A Tale of Grace

posted by Kamala on Apr 20

Dearest Friends and Family,

I wrote yesterday, as I was not certain I would be able to write today.   I would write more often about her diaries, but holding the books, seeing her handwriting, her thoughts, opens rooms that I cannot often go into.

Link is on his way back from the Stockholm Challenge launch.  Anni has been with me all day, in little ways, and I feel she would like you all to know an event I found today in her Diaries.

It was in 2002, we were on tour with Amma in Palakkad.  Anni had just turned 14.  Anni was friends with the consecrated nuns and considered herself one.  She loved all the Girls; as they were elder to her, she held them in deep respect, and called them `Cheychy’ which means `older sister.’  In this event, what comes clear to me, is her utter fidelity to conscience.  Perhaps that is why we feel Irom Sharmila is so much our true Sister, and really, our World Sister.

In the situation, a certain Cheychy had spoken in a slightly unkind way about another young girl in the ashram, to Anni.  Perhaps most would have been glad for a comparison that favoured themselves in the eyes of the revered speaker.  Not Anni.  Her heart and conscience burned, not only to hear it, but more, that she was unable to rectify the Cheychy’s view, to one of compassion and understanding towards the other young girl. She struggled to do so for two more days.  And then, when she was able to, the Cheychy again reiterated a negative view of the other child, whilst accepting Anni’s explanation, to Anni’s frustration and disappointment.

From her diary:

27/4/2002 Palakkad Program.

Today is the last day.  I woke up at about 9:20, and I got a bath an hour later.  Amma came at 11:09, and gave bhajans till 12.  She’s giving satsang now.  Worked form 12:30 to 3:30.  After that worked in canteen from 3:30-4:10, then cleaned steps.  Amma came 4:15 – 4:40, and after that, I helped again in the canteen till 6:38 PM then came, cleaned steps – at 7:20 Amma came, and started Darshan at about 9:00 PM.

Had dinner of uppama.  Cheychy told me how she likes me more than  X,  [another young girl in the ashram] because she can talk to me, “X is like a stone…[the following was written in Malayalam, Link's translation] I think I should tell Cheychy about X’s issue, I don’t know when, but I must tell her today.

This ends the last day of the Palakkad Program.

 28/4/ 2002

Today I got up at 7:20 and got a bath, finished my laundry, and wrote this.  I haven’t been able to find  Cheychy.

[The tour then travelled to Thalassery.]

We arrived here at about 1 AM.  There will be a program at 6:00, although we leave at 3:00,  The place is only 10 minutes away.  I FOUND CHECHY (Thank God) [Capitals - Anni's. Then in Malayalam, Link's translation] I told her about X’s issue, and then Cheychy said, “Oh.  That’s why she is so closed and angry,” etc.

——————- x ————————

Anni could not do more.  Her position was as younger, and there are many lines of heirarchy, and age is one, point being, Anni had already crossed lines, gently questioning an elder’s perception. She could not do more, and left it to the Cheychy and her own conscience.

She kept careful account of her minutes. Anyone who is true to their conscience will have perfect control over their speech.  This is why we dedicated Vol. 2 of Practical Applications of Earth Ethics  -  Discovering the Penance of Speech -  to Anni.  She continues to be our teacher.

When we read St. Therese of Lisieux’s Autobiography, it is so strongly Anni to us.  Therese also loved her family so dearly.  Four of the sisters got into the same Carmelite convent together.  When we read it, it is as though Anni is with us palpably.  Anni’s way, really was the little way, watching with intense attention, all the little slips, catching herself, and spurring herself to keep herself clean and clear before her conscience.

I can never describe the joy we three had together.  To live with Anni was to live with sureness, righteousness, expansive joy.  We had such a perfect understanding of one another, such a great peace to just be together. It is still there.  The world cannot understand it.  In truth, I see that very few families have it.  If Anni were here in form with us, people would raise less eye brows about Link `keeping his mother with him’, its just the narrowness of the world, particularly, industrial society, that has not tasted lives of consecrated joy.  It is only through consecration that life becomes inwardly and outwardly meaningful.  A family in which all members consecrate themselves in service to truth and love, works as one unit, life therein is heavenly.

As a Mother, while the worldly sucesses of our children may make us glad, especially glad if they can be of real service to society, while being able to handle this conniving world,  it is when we see the sterling qualities of righteousness in them, that we feel real confidence.  For if our children are good, we live with unending goodness.

There is always much more, hopefully sooner than later.

Anni, 11 years old, in 1999 at Krishna Jayanti in Amritapuri, with other resident ashram children. L – R, students from AICT (Amrita Institute of Computer Training, the precursor to the present day Amrita University branch) Baby Krishna, Aparna, Nimisha, Diksha, Durga, Anni standing behind. She was tall for her age, always.   Armed with sticks to run and hit the pot during Uriyadi, the girls were waiting their turn.  They are all grown up now, and each one breathtakingly beautiful.

Loving you,

Aunty Kamala, Anni and Link

posted by Kamala on Apr 19

Surprise! Click here for what Link has been up to (his photo at end of post) !

http://wiseearthtechnology.com/programming-challenge-win-over-%E2%82%AC1000-starting-april-20

Dearest Friends and Family,

Tomorrow will be Anni’s Birthday.  She would be 24.  A few of you have seen her in dreams.  One dear family friend told us that when she was being operated on last May, she saw Anni in a pomegranate red colour, with a flower in her hair, and looking very mature.  This makes the second `dream seeing’ of Anni with a flower in her hair that has been reported to us.  When she was with us, she never adorned her hair.  She kept it very simple, hardly a part, with black hair elastics to hold the beautiful thick braid of lovely dark brown hair.  I marvelled at her steady and pure simplicity.  She had no interest for `beautifications.’  Life is like that around Amma.  The body gets its due, and no more, and in her case, probably not enough.

Every year on Her birthday, Anni does something special for her beloved brother Link.  The year before last, it was his MSc. scholarship.  Last year, it was our visit with the Ambassadors, in India house in Stockholm.  I tell you honestly, that day, I felt her arms around me, adjusting my sari with little tweaks as was her custom.  Anyone who sees those photos comments on the sari.  It was due to Anni.

I think you are all probably well aware that last September, 2012, Link was awarded the United Nations International Telecom Union’s Young Innovators award, for a concept he had for a devise called the Crisis Communicator.  With friends, they formed a team, (you can see the team members and all details on what the Crisis Communicator is, on the url above) and Link wrote the proposal.  It was crazy.  We were on our way back to India, and every available moment anywhere, he was struggling to get it written, and submitted in time.  I finally kicked in at the very end, but, by then he had done most of the work.  They loved the concept.  He called them up when he was told he was a winner, (12 people from all over the planet ), and said, “But, this was just a concept, I don’t have a devise yet, its just an idea.”  They assured him that they were aware of that, they knew he could turn the concept into reality.   I know you will be as excited as the UN ITU is about it.

Then, Link went to Holy Mother Amma, and told her.  Really, he was hoping for an honourable mention that he could put on his resume, and be done with it all.  She said, “Good!  You’re all set!”  Since then, we have been trying to live up to, and understand the `You’re all set!”

Amma tells a parable of the good king, who was overwhelmed with his duties to the Kingdom, went to his Guru, worn and haggard with worries, and the Guru said, `Give me the Kingdom.”  The king did, then the Guru said, “Now, go rule it on my behalf.”  The King went back, and with a light heart, carried out all duties, knowing the results, the fruits, were not his to deal with.

The “You’re all set” is kinda like that for us.  She has a plan, and sees us as `All Set.’ All we have to do, is try to keep up with it.  and its “Good. You’re all Set.”  Its not our problem, really, its Her plan.  So, its kinda an adventure to see what comes, and nothing is unwelcome, coz, we didn’t make the plan.  All we are trying to do, is keep up with the “Your All Set.”  If it all blows to smithereens, its OK, coz, we don’t make the plans.  The only pity is that the plan is limited by our blockheadedness.  When we do see it, we are always amazed at the deep density.

Its been like that since Anni left – as I said to another dear friend, Anni gives us a continuous and deep education, ongoing, deep, deep education.  So, when your here to learn, its all interesting stuff, but, again, nothing to get to concerned with, its just part of the lesson plan.  We are all going to leave the school anyhow.  Just want to  be here and do so in the truly right way.

We were in the ashram till right before Amma’s birthday,  (13th ashram anniversary), and then came back to Europe, to Portugal.  Our plans changed 180 degrees around the last week of January, and within 1 weeks time, we were on our way back to Sweden, in the middle of Winter.  Shortly after arriving, Link found that there was a launch day for young entrepreneurs in the Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship.  It was on April 20th.  Feeling it was from Anni, he signed up, and decided to make an International Programming Challenge.  All the details are above, you just have to go to the site to see everything.

As his Mother, I have been amazed to see his perseverance.  When the chips came down, he had also to do the website construction, and all of the set up for the challenge.  That was in addition to the MSc. thesis, his project of the year, phd apps, etc. the work that is supposed to be his `main work’.   But, he has managed, its all part of the `Your all Set.’  Just try to keep up…last weekend was a little scary though, he was working on the website for nearly 48 hours straight.  Seeing his bloodshot eyes, I got cantankerous.  I’m glad and proud that he is not a lazy boy, even though his health is not yet back to normal.  He doesn’t waste his time.  When people start to talk, he starts to work.

The other day we were discussing personal topics – and he said to me, “Mom, we were raised in different cultures.”  I am so grateful. I think he and Anni really got the best culture on Earth, living with Amma, taking in Her Teachings, fashioning their lives into genuine service. I have written about the culture I was raised in, its in Gandhi and My Hometown, Chaplin, CT, USA, and other Essays.  (Its easy to say that now, instead of repeating.)

Please give your blessings to your Linkesh, and his team, that the Crisis Communicator will come out this year, if you are a computer nerd, pass on the International Challenge to your associates, to your old educational institutions, anything!  Just do your utmost, you are all part of Her plan, and lets see!

Loving you,

Aunty Kamala

ps, wanted to write this today, can’t say for tomorrow.  Link is going to try to get back `home’ before dark, tomorrow.  She was born 10:42 AM, EST. and named Morning Star, by Kay Garland, Tuscarorah Eldress of Chaplin, CT.

Linkesh, sitting between Lucas, finalist from Brazil with an e-waste plan, and Victoria, another finalist at the UN ITU world conference in Dubai, October 2013.

posted by Kamala on Mar 14

Dearest Friends and Family,

Today is the birthday of a soul who is truly Humanity’s  World Sister –  Irom Sharmila of Manipur.  Today,  she was rearrested, and put back in jail in Imphal, Manipur, India.  For 12 and a half years, Irom Sharmila has been on a self-imposed Fast, as a prayer for deliverance from government violence and oppression in Manipur, upon the people through the Armed Forces Special Protection Act, which has been in force there, for the last 54 years!

You may rightly wonder how it can be said that she has been Fasting for 12 years.  Well, Sharmila decided not to eat, to Fast, until the Armed Forces Act was repealed, after a brutal massacre of innocent civilians Nov. 2, 2000.  She was arrested, and charged with `attempting suicide’ since the second day of her Fast, November 5, 2000.  Since Sharmila refused to eat, the government began force-feeding her through her nose.  This is what has kept her alive.  As her intention to be without food was forcibly denied, she has refused also to even taste WATER, and wipes her mouth out with cloth or cotton, I’m not sure what.

She has tried to follow in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi. But, unlike Gandhi,  Irom Sharmila is a woman, from a humble family, without title, fancy education, without media, without means; only by sticking to the truth in her conscience, she has become our World Sister, and made the government hear her prayer.

In India at present, a person who is charged with  `suicide attempt’, can only be legally jailed for one year.  Every 15 days, Sharmilla is taken to court, and asked if she will give up the Fast.  She refuses.  Once a year, the legal limit for being detained is reached, and she is released, she continues her Fast without the force feeding, neither drinking or eating, and is consequently  rearrested, and detained again, for another year.

Her use of the moral weapon of the Fast in this way, persisting in giving up normal life, entertainments, movies,  the taste of water, etc, all the things we do to and with ourselves, her great determination and obedience to her conscience, has raised the vision of ideal human relations before the public mind, and has brought a great awareness in Manipur, that is spreading throughout the world.

Locked up in Imphal, with no media to bring her voice to the public, Irom Sharmila is a PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE!

We have just posted a video clip and article introducing her on our EarthEthics.org.in  site. Its under “Building Earth Ethics”, you can access it here:

http://earthethics.org.in/content/indias-irom-sharmila-chanu-power-ideal-found-conscience

Now Irom Sharmila has commenced 6 months into the 13th year of her Fast.

She is has recently been given the title of `Echa’ by the Manipuri Indians, which means, Elder Sister.  That she is a sadhak of the highest order, deserves our reverent awareness.

This photo above was taken in 2006 in Delhi.   She flew there, to the place where Gandhi’s ashes are, the Jantar Mantar,  in October, when she was annually released from jail. At that time, she was 6 years into her Fast.  

At that time,  in Delhi, Iranian Nobel Laureate, Shireen Ebadi met Irom Sharmila and, deeply concerned at the way her nonviolent protest was being ignored by the government, held the government accountable if anything happens to Sharmila.

In the beginning of March 2013, Irom Sharmila was taken from Imphal  to Delhi,  and charged by the court there for “attempting suicide’ when she was there in 2006.  She pleaded not guilty, and a trial is scheduled for May, 2013.  In this photo she is seen with the `Save Sharmila’ Campaign members in Delhi. March 2013.

Her deep sincerity transcends all unreal boundaries that people make between themselves.  All over the world, people of every faith and creed, have been deeply touched by her selfless effort, and deeply concerned for her well being.

At the same time, Irom Sharmila is a most loveable and dear person.  Like all of us, she would love to enjoy the freedoms we give ourselves.  She has a Beloved, and wants to marry when her prayer has been heard and its import understood.  The difference between us and her, is the degree to which she honestly follows her conscience. She places her duty to her conscience FIRST.  We can learn much from her example, to live a truly righteous life.

 

But, she really needs our support, she has been making this prayer for an end to violence by the government upon the people for so many years now.  Her body is very weak.  Her organs are not working well.  She is under too many restrictions in the jail hospital.  Please give her your heart’s love.  It really helps her!  Please pray for her!  Please let all your friends know that our World Sister EXISTS!

She courageously faces the truth we all hide from ourselves: that we are sick of violence, of war, of all the hurting, and she has been true to this truth, that is in all of us. LOVE HER, LOVE HER, and let other’s know! She is our World Sister!

Your comments here, and on EarthEthics.org.in are most welcome!

Loving you,

Aunty Kamala