Already after the first Chemo in May I had played with the idea to spend some time in an Ayurvedic Center before returning to Europe after the Chemo would be over. Devotees had told me about the I-AIM Ayurvedic Healthcare Center, and I had spoken to HH Bhakti Rasamrta Maharaja on the phone who had been there twice, and he highly recommended me this clinic. One morning I went to have a look at it, since it is only 30 minutes' drive from Anadi Jagannath Prabhu's home, where I was staying at the time. I immediately liked the mood, atmosphere and set-up - simple and clean, not commercially orientated, and connected to a University. I also met with Dr Vivekanand, the senior doctor of the clinic. He seemed a very experienced, trustworthy and thoughtful person, and I immediately connected well with him. So I settled for the idea to come out here for a two-week Panchakarma treatment, one week after my last Chemo. We fixed the dates and I booked the best room - on the top floor at the end of the corridor, with two large windows giving a beautiful view onto the gardens behind the house and the neigboring forests and nature reserves.
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On the next day after our wonderful preaching program at Apollo Hospital I took my last Chemo treatment on the Oncology Day Care Ward. Many of the nurses had attended the program on the previous day, and they were happily congratulating me. The nurse in charge said: "You are a good speaker - you know how to capture the interest of your audience....!" She was a Christian. And she continued: "We were afraid, thinking: 'Oh, she is standing for such a long time - more than one hour! How can she have the energy and strength to do this?!' We were afraid you would get tired and weak....!" Yes, I had also been a little worried, but remained assured that I would simply ask for a chair if I would get tired. And once the program started, I did not even think about it any longer, and managed perfectly.
Already at my very first meeting with Dr Vishwanath the idea of conducting a preaching program at the Hospital had entered my mind. I had given him an outlook on a devotee's attitude to death, describing how the soul simply moves on to another existence, and it had been Dr Vishwanath who had asked in amazement whether I would be willing to speak to some doctors on this topic. And I had immediately taken up his suggestion and discussed the idea with Uttam Damodara Prabhu, who serves as one of the top managerial heads of all the Apollo Hospitals in Bangalore. And he was very happy to facilitate the program and make the necessary arrangements.
On the 2nd of July I had moved to a new home - to Apara Giridhari Mataji, her husband Aravindan with 15-year old son Aniruddha. They live in a spacious house in one of the upper class residential areas of Bangalore. Since they have such nice facilities, they often have the opportunity to host visiting preachers - HH Jaya Pataka Maharaja usually stays here with his whole entourage.
As a traveling preacher time passes much slower for me when traveling. The days are more eventful, visiting a different yatra every weekend. Staying at one place for such a long period of time - it's been two months now that I have been in Bangalore, and the days not being so terribly eventful, the time seems to fly. This is what it must be like when working at a regular job, and being situated in steady family duties. Before one even realizes, life has gone by. One of the main indicators for time passing by must be to see how the kids grow up, and all of a sudden are adults.
I am starting to look forward to the end of my exile here..... |
Devaki Devi Dasi's Travel DiaryDevaki Devi Dasi is sharing her realizations and adventures in her Traveling Diary.Welcome to relish this nectar! Archives
March 2024
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