her go to India. Mother's reaction was hysterical.

She

> laughed and laughed, and every time she did so, the crowd laughed

at

> Mother laughing. We then learned that we could have darshan. It was

so

> wonderful to be in the arms of the beloved once again. It is always

too

> short, but we are SO lucky! Mother left the hall at about 4:15 pm.

>

> There were a lot of new people there all three days, and they had

> priority for darshan. The second day we arrived at the ashram at

about

> 9:00AM, to discover that there was hardly any space on the floor,

but

> chairs set up all over the hall. I asked one of the hosts what was

> going on, and she said that it was Mother's chair leela, She said

the

> night before Mother said to put up the chairs, then She said to

take

> them down. That morning it was put up the chairs again. My husband

and I

> decided to sit at the front of the hall very near Mother's chair

and

> meditate until they kicked us out. We sat there until 11:30, when

we

> were asked to leave, squished against everyone else like sardines,

> enjoying every second. No matter where a person sits, it is very

> difficult to see Mother because of all the assistants around Her

(from

> the balcony one can see the best). But just sitting a few feet away

from

> Her was such a blessing. We walked away with sore knees and big

grins.

>

> The next day we arrived at about the same time, and attempted to do

the

> same. It became apparent that everyone else had the same idea. It

was

> really rather funny, with so many people attempting to fit into

such a

> small space. One woman pointed to a small space on the floor and

said

> "four of us are going to sit here". Four infants maybe, but anyone

over

> 2 would just not fit! The host came along and said that anyone who

had

> been siting there the day before had to leave and give someone else

a

> chance. We went to the balcony. I decided that this was a good

excuse to

> do a little seva. I usually don't do too much seva at the ashram

> because, as enjoyable as it is, it exhausts me.

>

> While we were there I bought "Sacred Journey", written by Swamini

> Krishamrita. It is a wonderful, sweet, sweet book that I don't want

to

> end. I have always really liked Swamini, and felt compelled to tell

her

> how much I liked the book. She said "I know" Then she said "Amma

wrote

> it" She said people say "YOU wrote THAT?" It is possibly the

sweetest

> book written about Mother.

>

> I'm sure other list members have way more stories to tell. I didn't

go

> to any of the evening programs - too tired. Even though I am

totally

> exhausted at the moment, I think I came home a new person. Mother

opens

> our hearts and automatically makes us get our priorities straight.

I

> don't think a person can be in Her presence and not have that

happen.

> She is - well - just incredible. I have no words.

> .

> Pranams,

> Prasadini

>