Newsletter #30, by Sobana Baskaran (20 Jan 2013)

Samarpan Online Group Meditation Newsletter

TOPIC FOR THE WEEK – I SEE YOU

Jai Baba Swami. I see you, I see me in you. I don’t know how it all started. But many significant events took place the day I landed in India last year for International Retreat 2012. I had a strong feeling that all this looked as if I had planned to come and stay in India for good 3 months , but I guess it was A BEAUTIFUL GIFT from guru energies and Swamiji. They planned this trip so well for me. Everything was perfect! I would never forget this trip during my entire lifetime. I would like to thank my mother for finally approving my stay in India, Jignesh (sadhak from Singapore) who open heartedly welcomed me to his house and took me to all the other ashrams. I will write more about the ashrams experiences in coming newsletters.  This trip was more like a SOUL trip to me. I felt as if I met everyone  that  had connection with me for the past 800 years. Some are sadhaks and some are non sadhaks as I met them along the way.

  I had a wish to travel around Mumbai and do some shopping. Since, I will be travelling alone , my mum was unhappy and I dropped the topic. I thought ok , maybe I can just do my shopping in Navsari. Definitely, travelling so many miles away (I don’t know how many miles from Malaysia to Mumbai , but I know I crossed seas to come here) and India has the best Indian clothing.  I just love those Sarees , salwar kameez and kurtis, bangles, accessories and the list just goes on. Ha ha , I do know my limits in spending of course. So , since I had been once to Navsari before coming to Dandi Ashram for Anushtaan in 2011 and I know Vinod bhaiya ( the very dedicated and caring auto rikshaw bhaiya and he is a Sadhak  , I had an Idea to stay in Navsari Hotel Regency and spend 4 nights there before going to ashram and ask him to take me around. I proceeded with the bookings of my flight for October 14^th itself when the retreat starts after a week. Guess what Swamiji had planned for me? An aunty I met during Anushtaan 2011 (Mrs Geetha), contacted our Samarpan Malaysia Head (aunty Sumathi) and she needed my help to pass the materials (Samarpan Yog, Spiritual Truth,Shibirs )  that she had translated from Hindi into Tamil. She was staying in Mumbai, so she asked if I could drop by her home. I thought ok , I will collect the materials from her and take a train in the evening on the 14^th October itself to Navsari. Then, I spoke to her about me coming there and she asked if I needed a place to stay. I told her if she can arrange will be good. At that moment, I forgot about Mumbai shopping, I was only thinking about the books she mentioned. I felt as if Swamiji had given me a big task, because I am supposed to pass this message and books to Guruma or Anurag ji. I don’t know why I was a lil bit nervous , but I left it to Swamiji to take care of this. The very next day, the aunty called my Samarpan Head and mentioned that all arrangements to stay and someone will take me for a short tour around Mumbai plus there is Samarpan Youth Conference taking place on the day I arrive and she asked if I am interested. I told her definitely, as I always wanted to join some youth’s event. Everything was smooth, I did encounter obstacles before this trip. One of it was when I fell sick and couldn’t wake up from bed for 2 weeks plus I received two government job offers, which I turned down. I was sick for two weeks and I could tell you only Swamiji healed me. This healing is a long process to explain here but It was Swamiji himself who healed me. The government job offers were something, which I didn’t apply at all and It came to me the exact day I completed my degree in accounting. What a test? But I manage to pass through this tests with Swamijis grace. My family including my mother didn’t understand my spiritual journey. She used to ask me not to go deep into meditation. Even my other family members used to think that I was crazy and at such a young age going deeply into this path. Once, I even used to cry to Swamiji and say please stop giving me these anubhootis and just stop me from meditating. I guess my soul wanted this more even when physically I am asking for it to stop. I am not regular at my meditation. There were days I don’t even meditate , but my body goes naturally into meditation. Like what Swamiji used to say, meditation is Natural and not to be forced. But one day, I realized, my soul made me realize that all this is due to our very own karma. We should fulfill our soulful desires. My soul wishes to meditate , my soul knows , and I should understand my soul’s needs and fulfill it. If I don’t understand my own soul , who will understand? I prayed to Swamiji, surrendered my life to him. I told him, pull me as much as u can with the flow, I don’t want to go too fast. Pull me with the speed I am supposed to go. But Swamiji keep pulling me so much and then my inner voice said its due to our own karma. Everyone has their own karma. How fast we clear our past karma, that fast we grow spiritually with the grace of Swamiji. Swamiji is a light who is always there shining on us , but if our karma is blocking the aura from being cleansed, how can he enter when there is a block?

                As I landed , Mrs Geetha’s driver took me straight from the airport to the Youth Conference in Dadar, Mumbai. My luggage was still with me , but I rushed there.  There, wonderful thing happened. I met Kruti, Uncle Bakul’s daughter. She was in organizing team and they did help me during my stay in Mumbai. I reached during the lunch break and I just sat waiting for the event to start. I met Rutuja who was sitting next to me.  I didn’t know or imagine we will be good friends and we became more like sisters. Before talking to her , I was thinking in my mind, “ Dear Swamiji, I don’t know Hindi, hope she will be able to speak to me in English ‘ She just smiled at me , and I introduced myself. Thankfully, she replied me back in English. She was the photographer of that day , she was also sister of Abhishek , an acharya from Mumbai center. Ruthuja does lots of guru karya but she doesn’t meditate. She said she just love doing guru karya and every now and then she helps. You wouldn’t believe it , we were together the whole event. I was touched when she openly invited me to her house , and she said “My mum cooks good Maharashtan food and you will have to pay a cisit” I  was humbled by her generosity and thanked her. I thought , ok maybe I wouldn’t have the chance. I had not planned how many days I was going to stay in Mumbai. I also asked her if she would be able to take me around Mumbai and I would like to do a little shopping. She immediately replied tomorrow will be perfect 🙂

We had so much of fun in the youth conference. Full MAJA 🙂 we danced , played games and meditated in collectivity. Right after the event, I went to Mrs Geetha’s house to collect the materials. She welcomed me with food and drinks.  I asked her more about how this work in Tamil started ?  She told me she couldn’t get the proper network to convey her message to Guruma. Each time she speaks to someone in the Ashram committee, there was no reply from them and she gave up because she tried many times. She prayed to Swamiji and said “Maybe I am not suitable to convey this message, maybe there is some fault in me, so I give up, I will wait till YOU (SWAMIJI)  come here and take this work. She said my Samarpan head contacted her regarding materials in Tamil, and that’s how she told us this problem she was undergoing. She told me, look how Swamiji sent you to me. I was also thrilled to hear that, I felt even more responsibility on my shoulders.  She shared about her writing experiences. She said it was inner feeling when she did this, her inner voice asked her to translate these materials into Tamil. She doesn’t know how to read and write Hindi. But, she goes into trance and the energies flow through her and translated these materials into Tamil. I told her when the right time comes Swamiji will guide us and maybe now was the right time for the work to be done. I took the materials from her and went to the sadhika in whose house  she had made arrangements with for my stay.

I stayed with a loving couple, Nalini Ma and Pravin Pa. They asked me to address them as Ma and Pa.

I was wondering they don’t even know me, and they had accepted me easily. We were at the same comfort level. I was very comfortable with them and so were they 🙂 This was beginning of my journey to India. You see how this aatma  connection is J Not forgetting to mention, Ruthuja was with me despite attending her college. She made a point to spend time with me everyday and took me around Mumbai. I am thankful to Uncle Bakul who took us around to the Mumbai gate, the beach,, Kurla Market, Central Mall, bought for us MCD lunch, prepared dinner for us . Also, thanks to Aunty Neeta who stayed with me because she could speak in English and Nalini ma only knew Gujarati. Aunty Neeta took me around too and gave me the yummy panni puri (MY alltime favorite ) treat. Also Aunty Geetha who had helped me with all the arrangements in Mumbai. Definitely not forgetting my dear Aunty Sumathi (Samarpan Head of Malaysia) who had made many calls to the ashram, send out emails and sent me her full blessings and support for my trip. By Swamijis Grace, my mother was very supportive , understood my spiritual journey and showered me with her LOVE and blessings. All my family members and friends surprised me with their visits , calls, smses , and they never failed to say the “MISS ME” when I was in india. I love all of them 🙂 and now I am able to spread the love to everyone. One love to all J This is just a brief note about my trip. The topic highlighted I see you, because it was a soulful AATMA  feeling I felt towards all and they felt the same. Swamijis wonders I would say  And Swamiji is in all of us 🙂 JBS.