Bevan managed to connect to us this morning (20th). It was evening in India and he was in a car going through the streets of Allahabad on his way to a meeting. As he spoke we could hear the sounds of India - many honking car horns and at one point a lot of noise he told us was for a wedding procession that was passing by. It all made us feel we were right there with him, but from the comfort and safety of home -- he was also sneezing a lot from the fumes!
He told us of the which happened today. Someone sent a report (see below). Bevan added about 200 Dandi Swamis had been expected, but actually 600 arrived along with many man other Swamis. (I hope that I got the name right - this was Guru Dev's order - you can tell them as they always carry a staff). It's amazing how they all got to know - they don't have cell phones! There were also many Indian dignitaries and officials.
Then the Movement leaders (men only) and all of Purusha (about 150 there Bevan said), met with the Shankaracharya in the Shankarcharya's house which Guru Dev purchased with his "magic money" that would just miraculously appear as needed in a box under his bed. They all squeezed in the room where Guru DEv had sat on the Shankarcharya's seat. It must have been amazing, to be there and to talk with the Shakarcharya, who asked them questions about their experiences with TM.
Afterwards everyone was led to a large Pandal to eat ( separate enclosed areas for each class: saints, mortals, and women!). It is custom for the family to feed all those who attend the rites. Maharishi's close family were there (Girish, Anand and Prakash Shrivastava, plus the eldest member of the family (96 years old) and, as is their duty, they went round making sure everyone ate fully. Seems it was a very rich full, banquet!
So read below to find out more about this last rite.
Jai Guru Dev
(from Maharishi Vedic City in the USA)
----- Original Message -----
The final part of the last rites is known as Uthawala and Brahman Bhojan, i.e. Feast (Meal) for the Brahmins. On February 20, 2008 under the auspices of the Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math, successor to GURU DEV on the Shanakaracharya Seat of Jyotir Peeth, Himalayas, the last celebration is performed in Prayag at Maharishi Ashram in Arail According to Ayurveda all experiences should be metabolized fully so that no residues (ama) remain back. The endresult of full metbolization of food to their most refined state is Ojas or Soma. But Expriences must also be fully metabolzed in order to produce bliss as their end-result. Now we all had the chance to fully metabolize our beloved Maharishi's full transformation (even of the little leishavidya =veil of avidya or ignorance that the restriction of the body somewaht represents ) to Brahman and Maharishi-jis ascent to Heaven and that means everyone should feel now fully at home with the ever blissful - most intimate to our own innermost self - nature of Maharishi's divine presence now. He is always with us and having participated in all the ceremonies now we know that even the sanctified remains of his body flow now in the veins and arteries, i.e. rivers of īVed Bhumi Bharat, our Motherland India and from there into all the oceans of the world and all the rivers of the world, so that the morsels and atoms of Maharishi's body this way travel into all the rivers, i.e. veins and arteries, of all the 192 countries of the world. What remains is Bliss!
