A Tale of Grace

Dearest Friends and Family,

One of my beloved Teachers, `Abdu’l-Baha

(May 23, 1844 - November 28, 1921.  Above picture taken in Paris, 1911.  From Baha’iinfo.org)

of the Baha’i faith, wrote this.

Its so inspiring, we have to share it with you.  I wish all our children could memorize this:

True Wealth

The honour and exaltation of every existing being depends upon causes and circumstances.

The excellency, the adornment and the perfection of the Earth is to be verdant and fertile through the bounty of clouds in springtime.  Plants grow; flowers and fragrant herbs spring up; fruit- bearing trees become full of blossoms and bring forth fresh and new fruit.  Gardens become beautiful, and meadows adorned; mountains and plains are clad in a green robe, and gardens, fields, villages and cities are decorated.  This is the prosperity of the mineral world.

The height of exaltation and the perfection of the vegetable world is that a tree should grow on the bank of a stream of fresh water, that gentle breeze should blow on it, that the warmth of the sun should shine on it, that a gardener should attend to it’s cultivation, and that day by day it should develop and yield fruit.  But its real prosperity is to progress into the animal and human world, and replace that which has been exhausted in the bodies of animals and men.

Exaltation of the animal world is to possess perfect members, organs and powers, and to have all its needs supplied.  This is his chief glory, its honour and its exaltation.  So the supreme happiness of the animals is to have possession of a green and fertile meadow, perfectly pure flowing water, and a lovely verdant forest.  If these things are provided for it, no greater prosperity can be imagined.  For example, if a bird builds its nest in a green and fruitful forest, in a beautiful high place, upon a strong tree, and at the top of a lofty branch, and if it finds all its needs of seeds and water, this is its perfect prosperity.

But real prosperity for the animal consists in passing from the animal to the human world, like the microscopic beings, through the water and air, enter into man and are assimilated, and replace that which has been consumed in his body.  This is the great honour and prosperity for the animal world; no greater honour can be conceived for it.

Therefore, it is evidently clear, that this wealth, this comfort and this material abundance form a complete prosperity of minerals, vegetables and animals.  No riches, wealth, comfort or ease of the material world is equal to the wealth of a bird; all the areas of these plains and mountains are its dwelling and all the seeds and harvests are its food and wealth, and all the lands, villages, meadows, pastures, forests and wildernesses are its possessions.  Now, which is the richer, this bird, or the most wealthy man? for no matter how many seeds it may take or bestow, its wealth does not decrease.

Then it is clear that the honour and exaltation of man, must be something more than material riches.  Material comforts are only a branch, but the root of the exaltation of man is the good attributes and virtues which are the adornments of his reality.  These are the divine appearances, the heavenly bounties, the sublime emotions, the love and knowledge of God, universal wisdom, intellectual perception, scientific discoveries, justice, equity, truthfulness, benevolence, natural courage and innate fortitude; the respect for rights and the keeping of agreements and covenants; rectitude in all circumstances, serving the truth under all conditions; the sacrifice of one’s life for the good of all people; kindness and esteem for all nations; obedience to the teachings of God; service in the Divine Kingdom; the guidance of the people, and the education of the nations and races.  This is the prosperity of the human world!  This is the exaltation of man in the world!  \this is eternal life and heavenly honour!

These virtues do not appear from the reality of man except through the power of God and the divine teachings for they need supernatural power for their manifestation.  It may be that in the world of nature a trace of these perfections may appear, but they are unstable and ephemeral; they are like the rays of the sun upon the wall.

As the compassionate God has placed such a wonderful crown upon the head of man, man should strive that its brilliant jewels may become visible in the world.

From:  Some Answered Questions `Abdu’l-Baha: Collected and translated from the Persian by Laura Clifford Barney.  Baha’i Publishing Trust, New Delhi, India, 1976. pps. 78-80.

If we impart this knowledge to our children, maybe they will be better trustees and stewards of the Creation and their own personal lives than we have been.  We were taught little that is real about the use of human liberty.  I’m going to try to memorize this along with the Disiderata…then when I’m in singular situations, I can say them to myself to keep the mind in check….

Loving you,

Aunty Kamala

Dearest Friends and Family,

I got confused on Anni’s leaving day.  I haven’t had the heart to go back into the blog and read Link’s entry for that time and find out the date.  It’s like that.  You have to walk gingerly around the deep aches….you have to honour your heart.  I’m not at all in favour of these new psychologies and therapies that stamp themselves as being Reality and dig at people’s cores, and objectify them.  In fact, I think we have to be very cautious of therapies and psychologies that are coming to us from cultures and societies that preach an ideology of individualism at the expense of the earth and the community of creation and natural ties of kinship, duty, responsibility and nurturance.  If the psychology was good, the families would be intact, in health, and so would the communities.  Not what I’m seeing there….They are only of the intellect, and have nothing to do with the heart.  The heart has its own Law.  Can’t argue with it.  If you do, you get sick in the head.  Look at the planet.

Anyhow, so I told alot of people 21st, and some people did a ceremony of some sort that day.  I had been invited, but didn’t think I could do it…so didn’t.

Our Japanese family here sweetly brought us a plate of fruits, and we gave fruits and albums out to those who came to see us, only about 3 or 4 people, but it was nice to be able to give those things from Anni.

Then, yesterday, which may be the day, and Karthik says it is,  we muddled on through our day,  (Link and I often joke to ourselves, that if we were the three stooges, Anni would be Mo, Link - Curley, and self - Larry, therefore, it is only natural that Larry and Curley are muddling, as Mo is not around to direct),  we have always to find ways to keep laughing at ourselves…the students next door who were good friends with Anni, gave us a card they had found while cleaning out their hostel room.  These students were there doing their BS’s,  when Anni was here, then MS’s, and are now going on to their Phd’s in all kinds of highly technical fields….

The card was to Anni when she became ill:

Namah Shivaya, dear Annika,

Just want you to know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.

You may not remember me- 2 1/2 years ago I worked with your family sweeping Amma’s path, for a month.

I am saddened to learn of your current challenges, and heartened by your courage.  I know your faith will serve you well.

May Amma’s light fill you, always,

Love and Blessings,

Poojya

OM

Our years in that `seva’ were the most joyous for us. It is always a phenomenon of wonder to me, that no matter what one tries to `do’  for Amma,  the real beneficiary is ourselves.   It’s all self-service.  There is nothing anyone can really do for Amma that doesn’t immediately and ultimately serve their own best interest first and foremost.  It is because our Amma is the representative of the ideal - which is poornam -  complete in itself.    In those days, we were the ones who were blessed, although outwardly our condition was rather dogy, raggy, taggy, etc.   We had no thought but that her feet would walk here, and feel this or that underneath them.  Her eyes would look here or there, and what would she see?  We wanted always that She should feel happy in Her Ashram, that it greeted Her outings from the room with bright alertness….Her hands might touch here, and was it fit for them?  Her skirts would blow, and were the railings they would touch clean so as not to leave their traces upon them?  She would walk here, what would be over her head?  Anni tried to make beautiful designs in the sand for her feet to walk upon.

Once,  coming with Her entourage towards the Bhajan Hall for evening Bhajans, Amma asked who had swept the path so beautifully.  A Br. walking near Her, said, `The Westerners.’  Then Amma said that as a young person,  She always swept the sands around Her home and imagined that the next steps would be Gods.  Anni surely had that awareness.

And Anni somehow works always, to keep us aware that she is with us.  I feel it is the Grace of God through Anni, Amma and Kartik Shah and Nirali, his beautiful singing wife,  another genius, Shankar Tucker, and all the kids that knew her and loved her, and many who didn’t, that has made Anni’s album come out so beautifully.  I’m under strict instructions not to say much about Karthik’s genius, but music connoisseurs will appreciate the awesome welding and melding of sounds and instruments and chorus, that makes a celebration of  love for the Divine in each song….

For those of you who don’t know, the album is called “ Become Love: Anni and Friends for Amma. ”  Kartik swung together a fantastic promotional video, available, along with snips of the songs,  (not the whole song, mind you) at:  www.earthethics.org.in

The Song “Green Grass Blue Sky” appears twice, as it was Anni’s last song to us all, and I wanted both Karthik’s version, which is very alive, as well as Anni had wanted to sing it with Jasmine Jensch (Aditi) from Germany.  So, the second time it plays, Anni’s voice is there, from when she first sang the tune to Karthik at AIMS before we left on that fateful trip to the US.  Then Jassie’s voice starts.  Kartu has arranged each one differently…very magically.

Anyhow, enjoy the joy that comes of loving God!  In Anni’s Love!

Loving you,

Aunty Kamala

Dearest Friends and Family,

Many years ago, on a tour stop in Mumbai,  on top of the ashram roof in Nehrul, I think it was in 2000, Amma said that we could all make songs to sing as bhajans.  Many people composed music, and we came up with two songs then: Shivane, and Beautiful People.  From there, our family and friends began many more songs.  We felt all our songs were gifts to us, to return to the One who gave them.  They were filled with a high note of joy, that amazed us, and made us happy.  Over the years, with the help and inspiration and advises of many people, they refined themselves.

There are about 25 of them.  Amazingly, a few more have come since then.  Amazing, as I never thought songs could come to us again.

Before we departed for the USA from AIMS in Kochi with Anni on March 2, 2007,  Karthik  and Suresh flew down from Mumbai to see Anni 3 hours before we left.  It was a hot uncomfortable night,  dawn neared, and there was a knock at the door of our room in the guest house.  When we opened the door, they were both standing there, as thought they had been standing all night.

Anni had composed the song, “Green Grass Blue Sky” in her last day in Math classes while looking out the window, or wishing she could look out the window. ( I haven’t seen the classroom.  I suspect, wishing…)

She taught the song to Karthu, and he recorded her singing the first verse.

Our voices are so important.

While we were in the USA, Karthu took the song, and arranged it beautifully with guitar, chorus, bass, etc., and then sent it to Anni when we were in NIH the National Institute of Health hospital in Bethesda.  It was a video of him singing it.

She was very happy, and he sang it for Amma on the North India tour.  Months and months later, we were astounded to call a friend who lives in Trissur, and her phone message music was THAT song, which she had recorded as Karthu was playing it at Amma’s program.  The power of the song then, what it was calling into being, was overwhelming….

As many of you are aware, 2 months after Anni left her form we were back in Amritapuri.  Karthu came down and insisted that we make an album for Anni, of our family songs. Since then,  for the past 4 years, he has come twice a year, to the ashram, we have gathered singers, instrument artists together from our rich collection of talented inmates and visitors, and he would work 24 hours a day for the entire time he was here.  On the last day, he would take a short walk around the backwaters, always marvelling at the beauty of Kerala, as he never saw it…Near the end of the third year of recording, the studio suddenly disappeared, and we ended up recording one song and several parts here in our flat itself.

Karthu has been  a son,  a big brother, and an extension of our family.  He made us sing, at a time when we could not sing, but he made us sing.  He turned us to the music that we had loved to sing, and he celebrated each song with his particular genius that has the ability to reverence a mood, an instrument, a conception, a voice, all at once.

After much effort, and not to be excluded, a dramatic over-the-edge Leela with getting it to Amma, for we never do have any rights to the fruits of our actions,  Nishkama Karma, Desireless Action, and Amma is a supremely strict Guru….when it comes to righteousness, She doesn’t mince, ever… The offering must be pure, to the Lord of Love…and that’s a whole ‘nother story….the album is out, it has gone on the US tour with Amma.

The Album has 9 of our songs, and two in Hindi: one Bhajan from Karthu, and one joyous song by Nirali.  There is one in Malayalam also sung by Ammu… Aparna Ashok, the documentary film-maker, who sang a song to Anni two days before she left…  Because Anni’s voice is as a solo girl singer, we asked, and were fortunate to have Jasmine Jensch sing Green Grass Blue Sky for the album, so it has both versions.  Before Jassie sings it, Anni’s voice, singing it to Karthu comes on….the cast is huge, one-hundred and more artists alone.

You can hear her beautiful consciousness in her voice.

The title of the Album, Become Love, was inspired by a sentance Amma asked ashram inmates on one of her phone calls from the US on Guru Purnima in 2004.  She asked,  “How many of you have Become Love?”

We are all in process, and I suspect, this album will help, as music transcends…..

The lyrics are up on earthethics.org.in   The song-book doesn’t have the chords up yet, but will soon, we are still collecting them.

Here’s the url click to the Promo Video that Karthu created and uploaded today from some of our studio shots….(one never knew if it was day or night in there)…you can see Eswar at the end, he did alot of the recording and early mixing.  I’d better stop naming you all…I’ll never be able to stop!  This is really Your Album.  Guarantee -  you will dance!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6wnCv4ZJU0

Anyhow, we invite you to hear the songs, to sing them to and with others, and to pass the joy and love around in the prayer that we all Become Love!  Yes!  Lets fill this place with Harmony!

Loving you,

Aunty Kamala, Anni and Link