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Strangest people are attracted to Valentina. People who wouldn't talk two words to anyone - open their hearts to Her.
In a neighborhood house, there is an old, old woman, Miss X. Everything is enormous about Miss X. Her frame, her large and beautiful eyes. She lives on an island so far from the crowd that you feel like an intruder when you enter her home. She is so alive and has the magic touch. Whatever she touches turns into color and beauty. And she believes in Magic. Especially in the Magic of Valentina whom she adores. She has a Southern drawl. Valentina comes to see her to take the garbage downstairs. She cannot walk too well. Valentina also brings her snacks.
Valentina turned into Miss X when She once mimicked her. Even Her proportions seemed to change into hers. She sighed, rolling Her eyes toward Heaven. "Oh, ye beautiful creature, please pray for me. My sister is coming and I am scared stiff. She has her nose everywhere where she should not have it. She will take all my paintings off the wall. She will pick on me - she will make me so miserable." Watching Valentina, I went into fits of merriment. The dreaded sister arrived and a miracle happened. She behaved like a lamb. She became so absorbed in cooking and eating that the paintings of Miss X escaped her attention, which, of course, she completely attributed to Valentina's prayer. Miss X was overcome with gratitude. She wrote a letter to Valentina with lovely illustrations by her own hand, depicting flowers and almost living birds - she is a great artist, and enclosed the touching $1 bill. Surely Miss Valentina deserved a compensation thought Miss X.
It is quite natural that Miss X should take to Valentina. She is an artist, has intuition and is psychic. Without knowing anything or understanding the true nature of Valentina, she senses the kindred soul. It is, in the first place, the intuitive, the pure and the artistic type which is attracted by Valentina.
Miss X is not the only one who has experienced Valentina's Magic. A colored man stopped Valentina in the street and was flabbergasted when She asked him, "Why do you drink?" "Ma'am, how do you know I am drinking?" Some time elapsed and he stopped Her again. "Ma'am, I stopped drinking" - which he attributed to Her influence, and I am sure he is right.
Returning from the North, I had the most amazing experience when I met again one of Valentina's students. When I left, she looked so sad, so tired and dejected. I hardly recognized her now. Her face was so smooth, serene, rejuvenated. Her eyes were radiant - she had developed a NEW FACE! And Valentina had given it to her!
When you give a person a New Life, you also give her a New Face! The New Life manifested itself not only in the outward appearance of that student, but also in her actions and relationship with others. And it still does. The inner Life awakened in her by Valentina, transformed her whole being and affected strongly the person whom she contacts steadily. When I met her husband again, I noticed that he also had been infected by her radiance.
Valentina has an affinity with all elements. She loves the rain which would never stop Her from doing Her asanas. She is dancing and singing in the rain like a happy elf.
No type of weather can stop students from coming to Valentina. They come in rain and storm. Once Her Shadow came during a hurricane, waited a few hours outside Her cottage, listening to music from Valentina's cell and returned home safely and contented. She had breathed the air of Her garden. She had been in the proximity of her Guru.
Valentina seems to float into the garden, as light as a spirit of the woods. There is the sound of the ocean around Her and the beams of the sunshine, which She adores, when She comes from the beach. Valentina has very little time. Going to the beach, for Her, is by no means just a recreation, but is always combined with prayer and meditation and nobody is allowed to accompany Her to Her island, a very lonely spot which She discovered. My impression of Her when She returns from the beach is that of a Mermaid, with the waves of the ocean in Her curly hair. The depth, the magnetism and the joy of the water shining out of Her eyes. There is above all, the Invisible World around Her, the silent music to which She listens with downcast eyes. She belongs to all elements and to none, because She lives on a different plane. She is above the mundane, above even Nature. She is like a guest amongst us, a pilgrim and a torch bearer. She kindles a flame which - unconsciously - we pass on to others. She is close, and still so far from us - a visitor from another plane, because we need Her. We cannot imagine our life without Her. Still, we know, Her Immortal Spirit will always be with us. Those who touched the Robe of Christ were changed for the rest of their life.
She is a strange guest, suggesting light and Infinity. Those who undergo Her influence cannot forget it. When they come from the North, they live close to Her, so that they can see Her almost daily. Even those who leave Her never forget Her, there is a desperate longing between the lines in their letters for Paradise Lost. They do not realize that they could still return - they have the choice. Quite a few people left Her. It is not easy to live up to Her Ideals!
Valentina has the generosity of Her Master. She can overlook and forgive defects and sins on account of the Image of God which She sees in all of us. She reminds me of the story of the Crystal-Gazer. Two men are looking into a crystal for hours. One sees NOTHING. The other sees beautiful landscapes,birds with brilliant wings, etc.
When Valentina asks you to do something for Her, She does it in such a sweet manner that you wold gladly kill yourself to meet Her wishes. She is a living example of "Only those who can obey know how to command." She very seldom asks anybody to do anything. She prefers to do for others. So when She asks - it is a great sign. It means She greatly appreciates the qualities of the one She asks to do something. It is an honor!
Valentina has a unique way of cooling off the tendency of Her "shadow" to mount a white horse and gallop off at a terrific pace. There is a good-natured twinkle in Her eyes when She stops me (the Shadow) plus Horse from disappearing in the clouds. "Take it easy - just get off your beloved mare and let us look at the situation coolly and objectively. Don't waste your enthusiasm - even this will pass away! Valentina's cold showers are most effective and open also the eyes of other students to exaggerations and misconceptions. She has a common sense and a cool head and never exaggerates or loses Her balance.
Another wonderful quality of Valentina. She never asks personal questions, neither does She encourage them. She simply gets up and leaves.
Her compassion goes also out to the souls of the dead. Hearing that a dear relative of mine had led a most unhappy life, She prayed with me for the peace of that poor soul. She prays as naturally as She talks and breathes and without the slightest pomp.
Valentina is a strong disciplinarian. No idle talk is permitted in Her garden. The worldly atmosphere is not allowed to mingle with the Sacred Atmosphere of the Place. Without saying anything, She makes people obey the unwritten law of Her garden - in Her presence, they behave, whether they want to or not. If people are very insensitive, Valentina goes into silence or She disappears.
I would also like to mention Her fluency in languages. Although English is not Her mother tongue, She uses it masterfully, with an elegant English accent at times. At times it is an American accent; at times, the accent is slightly continental, but always very elegant and pure. She knows other languages as well. I am particularly intrigued with Her use of Austrian idioms. Her native tongue is Russian. Although She was born in China, She knows Her language perfectly, it is Her best language. Her mastery of speech is well shown in Her discourses. She can take any topic and put it into a concrete concentrated idea which everybody understands at once. She is an improvisor in any art. She instantly adopts the language and culture level of the person She deals with. With simple people, She is simple, with intellectuals, She is intellectual, with handicapped or sick, She is absolutely humble, compassionate and outpouring - making them feel at ease, as if they were with a loving mother.
Looking at the students in Her garden, you would think, "Time stands still in Valentina's garden." There are two particularly sweet women who do not belong to our century. They look as though they had walked out of the Bible. Faces like prayers of life-long Devotion and Self-Sacrifice. When they leave, hand in hand, like two Soul-Mates, Valentina looks after them with a tender smile - I see She is touched.
You will always hear soft music out of Her room. She lives with music and She Herself is like a song - a Hymn to the Lord.
Yes - Wonderful Music! Chopin is Her constant background. Schumann, Scriabin, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven. She, in Her cell has continuous SanKirtan, it is obvious to us who sit outside waiting for Her to come out for the class.
It is interesting and it is appropriate to mention here - that Valentina completely surrendered Her life and needs to Gurudev. Whenever She needs something - Gurudev takes charge of it, She says. She had a tiny portable gramophone for many years. When it became hoarse and could not serve - the new wonderful player was presented to Her, without Her request, of course! And the exquisite library of the best records. Her favorite instrument - piano - Her favorite pianists: Novaes, Richter, Rubenstein, Horowitz.
Dresses, sweater, bathing-suits particularly! -scarves - all come to Her - people load Her with the prettiest things which She immediately shares with others. Amusing thing - that when She needed new rugs for the classes - a colored man brought Her a lovely rug which was discarded by some hotel and laid it at Her door. Money too, comes to Her, just enough to give to those - She said - whom I cherish dearly.
Valentina's mercy embraces not only humans but all living beings, including the ugliest huge tropical palmettoes (roaches). She never hurts anything. She says, "Get out quickly - I didn't invite you here!" When everybody itches from the bites of the mosquitoes, She never notices them and She claims they do not notice Her either! People often ask Her, "Valentina, can you ever be angry?" She says, "No. But I can be furious if the Lord chooses me as an instrument of Indignation. May this never happen!"
You cannot beat Valentina as a diplomatist. Her "Shadow" had to extricate herself out of a ticklish situation. "Valentina, what shall I do? How shall I explain?" Valentina, "Very simple. You raise your hands to Heaven (desperately) and then point to your throat and pretend you are too sick - you cannot talk." (I happened to have a slight sore throat and needed rest.) I was annoyed by some visitors.
There are two very recent experiences I wish to put on record.
Last Friday, we had our Seminar (the high-point of the week), anticipated by all of us with great joy. Imagine my surprise when I noticed that the atmosphere was entirely different from that of other meetings. There was some inertia. It was an intimate group without any newcomers. The whole group was unlike other times (Phlegmatic, on the point of snoozing!)
I tried to understand and attributed this quite unusual phenomenon to the indisposition of a very brilliant student (one of our star performers). To my amazement, even I kept my mouth more shut than open. Discussing this fact with Valentina, She told me that She practiced a little experiment on us. She decided this time NOT to lead, NOT to kindle the flame in us, but just to relax and watch us! Nobody noticed Her mental attitude because outwardly She was just as brilliant in Her answers as usual. But, as She explained later - She could not care less. She mentally was very indifferent to all of us. The result was our snoozing!
This impressed me immensely. I understood only now that scholarship is nonsense! It is the Flame of a great heart which kindles. So the moment She lost interest and withdrew Her Flame - we, in spite of our intellectuality, became empty and dull. This, it seems to me explains why brilliant movements degenerate after the death of their leaders.
And last night (Sunday) we had open house. Asanas for about 12 newcomers who were all encouraged to ask questions. Valentina - sensing the unspiritual level of the new students, with a twinkle in Her eyes, directed their questions toward diet. The response was overwhelming. The faces became radiant! Again I realized Her power to do anything She wants with people - I observed Her on many occasions and I know that one can magnetize and compel others if one is able to forget oneself completely.
Valentina entirely merges into others and they become Her shadows, Her reflections, Her obedient children, regardless whether they are 8 years old or 80! When Valentina gave these new students a recipe of Kasha with sunflower oil (with Her endearing "Yiddisha Mama" intonation), the enthusiasm became boundless. She had conquered the heart of every person present! I expected them to love Her to pieces. The festive atmosphere created by this elevating topic, reached its climax when one of the guests took the center of the stage, entirely overcome by the coziness of the occasion. She was touched. She ran to Valentina towards the end of the discourse and at this moment I became concerned about Valentina's safety! I expected them to carry Her off on their shoulders. They did not get a chance. Valentina disappeared with Her usual speed. (Miss Valentina, I laugh tears writing this!)
When I was still in Boston, Valentina wrote me once, "I am always with you." She repeated these words to me the other day, "I am always with you." It sounded like my mother, "I am always thinking of you." I asked Her, "But you have so many things to think of. How do you manage?" Valentina: "This is my secret."
I was reading in a letter from a devotee to Valentina, "I always feel your Presence." Now, I believe, I understand. When you have faith in God, isn't He always near you? When you have faith in Valentina, who is one of His rays of love and goodness, isn't She always with all of us?
I used to complain about a cramp in my neck, as a result of which I often had to interrupt my work. Massage and exercise did not help very much. Then I listened to Valentina telling us how She seized a hot poker and burnt Her hand severely but, since She did not pay any attention to the sore (She was absorbed in a fascinating thought at the time), She did not feel the pain and the sore healed very quickly.
Now, when the pain starts, I ignore it. I continue my work as though it did not exist and it disappears. I am just not interested in ME anymore. Thanks to Valentina, we learn to conquer our physical, mental, and moral ailments.