Babaji Arrives - February 22

The children’s excitement has been palpable. Thursday evening (until 9 pm) and Friday morning (from 7 –10 am) they decorated the gathering area in the ground floor of our building. The gathering area is an atrium that rises the 3 stories of the building. The children hung banners and garlands of marigolds in interesting patterns from the balconies of the two upper stories. It was all very beautiful.

They also decorated an archway to greet him as he entered the building and the car that picked him up from the train - many more garlands of marigolds. When he arrived the children swarmed around the car and then burst out laughing. He had hidden himself underneath a shawl – it looked like a ghost was sitting in the back seat. It was most interesting to see what happened when he got out. I have told you that he doesn’t speak – well, when the person you are greeting doesn’t speak, after shouting welcome, you get quiet too. Silence descended.

Although I have never met him, I knew he was frail – his photos have always shown a vibrant man who still teaches yoga – impossible to believe he is 84. Today he looked his age. I suspect a lot of people were mentally clutching their hearts as they saw his fragility. He did his usual welcome-back-to-India walk around the Ashram. When he came back he rested for 30 minutes before attending his official welcome.

The children have been practicing the songs each evening for the past week or so – truly lovely. All 68 lined up in 5 lines (well not the 2 infants and the ones just barely able to walk) – each had the smallest in front to tallest in back. They sang their hearts out. Afterwards, Babaji welcomed the newest members (the 2 infants) into the family. To see him sitting holding both babies was a tearjerker. Of course, then to make sure it was a Kodak moment – the two infants joined hands!

In the final part of the welcome ceremony, all the children and the staff came up and dropped still more marigolds into a pile in front of him. He was sitting cross-legged on his sofa, so the pile grew beneath his feet. I don’t know if you are aware of the Indian custom of touching the feet of people you respect? Well, as each person dropped the marigolds they also touched his feet.

After tea – 130 people were crammed into the gathering area – Babaji excused himself and didn’t reappear for the rest of the evening. He needed his sleep.

Today, I finally met him. Nirmala (Patty Cullen’s friend) introduced me and told him about my teaching. He nodded. That was it. I sat down and listened in on the discussion about Ashram affairs. Issues that have needed Babaji’s approval were brought up, discussed, and he made decisions. At one point he pulled out his whistle and blew – he spotted monkeys entering the grounds. He got up and moved over to a flower bed - and fell over some loosely wound hose. Everyone gasped, jumped up, an infant was thrust into my arms as they ran over. He was okay – got up and came back to the chair. Rashmi, the director of the orphanage, ran to call the 2 doctors from the clinic – and 3 minutes later, the Ashram version of an ambulance – 2 doctors on a motorcycle- arrived.

To watch (Dr.) Tom do a health check on a man who doesn’t speak was interesting – the more so because some of the littlest children continued to climb up into his lap. Tom put his doctor bag down and started pointing – first to his own head, Babaji shook his head indicating, “it’s fine.” Tom moved his neck back and forth – Babaji “said” fine. And so on down his torso. Tom indicated his hands falling flat on the earth, Babaji showed him how his hands had landed (in a prayer position). After about 2 minutes, Tom said, “I guess you are okay.” Babaji agreed, and the 2 doctors got back on the motorcycle and rode away.
But everybody was anxious. Babaji had tea with us at 3 and then met with the children, staff and “Americans” in his room for about 30 minutes after dinner. When each person came in he tossed them a piece of candy – it was fun to sit there and watch him interact with all his visitors. In the past he has played games with them and they have, literally, crawled all over him. This time it is much more sedate – no games and the children enter in smaller groups. No climbing. They also know they must wash their hands before touching Babaji (adults don’t touch him but his children certainly do). Everyone is so concerned about his health.

So, Babaji has arrived. There is more energy in the air – and people are very concerned about his health. I so hope he stays well while here.