From: jim_flanegin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, October 28, 2006 4:17:59 PM
Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Pandits are HERE!
--- In FairfieldLife@ yahoogroups. com, Rick Archer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> From: Roses Derise <homeonthefarm@ ...>
> Date: Sat, 28 Oct 2006 12:19:56 -0500
>
> Dear Friends,
>
> The pandits are here!
>
> You probably know the story about Krishna holding up the sky with
one hand
> with everyone else coming with their broomsticks to "help." Over
the last
> few days, there have been a lot of broomsticks at work, and a
miracle has
> happened. Those monstrously ugly, old, hopelessly rundown frat
buildings are
> being transformed, right in front of one's eyes, into what one
person called
> "four star hotels." No one would have thought such a
transformation was
> possible. A few days ago light fixtures were dangling, plumbing
was leaking,
> clogged, or broken,
carpet was ragged, walls were dirty and
broken, doors
> were missing, knobs didn't work, windows were broken or hung in
broken
> sashes--it was a tenement building.
>
> But when it was understood that the pandits were really coming,
the call
> went out for volunteers. When I went to see what I could do to
help, I was
> enthralled by what I saw. It wasn't people who responded to that
call--it
> was saints. I am acquainted with people whom I believe to be
enlightened,
> but anyone can be enlightened- -not everyone becomes a saint.
Predominately,
> these people were saints. I didn't see any mood- makers there
(it's hard to
> maintain a mere mood when you've worked until 1:00 A.M. many
nights in a
> row) but what I did see was, again and again, upstairs and down,
faces that
> glowed through fatigue with an innerluminescence, a simple and
pure spirit
> of
service. Many of them had not eaten since lunch, some not since
> breakfast. Yet everyone was smiling and moving swiftly. With so
much
> happening so fast there was much confusion, yet I heard no
complaints. There
> are soldiers on a battlefield soaked in blood and terror; here the
battle
> for world peace was being waged with mops and paint brushes,
screwdrivers
> and glue, love and helping hands ... and smiles.
>
> There's a lot to thank donors for, but I don't think we could have
raised
> the money to pay for having this done. I don't think there is a
construction
> company on earth that would have been willing to contract for that
much
> renovation in such a short time. Day before yesterday, I tripped
over loose
> tiles while putting painter's tape over light fixtures in the
pathetic,
> dingy, barren lower hall of Building 114. That's how bad it was.
But
twenty
> four hours later, the magic had happened. In the same room, I
passed the
> entourage with Raja Wynn as he toured the all-but-finished
building and
> overheard John Runkle say, in a marveling tone, "This is so nice
I'd be
> willing to move in here myself!"
>
> Indeed, it was very nice--new paint, carpets, and repairs
throughout, with
> everything functional, even pretty! Each room was pristine clean
with new
> paint and carpet, and had two beds of blond wood hand-made by MUM's
> carpenter, with new futon mattresses all made up with fresh
bedding and new
> towels and wool blankets. Colorful new curtains, attractive
incense burners,
> and welcome gifts gave each room a warm and cozy feeling. If I
were an
> incoming guest, I would have felt honored to be given such a room.
In the
> interior lobbies, large pots of colorful silk flowers gave a
feeling
of the
> colors of the pandits' homeland. More silk flowers made even the
stairwells
> feel bright and cheerful and welcoming.
>
> Downstairs, the cooking area had been transformed into a glistening
> self-sufficient kitchen with new commercial-sized stoves,
refrigerators, and
> dishwashing equipment. The dining area was really charming. MUM's
carpenter
> had created long, low tables at which there were colorful cushions
for
> seating. A serving table had been prepared full of all manner of
prasads in
> gold-colored dishes, and hot milk was ready to serve. Outside,
miniature
> lights crowned the new perimeter fence.
>
> The pandits arrived about midnight. In respect for their
tradition, the
> ladies had all left so the rest of my story came from my husband
who was
> part of the welcoming committee who lined the entrance pathway with
> sparklers. He
said when the young men arrived, they didn't look
tired,
> yawning, and disorderly as most of us are when we've traveled
through
> several time zones over a period of several days, but appeared to
be
> clear-eyed and conscious, as if they were fully focused on their
mission
> here. Upon hearing that they were young men, in their twenties and
thirties,
> I had imagined that they would be a naturally rowdy group. But
instead of
> gawking with curiosity or confusion at unfamiliar surroundings, my
husband
> said they appeared remarkably self-contained, silent, and
dignified. Their
> chanting before partaking of the treats and hot milk they had been
served,
> was deeply moving, he said.
>
> There were 49 in this group. There are 451 yet to come and several
more
> buildings in which miracles must happen before they can arrive.
Please come
> to feel for
yourself that buoyant pleasure that happens when one
is in the
> flow of nature on the move, when one is serving nature and the
cause of
> world peace, and when one is transforming not just an old decrepit
frat
> house, but the world itself.
>
> Namaste,
>
> Roses
>
Great News- It appears that those in Fairfield have transformed the
destiny of the country and the world- Congratulations! and Thank
You!!
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