Now the body and senses are together again after the journey from Europe. Life in the Ashram goes on. The Chanting stops only for few hours a night. But nothing is mandatory so whenever one wants one can go into the temples or Bhajanhall and just chant along.
One guy listened a little on one of my CD's and was captured. Sooner then I knew he had organized for me to play in the main Bhajanhall. So last night they gave me half an hour to sing and play. I was a bit nervous before but when I saw all friendly faces I relaxed, closed my eyes and did my thing. Moolamantra followed by a Sri Ram Jai Ram mantra. When I now and then snuck a peak I could see that they seemed to enjoy. But they didn't sing along. A little later a few men and woman where singing. This was, of course, a new thing for them. A white guy with a guitar singing in Sanskrit!
(In this Ashram there is one American guy that has been here for two years
and one German that came three days before me, and I...everybody else are
Indians from all over the country. Many Sahdus come her on there journeys around
India. Afterwards, many came up to me and said it was beautiful. Especially the
women...they just Loooved it, they said!
So now thy want me "on" every night
at 8 o' clock (pm)...
Papa Ram Das (the creator of the Ashram) is very popular and was a very kind man. Always happy and treated everybody, men and animals, with the same respect. He "left his body" in 1963 but homage is payed every day by residents and visitors.
Present caretaker at the Ashram is Swamiji Sri Sachitananda. He is ill at the
moment and his next man is Sri Muktananda. Yesterday at the daily Satsang he was
reading from one of Papas books.
He spoke about the importance in listening
before talking. "People generally talk more than they listen. If we were
supposed to talk more than listen God would have given us to mouths and one ear.
And how funny wouldn't that look!
There are two fences to pass for each word. The teeth and the lips. So always
think twice before you talk. Once you talk you can't take it back. It's like
toothpaste. Once you squeeze it out it's impossible to push it back in! As long
as the words remain within you, you are the master.
Once spoken, you are the
slave to those words!"
Says Papa
Hari OM