consciousness created by ecological space

The concept of the Traditional Ecological Landscape (TEL), as introduced and explained by Michael Blackstock in Faces in the Forest: First Nations Art Created on Living Trees (McGill-Queen's University Press), is a highly valuable concept that can be applied to our ways of thinking about today’s commoditized natural world. The unique element in this definition that lends a certain depth of perception to this idea of landscape is “langscape”. The significance of this word in relation to the construction of consciousness (awareness of a particular self located in space and time) and the interrelatedness of this consciousness and our understanding of the natural world, as generally material-centric, post-modern western/European people, is where the potential lies for generating new ways of thinking and being in the world, most especially the natural one.

This notion of a “langscape”, a specific geographical location that is intricately interwoven with language, recognizes the influence that our cognitive capacities have had on the world around us. Our desire to name things reflects our receptivity to the forces we experience in the natural world; forces that seem to seek acknowledgement. This acknowledgement results in the signification of these elements and events, marking them with words that describe and hint to the qualities and/or emotions evoked by the element or event. 

The idea that consciousness is created by this ecological space, wrought with signifiers, natural forces that seem to seek recognition, and both mythological and historical events, is one that lends itself most easily to indigenous peoples. The very means they have to communicate with one another are steeped in this type of awareness with the world around them precisely because that is the context in which they relate. “The indigenous languages have place names, plant names, and calendar names that give tone and texture to the TEL.” (177) However, simply because a traditional people living in a specific geographical location and perhaps a specific time as well, have this intimate connection with the world around them, we (and I speak for the post-modern, western, materialistic culture) should not abandon the links forged between the human world and the natural world. We have so much to learn from this way of relating emotionally to our surroundings and then marking those surroundings with language so as to not forget that experience/revelation.

Additionally, seeing one’s own sense of self as being generated outside of the physical body – consciousness being generated in the ecological sphere – is certainly quite different from how the post-modern intellectual operates. The compartmentalization, deconstruction, and objectification of practically every experience results in a kind of disembodiment, however one that is entirely self-centered. This exterior generation of a sense of self and the recognition of that self’s inherent place in relationship with the surrounding world is the valuable recognition that most people who are in a situation (financially, intellectually, philosophically, morally, socially) to actually do something about the state of the world need to take into consideration. It is only with this sense of self that recognizes its inherent part in and of something much larger than itself that we will be able to make the necessary changes to our lifestyles (manifesting on the exterior and interior dimensions of our being) that will bring about the changes that could increase the chances that humankind will not only continue to survive, but actually begin to truly thrive.

The One Is Perfect

It is precisely because there is nothing within the One that all things are from it.... Seeking nothing, possessing nothing, lacking nothing, the One is perfect and, in our metaphor, has overflowed, and its exuberance has produced the new: this product has turned again to its begetter and been filled and has become its contemplator.

Plotinus
Philosopher c. 205-270 AD

JAY MA GANGA

i spent 3 days in rishikesh and really loved every second. between enjoying some chai in a river front restaurant, to investigating the wares for sale in the many shops that line the streets of lakshman jhula, to watching the crowds of indian holidaymakers move across the suspension bridge (very colorful!), to sitting and just trying to absorb it all...

i spent a lot of time in contemplation that gently dipped into deep meditation while seated along the banks of the ganges. i managed to mentally prepare myself for my home return, because i am back and there is no culture shock - i really feel like i've just stepped back into what i left 31/2 months ago. i did go see the famous ganga arati preformed at the Parmath Niketan ashram, with the Guru : Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji. I arrived early, or so i thought, but all the good seats were already taken. i squeezed in next to this lovely older indian woman who saw me looking a little disapointed at the lack of seating, and pushed over saying, "why not?" the opening bhajans were lovely, all accompanied by young boys dressed in yellow. harmonium, tablas, and vocals - all properly amplified (i really enjoyed watching the boy in charge of the mixer, he was very self-important, constantly adjusting the sound on each by very tiny increments) - completed the setting of the mood. sunset over the ganges, the young priests also in yellow preforming homa (the fire sacrifice) at the river's edge, and then Swamiji walked in, his magnificent mane flowing behind him. but i was so unsettled by looking at his eyes! i was expecting this enlightened master (i had watched a tv special about him when i was ill in tiruvannamalai, and had all these expectations...) and while his presence was powerful, i think maybe it was because of the collective attention focused upon him. in any case, i was not impressed and slightly disturbed by the quality of his eyes.

on my last morning in rishikesh, i arose with the sun to go take my ganga bath. before then i had been afraid to do so, due to the power and energy of the river. also, i did not know where the best place would be for me to go - a western female, alone. i was wandering up the river bank towards where i had heard there were some beaches, but when i arrived i found signs proclaiming great danger and also i noticed that an indian man had followed me there, so no bathing at this spot. it was beautiful, however, and i took some photos and collected the sliver sand that covered the beach. as i was walking along it, i noticed this cute little hut up on the hill, and as i was imagining who lived inside and how neat it would be if i was sitting up next to the house, drinking chai with its inhabitant, out popped this old man with long white hair and a long white beard dressed all in yellow. he waved me on up to his house, and i went. babaji, as he told me his name was, showed me his lovely garden and offered me chai. i quickly learned that he has been a yoga teacher for 40 years, and he still does teach. he showed me some incredible moves - just looking at him you would never suspect that he was that flexible or that strong. "babaji take no money, only material". he showed me a book of photos taken by foreigners and gifted to him - people from all over the world have stumbled upon his little abode on the banks of the ganges and studied yoga asanas and philosophy with him in exchange only for food. it was very neat talking with him, and i couldn'y believe that on my last morning i had encountered such a character. but that is how it is in india - always characters to encounter. babaji advised me on where to take my ganga bath - across the river from his house, in fact - and i was on my way to bath in the holy waters.

the moment of total immersion was all that i had hoped for. the river had changed color over the course of the few days i had been there - first milky aquamarine, then dark brown (it rained) and then less dark brown and milky, and on my last morning the water was returning to the color i had seen on my first morning. it still was nowhere near clear - and being a big river i was sure that there were big fish, and id rather see them than just feel them nibbling on my toes - but clean and fresh. the water was cold, and quickly moving and i recited mantras as i dipped under... i stayed along the banks for at least 2 hours, just looking and sitting with an empty mind.

mysore

i came to mysore intending to stay 3 maybe 4 days. it is now day number 19. as soon as susanna (a friend from the ayurveda course in kannur) and i pulled into town on the bus, i told her that i really liked the way this town felt. this is why i have stayed so long - practing yoga at various shalas (astanga), attending philosophy class, swimming at the pool, exploring the fascinating architecture in different parts of the city, wandering the devaraja market, conversing with fellow yogis and intellectuals over chai, getting blessed by the priests ontop of chamundi hill...

i came with suzanna because her friend, gibran, had an apartment that he had rented for the entire month. we were planning on all traveling together to go visit belur, halibib, and sravanabelagola. however, our departure was pushed back from saturday to sunday to monday to tuesday - and we managed to leave on wednesday morning. the three towns were great - in order i would reccomend visiting halibib, sravanabelagola, and then belur. the temples in belur and habibib are incredible - examples of hoysala architecture and extremely intricately detailed. at sravenabelagola there is a 17+metre high stature of a jain saint on top of a mountain composed of explosed rock - basalt i think. we climbed up the 614 steps hewn out of the mountain side in the afternoon - barefoot, as is required. the views from the path up as well as the top are beautiful - karnataka is a lovely lovely state with wide plains randomly punctuated by lobs of mountains and rocks. the statue itself is beautiful - there is something to be said of giant statues carved out of one piece of rock - and such grace and elegance in the lines. halibib, where we stayed overnight - is quite delightful. fresh and small, with only 2 guesthouses and 2 restaurants, and many elegant temples. in the morning, after our breakfast of puri, rice bath, vada and coffee/tea - we walked up the hill 2 km to see the rarely visited jain temples. we were the only ones there - a wedding procession had just visited before us to obtain blessings and their offerings were the only sign of life in the three temples. such stillness and grace inside the elegantly simple temples. out of all the temples i have visited, the jain temples are the most elegant and have the most calming and settling effect.

on our return to mysore, i was deeply conflicted with what to do with my remaining time in india. one month was just too short, and i really really liked how mysore felt - how life moved, the people i was meeting, the opportunities here for study and growth. so, i have stayed. i found a room in a delightful house (sutra house) in lakshmipuram - south of the center of mysore. there is a wonderful garden where i take my fruit salad and tea every morning (brought to me by the delightful ratna or jaya - the two maids who keep this house running smoothly). the decorations in the house are well chosen and very nice - lots of old prints and neat statues and great fabrics. stan, the frenchman who 'owns' the house, is a most delightful tour guide and conversationalist. i practice astanga at sthalam 8 - a 7 minute walk away with ajay, a young yoga teacher. i never was a fan of astanga, but i am starting to like it - especially because it is to straightforward (easier for private practice). the philosophy class i attend with Narashima is amazing as well - a room full of westerners sitting at his feet, while he elegantly explains away our doubts regarding anything indian - philosophical, cultural, spiritual.

perhaps the most important thing i have learned here in mysore (other than regaining my focus, which was highly distored in kannur) is that i really don't have to waste time and energy wandering all over india looking for something which i can't even name. staying put, at least for me right now, has been providing the most depth in my practice and exploration of the interior dimension of consciousness.

thursday, i leave for rishikesh. i could not leave india with out a bath in the holy mother. i decided that just a taste of the north would be appropriate, because if i liked it too much i would really have a difficult time leaving. also, it is extremely hot in rishikesh right now - much worse than mysore (which has been having spectacular sunsets due to the clouds that blow in every evening - freshening everything up). i suppose that i can handle 45C for a few days...

kannur

i have been residing in kannur : "ur" = place of; "kan" = baby krishna --> or more commonly, the place of krishna. this 'modern' indian city is quite nice - suprisingly green, relatively clean, and rather well off. for the past several weeks i have been completely absorbed in my course and training in ayurvedic massage and panchakarma therapy. when i am not busy with theory class, practicals, studying, or practicing - i am off exploring the surrounding areas and shopping in the crazy network of streets that comprise the market.

i am sharing a house with an amazing hungarian couple: Robert and Csheela, and also Hiro, a japanese boy who has been looking after the house for Mika (who owns the house, and is presently in japan). Hiro's friend, Ciril, has befriended us, and basically helps with everything. he has taken us to adikadilai beach - which is pristine and private (read: western swimwear allowed!), and also trekking to a waterfall in a river on the boarder of karnataka, where we saw signs of elephants and spent the afternoon just sitting in the cool water, splashing and laughing and singing and sharing about our countries. he also took us to mutthapan- a unique religious ritual found only near kannur - which entailed an elaborately painted man dancing around in trance and acting out a scene from the upanishads - who then channeled a diety. at this point in the ritual all the attendees came up for darshan and to speak to the god about their problems. it was really very beautiful and quite moving - the energy was potent and tangible. this weekend i plan to attend a larger ritual (the one i mentioned was very small, maybe 40 attendees) which apparently marks the end of the theyyam season. theyyam is a similar ritual - involving trance dancing, prayer, acting out of mythological stories, elaborate head dresses, fire walking/rolling, and these last ALL NIGHT LONG. the best part is usually around 5 am, where the ritual peaks in intensity. both of these rituals are accompanied by drumming the entire time.

my course is comprised of one french woman, a man from portugal, 3 saudi's, the hungarian couple, and a young doctor (BMS) from goa. together we have explored the theory and history of ayurveda, and i think that i actually understand the tridosha concept! really! however, a month is really a VERY short amount of time to spend learning all this, and i can completely see why india requires 5 years of study to recieve a BMS (their degree of ayurvedic doctor). ive only barely scratched the surface of a ginormous pluton of information - rich in texture and stunningly deep.

one interesting thing i learned in class when we were discussing the history of ayurveda, is how the buddha died. due to the buddhsit belief in non-harming, the use of surgery in ayurvedic medecine declined. the surgical techniques that they had developed were top notch - they preformed brain/crainal surgery as well as cosmetic surgery (changing the shape of the nose and ears) thousands of years ago. however, the buddha developed an infection in his anus, where a new channel is created by infection going from a hole or wound in the colon through the muscle tissue in the butt. you end up with two holes then, where waste material moves through. obviously, the infection-caused channel is quite painful (and i think can be fatal), and one way of healing it is by taking a medicated string and passing it up through the channel and then down through the rectum and out the anus. you continue this process until the string will no longer go up through the channel, which indicates that it is healing and has closed off. this is what the buddha was prescribed, however he did not follow the doctor's orders and perished.



regarding PHOTOS: i have selected the best representations, and have posted them all on facebook, where the format is much easer to deal with and view, so please, if you wish to view them navagate to(three different albums):
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=109821&l=85520&id=527995523
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=98918&l=d01aa&id=527995523
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=104798&l=4eb15&id=527995523

tiruvannalamai

this lovely town in tamil nadu, about 3.5 hrs west of pondicherry, is home to the ramana maharshi ashram, as well as mt. arunachala - the abode of shiva. i left auroville on tuesday morning, after sharing another energy home experience in pondy with nalasa and mike. we had the famous 9 in 1 herbal drink which really is amazing and must be tried. in it these 9 herbs are blended with coconut milk: durva grass (cynodon dactylon), thduvalai (solanum trilobatum), gotu kola (solanum nirgum), indian goose berry or amallki (phyllanthus emblica), veld grape (vitis quadrangularis), bhangra (wedelia calendulaceae), matsyakshi (alternathera sessiles), and ballon vine (cardiospermum halica cabum).

the bus ride to tiru was nice and for part of the way this indian man sat next to me and jabbered away in tamil and broken english, trying to communicate with me. i was able to learn, through hand signals and inference, that he got married one year ago to a woman who was sitting in the front of the bus, and they just had a baby boy (she was holding him) of whom he was very proud. he was only 2 years older than me, and had studied biology in college, but now he works using his hands (im not sure doing what). i thought that it was really funny and great that even though we obviously couldn't communicate with any degree of depth, he still continued to talk to me and ask me questions about all sorts of things (most of which i didn't understand) and for a lot of the conversation, i just guessed what he was asking about and talked away in english. when he got off the bus with his wife, he grinned broadly and held up his baby boy for me to see as the bus pulled away.

i arrived in tiru and went straight to the ashram, where i had a booking to stay. as soon as i entered the gates of the ashram the busy chaos of tiru melted away and there was just so much peace in the air. i was so happy with my room - comfortable mattress, screened windows, a desk, a fan, and even a western toilet down the hall! it was quiet and lovely and clean! i relished being able to lounge around naked in my room, which i couldn't do in auroville because i was staying in a dorm. i went to the samadhi shrine as soon as i was settled, and sat. i ended up just sitting and sitting and sitting - the energy of the place coupled with the enormous collective intent of all the devotees was powerful and almost palpable. i sank into my self and floated there blissfully for hours that first night. i didn't even wander around the ashram to see the other buildings and was even a little late to dinner. i was so impressed with dinner as well: at least a couple hundered banana leaves were laid out on the floor, very orderly with a cup of water. everyone files in and takes their seat behind a banana leaf, then the kitchen staff comes around with buckets. each one carries a different item and one after another you get a scoop of rice then various curries and sambar and fruit and spicy paste and more rice and milk. breakfast was served the same way, except instead of a banana leaf you ate off of a plate made from smaller leaves pinned together wtih twigs (so exquisitely done!!!!!) and you had idly (little rice pancakes) instead of rice. the food was heavenly and the love and attention placed into it you could taste. some of the men, as they came around with the buckets of food, were chanting mantras, which even further intesified the energy of the dining hall. and of course, there were pictures of ramana maharshi on almost every available wall surface.

unfortunately, in tiru i came down with some sort of stomach/digestive issue (which has finally resolved itself, thank god, after a little more than a week). this affected my mood after the first day, as i didn't feel good and the idea of moving about was not too high a priority for me. however, this made sitting in meditation quite easy, so i sat and sat and sat. but after a whole day of this, i was quite frankly a littled bored. on my way to distract myself with internet, i ran into this man i had met at dinner the night before. we got to talking on the street, and we ended up going up to the caves on mt. arunachala. it was something i definetly wanted to do, however there were signs everywhere advising lady devotees to not make the trek alone. this whole women as second class citizens and property thing is REALLY starting to get on my nerves and makes me question gender roles and cultural explanations for such unequal treatment. the positive outcome of this is that i really do appreciate my country and all the most amazing and incredible opportunities with which i am blessed.

the trek up to the caves, of which there are 2, took about 30 to 45 min. halfway up, we (the israeli man and my self) stopped and chatted about the persuit of self realization. he had some really good insights, and helped me realize just how ignorant and innocent my ideas really are. we finally arrived at the first cave, which is perched up on the mountain, overlooking the city. you can see the entire shiva temple complex below, as well as an incredible views of the rest of the area - out to surrounding mountains and lakes and plains. sitting inside the caves is so sweet - there is no effort required for meditation, it is the only thing you can manage to do while you're seated inside.

the last night in tiru i stayed at the hotel ganesh international, which is very close to the main temple complex. compared with the ashram, downtown tiru is a circus - but really it is just a typical indian temple town. i saw no westerners in downtown tiru, which suprised me because there were so many of them at the ashram and the little streets surrounding it. i went for darshan at the main temple, wandered around, watched the elephant bless countless devotees with his trunk in exchange for a rupee coin, and wondered about influence that ramana maharshi, this one estatic being, had on the town, the country, and the world.

monsoon!?!

i have retreated to the dry and entertaining space of an internet cafe while the rain comes pouring down. we're scheduled to get another week of rain, which means an alternation between a drizzle, a complete drenching, and hot humidity with the sun barely peaking through the clouds. we did have a few days of sun, which i took advantage of! i brushed some ponies at the pony farm, went for nice long bike rides through the lush jungle, lied on the sand in the sun and splashed in the waves, and went to pitchandikulam- a bioreserve center where they are focusing on propogating the medicinal herbs that are native to this bioregion as well as educating the locals of the natural knowledge which they are losing due to their interest in and the convience/ease of conventional medicine. parvati, the woman who instructs the weekly class, taught us about this herb, savatri (in sanskrit) - also known as asparagus somethingicus (i didn't write it down) in latin. it is a tuber which is very nutritious and helps boost the immune system and imparts energy. the locals chew on the tubers like chewing gum, extracting all the juices they can out of the plant. parvati also said that it was possible to only chew on these tubers while undergoing a long expedition- no need for water! a group of about 8 spent an hour peeling the dried flesh from the stiff inner root of the tubers, so we could make tea. originally the plan was to crush the dried roots in the huge mortar and pestle onsite, but all the rain and heavy humidity affected the tubers for the worse, and they were sticky and not cooperating with the plan of being ground into powder. we all sat around while the water boiled, and spoke of the forest and the ongoing projects happening (lots of women empowerment) and when the tea was ready and an ample supply of jaggery was added (natural sugar), we sipped our tea and picked parvati's brain. she ended up telling us her life story which was really incredible: from arguing with her parents to be allowed to finish her schooling to finding 10 rupees a week for bus fare, to deflecting the villagers mean comments regarding her rebellious nature (just think, a girl finishing high school and daring of thinking of continuing!), and taking care of her whole family...she really just blew me away. she learned a lot about the local herbs from her parents, and acted as a healer while all this was going on as well. now she works to educate women about their native medicine supply and and provides a space for them to come together to support one another in the often harsh marital climate (arranged marriages are the norm, excessive dowries are as well, and often the parents of the groom are not entirely honest about the caliber of their son regarding drinking habits - alcoholism is a big problem here, especially since it is legal to purchase alcohol in pondy (the only place in all of tamil nadu)). so if youre in need of a good and worthwhile place to donate some money to - i would highly reccomend pitchandikulam forest in auroville.

posting photos

i have been sitting here at arka, an internet station in auroville, for about 2 hours, and have only managed to get one photo posted! this is starting to drive me crazy. the internet connection seems fast enough, so it must be the computer itself? maybe too much traffic? ive got about 70 photos that i want to put up, and when it takes 5 minutes to upload just one, im not so sure that this is a viable task...

it has been raining a lot here - monsoon style - for the past 3 days. it is supposed to continue for a few more, however we do get breaks of sunshine. last night i went up after a few card games to look at the stars and watched the thunderheads move past mitra (the guest house i am staying in) on either side, lit up by lightning. directly overhead, the sky was clear and i could gaze at the primordial light penetrating empty space. the mosquitoes certainly like the weather that we've been having, and it is impossible to wash anything because it will not dry! also, the lovely red earth has turned to lovely red mud, which turns everything it comes into contact with the same lovely shade. my toes look like they've been hennaed!

lord of the dance

i went to chidambaram on saturday, by motorcycle. it was a two hour ride (80 km), and when we finally arrived my butt rejoiced! there is this amazing shiva temple complex in chidambaram, and since it was just recently shivaratri, i thought that it would be appropriate to visit. i convinced my friend, walter, who has a yellow bullet, to take me down there. coincidentally, a traditional indian dance festival was happening there that same evening - in honor of the lord of the dance - shiva. after a long lunch of thali in air-conditioned comfort, we wandered into the temple complex.
we entered by the west gate, a side enterance, through one of the four towering gopurams. these gopurams are vividly painted in many colors, and quite impressive (i suggest you google it to get an idea - i didn't take any pictures). after deflecting the donation pleas of a young brahmin, we walked over ancient stones inscribed with mysterious writing towards the main temple. that was actually a little difficult to figure out, because there are several temples inside this complex. we did finally make it, and the late afternoon sun slanted in through the musty air past beautifully carved pillars. there were many brahmins milling about, doing various things, and after wandering through a vishnu temple, we came to see the main shiva temple - which depicts shiva as nataraja, the lord of the dance. it was a little confusing at first, because the statue was so covered with offerings of flower garlands and silk cloth, but we paid the brahmin our 30 rupees to have darshan and it was really quite spectacular to go inside the sanctum, closer to the statue and the busy brahmins, preforming arati after arati for devotees (of which there were many). as soon as i stepped inside the wispered sounds of om namah shiva enraptured my ears, while the flickering ghee lights and smoke from the insence delighted my eyes and nose. the sign outside the gate says that only those free of camera, shoes, shirts (for men) and pure of being may enter. after darshan, i stood outside the main shrine, and continued to watch the activites and contemplate the representation of divinity that nataraja is - and fell into a very still state, which suprised me because there was a whole lot of activity going on all around me. when i came back to reality, i wandered over to another temple, this one to lakshmi, and had darshan. then walter and i found some seats in the quickly filling audience for the evening of dancing.

they certainly saved the best for last, and luckily, after all the young girls preformed, all their mothers and sisters left their central seats, so we moved in for incredible views. it is very important to be able to see the dancer's facial expressions, as they move their eyes alot, as well as keep their mouth in particular shapes. the dancing was SO BEAUTIFUL! i sat enraptured by these women's grace and elegance for 4 hours. the precision with which the accomplished dancers moved was nothing short of astonishing - their fingers were bent into complicated mudras which constantly changed, and they had very fancy footwork which rang the bells they had wrapped around their ankles. it was actually helpful to have watched the not so good dancers, because then i had so much more respect for the accomplished dancers. the musical accompainment was all live, and there were some excellent tablas players as well as singers. all the songs that were danced to were bajans to lord shiva, and there was a lot of moves in the dance that mimiced the nataraja pose, as well as a lot of references to ganga (one of shiva's wives, also the story is that shiva breaks the fall of the heavenly ganges onto the earth by letting her fall first onto his matted locks).

friday night i went to a kali festival in a neighboring village to auroville. it was a new moon, so this festival was a significant event. there were many many people there, and the men were divided from the women and children on opposite sides of this makeshift enclosure which surrounded two large figures made of sand and decorated with flowers and saris and colored sand - as well as the 'entertainer' - a man singing with a microphone and also making jokes(?) and his accompainment - three drummers. after the sun set, and the drumming and singing got a bit more intense, out of the corner of my eye i saw this woman get up and start swaying around dramatically and even a little violently - i thought that she was trying to fight someone at first, but i soon realized that she was possessed by the spirit of kali. once that happened, things started to get crazy. the whole crowed got up (everyone was seated) and surged the fence. the police came around and beat (not actually) back the crowd with long sticks, and made them all sit down again. then, loud fireworks went off behind me, and this huge cart came banging down the road from the kali temple (50 meters away) and everybody got up again and surged the fence. i think at this point they killed a chicken they had tied up (i couldn't see anything - too many people) and these hairy people started running around the enclosure - i think they came on the cart with the statue - and more people with long grasses on their heads. then, people stated throwing things into the enclosure - rupees, peppers, puffed rice, flowers, and i even saw some coconuts go in there. a little bit more shouting then the fence broke and eveybody ran into where the sand figures wer and were waving the smoke from the lights in the sand over their eyes and head, and looking for things in the sand. people were also collecting the sand that the figures were constructed out of and even filling bags with it! the understanding i gained from a drunk villager was that the two figures were an evil couple that fought alot and caused a lot of problems in india - then kali came and killed them and the world is a better place because of it. afterwards, i explored the carnival atmosphere of the temple grounds - people were selling all sorts of things- bangles, plastic toys, sweets, jewelry, and prasad items. there was also a band, for which interesting is the best descriptor. traditional tamil meets bajans meets synth pop. i listened to probably 5 songs, then left. the young female singer, whose voice was lovely, was really not into being there at all. she looked so glum and bored out of her skull.

ive been enjoying auroville very much, but i do miss a little the fishing village where i was staying in pondy. however, the people im meeting are great, and i am especially looking forward to getting my hands dirty doing some volunteer work (of which type exactly, i haven't yet decided).

pondy

everyone at the mother's house is quite delighful, and the first morning at breakfast (amazing fruit salad) i was invited along to the birthday celebrations at auroville the next morning. the bonfire and collective meditation in the ampitheatre began at 5, so we left the mother's house a little bit before then, and arrived just in time. i rode out there with gaia, thomas, and anastasia. gaia and thomas were both staying at the mother's house, and anastasia lives in pondy (short for pondicherry), but is quite friendly with the devotees staying at the mother's house, and eats lunch there twice a week. the bonfire was really quite spectacular, and there was a group of people with chimes that they played once the sun had risen. a procession of children in white made their way with little lights to the urn in the center of the ampitheatre (which contains soil from 120 countries around the world, put there 40 years ago by representatives), where they placed them, and then received more soil (im not sure where from) to place in a large golden bowl a little bit away from the lotus-urn. the matrimandir (this really incredible structure and meditation - or rather place devoted to the concentration of consciousness, more on it later) was lit up and glowing golden behind me, and on our way in we passed a huge banyan tree, with jasmine tendrils tied to its many branches and chrysanthamums scattered around the ground and little ghee lights lit at the base of each root - a really enchanted and breathtaking sight. what struck me was the number of people (the ampitheatre was almost filled) and the incredible silence. i had never been a part of such a large group that was so quiet and still. truly amazing. afterwards, i went with gaia around, socializing, and meeting people. we went under the banyan tree, and i went up to one of the roots/trunks and leaned against it. that tree is really something else - it is vibrating at such a high frequency. i felt as if i was in another world entirely.

the rest of the day was spent at the symposium for the ideal of human unity - the main purpose of auroville is to realize human unity. they had dignitaries speak in the morning, and then the afternoon was filled with aurovillians giving their personal perspective on just what human unity is and how it is realized. the consensus seems to be that it is not something that can be intellectualized or thought through, rather, it is something that needs to just happen, we need to just do it. a lovely image was given related to this topic, a parable from african culture - humanity is like a tree: all the branches are fighting while the roots are kissing. what we must realize is that we all come out of the same trunk and the same roots - even though we may be worlds apart in culture, language, and physical appearance. it was really touching to hear each aurovillian express their view on this matter, which is very central to each of them, as they have devoted their lives to realizing this ideal.

the rest of my time in pondy, i have been shopping (for bannanas mostly), and meditating in the samadhi shrine of sri aurobindo and the mother. i have taken many meals at the ashram, which is quite an experience. you can eat all three meals there for 20 rupees (incredibly cheap), and lunch consists of rice, dal and veggies, curd (a lightly cultured yogurt), 2 banannas and bread. it is quite delicious, and the curd is absolutely amazing (especially with a bit of sugar and a slice of lime!) and the perfect thing to cool your mouth down after eating the dal and rice.

i have also gone into auroville to check out some commuinities: the one that is the most amazing is sadhana forest. this couple from israel put all of their life savings into this chunk of land on the outskirts of auroville, and what they are doing is replanting the native dry tropical jungle that used to be here - everywhere in fact, before european (read brittish and french) 'invaders' clear cut it all. 40 years ago, auroville was literally a desert wasteland. there were no trees, just hard red soil that easily eroded when it rained - resulting in large ravines. when auroville started, they began by planting trees to date over 2 million have been planted. auroville itself is a jungle now (someplace i feel so much more at home wandering around, compared to the city streets of pondy). sadhana forest did not have that extensive tree planting project take place because it is outside of auroville. about 6 years ago, when aviram and his wife (bless her soul, i can't remmeber her name!) came, they begain by replanting the native forest. they also work with water conservation - they are terraforming the hills (very slight hills, mind you) to capture every last drop of water. to date, their work has raised the local water table 6 meters!!!!!!!!! that is truly incredible and significant. aviram reminds me so much of roel (of windy corner's farm in charlotte, vt) and he is jolly and led a group of ladies from the mother's house around the property and showed us the solar system, with bike powered back up, and the water tank (incredible water there - soo soo soft! and most excellent for drinking too! (yes, its been tested extensively) and the gardens and the various open-air houses - in short tropical paradise that is UBER sustainable. they want to leave as small an impact on the land as possible, while doing as much good to the land as they can by regrowing the native forest and conserving the oh so precious water.

the bliss of the lord of the universe

listen - too much happens here to actually detail what i have been up to, so bullet lists may soon appear. however, i will do my best to catch up to today - the 6th of march.

i ended last with a bit of suspense, so here is the resolution: ok, so i had a delightful cup of chai and a package of tiger milk biscuits for breakfast, and took a picture of it to remind myself of my last breakfast in ganeshpuri. the chaiwalla told me the best way to get to mumbai (less crowded) and soon thereafter i was off to visit the swami. i sang the whole way up the mountain: gam ganapatie, namo namah - the chant that is played continuously at the temple up there, and when i arrived swami was suprised to see me, but delighted. to me, it seemed like i was going to visit an old friend, there is something very familiar about him. i asked him if it was okay if i called him swamiji (i was having quite a hard time pronouncing his full name - vishveshwaranda) and we sat under the awning where he receives devotees. tuesday i soon learned, was ganesh's day - two female devotees came with fruits and flowers for ganesh. additionally, there was a western female there as well - sangeeve, a devotee of gurumayi. together we all had darshan with swamiji. he talked in english and marathi alternatively, and he spoke of the role of the guru and also of the water shortage. in his presence i felt electrified and his voice was very resonant, and his eyes were sparkling - sangeeve said that his shakti was so strong due to his practice of keeping silent for most of the day. i could only agree. at noon we preformed arati at the ganesh temple, and i accidentally gave all of my prasad to the cows (there were two cows and i got two bananas, so i thought that was what i was supposed to do) and we preformed arati at the other two temples on the hill top - then we all (sangeeve, myself, the two devotees, the ashramites (4 old men) and swamiji) took lunch together in the ashram's main building. this is a very basic structure - brick walls withholes for windows and a palm leaf roof. it was really sweet eating the absolutely delicious food with my fingers, right alongside the indian women (who i have come to absolutely adore!). afterwards, swami beckoned me aside, and told me to come tomorrow, as he would give me private instructions related to my spiritual path. i agreed, glad to have a reason not to leave ganeshpuri, and sangeeve and i walked back to where she was staying. I was introduced to yogini - her host, and mr datta, or simply datta - a delightful man from mauritis (island of the coast of madagascar). the accomodation there was really quite nice, and i actually ended up staying there for the rest of my time in ganeshpuri. we went on an afternoon adventure - datta had to send something by courrier - all the way to vikhar - about an hour + ride from ganeshpuri. yogini is a roboust woman, and cannot walk around very well, so i experienced vegetable shopping from the car - she waved over the veggie sellers to her - they all knew her - to inquire about prices and bargain. i booked a train ticket to chennai so i could make my way to ganeshpuri, and the next available train was on sunday at 8 pm! so i was destined to stay in ganeshpuri through the weekend, which delighted me as i would be able to chant the guru gita again and also have darshan and meditate in baba's mahasamadhi.

the next morning i awoke (5am) in the room i had shared with sangeeve - and she was gone, along with all of her luggage! i was dumbfounded, but continued on with my program (morning asana on the wonderful rooftop - this time facing the moon, as it was setting, then 6 am arati, then meditation in nityananda's sleeping room - a very powerful place). i actually managed to get seva in kailas (what they call nityananda's house) - which is apparently difficult to do - but i just asked and ganapatim (the caretaker?) said ok, and gave me a broom. i lovingly swept the area around nityananda's chair - and beat out the mats that people come and sit on for meditation there. after i finished, i swept out the kitchen area, and then shared prasad - sweet milk with a hint of coffee powder - with ganapatim and nora, a woman from mexico who was doing lots of seva, 'good seva' in kailas (from 7till 11 every morning!). it was wonderful talking with her, but due to sangeeve's strange and unnanounced dissapearance, i hastened to get back to yogini's in case she returned (i had the only key). ganapatim said that i could do seva the rest of the time i was in ganeshpuri - which i delighgfully accepted! - for a few hours every day.

sangeeve had not returned, and yogini seemed to think that she wouldn't, so i headed off to bramhapuri and my meeting with swamiji. i arrived and he was preparing things for a special puja - apparently it was poornima (full moon) - big day for the goddesses. i thought that it was the following day, as that is what my calendar says, but i was mistaken. in any case, i had the most delightful time assisting swamiji in the pooja =- it took about an hour and a half - first lots of chanting, then cleaning this magnificent gold plated pyramid thing (i really should know what it is called, i will find out!) with first water, then milk and ghee, then water, then coconut water, then water, then rosewater, then repainting it with kumkum and throwing lots of flower petals on it - all the while chanting. during this pooja, swamiji dubbed me saraswathy - goddess of learning and knowledge - as he placed the yellow and then red kumkum on my third eye. i haven't mentioned yet - i don't think- but all the indians that i was meeting in ganeshpuri and mumbai could not pronounce luella - so i just started introducing myself as sarah. that is where, i think, swamiji got the saraswathy. swamiji did give me some instructions after the pooja - he gave me three mantras to memorize and gave me a meditation technique - and i stayed for the noon arati. i told him that i was not leaving ganeshpuri until sunday, so i would be back. he asked me if i could cook anything, and i said yes, of course - so he asked me to bring food to cook for tomorrow's meal, which i excitedly agreed to. however, when i got back to yogini's, datta and vinot (another swami (?) i met while meditating in kailas) were there, and over chai i explained my morning. they both immediately warned of potential druggings and the fact that the swami only wanted money from westerners, so i was thrown into a state of conflict. i did go out for evening arati with datta, and i did buy the mungdal and rice to make kitcheri, intending to still go visit swamiji the next day, but the universe had another plan indeed.

i awoke at 4, for the early morning arati, which vinot accompanied me to. vinot was very overprotective, and insisted that he come with me to arati - even though i had been tramping around ganeshpuri in the very early morning by myself for several days now - and proceeded to direct my every move from thereon out. however, once i got into meditation in nityananda's room at kailas i started feeling quite terrible - faint, dizzy, very hot, and constant runny nose. my stomach was also giving me warning signs... and i had a very clear thought come to me - i must take care of my physical body if my spiritual work and progress is to continue. so i left (no seva, which i was dissapointed about, but really felt quite bad and couldn't do it). i went back to yogini's and went back to bed, with the intention that i would wake up in a few hours and go on to cook for swamiji, as at that time is was only 6am. i had crazy dreams (one with lots of snow and ice) and suddenly i was awakened by a loud knocking. i answered the door, and there was vinot, checking on me. on the wall behind him was a clock and it was 5pm! i absoutely could not belive it! i had slept all day long, on thursday, which is guru's day and a special day in ganeshpuri. i did manage to make it down to the village (yogini lives halfway between the nityananda temple and the gurudev siddha peeth ashram) for palike - the procession they do every thursday of a mini statue of nityananda around the town. the whole way people come out with little trays of flowers and coconuts and insence, and have the brahmins preform an arati for them while the whole procession (which i was a part of) waits, continually singing songs to nityananda. however, after only 20 mins or so, i was really feeling faint, and got some water and left the procession. that evening, yogini insisted again that i take milk with ghee and tumeric to help my cold. she really did insist, and i couldn't say no (or it would have offended her) so more things into the system that really did not serve it at all. vinot was administering me warmed honey with ginger, which was helpful, as was a tea made with tulsi and cardamon.
friday, i awoke feeling much better, no more fever, and i practiced yoga on the rooftop with datta (who has his own style). we had a delightful conversation about spiritual progress, and somehow, the time slipped away and i was unable to get up to visit swamiji - i also still didn't feel as if i had the energy to do so. also, datta and vinot's warnings were still fresh in my mind. that afternoon i went with yogini and vinot to a funeral (of sorts). the 13th day after the death is the last day of mourning/celebration, and we were fed delicious food and pretty much just sat out under the awning for a while. then yogini took us to her favorite temple - a jain temple, which was carved most magnificently out of white marble and really quite beautiful. there we had chai and prasad - a sweet, ghee soaked grain with tumeric and cardamon.
the next morning, guru gita (so so sweet!) and then yoga asanas with datta on the rooftop again. i went to the aratis at the nityananda temple, and also sat for meditation in baba's mahasamadhi twice that day (the two times it was open). i was starting to feel really bad about not going up to visit swamiji - i realized i had to trust my own gut feeling rather than trust these eccentric old men - so i vowed to go the next day. i did, bringing the rice and mungdal and vegetables and fruits (for the cows) and when i got up there, it turned out that a family had bought new clothes for the main ganesh statue - so there was a whole crew of people up there and there was an intensive pooja for ganesh. swamiji was happy of course to see me, he did make a little play of being mad at me, but he made hand signs and facial expressions to indicate that it didn't matter. he gave me a little bag of nuts and dried fruits to take with me on my travels, and he said of course "you go tomorrow" while waving his hand, but i insisted that i couldn't change my train, and had to leave that afternoon. a pleasant ending to an amazing visit - he invited me back next year in march when he and three other female devotees from switzerland?sweeden? i can't remmeber, will all be traveling to kerala on a pilgrimage of sorts (that is where he is from originally).

i hired a rickshaw to take me to the train station in vasai - where i got 1st class to dadar (a station in mumbai) where my evening train to chennai left. all uneventful - traveling by train is quite comfortable, as you can lie down whenever you want, or read, or look out the window at the AMAZING countryside - and not too expensive, and they bring you food, or chai or water or juice or biscuits. i saw some amazing rock formations in the center of the country, made me only slightly jealous that i didn't get out of ganeshpuri and go to hampi, which i still could do, if i so desired.

i arrived at night to chennai, the train was late, as usual, and i would not make it to the mother's house before their 10pm curfew. i decided to get a room in a hotel for the night, and come the next day, when suddenly "sarah, sarah!". there was a man, waving a phone at me. he said that he was vinot's brother, and he offered for me to go stay with him in his house - free of charge. i couldn't really belive my luck, and after he pulled out a corded (yes, corded phone like you would have inyour house) and actually used it to call datta, whom i spoke with there in the train station - he said, yes, of course it was alright for me to go with him - makesh - so i did. a 20 min mororbike ride later (me with my way too big pack on my back) through the crazy streets of chennai, we arrived at his house. it was very nice, and he and his son very extremely hospitable and nice. i am pretty sure that they gave me the only bedroom in the house, and in the morning i had breakfast and makesh arranged a ride for me to the bus stop so i could get to pondicherry, where i have a booking at the mother's house for a month. i was really amazed at his generosity and he said if i have any problems at all, to just call him. i spoke with his sister, who lives in an ashram in hardiwar, and she did some translating for me - his wife and daughter were on pilgrimage in delhi to see nityananda - a disciple of baba muktananda's and gurumayi's brother (complicated story here, will not explain) - and she got my breakfast likes and explained to makesh that i wanted to go by bus to pondicherry (i think that vinot had convinced him to take me all around chennai the next day to see temples and what not, which i really did not want to do). so, with the help of his amma (cleaning lady) i made it to the bus stop and got on my bus to pondy (only 65 rupees).

the ride itself took about 4 hrs, but we passed beautiful scenery - we were traveling along the east coast road. i kept seeing all these square cement platforms on the ground, clustered together, and finally it dawned on me that they must be old villages - the tsunami had swept away all the rest of houses. once i realized that, i started to look for more evidence of the tsunami, and there it was - everywhere. the road itself was new, and i saw places where the old road was - all new bridges and lots of strange half structures and low walls with nothing inside. the beach looked like tropical paradise - lots of palm trees, white sand, and sparkling blue water. i was getting very excited for pondicherry, right on the beach.

i finally arrived at the mother's house that afternoon, and while i was getting a little concerned along the approach (it is right smack dab in the middle of a fishing village, on the northern part of town), after a week i really like the location and smiling at the neighbors and meeting the children (and giving them bananas). everyone who is presently at the mother's house is over the age of 50(i think) - all very nice but all on their own programs.

Ganshpuri

i arrived in the mumbai airport a little before 4am on saturday the 16th. i missed my flight out of delhi (i was convinced that it left at 7pm, not 5pm!) and the next flight i booked was delayed and delayed. i was sleep deprived and anxious, so after some consulting with the very nice information desk man, suri, i hired a car from the airport to take me directly to ganeshpuri. as i watched first the city, then the countryside slide by from the comfort of a new, air conditioned car, i kept thinking, now just what exactly have i done? where am i going and how long am i staying there? will i be able to get out? the ride took about 2 hrs, and since most of the roads do not pass though the, um, nicer parts of town, i found myself getting more and more anxious. however, once we turned off the main road onto the smaller country road (barely enough room for two cars to pass eachother, let alone the huge trucks vividly painted with 'horn please' carrying sand and dirt and people) i started to feel slightly better. the countryside was beautiful, albeit a bit dry looking, but still tropical with palm trees and blossoms. i noticed that there was an awful lot of brick making going on - lots and lots of people mixing sand and clay (i presume most all of the top soil) with water in rectangular holes dug in the ground. next to that were rows upon rows of bricks stacked up to dry. at each area of brick making there were pyramidal shaped mounds of bricks, with smoke wafting off the top. the color change in the bricks told me that this was where the bricks were baked. i passed many of these areas.

suddenly, i noticed a tall fence topped with barbed wire, protecting, so it seemed, the lush green grass and tall trees and flowering bushes that were inside. we made a left hand turn to continue to follow this fence, onto a side road. i realized that this must be the ashram. i was certainly impressed with the magnificence of the grounds, but taken aback by the fence which strongly said "KEEP OUT". also, all that green must mean that they are watering the lawns and trees - i knew that ganeshpuri was situated on a river, but all that watering couldn't be completely good. the main impression i got was $$$.

i arrived at hotel samadhan around 9am, and checked into my room. this hotel is right across (literally) from the Nityananda temple at the center/end of town. i should mention that most people think of Nityananda as a god - you could argue that he was/is Lord - and worship him as such. his photograph appears in many shrines to other gods or incarnations of gods, and in ganeshpuri, at every arati - to Ganesh, Ram+Sita, Bhadra Kali, etc there is a little arati for Nityananda included at the end: Jaya jaya arati Nityananda, Jaya jaya arati Nityananda, Sagunarupi Govinda, Jaya jaya arati Nityananda, Manika Prahbu Tu hosi, Akkalkota Swami hosi, Shiradi Sainatha hosi, Kaliyuga Nityananda banasi, Jaya jaya arati Nityananda, Jaya jaya arati Nityananda".

after i had paid for the few days i was planning on staying, i ran into vijay in the hall upstairs. he is from trinidad, and is a devotee of a devotee (who is now a guru- Sri Vasudeva) of Baba Muktananda. the 'official' siddha yoga lineage goes like this: Nityananda --> Muktananda --> Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, however many received shaktipat from Muktananda and have since gone on to teach and spread his message (and also give shaktipat). shaktipat is a very complicated thing to discuss, so i will not go into it here, but it is a central part of the siddha yoga path - the awakening of kundalini shakti. please go to their site for the accurate info: www.siddhayoga.org. vijay told me that if i hurried i could make darshan at Baba's (Muktananda) mahasamadhi. i did.

i was overcome by the beauty and precision of the ashram (Gurudev Siddha Peeth) when i first set foot inside. in the first area - the temple - is a golden statue of Baba. there are also the most loveliest of photographs of Baba on the walls. from there i made my way into the maha samadhi, where i circled the white marble sepulcher and bowed to the padukas (sandals) which were adorned with fragrant blossoms. i then joined the rest and sat for meditation for the remainder of the hour. Baba's mahasamadhi is only open for a total of 4 hours on the weekends - one hour each in the morning and afternoon, saturday and sunday. many feel that this is outrageous, because all should have access to the mahasamadhi of great beings.

when i returned to my room, i slept for the rest of the day, through into the night. the cold that i found myself with upon departure from agra was worse, and i knew that rest was important. i arose early the next morning for the guru gita (5:30 sharp!) at the ashram. how beautiful and wonderful! there were a lot of people there (mostly westerners) due to the fact that a retreat put on by siddha yoga was nearing its completion. after hearing stories of the guru gita chanting in the ashram from siddha yogis, i was so ecstatic to finally be there, participating. so quickly, the hour of immersion in divine syllables was up, and i was out the door. vijay was waiting outside, with his traveling partner, jeety (another devotee of Vasudeva). together we made our way back to the village of ganeshpuri, roughly a 30 min walk - 20 if you walk fast. we stopped for chai at a delightfuly pink and blue painted chai stall, and had a lovely conversation about life in general. i ended up spending much of my time with them that weekend as they were leaving on monday morning early. both of them are wonderful and have great senses of humor. jeety and i explored the hot springs - 25 rupees for a bath with incredibly hot mineral water - and came out changed! Nityananda used to bathe in those hot springs every morning, and i felt refreshed, recharged, and purified for having done the same. later that afternoon we went on a little adventure to the island in the middle of the river where Nityandanda used to meditate. there were enshrined banyan trees there, as well as many sadhus and several families picknicking. jeety and i discovered a natural source of the hot springs - a circular opening in the black volcanic rock, with incredibly hot, clear water bubbling up. the minerals in the water keep bacteria - aka green slime - from covering the surface. we sat for a while in the shade of one of the banyan's and chatted. i was told later, that in ganeshpuri, there is no gossip - only satsang.

earlier that morning, a local man, ganesh, approached me and offered his services as a guide of ganeshpuri. i accepted, and he took me for a ride on his motorcyle to vajeshwari, the next town over, where there was a hut that muktananda stayed in for several years during his sadhana. keeping watch is a devotee/sadhu who has been doing seva there for 20 years. after meditating for a short while, we preformed arati for nityananda (yes, a little shrine to him inside) and then off to a Shiva temple where Nityananda first stayed, or so i was told, when he came to ganeshpuri. the sunset over the river valley was spectacular.

i was planning on only staying in ganeshpuri until tuesday - i had planned outgoing south to Hampi, an apparently amazing site with lots of temples and ruins and also the opportunity to do some rock climbing (i do have my rock shoes with me!). however, monday afternoon i took a walk up to see the ganesh temple on top of the hill. there are 8 little huts along the path going up, amidst black boulders and brown sand and dry dry grass. it reminded me of photographs that i have seen of tibet and the himalayas. at each little temple i peeked inside - a ghee lamp was burning and insence as well. each little ganesh was slightly different, and carved from black stone (i couldn't figure out if it was the same stone that the mountain was made of). the views of ganeshpuri and the river valley were spectacular - the white domed top of the temple peeking out between palm trees and green foliage. the hill top was deserted, and when i reached the largest ganesh temple just before the top of the hill, i paused. delightful music was coming from speakers hidden somewhere - om ganapatie, namo namah - the mantra of ganesh. as i was peering inside, suddenly i noticed a man coming towards me, waving his arms. i realized that i hadn't taken my shoes off - oops! - and that was what he was gesturing about. he was dressed in an orange cloth, wrapped around his waste, sadhu style, with the white strips on his forehead, arms and legs and various other dots of yellow and red. he wasn't saying anything - but preformed arati at the ganesh temple and gave me prasad and then lead me to a sign on a building that said 'office' - it said that Swami was in silence except for 9:30 to 11:30 am for several years, so could only see visitors between those hours. i did not know that the man leading me around and preforming arati at all the little temples around the hill top was the swami. he took me into his little abode, attached to the main temple on the top of the hill - dedicated to rama and sita as well as a whole slew of other gods and goddesses - and took out a little notbook where he wrote questions down that i answered. conversation was very slow, he was eyeing me up most of the time - and after several pages of his notebook, i said i was going to go. he told me to call him tomorrow, because i said i was leaving for mumbai to get to hampi. he was very emphatic that i call him, so i promised that i would.

in the morning when i went to check out (5am) the hotel owner told me that it would be much better if i waited until between 10 and 3 to take the suburban train into mumbai - it would not be as crowded (go to youtube and type in 'mumbai local train' and you'll see what i mean). so instead of waiting to call swami, i decided to just go visit him in person, and then leave afterwards.

to be continued...

fyi-
i am now in pondicherry, home of the sri aurobindo ashram and auroville. there are lots of internet cafe's here, so i will be playing a bit of catch up over the coming days/weeks. the town is swelling with devotees, as the 29th, friday, is a huge holiday - the supramental manifestation day. tomorrow is auroville's 40th birthday, and i will be attending the festivities there, starting at 5am. i am staying at the mother's house- a guest house of the ashram, and it is very nice - ocean views with my morning asana practice and lovely people staying there (mostly all westerners). its only my first real day in pondy, so ill let you know what all the fuss is about once i figure it out!

please miss, enjoyment of camel?

i arrived in delhi accompanied by a newly acquired short term traveling partner - Annouk. we sat next to each other on the flight from heathrow, and we were both overjoyed at having someone with which to share the entry experience. we managed to get a taxi and make it to her hostel - hare rama guest house in a sketchy part of delhi. the pre-pay taxi men gave us a discount of 10 rupees because of where we were going. that was one harrowing ride in the cold dark to an interesting guest house. at least shiva was there to greet us at the door. i had only one hour before i had to leave to catch my train to agra, so we had our very first indian chai up on the rooftop, surrounded by blue tarps and scrawny cats.

the train to agra was nice - cold and uncomfortable. but for only 72 rupees, one can not complain. i sat next to two dorky middle aged indian men, who listened to hit indian songs on their phones and sang along. the whole way. but really, a lovely soundtrack to accompany my first train ride in india.

i was very excited to see that my hotel - the tourists rest house - was there waiting for me at the station. Jairam, this sweet old indian man explained to me that he would take me around agra, show me the sights and the culture of agra. i couldn't argue, as it was exactly what i wanted, especially once i saw what the city was like. a guide seemed like a perfect idea. it wasn't until halfway through the second day that i realized that i didn't know how much he was going to charge me. i think that the 1500 i paid was worth the peace of mind i had though (even though im sure that if i did the sight seeing on my own that it would have been much cheaper). now that i have had the experience of being ripped off, i can and will be more wary.

in any case, jairam took me to see the baby taj, built 35 years before the taj mahal. it was beautiful, but certainly not as impressive as the taj itself. after viewing the baby taj, he took me to a spot where you can get a rear view of the taj, on the river jamuna. i walked down this path which he pointed out, and at the end was a security area, where soilders were standing guard over the taj. the main man in charge (he showed me his security badge) tried to convince me to ride the camel, take a picture, walk down to the water, etc. unrelenting. i decided to simply leave instead of giving him or his son who was trying to sell me postcards, any opportunity to ask for money. next i went on the typical tourist run - to the hand knotted carpet factory, jewelry store, and inlay marble shop. it was very fascinating talking to the salesmen - who are very good at what they do - and learning more about agra's culture and heritage. apparently the government is trying to decrease the ammount of pollution in agra, so that the taj mahal stays white. to this end, they have eliminated heavy industry in agra, so that all the crafts sold in the city are handicrafts (or at least that is what i was told). i saw the process for the carpet making as well as the marble inlay - which would only be possible because of the cheap cost of labor. it is really quite crazy - the carpet knotters, for example, get paid around 150 rupees a day for their labor, which is finger cramping and eye straining.

i saw the taj mahal by sunrise this morning, and it was VERY cold. once the sun rose it did warm up. i am amazed by the work done on the taj - it is really quite something! and to feel so intensely about another person, and have the means to construct such a monument... i sat in silence while i watched the delicate shift of color and the crowds of tourists snapping photo after photo, bemused. agra fort i saw next. three generations of mughal rulers built and improved upon this mighty display of power, beginning with Akbar. walking around the grounds really transported me to another time, i was awed and amazed by the massive construction and delicate detail. seeing the taj across the river, shrouded in haze, lent an additional mysterious air to the entire experience.

i do not think that i have expressed the crazyness of india - the barely contained chaos, the multitude of people and animals, the cacophany of noise and smell - having the right perspective and approach is crucial. there is a true element of surrender required for traveling on the roads, (unless you're in one of those huge tourist busses) and for travel in general (especially in india). tut tuts are efficient but when it comes down to accidents, mass matters. thankfully, mantra smoothed out my frazzled nerves (or really, it prevented them from getting frazzled).

tomorrow morning early, i am on the intercity express to delhi. i plan on visiting the national museum and perhaps gandhi smriti before catching a taxi to the airport for my evening flight to mumbai. from there, the next morning i will make my way to ganeshpuri. yay!

last day in vermont

as i drove to bhava yoga center in brattleboro this morning, the incredibly white snow clung to every branch of every tree, making them appear larger and more three-dimensional than the normal grey of this time of year would allow. i realized how amazing it truly is that i am able to experience the beauty and stillness of white winter in vermont one day, and practically the next, experience the heat and chaos of india. a giddy euphoria wells up within me as i ponder just how i will be spending the next several months of my life: hot, sun-filled days, spicy foods, challenging experiences, exotic language and land, profound teachings, and enlightening realizations (i hope). 

today saw the final preparatory steps taken: photocopies of ids, traveler's checks obtained, malaria and antibiotic prescriptions filled (emergency only), and my bags packed. there is not much else left to do, other than cuddle darjeeling (the kitten at my house) and gaze at the northeastern stars.

itinerary update:

agra through the 15th, then back to delhi for an evening flight to mumbai. from there i have yet to decide whether or not to continue onto ganeshpuri (late into the night) for saturday morning guru gita recitation, or wait until saturday morning to leave mumbai. ganeshpuri will see me only thruough monday (maybe tuesday) then off to the caves at ellora, and back to mumbai for elephanta island and down south across the tip hopefully stopping at hampi to do some bouldering and temple gazing before establishing myself at the mother's house.

preliminary itinerary

im gearing up for departure (23 days and counting) and wanted to make available some information regarding where i am headed: 

the first two nights i will spend in agra (आगरा), so that i may be blessed with a view of the sunrise over the taj mahal on valentines day. i am staying at a house recommended by the lonely planet travel guide to india. from there, i think that i will make my way back to delhi to fly to mumbai to explore ganeshpuri for a week. i am looking forward to visiting gurudev siddha peeth as well as the area's hot springs and other natural attractions. i am also very excited about visiting the caves on an island off the coast of mumbai - apparently there are some amazing sculptures!

next i will train it to pondicherry (possibly stopping once in the middle of the country on my way there) for my 1 month stay at the mother's house. you really can't beat $6 a day for a private beach front room with a balcony and bath! also, complimentary yoga classes every morning accompanying the sunrise over the sea. 

mid march and my booking runs out at the mother's house, and i have just under 2 weeks to make it to kannur, where i will be studying ayurvedic massage and pancha karma therapies. check out the center's website: www.ayurvedaacharya.com.  i hope to get out and about in kerala, i am most excited about visiting quilon/kollam, as one night a while back a had a dream that seems to match exactly the images and descriptions i have been coming across since deciding to travel to india.

my training ends on the 2nd of may, and for the remaining weeks in india, i plan on visiting hardiwar (हर्दिव) and dharamsala (धरमसाला) (actually, McLeod Ganj) in hopes of catching a teaching of HH the Dali Lama. I do not believe that he will be in residency at the time i will be there, so perhaps i will save that visit for a future date. after the sun and sand of the south, i know i will be looking forward to the mountains and rivers (and relatively cooler temperatures) of the north, most especially the ganges. i hope to leave before the monsoon breaks, but of course i doubt that any adventure in india is complete with out at least one dousing by mother nature, or should i say Indra? (इन्द्र)

truth

i find it fascinating that we rarely (or at least i rarely) look up the actual dictionary definition of common, everyday words. i recently investigated truth, and this is what merriam webster has to say:

1 a archaic : fidelity, constancy b: sincerity in action, character, and utterance
2 a (1): the state of being the case : fact (2): the body of real things, events, and facts : actuality (3): often capitalized : a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality b: a judgment, proposition, or idea that is true or accepted as true c: the body of true statements and propositions
3 a: the property (as of a statement) of being in accord with fact or reality b: chiefly British : true 2 c: fidelity to an original or to a standard
4 capitalized Christian Science : god
— in truth : in accordance with fact : actuallity

in contemplating truth, and the dictionary, i am struck by how beautiful language is and just how amazing it is that these words we use everyday have arrived at a common understanding (at least amongst general cultural confines). true, for example, follows this etymological path: from sanskrit: daruna (hard), daru (tree); to old irish: derb (sure); to old high german: gitriuwi (faithful); to old engligh: treowe, to middle english: trewe. i don't quite understand the jump from old irish to old high german, yet even if there isn't a jump the path of understandng or other ways of thinking about a given word illuminates the exact qualitative characteristics of the word and hints at the extent of depth it possess. of course, i am not an etymologist, and this is from the dictionary (merriam webster), however imagining that true came from thinking about a tree and its qualities is quite extraordinary. just imagine yourself, sitting under a mango tree with your back leaning against the trunk. you think to yourself, the physical sensation of my body against the tree has these qualities: hard, solid, firm, constant...

in my musings of truth, i am taken by the constant quality, or consistance, that truth implies. however, this is not always the case, as many things that we have said and believed to be true were proven otherwise by either time, empirical observations and logical questioning, or simply more information. it seems as if the designation of something as true or possessing truth attempts to create a lasting impression on or molding of reality: our attempts at holding onto something, whether tangible or not, in this ever changing universe? or are we trying to get at something deeper, some quality/element/aspect of life and existence that is actually, at its base essence, consistant?