A Day at the Ashram

Yesterday, Sunday, was the last day that Darshan, blessings from the Holy Mother, were offered. We were not allowed to partake because Amma wanted to make sure that all of the Indian people in this area, her home village, were served.

I began the day with a yoga class, women only. It was challenging for 7 o'clock in the morning. After I meditated for a bit I went and spent some time on the internet writing to all of you. After that I meditated some more using the mantra, a sacred chant, given to me from Amma the evening prior. I found out that she called me here by asking her if she was my Sat Guru, main teacher. The answer was yes! So I asked her for a mantra and, later in the evening, I was taken to her again and she whispered it into my ear. So now I use it to stay close to her and to bring love and peace into my life.

It is very hot here, about 90 degees by noon I believe. I went back to sit in front of the Divine Mother for a bit and watch as others received their Darshan. It is beautiful to observe the village people melting into her arms. Some have known Amma since she was a girl. For dinner I had a veggie burger, my favorite dish here at the Ashram. The food here has been so delicious, the best we have had so far.

On the way back to the room I remembered there was a Puja to Kali at 8pm which I attended for the next hour and a half. People gathered in a space about the size of a garage without doors. This is actually part of Amma's original home. Holy men known as Brahmins performed the ceremony. There was chanting, singing and clapping, flowers thrown into fire and water being offered to the great Goddess Kali. The mood was ecstatic and joyful. When it was over everyone rushed to the bowl of fire the Brahmin held to wave their hands over it and pull the energy towards themselves. I felt so light when I left that I floated up to my room and slept like a baby.

This morning I went to the morning chanting of the 1000 names of the Divine Mother at 5:30am. Afterwards, intending on practicing yoga on the tenth floor balcony while the sun came up, I ended up practicing T'ai Chih for an hour and a half instead. I watched the sun rise into a ball of bright red-orange as I moved with my breath in flowing motion. It was lovely and I still feel it in my body now.

After breakfast I attended a 2 hour workshop on healing energy by Devananda. He is a Japanese man who was a Shinto priest for thirty years and was called by a dragon through a dream to meditate for twenty-one days in a cave chanting a mantra. After that he met Amma and he and his wife now live here at the Ashram. He gave away everything to be with Amma, including a very prominent ashram where he was the head priest in Japan.

Today we are leaving the Ashram and it feels like the right time. The people who live here full time are very intense and sometimes it's difficult to just sit and relax because they are always trying to recruit people for Seva, or volunteer work, in which we feel like we have been partaking in to our fullest ability. The entire Ashram is run by volunteers and I feel that sometimes the ones who live here become a bit resentful of the ones who are just passing through, but life is about choices. We will take a river boat about 2 hours down the backwaters to a small beach community called Varkala. There are supposed to be excellent yoga classes there or you can just practice right on the beach! We plan on relaxing for a while before we head up to Mysore where I would like to do some intense yoga training, but time will tell.
Namaste!
Lynne

Amma Said:

On 27/Jan/06 I attended a Satsang, a question answer period, with Amma. These are a few of the things that she said:

• All suffering is a blessing in disquise.


• Like a mother trying to wake up a child from a deep sleep, God is always trying to wake us up.


• We only seek God when we are suffering. We go along walking in warm sand and eating good food but never think of Him.

Om Namah Shiva

Definition of Hinduism

"Acceptance of the Vedas with reverence; recognition of the fact that the means or ways to salvation are diverse; and the realization of the truth that the number of gods to beworshiped is large, that indeed is the distinguishing feature of the Hindu religion."
B.G. Tilak's definition of what makes one a basic Hindu .

Hinduism is the world's third most popular religion,with around 900 million followers. Those who follow this faith are known as Hindus.About 80% of the population of India regard themselves as Hindus.Hinduism is the fourth most popular religion in Britain with around 400,000 followers.

Hinduism is the name given to a family of religions and cultures that began and still flourish in India.Hindus do not separate religion from other aspects of life. For Hindus in India, Hinduism is an inextricable part of their existence, a complete approach to life that involves social class, earning a living, family, politics, diet, etc., in addition to the things Westerners view as religious.

Is Hinduism a religion or is it a culture? The truth is - it is both a religion and a way of life. India gave to the world the original, oldest and most profound philosophy of life. The brilliant ancestors of present-day indians explored the Truth behind our existence and gave several philosophies and theories to define the Truth. At the same time, they created a set of rules for "good living" on this earth. The philosophical concepts that Indians gave to mankind are eternal and constitute no religion by themselves. However, the rules for good or "Dharmic" living that they laid down constitute the Hindu religion.

The meaning of the word "Hindu": it has its origins in the word "Sindhu", Sanskrit for the river Indus. A philological search would reveal that the people living around and to the east of the river Indus were the ones called "Hindus", Islamic invaders used the word 'Hind' to describe India during medieval period ( In Arabic India is still called ' Al Hind') and they described the people living in India as Hindus. The word "Hindu" was officially adopted by the British during their forced occupation of India to distinguish people of Indian origin who followed faiths that originated before Christ or Mohammed.

Receptivity and all-comprehensiveness, it has been aptly stated, are the main characteristics of Hinduism. Since it has had no difficulty in bringing diverse faiths within its ever-widening fold, it has something to offer to almost all minds. The strength of Hinduism, lies in its infinite adaptability to the infinite diversity of human character and human tendencies.

The country lying between the Himalayan mountain and Bindu Sarovara (Cape Comorin sea) is known as Hindusthan by combination of the first letter `hi' of`Himalaya' and the last compound letter `ndu' of the word 'Bindu'. The origin does not matter except for the historians who want to date everything exactly. Hinduism can be called mother of all eastern religions since it provided the cradle from where other religions like Buddhism and Jainism originated. These religions which originated from Hinduism compliment each other in beliefs.

More Pics from Kerala

Pics: Elephant and trainers; the band from the Hindu wedding; banana leaf used as plate for wedding meal. These were just the appetizers and homemade papad(bread).

In the Arms of Amma

What can I say. Have you ever met a true saint? I suppose it is just like in Jesus' time - when people met him and were in his presence, they must have been blown away too. We are no different here and now. We are just living in a new era. But that doesn't mean that miracles can't happen in our time and that blessings aren't just as abundant as they were back then.

The second day we were here Amma gave Darshan, her blessings, to hundreds of us one by one. Since it was my first time seeing her I got priority and was given the number 1-20 and told to return at noon. I stood in line for a while and then sat in a chair for about an hour. That is where a young woman next to me told me that if I had a question for Amma I could just close my eyes and talk to her because she is God, a beautiful Guru (teacher) of God. When I got in line on stage and was getting closer and closer to her I felt even more of her energy. I don't know how to describe it but it's the same thing as when you walk into a room and something draws your attention. You just feel drawn. It was very hot on stage since high-powered lights were there for filming purposes. As you get closer to Amma her attendants take control. You are guided to your knees once there are only two or three people left in front of you. I watched as people melted into her arms for seconds and sometimes minutes.

When it was my turn I knelt in front of her and watched as the man next to me received his hug. He was pulled away from her and I was pushed in. The whole thing happens very quickly because there are so many people that love her and want to just be near her. When she held me it was as if time stood still. When I watched others before me, I noticed that she was having conversations with her disciples at the same time and thought how distracting that must be. But when I was there nothing else existed. I wasn't aware of anything, not even myself. Once I was released and given Prashad from her I was pulled away and told to concentrate. That's all I heard, a woman's voice saying "concentrate." I went to the side where chairs were placed for people to sit and collect themselves. I closed my eyes and felt in complete bliss. I tried to begin witnessing my thoughts and feelings so I could remember everything, but every time I tried to think I couldn't. No thoughts were allowed into my brain. I felt like I couldn't move, but didn't want to really. For the rest of the day I felt so peaceful - filled with peace. Later on as I sat out on the floor in front of the stage where Amma was I returned to that blissful place I was in right after her Darshan. One of her followers told me that after you are around her for a while you don't need to get as many hugs because she is with you always. I suppose that is what I was feeling when I returned to bliss just by sitting in front of her.

Today I will receive my second Darshan for this trip. Amma goes on tour through India and then the world and leaves on Friday, so the ashram is very busy right now. I am so glad that I had the opportunity for this experience. Amma has an ashram in Ann Arbor, I was told this morning by a nice lady from northern Michigan. I'm afraid she does not have any ashrams in Minnesota yet. She will be touring the states though, so if anyone gets a chance it is well worth the wait.
Namaste.
Lynne

The Ashram

The ashram from our balcony.

The waterway behind the ashram. Notice the boat leaving from our side and heading towards the other shore. It costs 1.5 rupees (43r=$1) to go there and back. On the other side is a small village with shops for fruit, handmade clothing and an internet cafe.

Lynne Gets Married!

Pics: The wedding party - including us!; my friend Shree Lakshmi- 10 year old penpal who practices yoga at school; the real bride and groom; Lynne and Biju- our English speaking friend.

OK, it wasn't my wedding, but we were there and felt like the main attraction. We were on a train from Bombay to Kerala, the furthest state south on the Arabian Sea. The ride was due to last 37 hours total and we were on non-ac class, so it was going to be a long one. We had a 3 hour lay over in Augrabad and took that time to walk and take pictures of the largest statue in India of the Buddha.

Our second train left at 12:30pm and it was 27 more hours to our final destination. We sat in a section with several jovial Indians who openly invited us into their conversation. The next several hours were spent getting to know each other, with them practicing their English, us trying to understand it. They were very friendly, even more than your average Indian, offering us food, an Indian tradition. Around 9pm everyone begins searching for their space on the train to call a bed for the night. Everyone has assigned seats that correlate to a bed area, but Indians are so polite that if someone takes their spot, they simply go somewhere else. The car is set up with three beds on each side facing each other, six beds per section. The small Indian lady that is part of our group takes the bed Eric was planning on sleeping on. So, following tradition, he moves down one. I go to the top where there is less noise and I can sleep later, hopefully. It is getting hotter the further south we go. The night goes by fast until about 4am when the 2 men behind us decide to have a lengthy conversation about something obviously very comical that brings them into several loud rages of laughter. About an hour later I get back to sleep. We all are awake by 7:30am and breakfast is served, 25 rupees later. Not bad though, the omelette (use your imagination) is very spicy, like pretty much everything in India. White bread comes with everything, and not even toasted. I am learning to go with the flow on a whole new level.

Twenty minutes before our new friends are supposed to get off the train, they invite us to the wedding they are all going to attend. Well, YES! If you read any Indian travel book, you will see that it is very common for foreigners to get invited to Indian weddings. It's kind of a novelty and special wedding gift to the bride and groom. So we get off the train, we really don't know exactly where in Kerela, and start playing follow the leader. First they purchase new train tickets for us so tomorrow we can get back on the train and continue to Amma's ashram. We wait for the hired cars to arrive then load our luggage and squeeze in. Next we are taken to the nicest hotel we've stayed in our whole trip - air conditioning and everything!

Another car comes to take us sightseeing. There are six of us squeezed in an old Victorian, reminds me of a car from the fifties with more power. We stop and ask directions every few miles and we are all wondering where they are taking us. We end up at the main attraction in this area, a place where they train elephants to participate in the many festival celebrations all around India. There we see baby elephants around 3 years old tied to trees and practicing newly-learned tricks. After, we are taken to a full-grown elephant, about 8 years we are told. We are asked if we want to take a ride, but it is getting dark and the mosquitos are biting so we decline, but do take pictures. Finally we arrive at a house and yard full of anxiously awaiting wedding guests. No, they aren't waiting for the bride and groom, but for us! The Americans! We sit down in a row of chairs and a procession of men, women and children passes by to shake our hands and ask us questions.

This goes on for about 2 hours and then, before dinner is served, we are being whisked away. HOLD IT! No dinner? Obviously, some of the folks on the train had misinterpreted something we said about not being able to eat the food and drink the water here and thought we wouldn't want dinner. After we straightened that out we were seated at a long table. Tables were everywhere, back to back. Our banana leaf plates were dolloped with all kinds of things, each being served by someone different passing by frequently with a large pot to replace what you have already eaten. This is a very common way of serving many people at once at ashrams. The food was delicious, and the company: you couldn't ask for nicer people. We had our pictures taken more often than the bride - and it was her party. We had our pictures taken with the bride, and her mother and father, and her uncles and cousins, etc, etc.

The next morning three women dress me in a traditional Indian gown, by my request. The bride and other guests are delighted that I wear this gown which I think showed my respect for this country. The heat is overpowering but the wedding is short and very beautiful. Of course we have no idea what is going on most of the time but the colorful dresses and the gorgeous children make up for that. We have one man, Biju, who speaks pretty clear English and tries to keep us up to date on when and where to take pictures. We even are asked to be in the wedding pictures with the rest of the family. The whole thing seemed surreal while it was happening, and like a fairy tale now, looking back. The meal is again served in shifts, like the day before, and seems to us pretty much the same.

We make our way back to the train station after some confusion as to who is taking us and when. We catch the 3:50pm out of there and miss our stop at the ashram because, well, no one is really paying attention. Now looking back it seems so far away and we all believe that everything that got in our way getting here was all a part of the game. Amma is now taking care of us with her beautiful spirit. In line to see her today, a girl next to me summed it all up. She said, "Amma is God and she is your Mother - she'll know exactly what you need!"
Namaste! Lynne

I Reach Amritapuri - Kerala, India

Fearlessness, indeed, is the one of the greatest qualities of a true lover. True love is the state of complete fearlessness. Amma

Well, I am now at Amma's ashram, a place I have wanted to visit since I first found out about her and her work. We arrived via car last night after dark and it was hard to see the beauty that surrounds us now. We are on the Arabian Sea. When I looked out this morning from our eleventh floor balcony once the sun had come up, I saw the palm trees and the waterway that surround this ashram, called Amritapuri. You can read more about Amma on her website at: http://www.amma.org/

This morning at 5 am I attended a one hour session called Archana, which means chanting the 1000 names of the Holy Mother. The women and men were separate and I sat on the floor facing the altar amongst maybe 100-150 others. I didn't have a chant book yet (didn't know I would need it), so the woman next to me gave me hers. I tried to keep up as Amma's voice, a recording, chanted out in Hindi the one thousand names. It was very fast and beautiful but, after about 10 names, I put the book down and just listened. I am pretty good at reading and pronouncing other languages but the names went by so quickly and the next name began while the attendees repeated the one before that I felt completely lost. I felt it was better for today to just close my eyes and take it all in. Sometimes we need to just do that, nothing else. A happy song followed the chanting and then it was 6am.

Outside the temple they gave tea and people sat around chatting as the sun came up. I met a wonderful woman named Doris from Germany. She had been here many years ago when Amma had only a small following and a hut. Now there are people from all over the world and Amma travels extensively. I believe Amma has just returned from one journey, is here for a few weeks and then goes on a world tour, which Doris may be taking with her. I guess if you pay around $2500 you can join her on her tour. Doris is traveling alone for one year and wants to go next with Amma to Australia. We are very lucky to be here when Amma is present and today she will give Darshan, her blessings, which are received and given with a hug. I will let you all know how things are going here when I can but this is my time for peace. So no worries if you don't hear from me for a bit.
Love & Blessings from me and Amma!
Lynne

A True Saint Appears

Mumbai - a hustling, bustling town of marketplaces, movies, Bollywood film makers and rich and poor living side by side. The town is full of tourists from everywhere, but the children still reach out with intrigue to touch a westerner with a handshake and a hello. While in an internet cafe we hear another westerner talking on the phone. When you hear the familiar sound of someone speaking in your own tongue it really stands out! Daniel strikes up a conversation with him and finds that the man has been here for quite some time. He met a woman and fell in love and is now planning a traditional Indian wedding. He plans to stay after the wedding for about a year. This isn't the first story we have heard like this.

He tells us about a man who gives talks every morning at 9am, a sort of saint. He says that about 50 or so people will be gathered outside his apartment waiting, so it shouldn't be hard to find. When we arrive the next morning we see a small gathering that grows to about 40 by the time we are let in. We feel very welcome as people smile and ask the usual questions: where are you from; how did you hear about Ramesh. We make our way up 4 flights of stairs to the top-floor apartment where we remove our shoes at the door. When we go inside it seems so huge compared to the tiny 10 x 10 motel rooms we've been staying in. Everyone seems to be gravitating towards a small room overlooking the ocean where two couches and several chairs are set up for the sermon. Those without a seat take refuge on the floor close to Ramesh's seat.

When he enters the room everyone stands, out of respect for their guru I suppose, but also to make room for this fragile but fiery 89 year old teacher. He sits and bows, we do the same. Outside we were asked if we had any questions for Ramesh. Some people stepped up, knowing they would be placed front row center. The first woman is addressed, asked her name and her greatest fear in life. She replies, "My greatest fear is to grow old and die alone." He is very playful with her as he begins to turn her question around into, "How can you be at peace in the everyday moments of your life and stop worrying about things?" They go back and forth as he guides her to seeing that there is nothing outside herself that she needs. That money and power and material things only cause more suffering when they are the main focus of our life. That trying to control other people and situations only causes more suffering because we are not in control and will never be. The only thing within our control is our reactions to people and situations outside ourself. He believes that "grace", divine intervention, is happening every moment in every situation and, if we can go with that natural flow, then everything else falls into place.

The hour and a half talk is followed by songs of praise in Hindi that fill the room with love. We all have the opportunity to bow at his feet and say a prayer. When I bowed, I closed my eyes and felt so at peace. When I sat up in prayer at his feet, I knew he could hear my thoughts, just like Ram Dass in Fierce Grace when he was with his guru (teacher). As I opened my eyes, he did too, looking at me with the sweetest gaze of love and acceptance. I didn't want to move but knew others were waiting their turn. What a lovely man. Living so simply here with his elderly wife. Inviting all of these people into his home every day to spread the word of peace. What a blessing to be a part of this. We all left with a true knowing that we found our first saint, not in Pushkar as we had expected, but here in Mumbai (Bombay) amidst the outskirts of this sprawling megalopolis of over sixteen million people.

Please check out Ramesh Balsekar's site at: http://www.rameshbalsekar.com/. His teachings have helped many people find true peace in their everyday lives.
Namaste!
Lynne

From his site: A commerce graduate from the University of London, Ramesh S. Balsekar worked as the General Manager of a leading nationalized Bank and retired as its President in 1977. Even during his working life, he always felt he was enacting some role in a play that must, and would, end soon. Deep within, he believed that there had to be more to life than merely getting ahead of the other man.

Search for the African Baba (saint)

Back in Pushkar, we had reflexology treatments from a very nice Indian doctor. We asked if he did palm reading. He said there was a saint named the African Baba that was the best and most accurate palm reader in town but that he did not work for money and he had to be in the right mood. He is 93 yrs old and speaks perfect English, according to the doctor.

So one afternoon we set out to find this man. We knew he lived behind the Rama Ashram and by the Hanuman Temple and his house was behind a gate with guard dogs. When we got to the temple there were many Indians ready to offer advice for a few rupees. One man told us to wait and asked another vendor across the street for directions. When he returned he asked a younger man to take us. Too easy, we think!

We arrive at a house with a gate and dogs. The young man shouts behind the gate in Hindi. A very old man appears and waves us in. When we get up to him he speaks only Hindi and has no idea what we want. Daniel, still believing this is him, touches his feet, as is done to show respect to a saint. We talk amongst ourselves and gently leave saying namaste, namaste! He looked like a saint - eyes glowing and sparkling, robes flowing - but he doesn't speak English so we know he is not the African Baba we seek.

We decide to return to the temple and rethink what we were told. We ask another man for the Rama Ashram and he points across the street in the opposite direction we came from. So, we walk down a dirt alley behind a so-called ashram and see two men standing by a running car with a woman inside. They are speaking in Hindi to each other. We interrupt and ask if they have heard about the African Baba? No, but maybe these men do. We are led to a very tiny abode with two men sitting in meditation pose on the floor, both around eighty years old. They speak only Hindi but tell our interpreters that they think he may be back towards town . The men offer to take us there but they have a very small car with three already. They tell us to get in.

Lara and I cram into the back seat while Daniel crams into the front with the other two men. In the back I sit next to a frail woman around sixty. Her husband tells us that the man in the tiny house is a healer and that he has helped his wife overcome cancer. "Today is the happiest day of my life," he says, "because today she is cancer-free." They had been coming to see this man for over eight months after being told that surgery was the only other alternative by M.D.'s. He also tells us that she is his life, his only love, and that without her life has no meaning, so he would do whatever it takes to save her for himself and their children. When I look at her she is frail, very thin and weak. I try not to fall into her as the car maneuvers back and forth. She speaks no English and does not talk due to her cancer but she is beautiful, with large brown eyes and soft, sunken features. When we leave the car I ask him to tell her we will pray for her and I place my hands in prayer at my chest. She puts her fragile hands on mine and bows. When I get out I start to cry, not because of all of the pain she has obviously endured, but because of the love between them. One that will obviously last more than one lifetime.

We did not find the saint, but we did find something else: true love between a man and a woman that shines across all cultures and geographical locations into the hearts of all.

Divine Intervention- from Bombay

A man who bows down to nothing can never bear the burden of himself - Dostoevsky


The moments of our lives, our experiences, are there to lead us to God. Say that something tragic happens when you are a child, the loss of someone very close to you, for instance. This experience is painful no doubt, but God intended it this way for a reason. Your soul seeks enlightenment, this is its natural manifestation, this is why you were born. So maybe this childhood tragedy can be looked at as a lesson towards individuality, towards perserverance or strength. God does not give us any lesson which we cannot handle. What doesn't kill us only makes us stronger. From pain comes strength. From darkness comes light. Each experience can be a lesson of growth if we can just try to see it as such. To see the annoying person as a lesson in tolerance, the angry person as a lesson in non-violence (ahimsa), the pitiful person as a lesson in empathy, and the arrogant person as a lesson in humility. Especially when this person is ourself. And then, to begin to see that which triggers us most, what bothers us the most in others, is what we most dislike in ourselves. Aha! This becomes a lesson towards self-love, acceptance, true growth and expansion towards God, towards our true self. This is difficult at first, yes, to see ourselves in others as an experiment for the creator. To see all of our experiences as necessary and to know that we are loved. To hold ourselves and others in honor in our hearts and in respect through our actions, no matter the circumstance or relationship. To see ourselves as the other and to treat others as we would want to be treated if we were in their shoes - and we could have been very easily. And to know that every experience, no matter how big or small, is no mistake - it is simply divine intervention.

Surrender

Pictures: Woman at the ghats in Pushkar drinking holy water from the lake for purification. Armless man sits at sunset and draws amazing pictures of Gods and Goddesses. Brahmin performs morning ritual, applying oil to body and head and dressing.

I have been talking to people from all over the world about their experience of India. It seems to me, and has been written in travel books, that the first city one experiences seems to leave a residue of overwhelming culture shock in that person's mouth for that particular city. So for Daniel it was Chennai (Madras), for me it was Delhi, and for another woman it was Bombay.

Our nervous system is the computer within us that interprets the outside world through our senses. With our sense of sight, sound, taste, touch and smell, our nerves react by taking in information and then transmitting it to the brain. So, just imagine how our nervous system becomes overwhelmed when it comes in contact with all new information, all at the same time, into every one of the sense organs.

With this in mind, as our system begins to assimilate the new information, our experience of it softens and lightens, as we begin to flow with the rhythm of India. So the next city feels less crowded and more comfortable. Our next encounter with a leper doesn't shock us so much and we simply turn our heads and continue on. And the smells become sweeter as we recognize samosa, amber incense, and masala dosa in the air.

This is true for all experience, whether we are starting a new career and have a nervous stomach the first day, or we are hurt after losing someone we think we can't live without and then find ourselves in a whole new relationship with the love of our lives. This is the flow of nature, the flow of India. And if we can just let go and let it happen, to trust that we are not in control of anything except ourselves, and to understand that it is all good, even when it hurts.

Myrtle Palm, one of the first yoga teachers to come to Bemidji over 15 years ago, explained yoga this way: "Yoga is like honey, I could tell you all day long about the taste of honey but, until you experience it yourself, you will never really understand." It is the same with India and with all experiences. To taste the food, to smell the air, to see the faces of its people: joyful, hungry, glowing with the grace of God, no matter the outer condition. India reeks of spirituality in its everyday life and this is how it sustains itself - through prayer, daily ritual and faith that all is exactly as it is meant to be.
Namaste!

The Camel Ride!

Jaisalmer is known as the golden city because of its sandstone buildings across a desert backdrop. The city really resembles a huge sandcastle. So yesterday we walked the market - much more aggressive sellers and street people - and met a man who said he would set us up for a camel ride the next morning for sunrise. After discussing this venture we agreed to sleep in and recover from the bus ride and go a bit later in the morning. We took a jeep ride about 25 km out into the desert. We passed open sand-covered land with piles of some kind of stone they break and use for building here in this highly Muslim community. We met two other men dressed in desert garb resting by the side of the road with three camels. We were excited because we have been talking about this for a few days.

Now, when riding a camel there are a few tricky things to remember:
#1- Hold on tight
#2- Make sure the saddle is attached
#3- S..t happens

So, there is this camel sitting there with a purple blanket that I insist on being mine. So when he tries to put Lara on "MY" camel I tell him I want this camel for myself. No big deal. The camel is crouched down and the driver pulls down on his nose ring causing him to make a loud guttural sound, like a cow but longer. I get on, no problem. Put my feet in the stirrups and the camel begins to stand up. As he does, the saddle breaks away and I slide down the camel backwards on top of the man in charge. We both fall down and the camel starts to move away dragging us a few inches. This man is not big at all so I stay lying on top of him to help weigh down the rope holding the camel. I hit my head on his but am alright.

The two men and our driver talk very quickly in Hindi discussing this situation as I shake off the sand and start picking the very sharp burrs from the desert ground off of my blanket. I "begin again!" Daniel is surprised and I find out later that this causes him more hesitation than myself. Once on the camel, it is actually very comfortable, very much like riding a horse. We proceed towards the sand dunes, us riding, the two men walking. The scenery is breathtaking. Like the wind-swept sand you see in movies. We pass a tiny village where women run to us offering to dance and children ask for chocolate. We ride on. We stop to take pictures of the dunes and to feel the soft sand between our toes. We resume our ride towards a second area of dunes where Daniel decides to walk, not feeling good energy from his camel. We just heard that two camels got into a fight while another woman was riding it! We didn't have any bad experiences like that and I am glad we didn't hear that story before we went ourselves.

My neck is pretty sore today and I got my first reflexology treatment from a local doctor back here in Pushkar. We all love this place so much we couldn't wait to get back. Yesterday in Jaisalmer after our camel ride we toured the fort which was built in 1156. It is now inhabited by local artists and sellers of goods but we happened to look into a doorway of what appeared to be an old noble home. The man inside invited us in and told us the history of this place. He is the 17th generation of this noble family and has many pictures displayed on the walls of father and grandfathers. He took us into the basement where many treasures are stored, including old vessels used for water and gunpowder. We felt so blessed to have stumbled onto this magical place. This man has a master's degree in Business Administration but chooses to be a tour guide here and to take care of his inheritance of the building and it's contents.

We found another secret of India: Take the government buses!! Our ride back yesterday afternoon was like a dream come true after our bus ride to Jaisalmer night before last. It was quiet and calm and no unnecessary stops. Tomorrow is the Kite Festival here in Pushkar where the skies are supposedly filled with every color kite imaginable. This explains so many kites being flown in the last week as local children brush up on their kite-flying skills. I'll take lots of pictures so you can all see.

The plan is to leave the day after next by train for Delhi, about 8 hours, stay in Delhi that night, and leave by train to Bombay (it's now called Mumbai) - 18 hours. After that we will begin exploring the southern part of India, with the beautiful beaches and lots of ayurveda and yoga. I did one yoga class here in Pushkar with an older man in an old temple. Bells rang and monks chanted as we practiced. It was interesting and makes me see how Americanized yoga has become. Can't wait to share this.
Love & Light!
Lynne

Bus Ride to Jaisalmer

We just arrived in Jaisalmer. The bus ride took ten hours, leaving over an hour late at almost midnight. Boarding was chaotic, again there were more passengers than seats available. An older woman reluctantly gave up her seats to the Swiss couple that now sit ahead of us. She was kicking and screaming in Hindi all the way to the front compartment with the drivers where she remained seated on the floor for the duration of the trip.

The ride was bumpy and breezy as the windows did not seal and left a freezing air stream on my head all night long. Luckily, I purchased a blanket for the trip right before we left or it could have been much worse. I wrapped myself head to foot and curled up in my seat, switching positions every couple of hours between laps of dreaming sleep.

When the bus first started moving I thought there was no way I was going to be able to sleep tonight, but I used a technique Daniel taught me called Yodi Mudra and before I knew it I was out like a light. (I will post it later for all of you to try too on sleepness nights.) We made three stops along the way at 2, 4 and 6am, at tiny desert villages where chai and treats were being served. Sounds delightful but I think I am just getting used to the life here in India.

We found a hotel right away, one recommended by an Italian man who Lara befriended with a "Ciao!". He comes to Pushkar each year from Milan and knows many hotels and restaurants and shares his information with a "no problemo!". We are now sitting on a rooftop about to have breakfast; tomato & cheese omelet on toast with beans and fries. I have become very fond of lemon ginger tea. Not a premade tea bag, but actual gratings of ginger and lemon with a bit of sugar and a black tea bag. Magnifico! We are very close, about 125km, to the Pakistan border, and the military presence here is more obvious than any city so far. We are planning to take camels out into the desert for a few hours tomorrow and then a bus back to Pushkar for a kite festival on the 14th. We are booked on a government bus by recommendation from the hotel owners for our trip back. They say there will not be any stops for locals on this type of bus, but, like I have heard many times since I arrived: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN INDIA! Ciao! Lynne

Camel in Pushkar, school kids in Jaipur & Lake Pushkar

Rules of Living

Posted in Shiva Baba restaurant in Pushkar:

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today
Never trouble another what you can do yourself
Never spend your money before you have it
Never buy what you do not want because it is cheap
Pride costs more than hunger, thirst and cold
We seldom repent eating too little
Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly
How much pain the evils cause us that have never happened
Take things always by the smooth handle

My First Bus Ride

from: Sat. Jan. 7

So, I've been using my earplugs a lot here. I use them back home for meditation and sleep. Here, I use them to find peace. India seems to have a certain hum about it, a sound that never ends, completely. Even late at night you can still hear it if you listen closely, more subtle and a bit elusive, but it remains.

We are on a bus now to Pushkar, supposedly a tourist bus, with 19 seats. To start, the bus arrives an hour later than we were supposed to depart. The driver loads baggage to the roof and straps it down with bungee cords. (Thank God I only brought my backpack.) Once we are finally on the road, after just five minutes we come to a halt. The driver yells to the street in Hindi and local Indian people begin the get on. There are only three seats left open and six people get on. The remaining people stand in the isles. We stop several more times until the seats and isleways are cram-packed with travelers holding onto whatever is within their grasp. Two older women and a small girl, 4 or 5, are told to stand so a business-looking man can sit, seats go to the highest bidder. The young girl stands beside my seat holding onto my armrest. I smile at her and say hello but she turns her glance downward. Her guardian smiles and nods. It seems what the driver is doing is telling the people who are in the extra seats to pay more rupees to keep them. If they can't pay, others take their seats. What a scam! The only clue that this young child is a girl are her earrings and skirt, otherwise she looks like a little boy, with short hair and dirty face. I reach into my bag as she watches to find the chocolate biscuits (cookies) I bought earlier. I take one out and hand it to her. Her eyes light up as she looks up to her mother for approval. As she starts to put it into her mouth the woman tells her no, save it, I assume. She wraps it in a paper towel she holds with other treats and looks back at me. I smile , she doesn't. As they exit the bus at the next stop, she turns back and looks at me. I smile, wave and whisper bye bye, but still no smile. I must look very odd to her and being so small she probably can't understand who I am and why I am in here riding her bus.

The bus is roaring along now, through desert land, music blaring from broken speakers. The terrain is dry with few trees and mountains off in the distant. The sky is blue but there is always a glaze of something yellowish-gray separating earth and sky. Our next stop an hour or so later is at a roadside platform where food and drink are served. Passengers have somosas, chai and Lays potato chips.

The road begins to climb, up, up, up, through tiny villages. Once we reach the outskirts of Pushkar the bus comes to a stop. Off the bus we are bombarded with business cards and offers for rooms. "Very nice", we are told, "only 50r". We now know that 50r get's you the bare minimum; bed with bath outside. So we start to walk towards the main town area. We found in the book a hotel called the Whitehouse Guest Hotel. We ask for directions and are lead in circles. The language barrier causes such confusion when asking which way so we believe this is not intentional and take it in stride. The book describes this place as clean and quiet with a tenacious mother/son owner. Bingo! She leads us, relunctantly to two rooms that she says are 500 r. The book says 300. No bargaining with her though, so we leave. We check out several different places before finding the Milkman Guest House with a sweet young woman who tells us repeatedly, "as you wish", and only 200r. We leave our things and venture out to explore this quaint little laid-back town, a peaceful retreat after spending several days in Delhi.

Lynne

Pushkar, Rajasthan

Sunday Jan. 8, 2006
We've been in Pushkar now for 2 days and plan on staying for a few more. This place is magical, what I imagined India to be. We took a very unpleasant bus ride up the mountains to this paradise set on Pushkar Lake. The man who owns the internet cafe I'm in just told me he has been here his whole life and that 20 years ago there were only a few tourists and one guest house. Now the streets are filled with travelers from around the world. There are many Israeli's here, possibly an escape after military duty. This place is also known for pushy priests and people exploring spirituality, bong and facial hair. There are several Ghats that lead to the water's edge where many take daily blessings. We took Darshan yesterday. We removed our shoes and walked down the steps, the Ghat, to the water. Each one of us had our own man instructing us through this sacred blessing. I repeated as he recited sacred words, mantras, to bless me and my family. I washed my hands three times, and then touched a finger to each eye, ear and then mouth. I threw the flowers I received into the water to symbolize the release of negative karma. I am also dotted on the forehead between my eyes with Tilak, sandalwood paste, to symbolize the third eye. This paste has a cooling effect to stimulate the higher-mind of the third eye. The entire ceremony is called Puja and we received the blessing through the Pujari's.

We sat at a rooftop restaurant yesterday after arriving to relax and take in the view. The lake is surrounded by many temples, they say 1000 here alone in Pushkar. The sun feels great in the daytime bringing the temps up to 70 or so. But at night the air is crisp and cool. We are guessing it gets down to around 40 degrees.

Last night we went to another hotel where they had live music and gypsy dancing. We met one of the dancers at a hotel we visited but didn't stay at. She is from Northern California and here studying at the Shakti School of Dance, which is run by a westerner.

The rooftop restaurant overlooking the lake this morning was breathtaking. There are several onion-domed temples here. We are on the edge of the desert here in Rajasthan. Pushkar is also known for its camels and there is a camel fair each fall where hundreds of people gather to party and trade livestock. (Maybe next year!)

We visited a beautiful Sikh temple today, a solid-white marble oasis, where we did our 2nd Puja. In the Sikh tradition it is different though. We remove our shoes and wash our hands and feet at the temple steps. When we go inside there is an altar which represents the teaching of the fifth guru. We bow in front, touching our foreheads to the ground and walk slowly around the altar with hands in prayer. Back in front we receive prushad, blessed sweets which taste like crisp banana candy, from a volunteer sitting on a blanket surrounded in flowers. This religion embraces all religions so you see many different people praying together. I love that! Afterwards we are free to explore the amazing view from the rooftop. The whole place is white marble, ever the stairways that take us up to each higher level. We can see the whole town from here with its many farmed plots and camel-driven country roads. Tomorrow we want to go off the beaten path away from the hustle-bustle and explore the mountains that surround this entrancing little town.

Love & Peace from India,
Lynne

As The Sun Sets on Jaipur

Left Delhi via train, 6:10am. Our train was a wonderful, decent full-service to us at 2nd class a/c pricing with 2 servings of hot tea, snacks and breakfast. 6.5 hours to Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan. On the way we pass many tiny villages, some with just handfuls of people scattered in fields of mustard plants, some with women working on the unimaginable chore of pounding something into the dirt with some kind of heavy device. At one stop we are beside a few tents, made only of a tarp held down with stones and up with large sticks. I watched a woman cleaning a large silver eating plate. She scrubbed incessantly from a water bowl set between her squatting legs. Afterwards, she took the plate into the tent and returned with a broom made of grass and proceeded to sweep her pseudo-threshold. We cannot imagine living under such conditions. But she seemed to take pride in her home as we do, back in the "real" world. Home is in the heart of the beloved.

We arrived in Jaipur about 12pm and took an autorickshaw to a place from the Lonely Planet book called Hotel Diggi Palace, 5km from the main part of the city. Daniel went in to check availabilty while Lara and I ( a fellow traveler of Italian/Swiss decent) sat stuffed into the car with luggage and driver. As we walked through the main gate my jaw dropped - we had found paradise! A white stone fence surrounded a tree-lined garden setting. Dining tables spewn casually on the grass under flowering trees. And the sounds were like music to my ears: birds of all kinds, children laughing. And all for just 600 rupees per night- double. YES!

I had to get out of Delhi. The smells had me close to vomiting at every pass of the on-street urinals. Yesterday we searched the streets for a bus to Pushkar through tour agencies, each one giving us totally different information and referring to the others as liars. We didn't know who to believe. GOD said, "No! To Jaipur on deluxe train you go." And we did. As soon as I saw a man watering the grass in a park-like setting amongst 3 lanes of traffic with cement streets, I knew I would be AOK. We passed camels carrying passengers and goods in one lane and fine cars in another. Lara and I giggled - our first up-close camel encounter. Shops everywhere, nice shops, city shops. People lying in wide-open grassy spaces, reading, taking in the sun. We ate lunch in the garden cafe at our hotel. I had vegetable fried rice. Can't stomach anything spicy again yet. Haven't taken any pics today but imprinting Jaipur's beauty with every glance. Our rooms are small - about 10 X 15 - with 2 twin beds pushed together. The bathroom is huge and clean with windows that open like french doors to a jungle-like view. No more stench, no more cow-dung, no more children begging - for now!

A young man met us in the train station offering 40R to the hotel - $1.00. We stumbled to our car through many better offers, most likely taking us to a relative's place of business. Lies are abundant so it's hard to know who to believe - so we follow our intuition. Lara has much luggage and as we stuff ourselves and it into the car a woman chants; hello madame, baby, see baby! She lifts a cloth covering the face of a lifeless child resting in her arms. She touches my arm and repeats, baby, see baby, as other drivers help us load, fascinated by our white skin and apparent wealth, as if watching for our response to this atrocity. My heart breaks, again!

Lara and Daniel ventured out to receive the bliss and excitement of another city to explore and uncover. Me? I'm lying here, still, listening to the new sounds in my new surrounding in my clean room and comfy bed, as the sun sets on Jaipur!

Shanti (peace) to all and to all a goodnight.
Love, Lynne

Day #4

It feels like I've been here a month with all I've taken in. I think my nervous system is still adjusting to the change in time. Remember that when it is 4pm where you guys are, it's the next day here and 4 am. The body needs time to adjust.

Yesterday I was sick. Yes, I tried really hard to not be sick but it just happens. So I spent my third day in bed. Today feeling a lot better and ready to move forward on my journey.

So, yesterday was an amazing day. We started with breakfast at the Sikh temple. We left our shoes at the front to a man standing at our face level in exchange for a ticket. We walked barefoot to a place where we covered our heads with cloth, we were given a silver plate and cup and sat back to back with others there for breakfast. Volunteers passed us offering lentils, rice and bread. It seems that people eat pretty much the same thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I noticed everyone looking at me and Daniel, intrigued I suppose with our light skin and strange clothing. After we ate we walked to the temple where we took fabric, mine bright orange linen, that I wrapped around my head in respect to the Gods. Inside live music and praying. Our tour guide, Singh, took us to the kitchen to see the food being made by more volunteers. He told us if too many worshippers came at once there was a machine that can make 20,000 chapatis an hour. But today they were being made by hand. Back outside we were shown a spring where the water was blessed by the 8th guru of the Sikh lineage and people stood in line to receive it. On the way out we were given prashad, a food or sweet blessed by a Sikh holy man. We got our shoes back and Singh told me I could keep my cloth from the temple. My first holy souvenir.

Afterwards we we off to tour the unbelievable city of Delhi! We saw the parliament buildings, had our pictures taken with a cobra and his flute-playing charmer, India Gate, Hamuyan tomb and our favorite place, Qutb Minar, 12c Muslim with beautiful Afghan architecture adorned with Islamic scriptures. The 73 meter high tower has been struck by lightning twice! The energy in its ancient spaces was nice. Daniel and I sat inside a small opening and meditated. We didn't want to leave.

Still working on posting pictures here so you can see the real thing. hopefully soon!
Prem & Shanti!
Lynne

I'm here!

Good Morning All!
Just got out and about. It's 9 am local time. We are staying in a market district in Delhi. We walk down 4 flights of stairs into the heart of India. The market is full of street shops with Indian-made goods, beautiful fabrics and lots of great food. The street hustles and bustles with fast-moving cabs, rickshaws and people everywhere. Remember the street is only equivalent to one lane and it's dirt - well, mud this morning!

I am having 2 shirts handmade for 320 rupees each - about $7.50. I can't wait to pick them up today. Daniel says I fell right into the rhythm of India. It feels great to be here. Yes, it is dirty and there are cows everywhere in the streets. The incessant horn blowing can be a bit unraveling, but the people are beautiful and courteous. We are going to a Sikh temple this morning for breakfast with a cab driver Daniel met named Mr. Singh. That is the name men take on as Sikhs. Then he is taking us on a tour of Delhi. The food is fantastic but I have been really cautious about what goes into my mouth, making sure things are very hot when served and that I brush my teeth with bottled water. I also bought a couple of t-shirts yesterday for about $2 each. There is so much to choose from and it was my first day so I tried to refrain from going crazy and buying too much. I took some great pics yesterday that I hope to post later today.
Love & Light from India!
Lynne