Well, dear friends and Imaginary Readers, here we are again.
Some time ago when I embarked on this journey, I promised to give some perspective on life here at Sai Swami Kaleshwar’s ashram here in Penukonda. Partiicularly from the perspective of a woman who, a little more than 15 months ago, barely knew the guy existed. (You’re welcome to peruse my posts in this category to see the gradual evolution of my situation… from total skepticism, but willingness to try meditation. To an impossible miracle healing. Then some months of grudging "I’ll try this, but it feels like total bunk". Then a complete spiritual crash. Meeting Swami last November, and seeing some miracles — including one I carry around my neck 24/7 — and his promise that I would come to India. Coming in February, but not thinking I’d be back. Changing my mind completely. Then selling our house and moving here — for now, to attend Swami’s ‘Soul University’ program.)
Well, I’ll try to keep that promise, now that I have a reliable Internet connection (even though it feels like sipping electrons through a cocktail straw, it’s that slow).
The first several weeks were taken up with Guru Purnima, the yearly celebration on each July’s full moon (approx.). After that, we had some downtime, during which Stephanie and I ended up moving back to the older apartment building, because the place we’re having built for us in the new building isn’t anywhere near done yet. We also got drafted into fairly heavy ashram service (called ‘seva’), working in the Student Office and helping manage the teams there. And before the coursework started, we also took several days for a resupply trip to Bangalore. Again, you can read my previous posts for the particulars.
Over the last few days, Swami’s spoken to us — a class of just under 100 people, I believe — a few times, mostly welcoming us, encouraging us, and cautioning us that much hard work and study remains ahead. We’ve also had a few introductory sessions, classes really, into some of the basics of Swami’s teachings This also requires lots of reading and a goodly amount of meditation. Along with taking care to be sure we all stay healthy, happy, and sane.
Some of the beginnings can be found right there on Swami’s website, http://www.kaleshwar.org, in the sections on the Five Elements, and Vaastu. Already though, we’re moving on to more advanced topics, including healing techniques, yogas, and more. Again, right now it’s mostly overview, being so early. In the weeks and months ahead, we’ll start the practicum, the actual work.
If you’d know an average day, I’ll describe today’s activities. Up at 4:30 to be in the temple by 5 for a ceremony called an ‘abishek’, where the priests wash the large Baba statue and re-dress it in new, fresh clothes. After another ceremony called ‘arathi’, which is calling the divine soul of Shirdi Sai Baba to come sit in the statue, we go back to our rooms for a while. Some folks relax or go back to bed, others get breakfast (easily the tastiest meal of the day around here). Some, like me, make coffee and sit down to write in my journal for a few hours.
Or, that *would* be the case if I didn’t feel incredibly tired! Something is going on, energetically speaking, and even though I’m going to bed at 10-10:30, I find it nearly impossible to haul my butt out of bed before 7am. I’ve only made a few abisheks since getting here…a practice I hope to change soon.
Anyway, with Stephanie and me working the office, there’s often business in the morning to tend to. Then, at 10am, we currently have 2 hours of meditation assigned — which we can do anywhere. In the Baba temple, in the garden, or in our rooms. Today, Stephy went to the temple, and I stayed in the room; a few days ago, it was the other way around because she wasn’t feeling well that day.
Noon, there’s another arathi. Then lunch, where we can either have the general shared meal (completely vegetarian, of course), or a more authentic spicier Indian version served from the old hut, one of the very first structures Swami had built on the ashram grounds.
A little free time… and then this afternoon, we had a class from 1:30-4pm. For us, it’s office work thereafter, 4-5:30. Then dinner, again shared (alas, no nicely spicy option available for this, as I’m finding what’s offered to be rather bland). Some free time — which is turning quickly into reading/studying time.
Bhajans at 8:30pm (sacred songs). Another arathi at 9pm. Sometimes Swami comes to speak at these times. Then some more free time until we head to bed.
So there you have the average day. As time goes on, I’ll try to offer more insighs and flavors into how it is for someone like me in a place like this — probably the last place on Earth I thought I’d be, if you asked me at the beginning of last year!
cheers!
Becca
2 hours of meditation.. What do you do for 2 hours? Do you do Yoga or exercise before that?
Did the Ashram diet help you lose weight? :)
Do you feel active? Is it balanced?
Do you have to do your own dishes and laundry?
Does it feel more like a dormitory or a military boot camp or scout camp out?
Thanks for the details. It really helps.
Racer
Wow.. It sound interesting, tho, I am always skeptical, it’s part of being in the security field, we are paid to be hyper paranoid ;)
Been thinking about you and hope you are enjoying your time in India!
Hiya Stormbear! Been thinking about you, too, and wishing I could somehow get on IM.
Actually, I *can*, but the problem is connect time and bandwidth. Plus the fact my phone has to be online all the time…which just ain’t practical. But hey, I could give ya a call someday, if ya like?
-Becca
Hi Racer,
>>2 hours of meditation.. What do you do for 2 hours?
Depends. Sometimes I count japa (beads on a lotus seed mala) as I do prayers. Sometimes it’s just mantras without counting. Sometimes it’s just deep meditation.
I particularly like it when I can get into deep trance, because that’s when the amazing stuff happens.
>>Do you do Yoga or exercise before that?
Not really, no. I just get exercise when I can, where I can. At the moment, it’s mostly walking. Later, when I have more room and a better routine, probably free weights, isometrics, and jump rope.
2 hours is nothing, really. The really long meditations can go for up to 4 hours for me, especially if I go deep and lose all track of time.
>Did the Ashram diet help you lose weight? :)
So far, some, yes, but mostly because I ate a lot of junk before coming here, often with the thought, “It’ll be months or years before I can get ‘x’ again…”
The food here is fine though. Way less fatty and sugary than typical U.S. fare.
>Do you feel active? Is it balanced?
I’m too busy, if anything. My days are very full.
>>Do you have to do your own dishes and laundry?
Yes and partly. We can send some things out to be done, but it costs 7.5Rs per item, so we stick to just the large things, and even those only maybe every other time. Often rinsing is good enough.
Bucket clothes washing is a real bear to do. We have a non-electric device back at the other apartment, but not room enough to use it where we are now.
>>>Does it feel more like a dormitory or a military boot camp or scout camp out?
None of those. It feels like an ashram, a monastery, a retreat. A place of spiritual study, where the most important events are inside the soul and the heart.
It also feels very familiar to me, in some ways. No real idea why, save that perhaps in some previous life I may have found the monastic life to my liking.
oh, yeah, the long arm of Shirdi Baba….. gotcha!
(I know something about that feeling. India was last on my list, ever, to visit, too. really, last. right behind Albania and Outer Mongolia.)
I think I couldn’t have survived all those years in Penukonda without sending my laundry out — having to meditate, work, do all the study and stuff AND laundry on top of it all… ew. one of the perks, to me, was NEVER having to do laundry. 7 rs a piece is like, what, about a dime a piece? it’s a gift, I tell you, a gift. besides, the laundry guys IRON everything. oh, joy. no more need to look like I slept in my clothes. (even when I did!)
Alx
Hey! It’s nearly 4am there, missy! You’re STILL up?!
You’re right though. I felt positive I’d be to places like Ireland and New Zealand loooong before I got to India. I mean, really — India? What’s there?
Oh, right… the long arm of Shirdi Sai Baba, and that belonging to a certain guy who bounced into a dream of mine over six years ago. *lol*
As for the laundry, yeah. Only things we don’t give ‘em are the stuff that’ll get ruined by those red-hot irons (i.e., silks) and um, ‘delicates’, because it just doesn’t seem economical, even at 7 1/2 Rs an item, to be giving them our underwear and socks. Which really don’t benefit from being pressed and starched anyway.
Get some sleep you! *hugs*
Becca