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from: Swami
date: Wed, Dec 4, 2019 at 7:57 AM
subj: Re: REFUGE

Dear All

Went to the ashram yesterday. Margo, Gita, Arpan, Savitri, Hari, Hema, Badri and
a temporary guest Annie were there. Ramesh and another devotee called Raman from
upstate came a little later.  We all bonded over a common feeling of loss but
everyone was also happy for Dennis. 

I could feel Bhagavan's presence strongly and that is what matters.
That is what has, and will, sustain the ashram.

Importantly, it is clear to me that not only has Dennis been pondering this for
a while, but also that his leaving has Bhagavan's blessing. 

How do I know that?

Arpan, who Ranjani knows and maybe Anand and Aruna as well, had a vivid dream
a few days earlier. Dennis told her he was leaving the ashram. She saw him in 
he mud room putting on his shoes and by the time she ran to protest, he left. 

In the dream, She ran into bhagavan's shrine crying and complaining to bhagavan
that she came to the ashram only because of Dennis. 

To her surprise, Dennis comes back and tells her "Why are u making a scene?
Do your duty" and then left again. 

The next morning, when she told Dennis about this dream, he apparently smiled
broadly and kept quiet. In the past few days, he has been instructing Arpan
about a few routine tasks like fulfilling book orders. He set her up to automatically
receive all emails that come to the Ashrama account.  When he left after Vedas on
Monday evening, saying generally he was going to his brother's place for a few
days, Arpan was crying hard. He just nodded twice at her and left.

Another reason why I think this is long planned. In January, or maybe last year,
Dennis gave me a sweatshirt that I have never worn so far. Sangeetha remembered it
and I  took it out to see it after I came home from the ashram last night just out
of nostalgia for Dennis. I had forgotten what the design was. Probably I never
really paid attention to the design earlier.  See the picture attached

T-shirt given to Swami by Dennis

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from: Geetha M Ramesh
  to: Dennis
date: Tue, Dec 3, 2019 at 9:32 PM
subj: Message from Geetha

Namaskar Dennis 

This is Geetha and I’m writing to say that we really want you to return to the Ashram very soon and continue to stay here. We all really hope you are fine. We are very sad at your decision to leave this place and pray that you return very soon.

Regards 
Geetha 



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from: Satish
date: Tue, Dec 3, 2019 at 9:37 PM

Namaskarams Arthur!It took me a few minutes to thoroughly read Dennis' email and digest it. After reading it a couple of times, I was reminded of a conversation

 (from Talk 251) with Bhagavan.
D.: Should I not also renounce?
M.: If that had been your prarabdha, the question would not have arisen.

This decision of Dennis perhaps came naturally to him (as he writes in his email
too)! At this point I only feel happy and inspired to have known Dennis, esp. to
have met him very recently before his departure. Dennis and Bhagavan's words
would definitely be etched in my memory!

In verbal silence, Arunachala Ramana!
SR


----------------
from: Radha Narayanan
  to: Dennis
  cc: Rajesh Narayanan
date: Tue, Dec 3, 2019 at 5:59 PM
subj: Surrender


Dear Dennis Uncle,
I am not sure if you will ever read this email. But i wanted to send this heart felt message to you.
Like a huge banyan tree that would give its shades to countless beings, you have given your kindness, warmth, compassion, love, grace to countless devotees of Bhagavan.
Today, by just walking away from it all in a minute, you have transformed your entire life as a lesson, a huge lesson to all devotees of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi.
This lesson directly touched my heart center and i am immobilized ... the journey of life, of being in the present, of not being attached, of being able to disentangle seems so hard !
When one has the prarabhdam to lead a dharmic life, participate in satsangs, its even harder to isolate the ego... surrender and acceptance seems like mere words......
Thank you for all the kindness and care you have bestowed upon all of us.As a seva to you, i seek divine grace to always be in the present and search and destroy ego repeatedly.
 

In Bhagavan,
Radha Rajesh


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from: Krishnan T 
date: Wed, Dec 4, 2019 at 8:48 AM
subj: Re: REFUGE

Namo Ramana. Thank you Anil, Darlene, Evelyn, Swami, and fellow devotees for all
your inspiring emails. It is now clear Dennis’ ‘leaving’the Ashram was as per
Bhagavan’s will. Dennis was just following Bhagavan’sinstructions, ‘ Vandha velaya
paru’ meaning ‘do what you have come here to do’.We should do the same; continue
our spiritual practice as Dennis would expectus to do. I am positive Bhagavan and
his ardent devotee, Sadhu Dennis, are both there to guide us.

In Sri Bhagavan
Krishnan