Dear Friends,
But that is pretty much the difficult part of it all. The majority of the rest of the story has been one of amazing miracles, blessings and gifts one after another. I can truly say that I have never felt more in the arms of Baba and Mother in my life. I felt Their presence and even saw Them, particularly Mother, often in the wee hours of the morning hovering over me and attending to my wound. My jade mala that Babaji gave to me in 1981, has never had more japa done on it then in these last weeks, it has been such a source of connection and consolation.
The people that have been with me are a true test to what happens to a psyche when one turns to God. The kindness, generosity, willingness to do anything for me brings me to tears. Sherry Summers and Brad Smith, who accompanied me on the tour, were there through it all, doing japa through the several hour surgery, sleeping on my hospital room floor, bringing me anything I asked for and even bringing their harmonium and guitar to play kirtan for me. (I heard it was a first for the hospital.) But even the hospital staff in their graciousness and love said that it was the first time they had seen this, but if it made a patient happy, they were all for it.
The people that became involved due to Baba’s impeccable timing were also amazing. One example would be a wonderful women’s doctor that just happen to be getting a massage from Sherry when I was in pain. She asked if I would like her to check me out and after telling me that it seemed like an appendicitis, went on to tell me she could help me in St. Louis with the logistics. Well she was the bearer of one gift after another including one of the finest surgeon’s in St. Louis. The surgeon at one point commented that I must know a lot of people in St. Louis, I told him only about 8 people.
So here I sit in the beautiful loft surrounded by Baba and Mother photos of a friend that I had not seen in years and first met in Haidakhan 20 or more years ago. He just happened to be going out of town for these three weeks. I was just brought lunch by this lovely women’s doctor and called by another doctor to see how I was doing, she being a friend of my dear friend Shashi. As I was discharged on my 63rd birthday, Feb. 17, Shashi flew out from Denver to spend the weekend with me.
And I could go on and on with more blessings and miracles but I think you get the idea. As I sit quietly with time to process and feel and pray, I have a hard time understanding how this has all transpired and why I deserve so much being given to me. The only answer that I can come up with is the beyond the beyond love and mercy of Mother and Baba, that even if we take a few feeble steps toward them, they respond with a thousandfold in blessings. May we all feel their constant Presence in our live. I love you all so very much.
Bhole Baba Ki Jai!
Ramloti
Ceremonies and Schedule
The full-moon fire ceremony this month is on Thursday, March 8 The new-moon fire ceremony is on Thursday, March 22 (which is also the first day of nine consecutive fire ceremonies for Spring Navratri). The fire ceremonies begin at 10:08 am and are followed by a meal. Our evening aarati is at 6pm and morning aarati is at 7am with a paduka puja in Shri Babaji’s kutir each morning at 6:35am. Lunch is served at about 12:30pm. The Maha Lakshmi Shop is open every day from 10am until 5pm.
If you would like to participate by sponsoring a fire ceremony, we would like to send you a blessed item from the fire ceremony. They are:
$27 sponsorship - Copper, brass, nickel Om Namah Shivaya bracelet
$54 sponsors - Rosewood or Tulsi Mala
$108 sponsorship - Rudraksha Mala or Copper, silver, brass bracelet
You can make the donation online by just clicking here or call 719-256-4108 or e-mail the Ashram at info@BabajiAshram.org or send us a check made to HUA to: P.O. Box 9, Crestone, CO 81131.
We are continually grateful for all of your support of the Ashram.
It is that special time of year again when we get to come together in a special way to thank our beautiful and loving Mother for all that She gives to us. I for one have an incredibly long list of gratitudes. There are so many wonderful people flying in from WA., CA, FL, NY, Canada and drIving here from various parts of Colorado that it is bound to be a momentous event. We hope that you can join us at any time from Thursday, March 22 through Friday, March 30. The morning ceremonies will be begin at 6:15am and will continue throughout the day with a daily fire ceremony at 10am followed by a discourse on the Shri Mad Devi Bhagavatam and lunch.
If you are not able to physically attend, you may want to sponsor a fire ceremony or bhandara (feast) at the Ashram during this time. It is really a tremendous time as well to join with the millions of people around the world who will be observing the Navratri. Whether you bring Mother a flower everyday, light some incense, sit and sing, pray or dance for Her or repeat Her name, it will be received by Her. She is our Mother and She loves us each so very much. Haidakhandeswari Mata Ki Jai!
2012 Annual On-Line Auction Fundraiser Postponed until April
Due to my surgery and the several weeks of recovery, we have decided to postpone the auction for a month. It will now begin on Friday, April 27 and complete on Sunday, May 6. It has been a wonderful event each year when we get to have a lot of fun donating items and bidding on them to raise funds for the Ashram and all of its projects. The first three have grown bigger each year. Last year we made $13,500 and this was a huge part in building the first hermitage for Ramloti. We already have well over 80 items and we hope that all of you will think of something that you can add to it. Items from Shri Babaji or Munirjaji are greatly treasured. Other treasures that have done well are sports memorabilia, vacation get-aways, fine jewelry, electronics and Indian items. Small appliances such as juicers and vitamixes that are in good condition are also great sellers. To view what we already have and actually make a donation on line click here. We so deeply appreciate all of your support of the Ashram.
Ashram Projects
Since I have been gone for the last two months, I barely know what projects are going on at the Ashram. What I do know is that this Ashram has the most incredible staff living and working here. Being away from the Ashram for 6 weeks for the planned tours on the east and west coast was a long time. Now adding to that another 5 weeks for recovery from the surgery is a lot. Yet Jonathan and Premanand have kept everything running so smoothly and efficiently. Even the big all-night celebration of Shivaratri was the best ever. We are so fortunate to have them at the helm.
Backing them up is Rita as pujari several days a week; Deborah, Venture and Elizabeth overseeing the kitchen and helping in the shop; and Angela doing the bookkeeping. I have to tell you I have never had a concern this whole time that everything was not running in top fashion as is befitting the home of Shri Babaji and the Divine Mother. We are so blessed.
Ashram Emergency Medical Fund Set up for Ramloti
At the request of some devotees that wanted to donate money toward Ramloti’s medical expenses, the Ashram Board of Directors voted to set up an emergency medical fund in her behalf. She has made the proper applications to the charities and sliding scale programs at the hospital in St. Louis and is waiting to hear the results. We will keep you informed of the results. If you would like to make a donation, you may make it to HUA notating it is for Ramloti’s medical expenses and it will receive a tax-deductible receipt. You can send a check made out to HUA at P.O. Box 9, Crestone, CO 81131 or you can call us at 719-256-4108 with a credit card number. We want to thank you for all of your support, love and prayers.
Recent Events
Munirajji has been mostly silent and deep in prayer for the last 2 weeks since his operations. He has been focused on Ganga, her family, friends and all of us who have been touched by her since she passed away last month. I don't feel at liberty to say too much now but know that He has been along side her every step of the way, through her illness her passing and since her passing.
He, we, all of us lost a Dear Sister, a dedicated devotee full of love, devotion and strength with the will and the savvy to serve Munirajji and all of us as her offering to the Divine Babaji.
Today Ganga Ram attends her own puja; her mortal remains become ash to be brought to the Gautam Ganga later in the year, to be immersed to flow within her name sake back to the sea of consciousness. Jai Ganga Mata Ki Jai!
She is surrounded by family and friends and throughout the world Babaji's devotees are praying for her onward journey and remembering the time they spent with her and how she touched their personal lives, the lives of our friends, how she served Munirajji always at the right place always ready and she could sing.....
Once when Sri Munirajji and Shastriji, Raghuvir, Pujari, Ganga and I travelled to Australia we met a gifted psychic (Kanta) who drew images of each of us, the image of Ganga was a Roaring lion who was hiding a little girl seeking love behind it's fierce exterior. I could never forget this image and I know both of these Gangas.
She has been my friend, my confidant, my partner, my Guru Sister, she shared the service to Munirajji and then answering the call became his ideal Dass, (devotee) always and I mean always there, ready, even till the moment she slipped out of consciousness was she calling me and others, checking advising and praying for her beloved Shri Munirajji.
Even after Passing she came to me, soft and gentle to check on her beloved Guruji.
Ganga has cared for Munirajji in ways most of us would never be able to do, displayed love and devotion we should all be inspired by.
She has been his pujari, his gate keeper and his nurse. She could welcome us close to the Guru and at times keep us at a distance. She served us by serving Him, she prepared our pujas, sang the Aaratis, the Bhajans and has been apart of many of our lives and the lives of our children. She is beloved by Munirajji's family especially his grand and great grand children.
Being close to Munirajji she knew our aspirations and our secrets. She gave up her self interest for the interest of all of us. She was loving but could be tough when she needed to be, fierce when called for. Those who knew her well know deep inside she was but a little girl longing for love.
She has served with all of her energy all her heart all her will, longing for Love, longing to merge with the Divine within her, seeking a deeper understanding, freedom from the mundane.
Please keep her in your prayers, let her devotion inspire you.
Babaji used to say you can not escape death, that immortality you earn by entering the hearts and memories of others.
Ganga Ram in our hearts and memories lives on, she is eternal.
We have long talked about doing a fire ceremony at the home of long-time devotees, Betsy and James Gauer. It is finally came to fruition and it was lovely and inspiring.
In the photo to James’ right is Saradambe, who has hosted fire ceremonies in the bay area for years. She is moving back to Germany this month and we wish her great love. We will miss her love and devotion and beautiful voice. We hope that the northern California fire ceremonies will continue in Sebastopol.
Makar Sankrant in Yorba Linda, CA
January - February Bhakti Tour Winter 2012
Enlightening our Hearts with Sacred Fire and Divine Mother’s Love
Oh my, oh my, what a tremendous blessing it has all been. Having Sherry Summers and Bradford Smith, both from St Louis, on the tour has been a match only Mother could have made possible. Sherry has such inexhaustible enthusiasm, devotion, shakti and appreciation coupled with her lovely voice and guitar playing. Bradford’s voice, kirtan and flute playing lifted me to the heavens whenever I heard him. His technical skills setting up the sound and visual equipment was awesome. All this with his quiet, easy going and also deeply appreciative demeanor was such a gift. We all had such a wonderful time with each other and are all so sad to see these weeks end.
As one wonderful event, hosting party, home, or location melted into the next we began calling it the Magical Mystery Tour because we were never sure what great gift Mother and Baba would give us next, it just kept getting higher and higher with so many amazing events. If there was a difficult part, it was getting to sleep at night since we were soaring with so much Shakti. The various chants would just pulsate through my psyche day and night.
Each venue had its own special flavor and gift. The usual size crowd was about 40 people who sang with all their hearts, were dancing by the end of the evening and some folks even weeping with the love of the Mother. Some of the folks at various locations are wanting to build havan kunds and begin having regular fire ceremonies and aarati.
I knew from the start that the inspiration for this tour came totally from Mother and Baba and every step of the way proved that over and over again. So I first and foremost want to thank them for such a successful, smooth and blissful time. My next thanks go to my incredible and beloved partners in this play, Sherry and Brad. Their love, talent, devotion, willingness to serve and joy are hard to match. Of course a thank you to Jonathan and Premanand and crew for running the Ashram for these five weeks while I was gone (I began on the west coast for a week and a half before meeting up with Sherry and Brad). Finally super thanks to all of our hosts and hostesses who really made this wild schedule possible by receiving us with food on the table, smoothie greens in the frig and tremendous love and hospitality at every stop. You have all made our lives richer and we so appreciate and love you. For me it was reconnecting with many old friends and meeting many more new ones that will be in my heart forever.
May all of our lives continue to feel the grace and love of Baba and Mother at all times. Here are a sprinkling of photos from some of our 19 tour stops evenings and fire ceremonies. There are so many more in our hearts.
Calendar for 2012
March 22 - March 30 - Spring Navratri - Divine Mother Festival with daily fire ceremonies, pujas, discourses, reading, chanting and other ceremonies.
April 14 - Kirtan with Vama Deva and Premanand at 7pm.
July 3 - Guru Purnima
July 21 and 22 - Annual American Samaj Weekend with fire ceremonies, chanting, satsang and meeting.
July 23 - 26 - Ashram Annual Family Week with concurrent workshop with Sofia Diaz.
October 15 - 23 - Fall Navratri - Divine Mother Festival with daily fire ceremonies, pujas, discourses, reading, chanting and other ceremonies.
November 13 - Diwali, Festival of Lights
Maha Lakshmi Shop Report
The Shop is happy to announce that we will now be carry CD’s by Bradford Smith. His flute playing on the tour was so captivating and many people were happy to buy his CD’s to hear him over and over again. We have two of his CD’s: the first is “Yuktena - 6 Meditations with the Flute”; and the second is “Portals to Inner Space.”
Many people have asked in the shop for a CD that would be good for meditation, giving massage or just deep relaxation. “Yuktena” feels perfect for these. The second CD, “Portals to Inner Space”, has Brad on flute and Patti Pellerito on Tibetan Bowls. This music would also be wonderful for massage and meditation. The CD’s sale for $15 each or as an introductory offer you may purchase them both for only $20.
Although you can view most of the our items on line at www.shop.babajiashram.org you may not be able to order them. If you come up with this problem, just call us (every day from 10am until 5pm Mountain Time) at 719-256-4108 with your order, questions and a credit card number like in the olden days. It is really nice to connect in this way, we love to talk to you. We accept Visa, Mastercard or Discover.
The Shop is a major support of the Ashram, so we deeply appreciate your patronage.
Maha Lakshmi Mata Ki Jai!
