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2nd day bhajans in Rio
Today the morning darshan lasted till 6:15 pm. Last night also, it seemed that many did not wait till end, yet, Mother finished darshan around 5:30 am or maybe it was near 6:00, did not look the exact time. In tonight’s bhajans Mother sang: He gananayaka siddivinayaka Sri Krishna saranam If this is not the place (in Portuguese) Mata rani Om namah shivaya Awaken Children (in English) Jai Jai janani jai ho teri At the beginning the people did not applaud after bhajans, but then they did it after If this is not the place and also Mata rani huge…
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Amma is big in Rio
At meditation, the seats in the hall were pretty much filled. But there was still a long line outside the hotel. Some of the tour staff people didn’t arrive until 9:45 this morning (the airport leelas), the Amma flight people did not get to the hotel until about 10 p.m. So, during the first hour, bookstall bags were being unpacked, more tables were being set up, and more people were flowing in. Now, 11:15, the hotel lobby areas are crammed, the hall has little standing room left, and there is still a line that goes outside the hotel. Shambugh July…
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First day in Rio
Now we are in Rio, Brazil. First it seemed as if there would not be a big crowd. But as the darshan started more people started coming. Till now all tokens for morning darshan were given out, many are waiting to get token for the evening darshan. We are in Intercontinental hotel which provides a big hall, but only a small part of that from Santiago. One nice incident was there in the afternoon when a group of youth started playing for Amma. There were 9 young man with drums and other people with other rhythm instruments and one small…
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from Rio
Santiago to Rio, written night of 30th July We had hoped that there might have been a formal Guru Purnima ceremony in Santiago, with pada puja. Instead, Big Swami gave a short talk which was very nice. Many of us felt so full from the darshan and the response to Amma by the Chileans, I don’t think the ceremony was missed. The huge crowd steadily thinned out through the night and morning. I suspect that all of those first-timers did not know what they would be missing, and many of them probably went home before receiving darshan, and many of…
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taste of Chile
We got our power back on (lots of people and wheelchairs were on the cables) with in an hour. The people are being very orderly and patient, it was only the initial overwhelming rush of people that the handlers were not ready for that created a mess. Amma is moving very quickly. It is amazing to watch Her in high gear, unlike the leisurely pace in the States. I still sense a heightened energy and a sense of peace at the same time. They are just starting dancing and singing in native costumes, very joyful sounds, colorful costumes (flat-topped black…
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Mass of human Heat
Saturday July 28 7:30 pm What a glorious afternoon in Santiago. Warm, it feels like high 70’s, slightest of breeze, a perfect day to hang out with a few thousand of your friends. I took a lunch break about 1:30, and there were already several hundred in line outdoors for evening darshan. When I left the hall at 4:30, the outdoor line was several thousand. By the start of atma puja, there was a line of cars trying to get into the parking lot, a line of people outside, and the hall filled, and people being seated in the nearly…
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She Knows?
An update on Santiago. The weather prior to yesterday was setting 30 year records for cold – in the 20’s. Amma comes and the days are very nice (still quite cold at night). The bhajans last night seemed especially powerful. After each bhajan, the crowd applauded. I sat next to a local first timer who was moved to tears by some bhajans. I have heard Swami say Amma knows everything, and we intellectually know that it is true, however it is nice to get some confirmation to really understand this. I will tell you of two recent experiences that illustrate…
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Mother in Chile
Mother’s first South American tour started in Santiago, Chile. No one could expect what would come. When Mother arrived the sun was shining, the sky was blue, clear air, but it was freezing cold. It is winter time in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. Los Andes, the South American mountains pass by Santiago and its white snow peaks added to coldness. Mother’s program was patronized by the Ministry of Culture and Arts of Chilean government. The place was huge, inside and outside. Despite of the cold the people started lining up for tokens two hours before the program, and…
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the lost day
I am writing this from the program in Santiago while the talks are going on. While my Spanish is a lot better than my Malayam, I cannot follow the talks. There was a huge turnout this morning, especially considering that Thursday morning was a work day. I left the morning program at 5:00 p.m. in order to get something to eat, Morning program darshan was still going on, and there was already a long line for the evening program. Going from summer to winter is odd, it got dark at 6:00, everyone at the program was wearing shoes and coats.…
