Dear Tom,

Thank you for the scroll!! I really like it.

I checked on mapquest and it looks like Mount Olive is only 2 hours away to the west from where the kinfolk are living. It may be that someday I will be able to visit the birthplace of Hank Williams and take some photos. However, this morning when I talked to Mother I noticed that she is exhibiting signs of fear about making the journey. My impression is that she is afraid of what she will see if she gets there. We will play it by ear henceforth.

Last night before I retired, I read this wonderful excerpt about the life of Gopala Ma. It seems that she had "lovingly" received a "bundle" of clothing and utensils (which she needed) while on a visit to Balaram's family and was bringing the bundle with her on the same boat while accompanying Sri Ramakrishna. This is intersting.

'The Master came to know from other devotees what was in the bundle. Immediatley he became grave, and without directly referring to the items, he began to speak about renunciation. He said: "Only a man of renunciation realizes God. The devotee who is simply satisfied with another man's hospitality and returns empty-handed, sits very close to God." He did not say a single word to her, but he kept looking at her bundle. Gopal-ma understood.' p. 368, They Lived With God, Swami Chetanananda

I was looking at E bay and thinking of buying a new camera. My "new" camera is already broken, but I do have a camera which my coworker gave me as a spare and it works just fine. In the spirit of renunciation, I have decided not to buy the camera. However, I am going to Staples now to purchase some very pricey ink cartridges in order to print up a photo of Sri Ramakrishna and the painting of Madonna and Child to frame and keep in my house.

I will also print up the beautiful scroll which you have so nicely prepared for me!!

Tom, you have brought my mind back to many things from my past. I had forgotten about a man (Mike Cross) that I knew in my youth who is a musician and whose song "Thanks Hank" is mentioned on many of the lists of Hank Williams tribute songs. I had forgotten about that song. It is not one of Mike's songs that is YouTubed, so I cannot share it.

Oh, I do know that I ramble, but I did find that it was Ramana Maharshi who said that "The Ganges is Within You." This is the direct quote:

D.: Is there efficacy in bathing in the Ganges?

M.: The Ganges is within you. This Ganges does not make you feel cold or shiver. Bathe in it.

http://bhagavan-ramana.org/ramana_maharshi/books/tw/tw164.html

Thanks for keeping me Holy Company and thanks for the link to the recipes.

PS. Everyone should live close to Asheville, alas, I do not. I am on the other side of the State.

Yours in Holy Mother's Grace,
Rosemary

Location: North Carolina

Dear Rosemary,

I am glad that yu like the scroll.

So, it looks like your folks are from south Alabama. I have been to Montgomery,
but not any further south than that.

If your mother is apprehensive about making the journey, perhaps you may
go alone....and tell her all about it when you return home.

Poor Gopala! How sweet! It was easy for the Master to take the high road, and
talk about renunciation.....when all his needs were meticulously looked after
by devotees. But, who was to look after poor Gopal Ma? She probably badly needed
those utensils and other practical implements of daily life, in order to serve
others.

RE: Ink Cartridge

You may possibly avoid that expense, by simply providing the print shop
with the Internet location, where the pics are stored; and they will print them
out for you. Methinks it would be much cheaper that way.

I haven't used a printer in years, due to exorbitant cost of ink.

Of course, I agree with sri Ramana Maharshi's quote about the Ganges.
Lord Jesus said the same thing basically, "The Kingdom of Heaven is within you"

Here is a quote from Sri Ramakrishna about the Ganges:

A BATH IN THE HOLY RIVER GANGES

March 11, 1883. Bengal, India.

The Master said:

"Suppose a man becomes pure by chanting the holy name of God,
but immediately afterwards commits many sins.
He has no strength of mind. He doesn't take
a vow not to repeat his sins.

A bath in the Ganges undoubtedly absolves one of all sins;
but what does that avail? They say that
the sins perch on the trees along the banks of the Ganges.
No sooner does the man come back from the holy waters
than the old sins jump on his shoulders from the trees.
The same old sins take possession of him again.
He is hardly out of the water before they fall upon him.

"Therefore I say, chant the name of God,
and with it pray to Him that you may have love for Him.
Pray to God that your attachment to such transitory things
as wealth, name, and creature comforts may become
less and less every day"

I guess Asheville and Rosemary were just not meant to meet.....

Your holy company is also much appreciated :)

Om Shanthi Om

Dear Tom, et al,

It seems that Holy Mother shares your own view concerning Gopala Ma receiving a "bundle" from the family of Balaram. This is the rest of the story as told in TLWG:

..." His superhuman love conquered the hearts of the devotees, so a little indifference would give them unbearable pain. Gopal-ma was stung with remorse and thought of throwing the bundle away. But she kept it, and when she reached Dakshineswar she related everything to the Holy Mother. She was ready to give all the items away, but the Holy Mother stopped her and said: "Let the Master say what he wants. There is no one to give you gifts, and moreover, you have been given some things that you need." Nevertheless Gopal-Ma gave away some of the things. Then she cooked some curries for the Master and carried the tray of food to him. Seeing her repeantance, he behaved with her in his usual manner. She returned to Kamarhati feeling much relieved." pp. 368-369, They Lived With God, Swami Chetanananda

It seems (to me) that the Master was very displeased with this incident of the bundle. Although realizing the inscrutability of the Master's mind and ways, still, one has to wonder if he was just as displeased with Balaram's family for having given the bundle. What is the understanding of the correct way of dealing with accepting or non-acceptance of this generosity (one thinks of it as generosity). Should Gopala have accepted and then immediately thrown it into the river? Should she not have accepted? One thinks about Gopal-ma and how she lived. I wonder if the small rooms where she lived even had locks on the doors? (Silly question, were there even doors there?) Sri Ramakrishna once visited her at the place where she lived and he encountered two pretty nasty ghosts on his visit there!! (p. 369, They Lived With God, Swami Chetanananda)

There is a family reunion in Alabama this summer, but not sure if I can attend. Will keep you posted on that...

Yours in Mother's Grace,
Rosemary

Location: North Carolina

That is all very interesting. I have been spending so much time in the Nahabat,
over the past 6 years or so, that I must be starting to think like Holy Mother.

In other words, I am still posting daily readings from "In The Company Of The
Holy Mother", a project started in early 2005.

Just click on the banner below to visit:



Have also started up, two years ago, daily readings from the Letters of
Swami Vivekananda. Just clcik on the banner below to visit that resource.



The Alabama family reunion sounds interesting. I hope you can make it.

Om Shanthi Om
=============

Thank you Tom. I have bookmarked the links and will be spending some time there--very soon.

Have just finished printing photos of Sri Ramakrishna and the Jagannath Temple. Now, when people come into my house, they will really that I am "different" (as if they don't think that already.

This Buddha was sitting in the window of the old corner drugstore for weeks on end. The price dropped from $43.00 to $25.00 to $13.00. I took it's picture, and then went and bought it. It is now in my dining room.

For now, I am due at Mother's house for lunch. Will visit the links ASAP!!

Om Shanti Om,
Rosemary

Location: North Carolina

Dear Rosemary,

I think it's great that you express yourself through the
various pictures etc., that you display in your house.

In my family, everyone has become accustomed to my Vedantic leanings;
my apartment is replete with pictures of the Holy Trio; and I also have
a small shrine in my bedroom. It will just take some time for your friends
and family to adjust to you. They just feel awkward, being confronted
with images and other paraphernalia, which are strange to them. But, when
they observe your kind, tolerant and gentle nature, their fears of the
unknown will subside.

PS: I love the picture of the Buddha. Great Deal!

I have a small plastic golden image of the Buddha, hanging over my bedroom
door.

Om Shanthi Om
=============

Dear Tom, et al,

I noticed that on your post for Holy Mother's website today, that Golap Ma is mentioned. Golap Ma is the next vignette in the book and I suppose it is time soon to order the other book that Jayanti mentioned (about Sri Ramakrishna's Disciples.)

Before I leave Golap ma, I would like to highlight something said by Sister Nivedita:

"I feel thrilles, " Nivedita wrote in a letter at that time, "when I am with Gopal-ma. The words of saint Elizabeth osund in my ears, 'What is this to me that the Mother of my Lord should visit me?' For I believe that in Gopal-ma is sainthood as great as that of a paramahamsa--a soul fully free. I feel that if I can only worship her enough, blessings will descend on all whom I love, through her. Could more be said?" (They Lived With God, p 174, Swami Chetanananda)
___________________

Also, I love the letters of Swami Vivekanda. He really saw and understood the consciousness of the United States as it is, and he described us as in a full length mirror.
_________________________

Here is my work of today. I think I will have to find a black and white photo of Sri Ramakrishna. I do not like the enhanced color photos. I will work on this...



Thanks for sharing the links with me, Tom. This is good.

Your friend in Holy Mother's Grace,
Rosemary

Location: North Carolina

Hi Rosemary,

Thanks for signing the Nahabat Guestbook.

Yes, Jogin-Ma & Golap-Ma were permanent members of Mother's household, so
their names come up often, in my daily readings from "In The Company Of The
Holy Mother".

Here is a quote:

Swami Arupananda:

Udbodhan (Mother's Room), 21 February, 1912

Golap-Ma was arguing with somebody downstairs.

"Now what is all this argument about?" Mother asked.

"Golap-Ma is sputtering something," I said.

"One shouldn't lose oneself so much in sputtering," Mother said. "If one sees the worst of everything, one feels pain. Golap has got into a habit of speaking the truth that she no longer cares about what others will think. I, on the other hand, still care. One should never indulge in unpleasant truths."

-another quote-

Swami Arupananda:

Udbodhan (Mother's Room), 24 April, 1912:

"Speaking of Golap-Ma," I said, "Sharat Maharaj (Swami Saradananda) remarked that if she gives away a green coconut she would shout it out to the whole house."

"Yes, they have got into that habit nowadays," Mother said. "They make a scene at the slightest cause. Jogen (Jogin-Ma) used to be so quiet and controlled, but she too is not like that any lomger. My son, forbearance is a great virtue, there is no other like it."

-again-

Swami Arupananda:

Udbodhan, morning:

Mother: "Our Golap's mind is pefectly pure. In MAdhavji's temple at Vrindaban somebody's baby had soiled the floor. Everyone remarked on it but made no move to clean up the place. When Golap noticed this, she tore a strip from her fine cloth and cleaned the spot with it. The other women said, 'Since she is cleaning it up, it must have been her baby!' I said to myself, 'Listen to what they say, O MAdhavji!' Some also said, 'No, these are holy women, they have no children. They are doing it for the convenience of others.'"..

-more Golap-Ma-

Swami Arupananda:

Jayrambati, 14th July, 1913:

"One day at Udbodhan Golap-didi cleaned the lavatories," Nalini started, "then changed her clothes and immediately sat down to peel fruit for the Master's offerings. I said, 'What are you about, Golap-didi! Go and take a dip in the GangA.' Golap-didi said, 'Go yourself, if you want!'

"Golap's mind is pure and noble," Mother said. "That is why she has no obsession about what is pure and what is not. This will be her last incarnation. You will have to be born again in a different body, before you have a mind like hers...This mind becomes pure after long practice. Purity can never be had without piety.

What happens whn one finds God? Does one grow two horns?

Priceless indeed! I love reading about Golap-Ma.

I like your photos of the Holy Trio. I don't have a camera, otherwise I could also
send a pic.

Swamiji knew and understood many cultures. He was truly a "renaissance man", or
a "polymath".... a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different
subject areas. I love his description of the Irish immigrant who looked so
downtrodden on Ellis Island...but after a few short weeks in America, was walking
with a spring in hid step and a gleam in his eyes. {inexact quote]

Om Shanthi Om

Dear Tom, et al

It seems that I am going to love Golap-ma, also. I will look forward to reading her vignette tonight after work, if all goes well. Yesterday, as it turns out, was not a productive day for reading. Some days are like that.

Also, I am looking forward to reading more of the letters of Swami Vivekananada. Letters are interesting to me because they are first-person.

But before I leave Gopal-ma (I seem to like her very much, too)I would like to highlight another interesting point, and that is that Swami Vivekananda sent Sister Nivedita, Mrs. Ole Bull and Josephine MacLeod to Kamarhati to meet Gopal-ma. .."they sat on her bed..." When they returned to Calcutta, Swami Vivekananda said:"Ah! This is the old India that you have seen, the India of prayers and tears, of vigils and fasts, that is passing away." (p 372, They Lived With God, Swami Chetanananda)

What is interesting about this incident is that it shows a certain humility in Mrs. Ole Bull. Until I started reading about the life of Swami Vivekananda I had never heard of Ole Bull, much less Mrs. Ole Bull.
Yet, Ole Bull was a world famous man in his time. Thereby when he died, he left Mrs. Ole Bull (a much younger woman) with a great, great deal of money. As another interesting fact, I also read somewhere that the tide of Swamiji's visit to the West began to turn only when he met Mrs. Ole Bull. This could be heresay, overstated, etc, and I don't recall the source of the statement either so cannot verify the veracity.

Anyway, I'm off to work, and it is to be a good day weather wise, in the 70's they say, and the sun is shining.

I'm looking forward to reading the life of Golap-ma who is teaching me via Holy Mother, via Nahabat Web Admin, not to sputter!!

Yours in Mother's Grace,
Rosemary

Location: North Carolina

Golap Ma was a real character. I am sure that you will enjoy learning
more about her.

Incidentally, it was Mr. Ole Bull, who obtained permission from
Holy Mother to take her photo. Read about that HERE

Om Shanthi Om

Correction to previous posting. It should read "Mrs." Ole Bull. :)

Thanks for the correction, Tom. I knew what you meant. Here is hoping that you all can plow through my own blunders. It seems that the older that I get, the more dyslexic I become. I have noticed several times in my posts that I have meant Gopal-ma and have instead typed Golap-ma. I have been hoping that you all can follow the trail of my mind without me pointing it out, but I see by your post that it is probably important to clear things up. Do we have an edit feature here anyway???

Last night after reading the biographical vignette, "Golap-ma: Golap Sundari Devi", she stayed with me in my dreams. All night she was with me as I saw her in a large spacious room with walls made of stone. Golap-ma and I are very much alike. All of the stories about her seem to apply to me also.

Unfortunately my time has dwindled quickly this morning, so I won't be able to give due attention to direct quotes, but the gist of it is this: that Mother's most important verbal teaching about not criticizing her children seems to have been a constant interplay between Holy Mother and Golap-ma.

The teaching of non-criticism is very hard for me to sort through, no matter how straightforward is the message. I'm thoroughly confused about it.

This is an example: Yesterday at work, I had to take a break from my desk to "go down the hall" (code for going to the Ladie's Room). Since I am the "Golap-ma" of the office and I must keep my eye on the front door (for the public) and my ear on the phone (for the taxpaying public), I have a back-up for when I have to leave my desk. When I got back to my desk, there was no one covering the phone. My relief person had been brought a Valentine's treat and so was out in the hall socializing with her sweetheart. The rest of the office people were out in the hall to hear the Barber Shop Quartet singing "I Love You Truly." Okay, so it is Valentine's Day, but when I got to the office there was no one to answer the phone and it was ringing off the hook. My supervisor was there, but she wasn't picking it up, as she should not be relied on to do anyway.

I was annoyed. Is that being critical, and how can one's automatic response, a reflex response, be reworked so as to comply with Holy Mother's strong admonition of not being critical????

This is a problem for me, not to be solved here, but it is nice to be able to tell someone that this is something that I think about and struggle with.

More on Golap later, God willing...

Yours in Mother's Grace,
Rosemary

Location: North Carolina

Hi Rosemary,

It is actually "Golap-Ma"...not "Gopal-Ma". These things are not important anyway.
It's the thought that counts. There is an edit feature, which remains in effect,
about an hour after the posting. Otherwise, we can just post a response.

That's interesting that you have dreamt about Golap-Ma. I only dream of people
who I have either met in person, or have seen them in a film or video. In order
for me to wrap a dream around them, I must see them animated. I have dreamt
about Michelle Pfeiffer and Meryl Streep, just to name two personages.

It is only natural that you were annoyed about that person, not fulfilling her duty.

You are obviously a conscientious person, and care a great deal about the well-being
of others. So, in effect, you were annoyed, because the tax-payers were being mis-
treated, by being forced to listen to numerous telephone rings, without any response.

Plus, it made you look bad in front of your superior.

If you gave the AWOL a small slice of Hell, then I feel that it was justified.

Om Shanthi Om
=============

Thanks for the reply, Tom.

It is interesting that in the book (They Lived with God) it is noted that because Golap-Ma was outspoken, she was also often misunderstood. I wonder do they mean that her motives for speaking were misunderstood? I am notorious for being outspoken, the girls at work tease me about being injected with truth serum. I do not, however, always spill my guts.

In the vignette which I read last night on Arshay Kumar Sen, this conversation transpired between Akshay and Holy Mother. I feel some confusion about Holy Mother's response to him.

"Akshay was deeply devoted to the Holy Mother. His home and the Mother's parental home were in the same district, so whenever the Mother was in Jayrambati, Akshay would go barefooted with a staff in his hand to meet her. He would always carry something on his head for the Holy Mother. Bowing down to her, he would pray for liberation. Once in Jayrambati Akshay called, "Mother," and the Mother answered "Yes, my son." Akshay thne boldly said: "Mother, I called you 'Mother' and you answered 'yes', so I have no fear anymore." To this the Holy Mother said: "My son, do not talk like that. 'Success comes only to a careful person.'"

Does Mother mean being careful in speech or in walking with some trepidation in the world? I wasn't altogeter sure. It looks like her statement, however, is in sub-quotes, so who is she quoting?

I generally dream in images and it seems that sometimes something that I am suppose to remember or
give attention to will come to me just at the juncture in the mornings between the waking and sleeping state. When I saw Swamji standing on the banks of the Trent River, it was as if he were in underlay and as if I were editing or exposing a photograph where his image was coming into focus.

This morning, at the juncture between wake and sleep I did not dream an image, it was a word that came to me this morning. It was: Kamarpukur only it was coming out of my mind in dyslexic syllables as Kamarkapur

Michele Pfeifer and Meryl Streep are both blondes. I wonder what this means???

One wishes that one did not have to pray to win the lottery, but I simply wish that I did not have to go to work some days. I would rather stay at home and study the lives of the Saints. However, there is not an option and I am also very, very lucky to have a job right now, and also, to have a job where I am treated well and well thought of.

Om Shanti Om. Jai Ma!!

Rosemary

PS: Tom I am not trained in HTML code, so if you find or see any ways to help me write more clearly here, I would appreciate it very much.

Thank you...Rosemary

Location: North Carolina

HTML code worked!!

Have a wonderful day, til I speak to you later, God willing...

Rosemary

Location: North Carolina

Your writing is very clear, Rosemary.

Regarding the fact that Michelle Pfeifer and Meryl Streep being both blondes, really
has nothing to do with the fact that I dreamt about them. Before I had fallen asleep.
I had been watching films which contained the fine work of those actresses; and they
happened to appear in my dreams. I have also dreamt of Halle Berry and Helena Bonham
Carter, who happen to be brunettes.

Holy Mother's comment to Akshay: 'Success comes only to a careful person.' is interesting;
however, I don't have any idea what she meant by that. Usually, Mother would be pleased
that a Devotee would be able to banish fear from his/her life, by the simple recognition
of Mother's promise:

"I am the mother of the wicked,
as I am the mother of the virtuous.
Whenever you are in distress,
just say to yourself,
'I have a mother'"

Winning the lottery may also carry some evil results. For instance, the people
who are in your life right now, accept you as you are....but, if you have won
a million dollars or more from the lottery, they could very well build up a
certain animosity towards you, if they feel you have not shared your winnings
with them...according to their expectations. For that reason, I have never
purchased a lottery ticket.

Yes, you are indeed fortunate to have such a good job, especially during these
tough economic times. You only have a few years to wait until retirement; I
imagine...so, you will hopefully have all the time you wish, to lay in bed in
the morning, reading the lives of Holy people. I have been retired for the past
thirteen years and am loving it!

Om Shanthi Om
=============

Dear Tom, et al,

It is ironic what you said about dreaming, because as it happens, I have come to the same conclusion, that what you see or dwell upon before sleep will become a factor in your dreams upon sleeping. For instance, last night, I did not feel like sitting down to read.
Instead, I stayed at my computer searching for cheap travel fares to India and also researching the life of Ginger Rogers whom I had seen in a Ginger/Fred movie on the night before. I wanted to see how the graces had fared with Ginger as she aged. (I have always admired her as being a physically graceful person in her youth.) As it turns out-- I did find a rather uncomfortable video on YouTube with a large, garish looking Ginger being asked to remove her loud, tinkling bracelets because they were making distracting noises during the interview. Needless to say when I went to sleep last night I was not comfortable and dreamt of Ginger Rogers (a blonde) all night long. However,all was not lost last night. Somewhere in a room in my sleep, I was aware that Swamiji was in a room in India and that he was uncovering something beautiful.

I have ordered the book, "God Lived With Them" from Vedanta Press. I could have got it cheaper from Amazon.com, but for some reason, I felt it important (for me, not for the Company) to buy directly from Vedanta Press. At the same time I have ordered an 8x10 print of the painting of Madonna and Child which was discussed here earlier. This photograph will be framed to hang in my living room.

The gated compound for genteel ladies where I live in New Bern is located in the middle of the historic district just a block from the Police Station. Night before last, 5 of the ladies had tires stripped and stolen from their cars which were in the lighted parking lot. The times seem to be getting desperate.

It's Friday, the week before payday and the sun is shining.

I will talk to you soon again, God willing.

Jai Ma!

Rosemary

Location: North Carolina

I also love to watch those old black & white films, with great actors like Ginger Rogers
etc. Unfortunately, I seem to have run out of those type of films online, having exhausted
the various resources, over the past year and a half or so. Consequently, I am now watching
films mostly from the New Millenium. I am using surfthechannel.com and only access the
Megavideo movies. I don't trust the other outlets, which may propagate malware.

One of my all-time favorites from the black & white era, is Merle Oberon. Her Indian
accent is noticeable, albeit very subtle, in films such as the Bronte classic, Wuthering Heights.


Merle Oberon & Laurence Olivier in Wuthering Heights

Just a block from the police station....in a gated compound? My word, they will soon
be stealing the gold fillings from the teeth, while the residents sleep.

I wonder what Swamiji was uncovering in your dream....

Why didn't you just find that picture of Madonna & Child online, and print it out;
rather than go to the expense of ordering the print?

Om Shanthi Om

Here is the movie:

Dear Tom,

Thank you. I have watched this same movie many times, the last time being last week on Turner Classic Movies. I love this film. You probably know this, but WH was released in the golden movie year of 1939 and because of the competiton that year it was very underappreciated at the Oscars. As for me, this film is my pick and I would watch it 100 times over "Gone with the Wind". I can hardly bear to watch Vivien Leigh as a Southern Belle. The film couldn't fool a true Southerner on that one!!!!

Emily Bronte who wrote the book, "Wuthering Heights" died very young and in intense suffering. The whole Bronte family story would make a novel worth reading.
The patron of the family was a minister in the North of England who was widowed young. He lived a life long enough to watch his 5 children die before him, one by one. He was a noble man and he was able to bear it somehow and was able thereby to help others through the sorrows of life.

Lately, my dreams have been like undeveloped film that is being exposed in a chemical solution. The first dream of Swamiji was like that. His image came into evidence during the process of exposing the film. It was as if the image were in underlay of the landscape. That is the best I can explain it now. In my latest dream, I saw Swamiji uncomvering what were beautiful statues or idols of worship that had been been blanketed under some dusty rags.

My co-worker/friend from the IT department came over last night and downloaded a new photo editor. Here is my latest photography tried to make into a watercolor feature and with scripture applied.

Oh, it turns out that the story was told wrong. The tires were slashed instead of stolen, so the old ladies came out to flat tires. For some reason, I was missed as were a few others. But, there were many cars in our parking lot that had to be fixed before putting back on the road. Why us???

I'm almost finsished with They Lived With God and have thoroughly enjoyed it (this being the first book that I've read cover to cover in a very long time.) I don't know why I ordered the print of Madonna and Child from Vedanta Press but must be because I want something really professional to spend money on framing. My printing techniques are not yet fine tuned and the trials are costing me money than otherwise....

Thanks again for keeping me Holy Company.

In Holy Mother's Grace,

Rosemary

Location: North Carolina

Dear Rosemary,

I can understand your preference for 'Wuthering Heights' over 'Gone With The Wind'.
In the first place, the latter film brings back a lot of painful memories of a sad
time in American History. Of course, not being a Southerner, I was quite satisfied
with Vivian Leigh's work on the film. Incidentally, Miss Leigh was also born in
India, as was Merle Oberon...the only difference being, that Vivian's both parents
were English; whereas, Merle Oberon's mother was Eurasian, and dark in skin colour.

Again, I am not a Southerner, but my city has strong ties with the South; because,
we gave refuge to Jeff Davis's family, during the latter part of the Civil War;
and the President spent time in Montreal, after his release from Fortress Munroe.

I have prepared the following commemorative poster in honor of that occasion:



Thanks for sharing that information about the Bronte sisters. I see that we have
similar tastes in classic movies.

Your photo is beautiful. You are producing some outstanding work.

Regarding the slashed tires....I can never understand the willful destruction
of private and/or public property. I just know that I was brought up to respect
the rights of others...and my children and grandchildren are following the same
traditions.

I didn't remember that you had ordered the Madonna & Child Print from Vedanta Press;
if I had realized that, I never would have suggested a different route.

Nice to chat with you as well...

Tom
===

Dear Tom,

I love your Jefferson Davis poster and have printed it up using my new ink jet cartridges. You have also done an outstanding job, I am so impressed!


You would like the place where I live as we are steeped in the echoes of living history. Some days or evenings I can hear the sound of cannon shot piercing through my windows. The Civil War re-enactors come here to camp out a few times a year, and the campground is just a block away from me. I like to take their pictures and they like to have them taken. Below is my latest favorite re-enactor photo taken at our annual "Ghostwalk" last year and edited with one of my new photo editors.

This weekend I have been reading the short biographical vignette on Bhavanath Chattopadhyay in Swami Chetanananda's wonderful book "They Lived With God."

This little scene from the Master's life that is recorded in the book has been of great benefit to me already, as I have already put the advice in to practice and it was transforming!!

Here is the passage:

They Lived With God, p 421, by Swami Chetanananda

"A hot tempred sadhu who was staying in the Panchavati came to the Master to ask for fire to ignite his pipe. The Master bowed down to him and stood with folded hands as long as he remained in the room.

Seeing the Master's humility, Bhavanath remarked: 'What great respect you showed the sadhu!'

Master (smiling): "You see, he too is Narayana, though full of tamas. This is the way one should please people who have an excess of tamas. Besides, he is a sadhu."

Om Shanti Om,
Rosemary

Location: North Carolina

Hi Rosemary,

Firstly, let me say that your Civil War re-emactment photograph is beautiful.
It has the appearence of an old Currier & Ives print, ratther than a simple
photo. Excelllent work indeed!

I am glad that you like the Jeff Davis Poster. I sent a copy of it to the
Jefferson Davis Association @ Rice Universtity in Houston, in 2004, and I
received a most gracious response from Lynda Crist, the Editor.

I enjoyed that little quote from "They Lived With God." . I always love to
read the Master's reactions to various individuals. Sometimes they are
very funny.

Om Shanthi Om
=============

Dear Tom,

I'm glad you like the photo, it is so good to hear the positive feedback.

It is interesting that Bhavanath seems to have fallen out of grace with Sri Ramakrishna. (That is my assesment at the moment.) On p. 423 of They Lived With God this statement is quoted:

"Didn't you notice Bhavanath? The other day he came to Shyamkapur dressed as a bridgegroom and asked me, "How are you? I haven't seen him since. I show him love for Narendra's sake, but he is not in my thoughts anymore."

Bhavanath passed away in his early thirties, in the prime of his youth.

In Mother's Grace,
Rosemary

Location: North Carolina

Hi Rosemary,

I have never read of any 'falling out' between the Master & Bhavanath.

At the Cossipore house in Calcutta, when the Master was terminally ill;
the following exchange took place:

Quoted from the Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita:

M., seated close to Thakur’s bed, listens to all his words with wonder.
A little distance from the bed, Narendra is talking with Bhavanath.
Bhavanath is married; he is looking for a job. He cannot come to the
Cossipore garden house to see Thakur often. Sri Ramakrishna worries about
his having entered family life. Bhavanath must be twenty-three or twenty-four
years old.

Sri Ramakrishna (to Narendra) — Give him enough courage.

Narendra and Bhavanath glance at Thakur and smile softly. Thakur points at
Bhavanath and says again, “Be a brave man! Don’t be deceived by her crying
behind the veil, weeping as she blows her nose!” (Narendra, Bhavanath and M. laugh.)

“Keep your mind fixed on Bhagavan. He is a brave man indeed who, while living
with his wife, does not have physical relations with her. Talk only about spiritual
matters with your wife.”

After awhile, Thakur again beckons Bhavanath and says, “Take your meal here today.”

Bhavanath — As you please. Don’t worry about me. I am quite all right.

Om Tat Sat

Dear Tom,

Perhaps it is the way that Swami C. begins his biographical vignette that has led me to believe that
this relationship (between Bhavanath and Sri Ramakrishna) began in a different way than it ended.
I do not believe for a minute that Sri Ramakrishna ever cast Bhavanath - or anyone for that matter - from out of his heart!

This is the way it begins...

..."Sri Ramakrishna's grace was blowing over Bhavanath Chattopadhyay's life, but Bhavananth suddenly pulled down his sail, putting his spiritual journey in peril." p. 411, They Lived With God, Swami Chetanananda

My interepretation from this little bit that I have read is that it was a gradual and subtle drifting away. Still, the clues lead me to the feeling that Bhavanath did not have the "courage" to stand up to his family. I suppose my interpretation may be interpretated as speculation but so far it is how I see it. I don't really know enough about it though to make a strong statement. I am just basing my thoughts on a reaction to the current that seems to begin and end in the vignette. This relationship does puzzle me, though, and is very, very interesting...

Have a wonderful day. I couldn't sit down to read last night as I was at the computer again looking for fares and hotels to India. The idea of traveling alone does not appeal to me. Ironically, there is an AHAM Center (based on the teachings of Ramana Maharshi) who have an ashram based in Tiruvannamalai at the foot of the Holy Hill Arunachala. They made a pilgrimage in January of this year so I am assuming that they go to India on a yearly basis. Perhaps it would be possible for me to join them next year. That would certainly be ideal as the warnings about the possiblities of malarial disease and dysentery, etc have sort of scared me off. Still looking into it...

Yours in Mother's Grace,
Rosemary

PS. I forgot to tell you that I also have an Elvis impersonator who lives in the house behind me. He sometimes gives free concerts in his yard. I live in a very magical place.

Location: North Carolina

I forgot to say that the AHAM Center in the US is located within driving distance from me in Asheboro, North Carolina. They also have an ashram in Tiruvannamalai.

Om Shanti Om

Location: North Carolina

Hi Rosemary,

Regarding Bhavanath, Swami Chetanananda could have been referring to the fact that
Bhavanath had taken a wife; and the Master was probably hoping that the boy would
have adhered instead to the monastic life. Sri Ramakrishna always tried to save
'his boys' from the evils of the world; and must have felt very sad indeed, when one
of them succumbed to family pressures, and became a householder, rather than a celibate
monk.

Wow! You are really intent on traveling to India. When I visited that country in 1967,
I stayed with my wife's family in Jaipur, Ajmer & Bombay. They warned me NOT to drink
the water, which looked so cool and tempting in the large clay pots that were kept
in their homes. They insisted that I wait until they boil the water for my drinking
purposes. I was always thirsty, though; and made the cardinal mistake of drinking
the unboiled water. Amoebic dysentery was the violent result; which lasted for months
after our return to North America; eventually resulting in (I believe) a hernia,
ostensibly caused by all the forcing at stool. I wouldn't recommend that to anyone.

Om Shanthi Om

Dear Tom,

How horrible!! The little nasty bugs got you! At least you had your wife to help you get through it.
That is the thing--if one is traveling alone and the sickness jumps on you, well, it would be an even greater disadvantage than just being a "stranger in a a strange land." The travel advisors for South India do not advise to even drink the bottled water ...

"you must be careful to ensure that the bottles you purchase are properly sealed before you buy them ... if the cellophane seal is loose over the cap, insist on opening the bottle and sniff at the water, if there is any odour or there are bubbles visible then do not purchase the water - also, destroy the plastic bottles by crushing them after you have used them to prevent the locals from refilling them with tap water."

Water Warning

It seems that even Bhavanath Chattopadhyay contracted a parasitic disease in Bangladesh. The details seem vague from the biographical vignette in the book, but from what I can follow he died from the parasitic disease kalagaar. If you google this disease and look at the photos of the skin sores it sort of takes the breath away.

Okay, there is a plan B that has surfaced. I may be behind in the details of what is going on in the world of Vedanta in the West but I happened upon this website yesterday and it brought me to tears when I read that this place in New York was a residence where Swami Vivekanada spent time and was welcomed and also that the place, "Ridgely Retreat", was helped to be debt free by a generous bequest from Sister Gargi, well, when I read all of these matters it spoke to me deeply, so yesterday at work I took some breaks to look at travel possiblities for New York. It won't be easy to get there but the people there will meet you at the bus or train station and they seem very kind and welcoming. This website has a wonderful slide show which is capitoned with quotations by Swamiji and is highly recommended for perusal. I couldn't find the photo this morning but somewhere on the website under "links" there is a beautiful photo of a pine tree that had some meaning for Swamiji. This was another feature (in imagery) of Ridgely that seemed to pronounce my name. So, for now, a weekend retreat to Ridgely has been bumped up on my itinerary, God willing!

Ridgely Retreat

Yours in Mother's Grace,
Rosemary

Location: North Carolina

Dear Rosemary,

RE: Amoebic Dysentery

Yes, it was horrible! Especially since I also caught a wicked cold as well.

And I agree that you would do well to find a traveling companion.

RE: Water bottles being re-used

Boiling is the only solution. A rolling-boil for three minutes will kill
the little suckers....hopefully..

You mentioned Kalagaar, which I Googled, but to no avail. Perhaps you meant
"Kala-Azar"? Here is a quote about that parasitic disease from "In The Company
Of The Holy Mother":

Holy Mother, besides suffering from rheumatism, which made her limp while walking,
frequently fell victim to malaria. In February 1920, as a result of illness, she bade
farewell to Jayrambati and came to Calcutta for treatment. The disease was diagnozed
as kala-azar, which at that time was considered incurable, Different physicians were
consulted, but the illness only became worse.

The Western term is Leishmaniasis. You may read about it HERE
Very nasty stuff indeed!

A weekend retreat to Ridgely sounds wonderful. Especially, if you can avoid driving
and take the train or bus instead. You may also find some compatible soul over there,
who would be willing to accompany you on your pilgrimage to Mother India!

Om Shanthi Om
=============

PS: If we wish to continue this conversation, I suggest that we start a new thread, since this one
is becoming a bit too long in the tooth :)

Dear Rosemary,

As Tom said, your typing is fine. No need for html.

As for spelling names and places associated with Sri Ramakrishna and Mother, even now i must double-check. :) I think it is because these are words we haven't heard (mucb if ever) in a language that is unfamiliar. I can tell you that simply "hearing" did not help me much because I "heard" in English. What did help is that I had the opportunity to learn the Sanskrit alphabet -- NOT the language, which takes years -- just the alphabet. This helped me hear the sounds as pronounced. But spelling, remembering, names and places is still challenging. I think Mother understands. :)