My final Move to Bharat
Just after Ma Sachitananda accompanied Swamiji and the crew members, we found a buyer to purchase our home. Closing was set for the third week in October. We now needed to move – lock, stock and barrel as they would say in America, after living exactly 20 years in America. I also gave appropriate notice at work. My boss, the head of the \$1.4 billion per year business unit was quite disappointed that I was leaving and really could not understand. He said, "Siva, why do you want to leave? You are bright and young and you can lead this business and take it to the next level. I do not really understand all this but I wish you did not leave. Anyways, good luck to you"
Ma Sachitananda quickly came back to Oklahoma City and we started packing our items. We ordered a 40 ft container and we found out that was not enough. So we ended up leaving a lot of items behind. It was only then I realized how much excess we live with in America. There was really no need of anything but perhaps 10% of the items we accumulated over the years. And unfortunately, these items are the reason why most of us feel the bondage to our jobs, kind of a slave to our own life style. Today, I can pack up all my things into one suitcase and live and move wherever needed. This is truly a liberating feeling – not attached to any of these possessions. I cannot describe this feeling of liberation. It can only be experienced.
After packing up all the items they were sent in an ocean container. Ma Sachitananda left for Bharat as soon as the container shipment left for Bharat. I stayed back for a few more weeks since I needed to wrap up my work and ensure an orderly transition.
The final day of leaving the US to Bharat was quite an elating experience. While I enjoyed and learnt a lot professionally in the US, I was finally going home. It is where I wanted to be. I landed in Bangalore airport late at night. Since I was almost 1 am in the morning when I landed in Bangalore airport, I took a taxi and headed to the ashram. I reached the ashram around 2 am. The moment I got off the taxi and started going towards our rooms (at that time Ma Sachitananda, the kids and Ma Jesusananda stayed in what we call as the eight room block at the Bidadi ashram), Swamiji came from his quarters to greet me. There was no way he could have hard the taxi come in. He was very happy to see me and said, "The moment the taxi turned into the ashram (which is at least 1 kilometer away), I had felt that you came here so I came to greet you!" I took blessings and pranams from Swamiji. I finally came home!