Stay the course!

[Guest guest]

My dear Divine Siblings,

I have been noticing recently that we seem to deviate from the focus of

these groups - to remain connected to the Divinity within by interacting

with our 'guru-bhais' (Guru-siblings). Please, please, I beg of you -

please let us keep our focus ONLY on our Beloved Amma, our own spiritual

growth and ways we may serve the world. In the latter context I have a

suggestion - I wonder how many of you have read the latest Matruvani,

wherein is carried the poignant tale of a beggar-child named Lakshmi.

For those, who don't have access to Matruvani, I'll try to summarize -

Lakshmi was one of four children. Her father was a drunkard and mother a

street beggar. She recalls going begging on the streets with her mother.

Once somebody threw a pail of boiling water on her mother. As a child,

once she leaned over a well to peep within, and fell. She says that

sometimes she wishes she was not rescued. Her drunken father snatched

away whatever paltry sum was earned by begging, only to leave a burning

hunger within her. It so happened one day that her father took off wth

her two brothers, leaving her and a baby sister with the mother.

Lakshmi recounts painfully, how her mother took them to a sea-shore and

before her horrified eyes, threw the little baby into the raging waves.

The last Lakshmi saw of her sister was the bobbing little head, soon to

be engulfed by giant waves. Next came a worse scene. Her mother dragged

her off to a train-track. Soon enough, Lakshmi saw a train hurl past,

mutilating her mother's body. A couple took Lakshmi home to keep her as

a maid.

But, fortunately, there seems to be a divine guidance protecting her.

She was left at Mother's orphanage. Whenever, she used to visit Amma,

Amma would shower love on her. Amma taught her to write the Malayalam

letters while giving darshan! It is no wonder that this child has grown

to be a budding author. Her writing is lucid, powerful, poignant and yet

inspiring!

Now, coming to what can we do for children like Lakshmi all over the

world - Her tale seems like something from Charles Dicken's England! I

urge all of you to think deeply and come up with a concrete idea as to

how we may help such children. My contribution is this and I need your

help - For the past year, I have been collecting old, wall-paper books

from the stores. I have been designing small cards with Amma's sayings

and these have been selling at Mother's bookstores. Now that the holiday

season is fast approaching, we could design some for all religios

holidays and sell them locally to our own satsang groups. We don't have

to worry about marketing in local stores, as even if only Amma's

children buy these cards, we'll still generate enough revenue. You can

earmark the proceeds to either Amma's orphans or to local youth groups

of your choice. This is only a suggestion. If we get many more like

this, we can generate suffiecient resources to help all the defenseless

children of this world.

 

Jai Ma!

Chandrika