FROM AMRITAPURI TO HOTEL FEAST IN COCHIN

We have spent a blissful 3 days ensconced in Amma's Ashram in keral, the land of the waving palms and glowing backwaters and shimmering Arabian Sea.
To be back in Amritapuri even for those 3 days was a soothing balm for me. Amma's Love was always overflowing to everyone there and we were not an exception. Prasad came thick and fast along with the Grace. I met up with many friends of the past and it was like reuniting with the Family of Man. Or Woman! Truly an enlightening experience.
Just to recapitulate on the last part of the journey in Rishikesh - we ended up hardly taking part in the Yoga Festival because the outside world grabbed us up with both hands and chomped us up and enjoyed the flavour of our delight and joy. If there was something I could do for the animals I certainly would, but it is beyond a one human being thing. The cow with the ingrown horn, the other one with the sore back ankle, the dogs full of mange and hunger, is hard to bear, but one gradually accepts the flow of life and knows that there is absolutely nothing that one can do to help. I just tried every now and again with a bit of bread, a banana or some such things.
We fell in love with Rishikesh - and the ginger, lemon and honey drinks certainly were a good part of the pleasure during each dusty walking spree.
Have you heard about the yoga teacher called Gurumukh? She is from L.A. and teaches yoga to the high class students there including all the film stars. She teaches what she terms 'Kundalini Yoga' - which apprently is rather like an aerobic class with ancient Hindu concepts thrown in for luck . Puja Swami who runs Parmarth Niketan Ashram says that Gurumukh is making Hollywood, Holywood.
Then there is the wonderful fellow called Ashok who was visiting there. Not a techer but probably the best one of all in many ways. He was really free in everyway. He and his son were staying in a room quite close to us. Each day he would feed the monkeys and would come out of his house with armfuls of bananas and 30 or so monkeys would perform very humanistic unfortunate qualities, like greed, jealousy, rudeness, bullying, aggression, meanness and many other things that we have tried to overcome since we evolved from the trees.
Ashok is 60 years old, wears a tattered lunghi, big belly protruding, wild hair and total vegetarian himself. He eats only uncooked foods, and preaches a Truth about the destruction of the planet. That man must awake to the reality of our self destruction via greed etc.
We have just been treated to a magnificent meal in a glamorous hotel in Cochin as our plane is delayed by 6 hours. I consider this just more GRACE!