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. :)