What a Pretty Picture
Imagine the couple sitting in deep meditation at the ashram. So peaceful, not a care in the world but finding God.
Actually, several weeks ago we started studying Vaastu, ancient Indian architecture based on the directions and the elements. We were told to read the entire book and know the subject in a week. Everyone frantically came out from temple and started studying. As we jumped into the knowledge, our fearless leader, Sri Kaleshwar modeled what we were reading by building the compound walls higher.
We looked around us at the Northeast and the Southwest and we understood some of Swami’s recent comments about the ashram vaastu. A week or so later, Swami showed up at a bhajan evening to inform us that the digging would begin the next day. It would take a month of non-stop digging to remove the dirt to lower the Northeast corner and put that same dirt in the Southwest to bring in height and weight. This would help to bring up the marks for perfect Vaastu for the ashram and anyone who thinks of it as their home.
We were imagining the digging to go somewhat like the compound walls with locals carrying containers on their heads and the days rolling by with dirt quietly being moved from one place to another. Well, they don’t call it the Divine Mystery Fort for nothing. The next day, in came several huge backhoes, five dump trucks and a huge crew of workers. It was loud motorized earthmoving from early morning until late at night. Oh by the way, guess where all the meditators live? In the Southwest corner where the new dirt is dumped. There is no escaping the noise, and the dirt. It is the earth element in action, blessing of the earth angel, Bhuteshwari.
So next time you think of us, you may notice a light coating of brownish desert dirt on our clean white outfits. Is this where the expression “True Grit” was born??? Yippe ki ow ki ay!!!
Actually, several weeks ago we started studying Vaastu, ancient Indian architecture based on the directions and the elements. We were told to read the entire book and know the subject in a week. Everyone frantically came out from temple and started studying. As we jumped into the knowledge, our fearless leader, Sri Kaleshwar modeled what we were reading by building the compound walls higher.
We looked around us at the Northeast and the Southwest and we understood some of Swami’s recent comments about the ashram vaastu. A week or so later, Swami showed up at a bhajan evening to inform us that the digging would begin the next day. It would take a month of non-stop digging to remove the dirt to lower the Northeast corner and put that same dirt in the Southwest to bring in height and weight. This would help to bring up the marks for perfect Vaastu for the ashram and anyone who thinks of it as their home.
We were imagining the digging to go somewhat like the compound walls with locals carrying containers on their heads and the days rolling by with dirt quietly being moved from one place to another. Well, they don’t call it the Divine Mystery Fort for nothing. The next day, in came several huge backhoes, five dump trucks and a huge crew of workers. It was loud motorized earthmoving from early morning until late at night. Oh by the way, guess where all the meditators live? In the Southwest corner where the new dirt is dumped. There is no escaping the noise, and the dirt. It is the earth element in action, blessing of the earth angel, Bhuteshwari.
So next time you think of us, you may notice a light coating of brownish desert dirt on our clean white outfits. Is this where the expression “True Grit” was born??? Yippe ki ow ki ay!!!
posted by Maya | 6:24 AM
2 Comments:
you know, dear Maya dearest -- people used to tell us, Westerners I mean, how much they envied our 'peaceful, blissful ashram life' -- we would just roll our eyes and giggle, Jonathan and me, since living in Penukonda was to be in the midst of the hurricane (near the eye but not quite in its utter peace).
turmoil, roiling, big winds, constant construction, noise, change, upheaval -- and all of the external stuff reflected, of course, in each of us internally.
anything but peaceful.
finally I began to realize that the whole ashram, from start to wherever it really finishes, was representative of each of our evolutions, as a spiritual community. it started small and humble and in the middle of a jungle. so much patience it took to clear all the brush and trees and cobras!
and then, bit by bit, flowers and buildings and paths and then students started to come..... and then the energy built.... and then dust and construction and pounding crews above our heads all night....
while we were up all night, anyway, meditating.
ahhhhhhh, enjoy the dust, dearest -- it's a passing stage. like all stages, someday you'll look back on this with, honest to god, nostalgia....!
love from the comfort zone of Boulder Creek --
Alx
Well, what a reflection. Now there is a huge magnificent wall to replace the other one. The Earth literally moved to form a new mountain of protection. So as our walls came tumbling down, the elements reformed to support the changes taking place in us. What an amazing blessing!
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