From the Alps to Amritapuri, on his… bicycle!

Being at Amritapuri for 2 or 3 weeks while Amma is on tour in India, is a most precious and valuable opportunity to get in touch with your inner self and enjoy most precious moments of blissful peace.

When Amma is here the place is a boiling pot, heated up daily by Amma’s intense ‘all-directional’ Shakti. When Amma is away, and most of her disciples and ashramites with Her (Which is the case for the Indian tours), this place, where She grew up, where She ‘experienced’ the most exalted mystical bhavas, and where Her spiritual headquarters got established, is filled with peaceful, vibrant spiritual divine energy…

In addition to visiting the ocean side daily (and the ‘communicating with dolphins‘ experience that I posted few days ago – more on that in a couple of days), I had the chance to identify all the early morning singing birds and observe closely their daily habits, to study the daily changes in the pattern of behavior of the crows that built their nest right in the huge chandelier of the bhajan auditorium-hall, to give attention to the many beautiful plants in and around the ashram and follow their gentle growth and flowering, and to pay a weekly visit to the Tulasi Farm near the Ayurveda College on the opposite side of the backwaters…

I could also incorporate to my daily schedule extended periods of meditation, yoga and reading, and interact better with the daily international visitors, during the ashram introductory tour that I host most of the days.

What I want to share today is the amazing story of a young man that I met last week at the Tulasi Farm.
The Tulasi Farm was started last year as for Amma’s desire. Tulasi (The Holy Basil) is the most revered plant in the Hindu tradition and is described as Divine in the ancient scriptures. Lord Shiva himself named Her ‘Srimata Tulasi Devi’ and Amma has been encouraging its culture in various fields around the ashram and its usage for Ayurvedic products and various beverages.

Presently, it is the harvesting time at the Farm, and daily, volunteers go to help in this activity. The harvested flowers and leaves will then be dried and used for making Tulasi tea and powder.
I met Joe at the Farm during my visit there last week. He had been going there daily for about 10 days. Sometimes he would be there all by himself for many hours, handling alone as much as he could of the harvesting, pruning and weeding needed activities. Inspired by his dedication, and what the project’s manager told me about him, I had a chat with him, during which he told me his ‘story’.

Joe is from Switzerland. He is just 25 years old and has traveled all the way from Switzerland on a… bicycle to come here! Yes, on a bicycle!

Joe’s adventure started in 2004 (He was 21) when his boss informed him that he didn’t have work for him anymore. He had some money and had ‘had enough’ of his surroundings, so he decided to travel East with his backpack. He flew in and spent 18 months in the Indian Subcontinent and South Asia, during which he stopped at Amma’s ashram for 3 days as a tourist. He felt very happy, experiencing many adventures during his travels and met many cyclists/tourists whose life style attracted him…

Back in Switzerland, he worked for a while, bought a bicycle, finished 2 or 3 important matters and took the road again in February 2007… this time on his bike! He had no specific plans, but enough money to survive for many months with the simplest of lifestyles…

“I cycled past South-East Europe, the Middle-East, Central Asia, West China and the Indian Sub-continent”, he said, “What a blessing! Living on the road, enjoying wonderful sceneries, having new and exciting experiences every day…. Discovering, learning… most of all learning so much about myself… So many adventures with my dearest companion the bike have now filled my dairy. Whether cycling on a deserted road or having a bunch of curious people running behind me, memorable moments… No limits! Pure happiness and freedom.”

Joe’s initial plan upon reaching South India (after 1 year of cycling!!) was to rest for a few days on a Kerala beach. “But”, he said, “For some mysterious reason I got an infection on my left ankle that simply wouldn’t heal… One day I woke up with my foot double its size, unable to cycle or walk… I dragged myself to the nearest hospital and had to be treated there for 4 days. I then realized that I was very close to Amma’s ashram and felt like visiting it to rest for 3 days, like I did 4 years ago…”

Joe says that upon reaching the ashram, he learned that Amma was away and won’t be back before 6 weeks, and initially had no intention on staying that long waiting for Her. But 2 weeks have passed now, and Joe is still here. Fully involved in the daily seva at the Tulasi Farm, he has no plans of moving. “Many have advised me to stay till Amma is back and I believe today that the infection to my foot was maybe not just a coincidence… I’d better stay and wait a bit for her now, no?”

Joe has decided to surrender to what destiny has planned for him. He is waiting for Amma.
Cycling all the way from the Swiss Alps to Amma’s home place on the coast of Kerala, not many have this on their life’s CV!

The bike can rest a bit too, and maybe for a long while! During which it could well accompany its best friend for a special hug very soon. Darshan for a bike? Of course Amma would do…

Now one wonders: Did the bike’s pedals ‘innocently’ scratch that left ankle, for a good (and premeditated) purpose?

Priyan, from the Tulasi farm, Amritapuri