Mary: Ramji!
I hope you and Sundari are doing well. I’ve been watching some of your recent videos, and you look fantastic! It looks like you had a huge crowd in Tiruvannamalai – wow, all these lucky people who are finding you! When I met you in 2011, it was with about fifteen people in the basement of that little house in Portland. Wow, that was something. I still play those recordings – they’re really good.
I ran into Frank the other day, and he came to my house for a little visit. It was nice to catch up with him. We talked about you, and ShiningWorld news, and he told me to check out your YouTube Q&A interviews with Georg. They are wonderful! And I also got an email from someone who recommended that I check out Christian Leeby, who is really doing a great thing for those of us who needed a little help with the unruly mind. He’s a gem! Thank you for all of these wonderful ShiningWorld resources.
The news from here is that – well, it’s all done! Freedom! Jeez, it only took me seven years from the time I first read your book – think I was stubborn enough? I think it would have gone faster except for a couple of things. One is that I was rebellious and went off on many tangents, thinking that I knew better than you. And the other is that I was truly “stuck in sattva” for a long time. Circumstances jolted me out of my comfy place, and it took about two years from that point to sort it out. I have only recently understood that I was mistaking sattva for me. I think that could have gone on forever if Isvara hadn’t figured out a way to challenge that belief. Thank you, Isvara!
So… YAY!!!!! And thank you, thank you, thank you, Ramji. This would not have been possible without you. I owe you everything. I have put my website back up and it mostly directs people to ShiningWorld and to you. I have already heard from a couple of “live ones,” and they are so grateful for my pointing the way to you. People are frustrated after so many years of seeking and still suffering! Vedanta to the rescue.
I would like to give you a donation – should I do it via PayPal?
I hope to see you this summer when you are in Berkeley!
~ All my love to you and Sundari, Mary
Ramji: Hi, Mary.
A few days ago I had one of those “I wonder what happened to X” thoughts. The X was you. So cool to hear from you! And such good news!!! Yes, sattva is a very difficult guna to deal with. Incidentally, I have just finished my book on the gunas. I’ll send you a copy in a couple of weeks when my publications guy gets it properly formatted. It’s pretty hot. Anyway, even the smart ones like you get stuck in sattva. They always think they are better than me. To bad I’m not one of those warm, fuzzy, meek, saintly types – they’d have to look for someone else to feel superior to. It fine. I blame the guna, not the jiva. Or as Christ said, “Hate the sin…” I remember our first meeting well – you sat by the fireplace as I pontificated. It seems like a long time ago. Appreciation is always appreciated, but you have to give yourself a big pat on the back along with Isvara and the scripture. You hung in there and you prevailed. Congratulations!!!
Yes, the Vedanta is spreading like wildfire. I’m off to Cape Town for the guna teaching next week. The venues is maxed out – 65, it seems. Then I go to Europe. A friend bought some land in Portugal and is putting up a teaching venue so we don’t have to travel around when we’re in Europe. We’ll be the States for the summer as usual – Berkeley too. If time permits maybe we can have a cuppa. Anyway, you’re the best! I love you.
~ James