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PILGRIMAGE TO INDIATable of Contents:January, February, March and Homecoming on India Part Two page
PreparingOn Thu, 15 Jul 1999 05:08:02 +0000 (GMT), Jeannie Alvin wrote:
Hi, folks! My mailing address is the same, but now the letters PMB (for private mail box) are required in front of the number: Jeannie Alvin PMB #70 993-C S. Santa Fe Ave. Vista, CA 92083
AND !!!!!
I made my plane reservations for my trip to India today!!! I depart Sept. 18, and arrive there on Sept. 21st!!! (I lose a day.) I will stop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for a rest stop after about 23 hours of flight, I think?!! After some sleep in a hotel, I will fly on to Madras, India, sleep overnight, and fly to Bangalore, Southern India, a very short flight. I will depart India on Jan. 14th, and reach L.A. on Jan. 15th. Mom is treating me to a trip this weekend to see Teira in San Francisco. We are looking forward to a great time! Love to all, and when will I see you? Jeannie
Jeannie Alvin <jeannie_alvin@yahoo.com> wrote: Aug. 17, 1999 I am so excited, because one month from today I take off for my four month pilgrimage to see a holy man in India, Sathya Sai Baba. see www.sathyasai.org/ Many consider him to be the reincarnation of former holy men such as Jesus, Krishna, etc. I agree with all of that!!! My phone number until I leave is at my friend Harry E’s. He is a friend of 9 years, and I am staying with him. We are enjoying great harmony. My mailing address is Jeannie Alvin 993-C S. Santa Fe Ave. PMB # 70 Vista, CA 92083 Here is my travel itinerary, it is a bit daunting!!! I leave for San Francisco on Sept. 17th, where I will be with Teira Alvin overnight. Then I leave for LA airport at 10 am Sept. 18th, leave LA for Kuala Lumpur at 2:40pm, a 19hour and 50 minute flight, with one stop for gas in Tokyo. I arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 1:30am their time, go to a free hotel room provided by my airlines, Malaysia Air, and sleep a while. Then I leave Kuala L. at 9:25pm, and fly 3h35min to Madras, India. It will be 10:30pm there (but 10 am Denver time! They are 12h30min ahead of us on time). I sleep in Madras, and take off on Indian Airlines for Bangalore. I will find out in Madras where Sai Baba is, because he may be in Bangalore for a few days. Or he may be in his ashram, Puttaparti. It is called Prashanti Nilayam, abode of highest peace.
If he is at his ashram, I will probably take a cab 2-3 hours to the ashram. Although some days a plane flies right to the ashram. I will figure out this part of the plan in Madras, when I find out where Sai Baba is. I will be be in India until Jan 14th, when I head back, arriving in San Francisco Jan 15th. I am packing my bags now!!! I will send emails from cyber cafes in India. Love, Jeannie
Sept. 11, 1999 Five more days until I leave for my big four month trip to India, where I will stay at Sai Baba's ashram (spiritual community), or nearby. For a sneak preview, there are some great pictures on the web at www.sathyasai.org/pictureinfo/picts6.htm I am pretty much packed, just taking care of the last few details. I am getting a bit excited!
Take-off!Sept. 20, 1999 Hello from the other side of the world!!! I had a wonderful visit in San Francisco, and then flew out Saturday on Malaysia Airlines. My first excitement came as I saw our stewardesses, about a dozen of them, dressed in long traditional Malaysian dresses! They were gorgeous!!! I flew on a huge jet, and ate 3 dinners, very delicious food, and slept on and off during the 20 hours of flying. Then a man was waiting with a sign for my hotel, the Empress, at the Kuala L. airport. The airlines provided a beautiful hotel room, transportation, and 3 meals today. The meals are very good. Plenty of fresh fruit, cut melon, papaya, etc., and good vege selections. I had fruit and rice and vege curry for breakfast! Then a young Japanese girl and I went exploring. We got directions to the local bus and train, and went into the city, about an hour from here. She wanted to stay in the city, and we took a cab from the train station to the shopping area. But after our taxi driver had shown us photos of the Buddist temple located in some caves near the city, the shopping did not appeal to me. I left my young friend to shop, and I got a taxi and went to the temple. I climbed 275 steps to the top, and there were statues in a giant cave. It was beautiful. Fortunately for me, the clouds shielded the sun, and it cooled a bit during my climb. There were more caves and many more statues of Krishna, Ganesh, and many others below. Monkeys were everywhere. I was roasting hot after my descent, and had coconut milk from a fresh, chilled coconut. I took a cab to the train station, took the train back towards the hotel, then another cab from the train station. I was too tired to wait for the bus at this point. This cyber cafe is just outside the hotel. I have to pack up, because my shuttle to the airport leaves in 55 minutes from now, at 7 pm. Off to Madras, India. I will change my Malaysian ringets to Indian rupees at the airport. Love to all, Jeannie P.S. No jet lag so far. I am feeling great!
Arrival, September> -----Original Message----- > From: Jeannie Alvin [mailto:jeannie_alvin@yahoo.com] > Sent: Saturday, September 25, 1999 3:51 AM Hello from the other side of the world! Sept. 25, I think! I am living out of suitcases, and haven't seen my calendar since I packed it!
I arrived at Bangalore airport on Tuesday, and Francis P., the taxi driver, was there with my name on a sign. We took straight off for the 3 1/2 hour trip to Puttaparti. Fortunately I had a giant bottle of water (thanks, June) and food packets (thanks Diane O). We stopped once on the way for coconut milk, and once for a restroom stop behind a building, in a corn field. Luckily I was a Girl Scout, so I had some training in roughing it! The last 43 kilometers was a single paved lane. We arrived at the ashram after passing the beautiful super specialty hospital where patients are treated at no cost. It was very exciting to arrive. My dream come true. I began the sign in process, and signed in for 4 days, as I want to go out of the ashram, and come back in at Christmas. I can stay only 30 days inside in one year, but I can split it up.) Francis found me two ladies to room with by the time I did a bit of paperwork. (If someone is alone, you go in a big room with many people, so you try to pair up.) It turned out that they also signed up for 4 days. They were Diane and Devi, from South Africa, and they were just what I had prayed for. I had prayed for the love and harmony and joy I had enjoyed with Jeanne M and Jeannie M, and these two were the answer to that prayer. There was not a moment of disharmony; lots of laughter, and each had something that the other needed. Precious women. Thank you, Swami. They left today. Now I am with 2 other women, Spanish speaking ladies. I just moved in and have yet to unpack. I hurried to darshan (seeing the Lord), and then hurried to write, as I know family and friends may be worried. Don't worry, I am well taken care of. Life has been too much of a swirl to find much time to come here to type, and the other 3 times I came, elec. was out, yahoo was out, etc.! I saw a woman leaving darshan yesterday morning, and her eyes were exquisitely luminous. I saw her at dinner, and mentioned how luminous her eyes were. She said, "Did you see what happened? " I said no. She said, "He glanced at me!" Imagine his power, that a glance has such an effect. I got in token line #1 after overcoming some inner "stuff." This means our line got to go in first, and we got the front seats, closest to where Sai Baba walks by. I could see Sai Baba leave his residence, walk up the sidewalk, and come in front of me. It was the best part of a very great day. The letter that I brought for him comes each day, but he has not yet taken it. It is interesting that at home I could not sit comfortably on the floor, but here I sit for hours, and I am totally fine. I get up at 4 am every day, and by about 5 am heading either for Omkar (21 oms) or Sankirtan (walking round the ashram barefooted singing praise songs) then go in to wait for darshan about 6:45 am, leave and get breakfast in the canteen a good walk away, go back for bhajans (songs of praise to the Lord), and then Swami comes out again to walk back to where he stays, giving us another glimpse. I try to sit in silence for 10 minutes after seeing him, as he has said that otherwise we loose the energy he gives.
While waiting, I read the Suprabhatham, exquisite verses speaking to God. Also, I meditate, thanks to a new meditation the Diane O taught me, as well as seeing it in the Sun Meditation video at the Philosophical Library in Escondido. It is Paramahansa Yogananda's teachings, given to us. After 5 days of travel, I felt in a swirl, learning the daily schedule. I still am learning it! This is paradise for vegetarians. There are 3 canteens, each with several choices. My favorite is the North Indian canteen. I have to go buy a new outfit, all mine are dirty. I found thin cotton, my original punjabi was a polyester mix, and too hot. I found thin cotton ones for 100 rupees (42 rupees/dollar). And I may make it back to bhajans. More soon, love Jeannie __________________________________________________
From: Jeannie Alvin [mailto:jeannie_alvin@yahoo.com] Sent: Sunday, September 26, 1999 10:33 PM Subject: Yearning for Divinity, within and without, at Prashanti Niliyam
Hello again! Sept. 26th The internet is not connected, so I am using Notepad to write this ahead of time, then I'll copy it to my email and mail it to you in an hour. (Half an hour to write, perhaps that long to click all the names on Yahoo.) I managed that yesterday, and then rushed off to badjans (singing and seeing Swami again), so I have not had a chance to read anything anyone wrote to me yet. Maybe today. I am now rooming with two ladies from Argentina, gracious enough to allow a third person in their room. They are embodiments of tranquility and love, and cleanliness. The bathroom and the floors shine! We communicate in Spanish. This is a group letter, no time to send individual ones, so a paragraph to some of you! I tried to email Teira, Rose and Terry from Kuala Lumpur, but that email failed, and I have not had a chance to fix it. I probably entered the addresses wrong. Teira, please ask them each to email me, then I'll just hit the "add" button and get it right. I love you, Teira darling. Hug, hug. Rachel O., please tell Tom thanks again for the cushion, the backrest really makes a difference, I use it 4 times a day. And I put June's air cushion on top of it. Thanks, June. Stephanie O'R. and Vickie J., thanks for all your help getting me prepared. I was well prepared, have everything I need. I love the Nutribiotic, Stephanie. I use it a lot. I have it in a squirt bottle. Harry, I got some great little pictures of Krishna, etc. Thinking of you! I just saw a great Ganesh wall hanging for about $6. I was quite overwhelmed and lacked orientation at first, but do not worry, Swami takes excellent care of me. He has had me with totally loving roommates the whole time so far. I have figured out where to go and what time meals are, etc. I can tell that the spiritual progress is tremendously accelerated here. "Stuff" comes up and gets processed, it is gone, and the next wave hits!!! Sitting in darshan I can feel the progress intuitively. The heat is tremendous. And we are covered from head to foot, plus a scarf covering our chests, necks, shoulders (for women). Now I know how Victorian women felt! Hot! I am so glad for my very short haircut.
We are always taking off our shoes before entering buildings, the shoes are off more than they are on. So why even bother with them. I enjoy the free feeling of going barefoot, which I was able to do inside the ashram until yesterday. Now it is too hot to go barefoot in midday, the sidewalks are burning hot. I love seeing Swami. He is so precious. I adore him. I have sat close , far, and in between. I like it all. The internet will go on in a minute!! Monday I retrieved emails yesterday. There is usuually just enough time to either read or send, so today, hopefully, will be a send day. Mary asked via email for more stories about the effect on people when Sai Baba looks at them. So one day later, he already provided another story! God heard you, Mary, and here is your answer, in one day! That is a Sai story in itself! I went to breakfast after darshan, and spoke with a lovely lady in line. We sat together, and I got around to asking her how her experiences had been. She said that she has often gotten very near Sai Baba, and he has looked in her eyes several times. She said that she brought some photos of people in need of healing, and held them up for him to bless. He came right over to her and touched the pictures and looked into her eyes. She said she felt immediate total peace, and part of everything that exists. There are so many languages here, and not everyone understands each other, in fact, much of the time, we don't. But there is a universal phrase that means excuse me, please be quiet, let me by, etc., etc. It is "Sai Ram," which means Mother/Father God (rough translation, I am sure!) You hear Sai Ram everywhere. Love, Jeannie ________________________________________________ OctoberOn Wed, 13 Oct 1999 00:30:28 -0700 (PDT), Jeannie Alvin wrote:
Hello from the Abode of Highest Peace; Oct. 2, 1999 There has been a big festival going on for several days, and today I saw a procession of thousands of people entering the temple with padugas, silver sandals that Sai Baba put on, I was told. These are now holy objects, and wherever they go, his presence will be there. Today and yesterday, with the huge crowds, I did not get space inside the Poornachandra auditorium, but was left with many others where we usually wait for darshan tokens. But both days, I was sitting where I could watch Swami walk by on his way in. Both days, instead of walking straight in, he came over to the little gate by where we sat, quite close to us, and waved at us! I was so appreciative yesterday of his thoughtfulness, as he knew we would not get in, and my heart was very touched, and I was so happy. And today he repeated it! That afternoon after bhajans (singing, and seeing Swami once again), I experienced my first monsoon rainstorm. The rain came down so hard and fast that it soon made 3" rivers of the sidewalks! Everyone huddled at the side of the buildings for a long time, but finally I decided to just go to my hotel and eat dinner there, and just not worry about getting soaked up to my ankles. My plastic-insole imitation Birkenstock sandals held up, and I got to my hotel fine. I enjoyed the experience! I ordered some Chinese food with room service (cost about a dollar), took a shower, and was fine. We are organizing a little USA group, most of us came alone and we are scattered all over, but we are having short meetings and unifying. This is an answer to a prayer, as I had prayed for unity. I stayed two days in the room with the Argentine women, then went to the Sai Towers hotel for 4 nights, and yesterday moved into an apartment! Here is the story on how I found the apartment. I had been looking, and had seen one for 1500 Rs./month, but it was too dark, and had drips in the bathroom. I knew I wanted more light, and everything working. I was supposed to meet two women at different times by the Ganesh statue, but with the crowds, I missed one, and the other later told me she had not felt well. So I just decided to go exploring, and walked down the rocky Bank of India Road, because I knew at least two women had apartments on that road. I got near the end of it, and met a Canadian man. I asked him if he knew of an apartment, and he said yes, he knew of one, because he had a friend living there. So he took me to meet the watchman. He showed me a beautiful apartment on the top (fourth) floor with screen door and window screen, front and back doors, back balcony with a grill all around for security. Inside the floors are shiny white tiles, imitation marble, I think. There is a big living/bed room, with a bed, 2 mattresses, a plastic chair and plastic tiny table. There is a built in closet with hanging space above and shelves below. There is a kitchen (no fridge or stove), and a bathroom with a shower and a hot water heater that I turn on when I want, with an electric switch. Elec. included. Very cheap cost!!!! God (Swami) really takes care of me! I typed this before reading any of your emails. Thanks for your letters. Please only personal letters, no chain letters. Teira, darling, I was sure I had your current phone number, but that morning of my departure, I had only Francis Monet's number! I tried finding Rose's number in the phone book and could not find it. Love, and hugs. Much love, Jeannie Oct 4 I read your emails, but the computer got kicked off the internet after I spent about 15 minutes checking off names 10 at a time on Yahoo, and when it came back on I would have had to start over. These are slow computers, and I had already spent an hour reading your emails to me, and I had enuf for the day. Thanks, Barb and Jim, for your love! Mrs. Clark, I have written your prayer request for healing your sister and her daughters on the envelope that I brought with me from the Encinitas Sai Center, and I will keep trying to give it to Swami. If anyone has healing or prayer requests, of course they are known as soon as you pray, but I am glad to write or print them out and try to give them to Swami. Yes, Jim M., I got your letter. Love to Harry and Phyllis. Phyllis, my apt. rent is $50 a month US. I thought you might enjoy finding that out. Wink, wink! Puttaparti was a little mud hut village before Sai Baba got famous. It is still just a small town, with one barely two lane road with dirt shoulders, and tiny one lane or smaller side streets. If you have been to Tijuana, the shops look like their shops, only there are no radios blaring. And every shop is a Sai Baba shop! Even the Bank of India has an alter to Sai Baba in it, very, very beautiful, with a larger than life size picture of our darling Sai. Walking to my apartment, or scooting along in an auto-rickshaw, I see pigs and piglets, roosters, and along the main road, there is really not much traffic at all. It is about a 5 minute walk to my apartment. There seem to be about a dozen of the little auto-rickshaws buzzing around, an occasional car or bus bringing devotees, ox carts, a donkey by the side of the main entrance to the ashram, flower and vegetable market just outside the ashram gate. The papayas are small, seedless, and delicious; the bananas are tiny, and have the best flavor of any banana I ever ate. There is a constant cacaphony of sound on the main street, even with so little traffic, because the way to drive in India, whether by ox cart, rickshaw, car, bus, or tractor, is to honk at anything that moves or might move! (People, ox cart, rickshaw, car, bus, or tractors, goats, etc.!!!) It is actually fun to buzz around in the little rickshaws; I trust the drivers. I am beginning to feel adjusted, it has taken all this time. I have to figure out a routine to follow now that I am in my apartment. The huge crowds that were here for the Paduga festival have mostly gone, and I think I am going to get up at about 3 am and try to be one of the few that get in the original temple for the Omkar, 21 oms. We can get in the gate at 4 am, and to make it in, I am going to have to be there by 4am. It is supposed to be a powerful experience. I finally had a chance to explore more of the ashram today, and found the meditation tree where Swami used to meditate. I enjoyed the peace and quiet, and also noticed that people sit on the grass by the Ganesh statue for quiet reading. I bought a book today, written by a doctor who volunteers at the Super Specialty Hospital here. The doctors and staff all volunteer, there is no charge for anything, operations or medicine or room. Sai Baba believes that health care and education should be free, so it is, here. There is also a general hospital at the ashram, free of charge for anything! The book is so cheap here, it is a gorgeous big red book with beautiful color prints in it. It is the doctor's story of his volunteering here, not knowing Swami, and his interviews with Swami, and his becoming a devotee. I also bought a bhajan (song) book, with Sanscrit words and English translations. (Swami is reviving it, and teaching correct pronunciation.) I figure when I am sitting in long waits for darshan (seeing the Lord), I can be inspired, and also learn some Sanscrit. I love learning languages. Well, I am going to try again to send you this. If not, I will just add to it next time. Love from someone who has seen God 4 times today alone!!! Jeannie Well, the computer disconnected again, so this will be continued next chance I get! p.s. I really appreciate the emails from home. I love hearing from you all! I am going to send $20 with April, who is going home tomorrow, and a tiny shopping list. If anyone feels like doing me a huge favor, it would involve a purchase at Boney's, and one at Walmart or any similar store. Then, another huge favor, please, some devotee who is coming over, bring them to me! Thank you, thank you! Oct. 8th Dear Vickie Jewell; April brought a little list for me, and was planning to give it to you. I am hoping someone will be willing to get me a few things, and then send them here with a devotee coming here. Could you ask Diane Olive if she would be willing to get the things on the list as she does her regular shopping? A change to the list... no Nutribiotic needed, April gave me her full one, and I still have mine. But, I would like to get several pounds of pitted prunes, in 1 pound packages (Trader Joe is cheapest), and athelete's food medication, the kind in the tube. The cheapest brand. Thanks, if anyone can help. Dear Harry and Nancy Alter; Harry, can I just send you my email letter, and you forward it to everyone on my list? I don't think you know how to get my list in a file, but Nancy is an expert and I hope she will help you. Nancy, can you show Harry how to do this? I can probably get one email through, but by the time I try to check all the people on my list, I get kicked off. Or, would you be willing to do this? Alternative: Will some one of my friends be willing to do this service? I would appreciate it so much! Thanks!
I had an interesting shift in cultural awareness in the last two days. I was in the line to buy bread in the ashram shopping center. A young Indian lady was behind me, and pressed up much closer than I wished. I put my arm up on the siderail as a barrier. Then I thought about how loving the Indian women were in the Indian canteens, and thought that their pressing up close could be an indication of more comfort with closeness and love. So I took my arm down, and the young lady pressed up close again. She was actually pressed up against my back and leg. I turned and smiled at her, and we began talking. She was very happy because she had touched Swami's feet, that day, I think. (Her English was not very good, so I am not sure of when this happened.) We shared a nice interchange. Then this morning in darshan ( seeing the Lord), I noticed a large western woman with a lot of space around her. We sit pretty close usually, cross-legged on the floor on our pillows. There was about half a space making an aisle between her and the person to her side. A little Indian woman put her rug down there, and the western woman picked it up and threw it back towards where the woman had just come from. I thought to myself, she doesn't know that she just turned Love away. Then a different little Indian woman (literally little, these women are 4 feet tall!) came and squeezed in beside me. I looked at her and smiled a welcome, because Love came and sat very close beside me. I felt privileged to have such a sweet being beside me. Uday is here with his mother. She is very young and sweet. Uday is taking a book home to mail to my Dad. He and his mom are here until Sunday, then he'll spend a week at home with her and his family. Several people who I have lived with told me in the last year that I ought to live in a monostary. I love living here. I love sitting in a restaurant, looking around, and seeing people praying before they eat. I love sitting in the giant auditorium, surrounded by hundreds of people who love singing songs to God. I love being surrounded by people for whom spiritual growth is a priority. I love walking the tiny streets of Puttaparti, seeing pigs and piglets, donkeys, oxen; and speaking with the Indian people. I am overtired, and it is 8:10pm, late for someone who gets up at 3:45 am. I am going to try again with Yahoo. Love from the other side of the earth. ps The earth looks pretty much the same here as it does there. A lot of the same plants as in California, although there are some trees we don't have. And I saw my first lotus flower blooming in a pond! The earth is red in places like in Colorado. Oct 10 I am going to try again to send this email! I connected with a small group of people from the USA who are connected with the I AM foundation! We really resonate, as those of you will understand who are familiar with book 7 on my web site, an "I AM Devotional Service," and my friends Harry, June, Martha, and from the Essene Church! I had the back door and the side window screened by carpenters. They have been in my apartment for hours for 3 days. This was an extra challenge, but it is through, and the extra breeze is great. In the shade there is a breeze and it is cool, but in the sun it is amazingly hot. I am told the internet is connected now. Love, Jeannie
NovemberDate: Fri, 05 Nov 99 16:18PM PST From: Vickie Jewell To: Jeannie Alvin Subject: RE: catch-up letter from Brindavan for group forwarding
Great to hear from you Jeannie. I love all the news from Swami's feet. When He first left for Brindavan, I thought of you and wondered (since you'd just gotten an apartment) if you would stay on in Puttaparthi in your apartment or follow Swami to Bangalore. I'm happy to hear tofollowed Him. Sounds like you are having a wonderful experience. I too, made the trip to Mysore and the orphanage on my last trip and was surprised to hear that there is a "cut-off" time. I guess we were just lucky to have arrived in time. Well, dear one, must get back to work. (oh, I understand that the Sandweiss's are bringing your slippers!Hope you connect with them.) Lots of love, Vickie -----Original Message----- From: Jeannie Alvin [mailto:jeannie_alvin@yahoo.com] Sent: Sunday, October 31, 1999 12:41 AM To: Harry Evans Subject: catch-up letter from Brindavan for group forwarding
Oct. 31st Bangalore, India Hello to everyone; Sai Baba suddenly left Puttaparti on Sept. 20th to go to his ashram in Bangalore called Brindavan, and the thousands of devotees scrambled into taxis and busses and followed him. I was not feeling too well, felt I needed rest. So I was going to stay for a while and just take it easy. But that very afternoon, I went into my apartment, and said to myself, "What am I doing here if Sai Baba is not here." I went outside and met a neighbor who lives directly below me. His name is George L., from the San Francisco Sathya Sai Baba Center. We decided to share a taxi the next day, and go to Baba. We went together to the bank, and met another American from the San Francisco center, Steven F. He offered to let us share his taxi the next morning at 10:30 am. So we all got cash from Canara Bank. I can easily use my Visa/ATM card there. Then we went home and packed. I was so exhausted and hot; it took the last bit of energy to walk back to the canteen to eat dinner at 6:30pm. Usually there was a long line, but Sai Baba took care of me. There was no line, I walked right in and sat down and ate. When I walked out, the normal long line was waiting. The next morning the cab came to George's and my apartment. We loaded up, took some pictures with Narayana, the watchman, and drove into the ashram to get Stephen. We spent the most pleasant time driving to Bangalore. I really enjoyed both Stephen and George. We arrived in Bangalore one day after the mobs decended on this small suburb called Whitefield, and I saw the name of the ashram, right on the city street, "BRINDAVANAM". We were very fortunate to find a room right away. I changed to the Sai Amrut hotel the next night. Expensive for India, but the toilet works, and the room is beautiful. I went to darshan (seeing a holy person) the next morning, and appreciate the difference here from Puttaparti. At Puttaparti, Baba walks in, walks through the women's section, then the men's, just a pretty quick stroll through the front. Here He walks through most of the aisles, so most of us get a closer look, and he is spending more time with us. Also, for the afternoon bhajans (singing, at Puttaparti, he just comes out at the end, but here, he sits in His chair up front and we have 30 minutes contact with Him. I can feel the difference. When he makes little movements in the air with His hands, I can feel the Divine energy flood the area. It is a wonderful gift to be in His presence an extended time. George and I became good friends very fast. We share amazing harmony, something that has taken me a lifetime to achieve. But now, he is the 3rd circumstance in which I have experienced it. First, I experienced heavenly harmony, great love, lots of laughing and joy and nurture with Jeanne M. and Jeannie M. (love and hugs to you!!!). Then again with my South African first roommates at the ashram. And now with George. What a blessing! All that psychology, therapy, personal growth, spiritual practices to clear negativity and negative karma! Finally, mostly joy! George and I wanted to go to an orphanage in Mysore, four hours taxi ride from Bangalore. The trucks went on strike due to an increase in gasoline prices. We took advantage of their absence from the highways, and the lack of pollution, horn honking and traffic. Off we went to Mysore. At about noon, George asked the taxi driver, who takes many people to this orphanage, if there is a cut-off time for entering. Luckily he asked this question! We were told it cuts off at 2 pm (it was actually more like 1:30pm), and the 4 hour taxi ride would have been for nothing! So we skipped lunch. This orphanage was started by a former thief, who was healed by Sai Baba. Miracles began happening. There is amrith, holy nectar, that pours continuously from little metal pictures of Shirdi Sai Baba (Sai Baba's previous incarnation, 8 years prior to this lifetime). We arrived at about 1 pm, and were directed to go inside. We went inside, and saw a door open in the far wall. We went there, and saw an elderly man sitting on the floor giving amrith to 2 or 3 people to our left. Beyond them all was an alter area. There were another couple of small groups of people. In the alter area, there was a large picture of Sai Baba when he was young. It spontaneously fills with vibuti, sacred ash. It is an indication from Baba of His presence there. George and I tasted it. It tasted like licorice! George and I sat down on the floor, and took out our bottles that we brought for the amrith. We had brought some bottles for other people, as well. The man came and sat by us, and put a little medallion of Shirdi Sai Baba in the palm of my hand. My hand filled with nectar. The man took a tablespoon, and spooned it into my other palm, and indicated that I should drink it. I did, and meanwhile, the amrith kept forming in my other hand. He did this for George and I. Then the man rejected a number of our bottles, seeming to have clear inner guidance, filled a bottle for me, for Gayatri, and for George, and that was all we were to receive. This man got up, and took a lingam, materialized from Sai Baba, and began touching it to various points on people's bodies. George and I observed this, and went and lined up behind those receiving this blessing. Soon it was my turn. The man touched various points on my head and chest, including my eyes, with this lingam. (It is an egg-shaped stone, looking like quartz.) When it touched my eyes, it was as if he touched them with an electric light. My interpretation, days later, is that the stone is full of God's light! We donated some rupees, and then, at about 1:30, the man said we were all done, and ushered us all out. These were my first personal experiences of Sai Baba's materializations, miracles to me! It was a profound experience, and I needed to keep silent about it for quite a few days. This is the first time I have spoken of it. The drive to and from Mysore was through exquisite, lush country. We stopped on our way home and had delicious coconut chutney. On the drive, George began teaching me a few words of Hindi! We had a lot of fun with this! The hungry beggars have been on my mind. I bought food for the occasional one, like the children I had seen daily in Puttaparti, sitting quietly begging by the path. One not very busy day, I saw the girl looking through the garbage dump where orange peels and coconut husks were thrown. It broke my heart. So I have been doing much thinking about this. One person can make so little difference, and the benefit of one meal is so quickly gone, and the next meal is needed. I decided to combine doing what I could, 45 rupees a day in food to the poorest of the poor, and a prayer project. So I am praying for soup kitchens in all neighborhoods, in all the world, milk for those who need it, at least moms and kids. Every time I have a spare moment, I pray for this, and the way I pray is to lift the prayer to God, according to His will, and then thank Him for the goal complete, food there for the poor, now, 3 times a day, in all neighborhoods where it is needed. I see waves of service, person helping person, going around the world. I am passing on this prayer and service project to anyone whose heart wishes to join it. I am hoping to inspire other Sai devotees who are here. I am praying to see hundreds of us out with bags of food, so that where we are, the hungry are fed. I had 65 rupees today, Suzanne from Atlanta added 20 rupees. I bought 9 loaves of bread. I feel a bit like the Pied Piper, the mothers with babies know me now, and follow me to the bakery. I make them line up. I say, "No line, no bread, one each." "Nahi line, nahi kana, ek kana." Then I give them bread, one slice to kids, 3 to moms with babies in arms, 4 to pitiful old ment. I enjoyed doing this the first morning, and am doing it every morning after darshan. The second morning I did not enjoy it in the least; it was quite frustrating. There was no order, and some got bread more than once. More to think about. This is not about my feelings. It is about their hunger relief. So I go, no matter how I feel. So far George and Suzanne have joined me. I need to log off soon. Ruth, Swami is very much alive, and is soon going to have a birthday, 74 or 75, on Nov. 26th. He says he will live in this body til age 96, and be back soon as Prema Sai Baba. He has shown what he will look like, almost exactly like we think of as Jesus's face! Love to you all, Jeannie Dear All, Check out this new site, put together by Bon Giovanni, originator of Sai Net as well. You will need to apply soon, as he is closing it to all but members. Many blessings,Stephanie http://www.delphi.com/satguru
DecemberDate: Wed, 10 Nov 99 02:39AM PST From: Jeannie Alvin To: Harry Evans Subject: re-send last letter, plus here is new letter
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Dear Harry; Do not worry about who got the emails and who did not. A lot did not. Please skip Peter, it is a business, and the obvious business names. There are 6 or 7 of them. So just re-send that last letter to everyone. And here is a new letter to send next. Thank you so much. If you have difficulty, try calling Nancy A., or Caroline F.-E., or Vickie J. at the Sai Center. You can get her number from Stephanie. Let me know how it goes, and what you do. Thanks again!!! Much love, Jeannie Here is the new letter, you can copy and paste it onto a clean letter and then send it to everyone. Nov. 7, 1999 I am typing in the midst of loud firecrackers all around me. This was a festival day called Deepavali, Festival of Light. It is the Hindi New Year, I am told. Many of the shopkeepers are setting off fountains and sparklers in front of their shops. But there are many big, loud blasts. I saw one firecracker before it blew up, and it looked like it was 2 inches by 3 inches. Sai Baba spent quite a bit of time with all of us during darshan, instead of going right in for interviews. (There goes another fountain right outside the window of this cyber shop, and some more blasts are continuing. I just stuffed my ears with kleenex. I hope I can concentrate enough to write this tonight!) Swami gave prasad (a blessed offering of food, today it was candy) to most of the people at darshan. The men's side all got some, and about half of the women's side. Not me. I saw Sharon Sandelweiss for a few minutes tonite. She is so lovely and kind. She is giving me her rubber bath mat for my shower. The floors are tile and very slippery. She is bringing a few things back to the San Diego and Encinitas centers. I hope you like what I am sending, my dear Sai friends and family. (Just some small things) I am feeling very well, and very, very happy. I enjoyed your emails, Vickie J. and Shirley C. and Harry. Thanks for sending them. I enjoy hearing about your lives. On Nov. 4th, I had an amazing, incredible day. At the end of the day, I was too excited about so many blessings in one day, so I lay there and counted them. There were seven blessings! And the next morning, as if to emphasize or confirm the count of seven, I was in token line seven for darshan! The first blessing is that I was able to get the apartment next to my now close friend George L. It is on the ground floor. I realized that I was exhausting myself climbing four stories in the heat to get to my apartment. Sometimes I would get downstairs and realize I forgot something, and have to go back up. Whew! The second blessing is that the owner of the upper apartment pro-rated the month's rent I had already paid, and gave me back most of the money. He said to me that he never gives the money back. He told me this as he was counting the rupees into my hands. I said, "Thank you, it was Sai Baba helping me!" I must say here, that I have had to deal with a number of Indian businessmen to fix something that I bought, and the apartment owners. Every one of them has been so kind and honorable. Each of them worked with me until the problem was solved. They are good listeners, and have very nice temperaments. American businessmen could learn from them. I don't know about the rest of India, but if you are coming to Sai Baba's ashrams, do not fear dealing with the people here. They are wonderful. The third blessing is that Narayana, the watchman, handed me a letter from the owner of the new apartment. (It is in the same building, but there is one owner for the top floor, and another owner for the bottom three floors.) The letter said to go to a certain shop, and I was free to choose whatever new cot and whatever new mattress I wanted, paid for by the owner! I walked over to the store right away with Narayana and a watchman friend of his from a neighboring building! I was asked whether I wanted a tiny single bed or a double bed, wooden or metal; and cheap mattress or deluxe!!! Well, guess what I chose! I got the double bed with the deluxe mattress! I chose a metal cot because it has bars at the head and foot that hold a frame for a mosquito net. That is easier than putting screen doors in. The mosquitos get in anyhow, when I go in and out. At least I will be able to sleep without insect repellant. I also got a plastic chair and a little wooden kitchen table, very cheap and quite attractive. Just as I was wondering how I was going to get all this stuff home, as it was too much for an auto rickshaw, blessing number four drove by! It was an ox cart with a flat bed! Narayana ran out and asked him if he would take my bed, mattress, table and chair home. He was glad to, for 20 rupees! Narayana and his watchman friend and I walked next to the oxcart for the five minute walk to my house. I had so much fun! I never moved by oxcart before!!! I was laughing about it, and hoping I could find my camera, as everything upstairs was packed, ready to move. The fifth blessing was that I was able to find my camera right away! I got a great shot of the oxcart, the driver and the watchmen, and maybe George, who had just come home. The sixth blessing was that George had taken my four letters to Swami to darshan, and Swami took them!!! The first letter is the one I brought from Encinitas, with some letters from Alicia, I believe, and others. Also, I wrote a note to Swami on the outside of the envelope asking for a healing for Marie-Elizabeth Clark's sister and daughters, and for their plight to be eased; and I asked for a healing for Teira. Since he took the letter I am hoping this means the healings and prayers will go forth. The second letter was one where I wrote to Sai Baba and said, "Please take this letter if you approve of and bless my book 7 (the "I AM' Devotional Service). So, yes, he blessed it!!! My seven books are free on the web for anyone to read, copy, print, etc. It is a way I can share the simple practices that have helped me so much. Please visit the website if you would like, and please sign the guestbook, and share your opinion of the site. It can be found at www.inetworld.net/lovesource. The third letter asked if he approved of and blessed these group letters forming book 8! Blessed and approved!!! The fourth letter asked if he approved of and blessed my service project and prayers for the poor, where I buy $1 of food a day and give it out, and say my prayer for food kitchens in all neighborhoods for the poor all over the world. (Did you all get the letter where I mentioned that service project and prayer? One group letter may be missing. It may have only gone to Harry, Caroline, and Nancy. Caroline, it may be the very letter where you replied and asked if I wanted you to forward it to Joan. Can any or all of you three send it back to me if you still have it? The dat |
