Tuesday, August 11, 2009

The Hunter and the hunted

It's been almost 2.5 months since i have moved to the ashram. And it has been all kinds of things. I have been doing a lot of random things lately. Like for instance the day before yesterday i was assigned the job of ushering the people from the village for whom the ashram is thrown open every Sunday. I watched in bemused wonderment as they all sat for a session on Project Green Hands. It was a pretty simple session where about a few hundred ppl sat under the big tree right next to the triangular block. But what amazed me was how the presenter conveyed the sense of urgency with such ease and humility. At one instance, he asked about what are all the problems they were facing in the villages. People said lack of rains, soil erosion etc etc. Then he asked them who is creating all this problems? They all magnanimously agreed that it was them in fact who is responsible. Just when you thought the presenter will applaud them for their sincerity, he said (shall i add in true Isha Style) "Aren't you ashamed?". At the end of the session, we distributed tree saplings to everyone who had come so that they can plant them at thier villages. Initially i was mighty perturbed that my uber-cool tamil will make it difficult for me to do this work but then once i got my hands dirty, there was no stopping me!
To be utterly frank, the move to the ashram has been quite difficulty as expected.
But when i fall dead on my bed in the night, i don't have an iota of doubt about rather doing something else. Blissful or tortured, that conviction is there always and that's what makes me get up the next day in the morning.
Couple of the photo-worthy moments every day:
1) Lying down in Shavasana after doing 25 surya namaskars just before Guru Pooja.
2) After the practices, taking the plunge into the icy Theertakund invoking the hunter to hunt me down.
3) Sitting at the temple after all the practices for that blissfull 25 minutes.
4) Serving food to all the ashramites at the Biksa Hall during the brunch. (And watching the Swami's and the Maa's eating the food)
5) Censored for the uninitiated!
Finally) Nodding "Wassup?" to Dharani, Vijay and a bemused Swami Trika at the water cooler just before we fall dead on the bed. :D

P.S: When someone asks about how things were in the US/seattle, i usually say we do this and we do that as if i am still there. Just now Ananda Ala has culuminated in Hyderabad and i just feel i am all over the place!

P.S1: A big shout-out to all in Seattle! I love you.

5 comments:

Rams said...

Loved those foto worthy moments, esp the last one...rotfl

Anand said...

Don't mean to make you feel bad about this, but you have love from places outside of Seattle too Anto :-)

"And watching the Swami's and the Maa's eating the food" brings tears to my eyes for some reason.

Kappu said...

Great to see you are having fun at the ashram Anto. We all miss you tons. Jay and I talk about you often between ourselves as well as to others. Have fun and take care!

Anonymous said...

We miss you too anna,
I miss those moments at the ashram most.
You are very fortunate to be there. hang on during the tough times, the clouds will pass and the sunshine will become so pleasant :)

Love,

Prabhu said...

I was watching you for sometime in biksha hall. People who stick on, are just transformed at ease. I witnessed few people who were before and after. He simply offers. It really matters we get it or not.

I took the liberty of sharing what is in my heart, though we are not very close to each other.