Ram Dass visit Spring, 2007
Shivaya's Stories
Letter from India - Sept. 30, 2007
Letter from India - October, 2007
Letter from India - February 5, 2008
Letter from India - February 9, 2008
Letter from India - February 28, 2008
Maui visit with Ram Dass
Visit with Ram Dass in Spring 2007
Dear Friends,
Shivaya and I have just returned from 10 spectacular
days on Maui, where we did lots of kirtan, and
participated in several satsangs with Ram Dass. I have
to agree with the previous reports from friends who
visited with Ram Dass: he looks and feels better than
ever. He is vibrantly healthy, happy, and at peace,
and is being looked after by a wonderful and caring
crew of helpers. He goes to the ocean for a swim every
week, has physical therapy twice a week, and swims in
the pool almost every day. Although he still uses his wheelchair, he is
able to walk with a cane, and enjoys climbing stairs and getting in and
out of the pool on his own.
Ram Dass lives in a bright and beautiful, spacious
home with ocean views, surrounded by lush tropical
flowers, fruits, and foliage. From there he is able to
offer monthly online satsangs through his interactive
website, www.ramdass.org, so he can remain at home and
still maintain contact with the worldwide community of devotees. Shivaya
joined him for his May satsang, in which they spoke about what it was
like to be with Neem Karoli Baba. The camera was then turned on me for a
little kirtan. Hopefully people were singing along at home!
We joined Ram Dass again a few days later for his
regular Maui satsang at the beautiful Studio Maui yoga
studio. Our old friend, Raj Agni (aka Steve Schorr),
played tabla with me for the hour-long kirtan before
the satsang began. Maui locals Heather Parsons and
Ashana accompanied us on guitar and cello, and blended
lilting harmonies with the vocals, for a deeply
beautiful kirtan experience. Shivaya and Ram Dass then
regaled us once more with their tales of life around
Neem Karoli Baba.
Heather graciously invited me to lead kirtan at her
weekly gathering in her home the next evening, which I
happily accepted. We had a rousing evening of singing, drumming, and
poetry with the beautiful community of Maui bhaktas!
I spent many hours during the week, sitting on the
deck at Ram Dass's house, singing with my harmonium
while looking out at the expanse of ocean, surrounded
by a profusion of flowering plants, accompanied by
several varieties of singing birds, and graced by the
presence of two beautiful white murtis in the back
yard-a praying Hanuman, and a reclining Ganesh.
We were given a fabulous tour by one longtime resident
who identified flora and fauna, and recited Maui
history and lore, as we hiked to hidden fresh-water
pools fed by gentle waterfalls. We snorkled in pools
of colorful fish, swam in the ocean, sunbathed on
golden beaches. We were guided through dense tropical vegetation to a
mountaintop clearing, where a stunning Tibetan Buddhist stupa stood.
Flanked by mountains, ocean, and a lovely meditation garden, this stupa
was built in the 1970s and was consecrated by His Holiness the Karmapa
on a visit to the island.
We visited with old friends who have moved to Maui,
and everywhere we went, we ate mangoes, papayas,
bananas, and coconuts picked right from the tree. Each
evening we ate delicious vegan meals on the veranda
with Ram Dass and friends, lovingly prepared by a
beautiful young cook who lives nearby. After dinner we
waxed philosophically, then watched movies, or sang
kirtan, and jumped in the hot tub for a soak before
going to bed.
As always, Ram Dass was a most gracious and generous
host, and our trip was nothing short of fabulous. I
was struck by his tireless generosity of spirit, the
openness with which he greeted everyone who approached
him, and the sincere interest and attention he gave to
each conversation he had. He is definitely "in his
element" on Maui, both physically, and "heartfully."
The spirit of Neem Karoli Baba shines brightly in him
and is passed on to everyone he meets.
We will definitely be returning to Maui, doing more
kirtan and workshops there, and taking in the aloha
spirit. If you have any interest in traveling to Maui
to join me for a kirtan retreat sometime in the next
year, please drop me a line!
Meanwhile, we hope to see you at Open Secret on June
14th, for more stories about Maui and lots of kirtan!
Pranams,
Uma
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