DON'T GIVE ME THAT SHIT
The next morning reported to the “Guru Seva” center, where work is allocated, and I was willing and able to be of service.
One of the staff pointed to an old fashioned brass bed with small ceramic castor wheels, then to a loose gravel path leading up the hill through the garden to an accommodation center.
"That is needed there, please take it there."
Full of enthusiasm, I started pushing the bed, but only seemed to be pushing it deeper into the gravel, making almost negligible progress over what felt like a couple of hours under an increasingly hot Indian sun and heavy humidity pre-monsoon.
“We don’t want it here, take it back!”
The rest of the day, under an even hotter sun, was spent pushing the bed back through the gravel to the Guru Seva center. I parked the bed, I saw the head of Guru Seva and respectfully, of course, said:
“I’m sorry, you’re not using me to get the best results of my time here,
I am quite good at writing and producing films
and have already had a lot of my ego rubbed in shit
listing my abattoirs and septic tank experiences,
I think I have had the shit lesson.
Wouldn't it be better to make use of what I am good at?”.
I surprised myself, usually I am pretty quiet and not particularly outspoken, perhaps no-one had questioned their Guru Seva, before?
My seva immediately changed from pushing 'shit' uphill to being included on the video/media team.
Chilling in the air- conditioned media room, I was contemplating whether Baba had spoken through me as a lesson in speaking my truth!
I even became one of the few accompanying Baba on a 'walk' around the Ashram, which was now drives in a simple golf cart-style buggy. Despite the energy which radiated from Baba his health had started to trouble him and the Ashram covered many acres, with expansive grounds and immaculately maintained gardens, taking photos became an exercise in being present.
"I am ...a garden statue"
David's Guru Seva was caring for the beautiful gardens, but it appeared to be more like being a garden gnome! Each time we rounded a corner he would be standing there ready to 'absorb' the energy as Baba passed by, then there would be a rustling of bushes as he ducked off to appear statue-like at the next corner! And so it went!
In the upper grounds there was a large area set aside for deer, and Baba would stop and wave at them who would come running to be near him too.
More good fortune. We were here for a large yagna: a Hindu ritual, meaning 'worship,' 'sacrifice' or 'offering', performed since time immemorial in which 'Agni Deva', the fire god, acts as a medium between man and the gods, performed in front of a fire with Vedic mantras chanted to 'burn off karma' for the world and those present.
It was a particularly auspicious time; many Brahman priests had come to participate, and their nonstop chanting filled the air, blending with smoke from the huge fire and incense.
I was fortunate to connect with one of the visiting Swamis and spend a little private time with him; he was said to be able to read your future. Without knowing anything about me, he said:
"Go back to Australia and make short films...
I wondered if television commercials fall under that category!"
