Birthday- Revisited

pic: Himalayan mountains from Haridwar

I bought a book in Gokarna by Om beach the day of my birthday. As Sarah, my fellow traveler from England and I left the shop, I stopped and wrote this in the back of my book, Moola Bandha: The Master Key by Swami Buddhananda:

Purchased Feb. 10th, 2006 in Gokarn, India. As Sarah and I sit on the stoop of the bookstore to put on our shoes, I notice a state of bliss has come over me, an energy tingling in my heart and belly. Sarah says she feels it too. Gokarn is an old beach-front city filled with ancient temples, Hindi style. The air was vibrating as bells rang at a distant temple when we first arrived this morning. So we covered our heads with shawls and approached the temple. A closed gate and guard prevented entry so we stood outside gazing inward. We watched a Puja being performed, fire circling, smoke rising, flowers and rice being tossed. The sound penetrated my soul, eyes closed, God present.

A couple of hours later, as we are leaving town, we notice several holy men and woman walking briskly back towards the temple carrying pots of flowers and other offerings for the Gods. They walk single file down the narrow street to offer thanks and appreciation and to pray for guidance and protection. I close my eyes for just a moment and do the same.
Lynne

Delhi- The Second Visit

I had to stop in Delhi on my way from Ahmedabad to Hardiwar for the day. If you recall, my first experience of Delhi was really difficult. I arrived late at night and we were staying in the Parha Ganj area in the market place which was very grungy, dirty and smelly. I also got a bit ill and the smell of that place still lingers in my memory. So, when I arrived in Delhi I felt like I knew my way around after spending a few days here initially.

I met a very nice fellow on the train who was adamant about teaching me what he knew about yoga. So every chance he got he grabbed my attention and spoke with passion about his favorite subject. He was a sergeant in the Indian Air Force. There was also a young couple across from me that just had gotten married a couple days before and were on their honeymoon. I took a picture of their feet here because they looked so beautiful. It is a tradition to paint the feet at wedding in this way. It's called Mehandi. I suppose for it is seen as a way to attract each other for the honeymoon.

Anyway, the sergeant decided it was his duty to see I got where I was going safely. I turned out I knew the way and I think that surprised him. When we arrived at Sam's Cafe it was filled with western travelers. We sat in the back and I ordered a huge breakfast of eggs, potatoes and this amazing sour dough roll toasted with butter and jam. I was starving because the food in Ahmedabad had not been easy to find for me and I ate very little in the past several days.

While we sat there chatting about yoga and spirituality I asked the sergeant if he understood why I liked it here - he said no! I told him because there are so many westerners. He got a bit defensive and asked if I did not like the people in Ahmedabad. If he could see my blog he would see that, on the contrary, I loved the people. I could do without the noise, pollution and heat though. I tried to explain to him that I loved Ahmedabad but I felt lonely because no one spoke clear English and I missed talking with other people from where I was from.

While this whole conversation was going on a woman at the next table was listening and laughing. I asked if she spoke English and she said yes. We ended up talking to her for over an hour and after the sergeant left I we spoke for another 2 hours. Her name is Elizabeth and she was in Delhi for a conference. She is a lecturer on Religious Studies. Jackpot! One of my favorite subjects. She told me so much about the Hindi culture that I didn't understand. She also knew so much about Buddhism and Christianity and that has inspired me to look further into the study of Jesus. I want to read his Sermon on the Mount. I feel like there are so many interesting things to read about and learn in this lifetime. She has also written a book called Dreams and Transitions by Elizabeth .............., which is not yet available in the United States. I will leave her last name out and if anyone is interested I can get a copy of this book and distribute it when I get back home.

Elizabeth and her husband live in a very strange and unusual place called Suriname in South America, just above Brazil. It is a very tiny country filled with political controversy and danger. She has been doing research on soon-to-be-lost cultures there and says that some of them have only four people left in a tribe. She has a friend who is literate in many of the native tongues and the friend helps her obtain information for her research. Suriname has 500,000 people and 26 different languages. The government, she says, is trying to smother these tribes out of existence. The place is so corrupt that, for the first couple of years she lived there, every piece of mail she received, once she finally received it, had been opened and resealed. She laughs when she tells me that after the authorities saw her mail contained nothing more than boring scientific information they stopped looking.

Her husband is from India and is a research scientist. She lectures, as I said, on Comparative Religion and, after 5 years of living where she does, the university still will not give her a full time position. The spots are being given to less qualified friends of you know who. Elizabeth has a PHD and is obviously a very brilliant researcher but is also a beautiful, charming, charismatic woman with a girlish smile and a laugh that touches my heart and soul. I don't want to leave but she is heading out of town at noon. It had been 2 hours since my friend from the train left and we both felt like we just got started. Elizabeth said she felt bored sitting with the others from the conference, saying they were way too serious and needed a break, so she came to Sam's. Lucky me!

So I spend the rest of the day shopping the market - incredible prices and variety here in Delhi, compared to all of the other places I have been so far. I like Delhi now, feel kind of at home here. Some shop owners remember me from last time and I get around effortlessly. I catch the train to Hardiwar at 3:20pm and, well, you know the rest. Leaving Hardiwar tomorrow for Rishikesh, supposedly the "Yoga Capital of the World". I'll let you know and see when I get there. I will be in a week-long training there but may have time out to write and post pics.
Sending lots of Love & Moksha from Hardiwar!
Lynne

Hardiwar, Uttaranchal

I arrived in Hardiwar from Delhi last evening. The train station was filled with people ready to celebrate Shivratri - Lord Shiva's birth month is February. People come from all over this area to gather water from the holy Ganges river which seems to spiral all around this small town at the edge of the Himalayan mountains. All day and night men and women carry fancy homemade water containers on their heads all the way from the river to their homes without ever letting the water touch the ground. They will not eat during this process and on Feb. 27th they will offer the water to Shiva.

I met a lovely couple on the train who dropped me at a very nice darmshala, a place that is inexpensive and serves homestyle meals. One example here is a plate that costs 25 rupees, 50 cents, and is all you can eat. The food is delicious.

Today was an amazing day of opening and releasing. I learned more today than a whole week at the beach, not that the beach wasn't a good and necessary experience, it's all good as they say, but sometimes the process is quicker and more powerful. Many things came to me today. I walked away from the darmshala I am currently residing in out onto the street to take photos and just explore. I walked past many temples until I found a very pleasant looking man standing behind a huge steel gate where there was a large temple behind him. Nothing fancy but very old. I bowed to him and he invited me in through the gate. He began speaking Hindi and I tried to tell him I couldn't understand. Others were scurrying about sweeping and cleaning. I asked if I could walk around and see the back of the temple. He didn't understand but lead me in the direction I was pointing. He said, Chai? I said, OK!

We went to a small room where there was a young man sitting on the floor eating some kind of white grainy substance, like cream of wheat, with his fingers. He spoke very little English but did some interpreting for us. The man offered me what I thought was lassie, yogurt. I drank a small amount, sour butter milk. Yuck! He offered me what the boy was eating and it was delicious. Sweet and creamy. He asked me to come with him and he lead me into his room. I sat on the floor and one of the boys that worked there brought us steaming hot chai in metal cups. The man disappeared for a few minutes and then reappeared with another man, younger and English-speaking. He joined us on the floor for tea and said that the older man had come to him while he slept saying that there was a woman that he needed to meet downstairs.

He said the man was very excited to have a guest here at the temple. The second man was very charismatic and spoke very highly of the man I initially met. He said that once he had a family and children but something called to him to leave in search of God. He has lived at this ashram for 30 years. He is now 72. The younger man was never married and came to live here at the age of 20. His eyes sparkled when he spoke of the older man. I could tell there was a very deep bond between them of respect and friendship. They both spoke of Ram - God- and looked to the sky saying that Ram must always be in their mind and heart. I asked him all of the questions I always want to ask swamis but usually there is a communication problem. Like if they could be married. No, just like priests they take a vow of celibacy. And why they have orange paste on the forehead. It helps them to remember Ram always, and also has a cooling effect here in the heat of springtime.

I felt so good when I left, that I had really followed my heart to this place, to these saintly men who treated me with so much kindness out of their love for God. They say that every woman represents the Mother Goddess and should always be treated with respect.

When I return from the ashram I am taken temple-hopping. In Hardiwar there are more temples than would be possible to visit in a week so we just go to three. The first one is traditional Hindi and I am not allowed to take any pictures, except for the first one I took before I was told - hehehe. (See the arch with statue w/ many horses.) This temple is white marble and holy men are chanting mantras twenty four hours a day since 1972 when it was founded. That's non-stop and it sounds beautiful.

The second temple is made of all mirrors. No pics here either but every wall is covered in colored pieces of mirror and the statues of all of the gods and Goddesses are also mirrors. it may sound a bit gaudy but it was amazing and everywhere you look were sparkling images of the Hindi religion. The third temple was made to represent the souls journey through the womb into the world. Many pics here because it so hard to explain. Hope you enjoy these. I love it here and tomorrow am going to stay at a yoga ashram for the Shivrati celebration. After that traveling to Rishikesh for more yoga training.

Love & Blessings!
Lynne

Dinner with a Friend

I met a very nice young man here at Mother Teresa's Mission. His name is Stephen. He came here yesterday on his motorcycle. The kids love to sit on it and pretend they are driving. He is good friends with all of the sisters and workers here and is so good with the children. He and his family live close by so he drops by whenever he can.

Stephen works at a call center and makes more than his 39 year old father who works constructing large buildings. His English is very good and this makes all of the difference in the world when it comes to getting a good paying job here. He did not learn English in school, since the people here want to keep their own language, Gujarati, a form of Hindi. He taught himself just listening to travelers coming through while working at a local Pizza Hut.

Stephen asked if I would like to see Gandhi's memorial museum today on his day off from school and work. The museum is wonderful, filled with documents, newspaper stories and pictures of Gandi and his wife. They were fascinating people and I will surely read more about this man when I return home. Gujarat is Gandhi's home state and there is a large bronze statue of him in the town circle.

Last night I went with Stephen to his Catholic church service. He goes twice each day, once in the morning and once at night. The service is interesting and in English. I felt the word "sin" being used a few too many times - reminding me of my own Catholic upbringing. The whole concept terrifies me as I feel it creates fear, guilt and shame, something there is way too much of in our country. Coincidentally, I actually bought a book called, "Guilt and Sin" by Ramesh back in Bombay the other day as I passed through on my way here. I attended the morning talk at his apartment and saw many of the same friendly faces I saw when I attended back on January 19th.

After church Stephen took me back to have dinner with his family. He has two younger brothers, 14 and 16 years old. Stephen is 19. His mother is so kind and works so hard to take care of her family. They live in a small, tight community. All the families live in small government buildings, close together, with sidewalks weaving between them. Their house is only two rooms. One room has a bed and a television, which Stephen purchased with proceeds from his job. It is the only one in the neighborhood, so children are frequently found here watching cartoons. The other room is the kitchen where his mother cooks the meals. There are pictures of Hindi Gods all around and Stephen, who has just converted to Catholicism, put up pictures of Jesus and a cross.

We sit on the floor, Stephen and I, while his mother serves us and the others watch and giggle as I fumble eating with my fingers. The food is some of the best I've had in India. (Home cooking is the way to go if you have the opportunity.) We have dal and lentils, served in a small metal bowl. In a larger plate is white rice and a curry with vegetables. She has also made chapatis and roti, a crispy thin bread which I don't much care for. The mother will eat afterwards in the kitchen, while the boys eat together. The same I am told for the sleeping arrangements - Stephen and his father sleep on the floor and his two brothers on the bed. His mother sleeps in the kitchen.

The whole neighborhood is there to see the American. So many children, and they all come up to shake my hand and say hello. A neighbor man is there and his wife brings over their two month old baby for me to hold. Another man who is a high school geography teacher drops in to say hello . Everyone is so nice and lots of smiles fill the small room. I take pictures and show them on the digital camera. Everyone gets a big kick out of this.

To me, this is what India is all about. Seeing people where they live, talking to them and hearing about their culture first-hand, showing them that Americans really do care about them and their country, not just about money and big business. As I lie down to go to sleep, I thank God for another surprisingly amazing day here in India!
Amen ~ Lynne

Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity

I arrived this morning in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. I am here to work at an ashram set up to care for young children, 0 to 6 years old. It says in Planet Yoga Travel Guide that this is a place to work with babies who have been abandoned. Today, I worked with seven children, 2 to 4 years old. To say the least, it was mind blowing. To hear their stories from the sisters who work there, it was heart breaking.

I cannot speak their first language so I have an extra challenge. Thinking back on the day though, it may have actually been an advantage. I got pretty frustrated when they would cry and hit each other because they couldn't understand my scolding. But now I see we were communicating on a different level. I could only see pure emotion from them. And they could use my tone of voice, my facial expressions and my finger wagging, "No, no, no!" Some of the children ran right to me and jumped in my arms. Others were shy, like one older girl. She wouldn't smile or come to me at all. Eventually though, as she saw I was having fun with the other children she started to warm up.

The children have a plastic rocking horse that holds three. Each time they got on it, I started to sing Rock-a-Bye-Baby. They tried to imitate me and it really helped them slow down. They seem so out of touch, not having the undivided attention of one mother. I suppose it's like having quadruplets. They all fight and tell on each other. There is a lot of fighting. It seems like they all want all of the attention. They were all over me though.

It was fun at first and then I started to feel overwhelmed. It is just my first day and I put in about 5 hours non-stop playing with them. They have toys and some coloring books and a young local woman from town came to visit them today. She comes every Saturday and brings them candy. Very popular!

Just before I left, 20 teenage school children came to visit, walking single file through the room filled with cribs where most of the children sleep. I was holding a 2 year old boy who cries every time I put him down. I watched the kids filing through while their teacher took pictures of them holding different children. One little girl about 3 was really shy and wouldn't even look at me for a long time when I arrived this morning. Eventually she was sitting on my lap and playing but it was difficult for her, I could tell.

Well, when the visitor came through, the 3 year old was in a crib and one of the women working here forced her to be held by one of the schoolgirls. My heart throbbed as she was forced into the girl's arms. The school kids don't mean any harm of course, but the look on that little girl's face nearly killed me. I just wanted to run up and grab her and run away. I feel really protective of them already. The children have a minimum two month stay here. After that they go up for adoption. I'm told that there are more people wanting babies then the ashram has. But some of these kids have obvious emotional problems.

One story I was told was that one of the girls about 4 was burned by her mother and then sold. I'm not sure how she came here but she was very hostile towards the other children. The sisters tell me that many young mothers go into the hospital to have their babies and then just leave. There are a few tiny babies here and two with mental illness. They all get the same amount of attention and all seem very well taken care of. They are so lucky to have this place to call home for now. I have to get used to their way of doing things though. The little ones don't have diapers and the older ones pee their pants. I watched a 4 year old just stand there and go. The other children all pointed at the ground and shouted something in Hindi. I really want to learn the language so my next visit is easier to communicate. Just imagine how it would be if I could talk to everyone. (I know I would get better prices on everything, especially the cabs!!)

Anyway, I have met some very wonderful young women here who actually worked directly with Mother Teresa here and in the Main Calcutta mission. They are so loving but strict and have gone way out of their way to help me find a hotel and feed me. I have so much respect for the work they do on a daily basis. They live their lives in total service to others, just as their teacher did. I feel ashamed sometimes when I think about the things I complain about back home. We are so blessed to live where we do and have the things we have. No matter what we have been through, nothing compares to what I have seen so far here in India. These people live day to day not knowing sometimes where their next meal will come from. I feel blessed to be having this experience and know that I am growing tremendously from it. I hope I can remember all that is in my brain when I return home and that I don't fade back into taking life for granted. I will give lots of kisses and hugs again tomorrow. Send your prayers for these children. They need all they can get.

Love & Peace to all!
Lynne

An Israeli Perspective

I lay around, out of the sun, this afternoon with the cats, just reading and enjoying the cool breeze that blows through the cafe at midday. Just me at one end and another man at the other. I left and rushed to get my laundry done - a bucket of water and a line strung between two trees did the job. When I got back, the sun had gone down but the man was still there.

I said, "Nice day, huh?" He said, "Every day is nice in India." I asked where he was from - he gave me three guesses. I guessed France first. He replied, "No, two more." I said, "Spain?" He said, "Think of the most difficult country on the planet." I remembered seeing the title of his book earlier in the day and it was in Hebrew. I shouted out, "Israel!" - not because of his hint but because of the title. His English wasn't too good so I let it go.

We talk some more and I find out that he is a 34 year old sheep herder who lives in the mountains. He loves what he does because in the morning he takes the sheep out to the green grass to eat and he gets to deliver the babies when they come to the world. He seems a very spiritual fellow, as he has read some of the same books as I and more. He loved The Da Vinci Code and Conversations with God. He has read two books on vipassana meditation but doesn't practice yet. He says he believes there is just one God and doesn't understand the fighting in his country.

I talk to him about how 9/11 affected us and he says that it happens every day in his country on a smaller scale. When he goes to town twice a week, he never knows when a bus or cafe is going to explode. He tells me about his kibbutz, one of the small communities developed by the Jews who returned to Israel after World War II. He tells how they built tall towers to see their enemies and then a tall fence in a circle around the towers. They lived in tents while the community buildings were being constructed. At the age of 3 months babies were placed in a communal area to live with the other children so both parents could work. At ten he began having nightmares, waking up at night and running to his mother at her house. Eventually his mother told the community she didn't care about their rules and that her son would live with her and his father. He feels this way of raising children provided him no kind example of a normal family and now he struggles to find it in his own life.

His grandfather was an initial member of the kibbutz and the man inherited his grandfather's home, since the kibbutz dissolved and people there now live in larger homes, separate from others. He is here searching, like many others, for answers as to how to go on, which way to go, and how to achieve happiness. I tell him he is just like so many men in our country who just want to settle down and raise a family but don't really know exactly how to do it. I wish him well and remind him that everything we need is right inside.

Peace to all!
Lynne

p.s. I can see a Muslim doing his daily ritual bows in a corner of the internet cafe. I love India - so accepting of its many religions.

The Sights of OOMMMM!

Today as I lie on the beach I look around with a keen eye, trying to notice the things that may have become everyday occurrences to me but are still a bit on the absurd side of life. I take note as I watch a cow trying to stick its nose into the front gate of a restaurant on the beach behind me. A young girl runs from inside with a long stick and wacks the cow's rear, chasing him way down the beach away from her restaurant. She keeps hittting him and I think to myself, "OK, already." Well, as soon as he sees she is back in the restaurant, he turns around and starts walking back to the front gate. He pokes his head in again, she runs after him. This goes on for a while. Each time the cow begins his exit sooner and sooner, so as not to feel the whipping on his rear, until he finally gives up and continues down the beach in search of food. Cows can move pretty fast when they want to.

Later on I watch two birds floating way up high in the sky, almost undetectable if you weren't looking for them. I wonder what it would be like to do that, just to sail on the wind, not a care in the world. This is what we do when we practice Sivasana pose at the end of each yoga class. We try to leave behind the cares of the world and earthly things and ride the waves of our breath. Breathe in peace and light, breathe out stress and tension. Breathe in positive energy and creativity, breathe out heaviness and negativity. It works! Eventually you find yourself floating, just you and your breath. Nothing to do, no place to go, just being! Like a bird on the wind.

There are several cats that live at Nirvana, the guesthouse where I am staying on Om Beach. On two sides of the outdoor cafe there is a cement platform running the length of the cafe and the platform is covered with wicker mats and pillows. This is where the cats like to take their afternoon naps and people lie and read in the hottest part of the day. There are two kittens and three adult cats, mostly white with some dots of tan. I see two of the adults and one kitten in a corner, all tangled up, sleeping lazily against a pillow.

After I eat my lunch I sit on the other side, opposite the kitties, to read and relax. After a bit they are all awake and the mother cries out for her children, like ringing the lunch bell. The mother jumps up to where I am lying and plops down to feed. One kitten drinks while the other chases mom's tail from side to side. Soon they are both feasting, which is followed by cleaning, which is followed by playtime. It seems very scheduled, as if this is just the way it goes. I watch as the kittens pounce on each other, then on mom, then on my blanket. The kittens eventually disappear into the thick brush outside the cafe, mother calls out loud and sternly and they come running back.

Animals live out of pure instinct. Have you ever seen a regretful bird or a not so sure what I should do with my life dog? No! Because there is no question of it. They follow from within. We were like that once and through yoga we return to that essence, that knowingness. It's called intuition. Once we peel away the built-up tension, stress and conditioning, we begin to lighten. We begin to unfold again like a blossom opening to the sun. Our hearts are set free as we follow our inner guidance. Without concern for what others think, without having to look outside ourselves for the answers. Because everything we need is right inside if us and, through yoga, we unwrap it like a gift.

At the end of the beach here is a small area where people practice yoga and today there is a guy practicing with what looks like baton. I watch him for a while, throwing it up into the air, catching it behind his back, twirling it around his waist and under his leg and then throwing it into the air again. I meditated for a long time, then took a swim and when I looked back he was still there. He must have practiced for a good two hours. I thought about the concentration this must take. If his thoughts take him away for a even a second, he could get clobbered in the noggin! This takes a great amount of focus, which is basically what meditating is - merely focusing on something, usually the breath, and allowing the thoughts to float by without getting caught up in them. The thoughts will always be there because they are out of our control. But thinking about the thoughts is the mind spinning out of control. So you simply close your eyes, take a few long slow breaths in and out. And just watch your thoughts. That is meditating.

Now at first your thoughts may be difficult just to observe. You will feel like you are going to go crazy, like you have to move or do something. This is the ego trying to distract you from becoming peaceful, because that is the goal in meditation - peace of mind in mind. So we continue to keep bringing our attention back to our breath. To use the breath to keep the mind busy, to give it something to do, while we take in the benefits of meditation. The benefits come not during meditation, but in our everyday life. We become more relaxed, less reactive to things out of our control, more forgiving of ourselves and others.

By the way, the guy with the baton, it really wasn't really a baton - it was a fire stick. Both ends will be lit when he performs, and this is when focus and concentration are necessary. Those are the times in our lives when meditation helps us stay focused, when our lives are set on fire by something outside our control. We stay calm. We help others stay calm. We are able to put out the fires of our lives from a place of ease and focus.
Namaste!
Lynne

Birthday in India

Well, today is my birthday and I started my day organizing my bags so I could send yet another package home to lighten my load. Last night was a bit noisy and sleeping was difficult. I got up early anyway and stepped outside my hut to smell the fresh cool ocean air. The mornings here are my favorite time.




I walked down to the other end of the beach to get on the internet and have some brown (wheat) toast with butter and ginger lemon tea. After and hour or so, Sarah (I am now traveling with two "mates" from England) came to join me. This morning we're taking a boat from the beach we're on to nearby Gokarn beach. Yesterday we walked and it took about an hour, traversing rock, sand and desert, up rock trails, through temples and across sun-drenched beaches. But today we take the easy, more costly route, costing 100r's.

The trip over was fine, not scary at all. We each had packages to mail once the tailor sewed them up. At the post office two Indian women watched us fill out the paperwork, curious as to where we came from, and touched our packages and giggled. Afterwards we had lunch at the same place we did yesterday, where we can see the ocean from the rooftop restaurant. We then went to a bookstore where our other mate bought a book yesterday and each bought a copy.




When we return to take the boat back, there is a Russian man wearing a skirt, like many men do here, and smiling a bit too easy. "Girls!" he yells. After two more people join us, we have enough people to negotiate a good price. This boat seems smaller and the waves higher. The water splashes in, drenching us, and the boat rocks back and forth in the waves. The Russian asks if I'm scared. I remember it's my birthday for comfort. As we rock to and fro, I look to see if there are any lifejackets within reach. No! The water eventually smooths and the hot sun dries our clothes.

As we dodge the huge boulders set in the sea near our beach, an Israeli man in the front of the boat shouts, "Dolphins! Two - three!" We all turn to look behind us and watch as three dolphins jump in and out of the water. Beautiful. My birthday present from the divine. We make it to shore safely. I return to my hut to find that Louisa snuck in and placed a gift on my shelf: a banana leaf wrapped around some grapes with a dolphin pin (coincidence?) holding the package together and a beautiful sea shell on top. What a creative gift. I changed out of my wet clothes to write to you.



We are all going to dinner tonight, somewhere! I met a very nice chap this morning from England who has been in Goa with his teacher for six weeks, training in Reiki and meditation. We may be heading there on Monday so I can try to do my Reiki level II training if possible. Our next main stop will be an orphanage for unwanted babies. Everyone who knows me can imagine how excited I am. I am a baby magnet and look forward to the challenge of giving all the love and care I can to these children for the short time I am there. After that we are off to Rishikesh for yoga training. There is a Yoga Conference and Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa will be there teaching kundalini yoga, along with many other teachers, sages and saints. For now, we are beach-bound, enjoying one of the most magical places I have seen yet.
Namaste Friends!
Lynne

Om Beach- Karnataka, India

On the train to Gokarna we sat in a class we knew was not ours but we had seen so many other travelers, mostly Indian, sit down wherever, so we thought we were safe. But when the ticket master came and asked for our tickets, he wanted us to pay an extra 83r each. We told him we didn't know better and he sent us back to where we were supposed to sit. So we all got our things and proceeded towards the back of the train where the cheap tickets are.

After staggering through several cars, third class, second class, first class, we got to our car and the door was locked. So we all turned around, which isn't easy with backpacks on, and proceeded back to where we started. When we sat back down the ticket master returned and we tried to explain. He gave us two options; pay the 83r or go stand in the doorway until we reach our stop, only 15 minutes or so. So we all plopped down in a space about 10 wide 5 deep and wait.

The girls I am now traveling with are from England and made a friend on the train, an older woman traveling alone also from England. The girls ask her if she knows this old hackneyed song called " ". She does. So they begin to sing in that beautiful English accent this very funny song about dying. The woman knows all of the verses and keeps the girls going for a good 5 minutes. They are all laughing and singing as I listen and watch. Very entertaining.

Our arrival was a bit on the crazy side. The cab driver at the station told us it costs more because of the treacherous road that leads to the beach. He wasn't kidding! The driver dropped us at the top of a dark hill and told us the beach was a ten minute walk. He didn't mention that it was down a rocky winding trail only lit by dull moonlight. Somehow, we managed to make it, giggling, screaming and feeling our way down the hill. When we landed, the beach was beautiful and we were standing at the edge of the first resort, "Namaste!" We were hungry and tired as we were on the train for 3 hours before the rickshaw drive.

The beach is rocking - music playing, people eating and drinking. I inquire at a desk, a table actually, and ask if they have any rooms. He says they have one and it's a single. I ask to see it. It is quite small with one bed and the floor space is tiny. I tell him we will take it, thinking that maybe we will find another someplace else too. The girls decide to split the cost and sleep on the floor making it a very cheap evening. The food is great and we keep the door open when we go to sleep. If we close the door when one of us gets up to use the bathroom outside the room, the girl on the floor will have to be awakened and move. The weather is warm so we risk it.

Appropriately named, Om Beach encompasses everything. The beach itself curves outward into the sea and then back inward twice, creating a wavelike feeling - Ooooommmmm! The hum is a little partyish for me but we find refuge in our huts. We are very lucky to finally get three huts when we did because the next morning there were several other tired travelers searching for a place to call home for now. I will be for a week or so meditating, doing yoga, making friends.
Love & Peace to all~ Lynne

The Children of India

Anandashram, Kerala

When we arrived at Anandashram it just happened to be early morning, about 7:30am, and breakfast was being served. We were invited to leave our bags at the front gate and partake. I was leery about leaving my belongings but, like it says on the website, no matter what time you arrive, the devotees will make sure you are fed. A beautiful angel of a woman was walking down the hill from the main temple and came right up to me. She asked if I was coming to breakfast and offered to show me the way. She led me to the hall where we removed our shoes and washed our hands. We entered the women's line and were given a metal plate, some kind of grain mixture, and a vegetable concoction. She offered me buttermilk, which I refused, but instead had some really nice chai tea. This was my first chai since I got sick in Delhi. The food here is eaten with the fingers, traditional Indian style, explaining the handwashing. The food was delicious.

Terra, from New Mexico, told me all about the Ashram and the schedule of events that happen each day. The whole structure is built around chanting "Ram" or God. Papa Ramdas, as he is known here, led an incredible life searching over India as a Sadu, chanting only the name of God. The Ashram has two small Samadhi halls, one for Swami Ramdas and the other for Mother Krishnabai, also known as Mata-ji. These halls are used for Samadhi rounds, 30 minute sessions alternating men and women, chanting "Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram." It begins at 6am and goes nonstop until 6pm. There is also a main Temple where both they both lived at one time but is now more of a place to worship. You can visit Mata-ji's bedroom to meditate or pray. It appears to be left untouched after her death in 1989. Terra and her husband Mark, both unbelievable musicians, have been coming here every year for over a decade. Terra's eyes hold a mysterious but tender and loving gaze that tells you she can totally be trusted. She guided me later on that day through several of the daily rituals.

The Ashram was founded in 1931 in this small town of Kanhangad in North Kerala to spread the message to mankind that both of their lives represented. That message is in part that "Human life has a great purpose behind it. It is not given to be lived out in ignorance of the divine source from which it springs. When the source is known, it flows like a sparkling stream imbued with immortal joy and peace." Their life and teaching serve as a beacon to humanity. Their vision was universal and their lives were devoted to service of humanity. That is so apparent here as they serve hundrends of school children free meals each day, as well as many of the poor from the surrounding communities. The chanting fills the day with a peace unknown to our busy, hectic, non-stop lives. Here the pace is slow but steady and complete. The meals are simple so as not to distract the mind from God. The people are friendly and helpful, giving support openly and graciously. The Swami who now takes the place of Papa and Mata-ji is also friendly and accessible, a sort of priest figure with a sense of lightness and humor.

One day, during what was supposed to be a time when the Swami gives a talk, about 20 blind teenage boys were visiting and took this time to sing for us. Their musical talent was incredible as they used only a tuning device and their voices to create a sound which I can't even explain. It actually sounded more African to my untrained ears. The woman who runs the boys' school spoke after the performance and told us that the boys were being trained not only in music to teach but also in mathematics and were doing graduate work for higher degrees. I loved observing them as they all watched out for each other, holding the next boy's arm in total trust. I could tell that they were a very tight group of young men and so very blessed to have this tiny place of refuge. Blindness in India is very prevalent. In Ram Dass' documentary, Fierce Grace, Dr. Larry Brilliant tells the story of the Seva Foundation which raises money to end unnecessary blindness in India. They provide operations costing about $500 each that give people sight, sometimes for the first time in their lives. (Read more at: www.pacificsun.com/doctor.html )

I purchased and was given a couple of the chant books used here at the ashram so I can try to keep up with all of the singing each day. There are many beautiful Indian woman here as well. I made friends with one, Kamela, a lawyer who lives a few hours away and frequents the ashram. She is suffering from chronic bronchitis but manages to attend and sing for many of the chanting sessions. It seems that almost every woman here plays the harmonium and several men play the tablas, including Terra's husband Mark, who has been studying tabla drums in India for 10 years off and on. He is also an amazing singer, leading sessions of chanting that leave me feeling mesmerized.

One morning I unintentionally walked in on a flower-making ritual in the main hall and was invited to observe when I offered to help. I could see why after just a few minutes. The women sit on the floor in a circle with metal bowls containing different kinds of flowers grown and picked right here at the ashram. They use string to keep the stems together and begin with one or two center flowers and then just keep layering them outwards until they have an incredible display to offer to as prashad. When I try to sniff the flowers I am told in broken English that smelling them takes away from the essence which should be saved for God.

Inside the main temple there are two throne-like chairs with paper cutouts of the gurus placed as if they were sitting there and looking you right in the eyes. There is another small room which appears to hold a coffin and people come each day to bow and touch the feet of the gurus. We didn't get any pics here but you can see the ashram on the website: www.anandashram.org. I will definitely return here on my next visit as I feel like family just from visiting a few days.

Hare Om,
Lynne

Varkala, South Kerala

This place is a little piece of heaven, as long as you like it hot! Varkala is a small beach community set on the Arabian Sea with a south beach and a north beach set on a cliff. This is where we call home for now. It is about a three hour boat ride plus a 30 minute bus ride plus a 15 minute rickshaw ride away from Amma's ashram. Varkala is exploding with Indian culture and the community openly welcomes you as you arrive. One thing I noticed was that there are not very many children here, except the ones brought by tourists. The few I did see were gypsy children but the business owners were more into playing loud Indian techno and hangin' on the beach.

The water is splendid and, as long as you apply sunblock, is an enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, we learned that the hard way. The sun is incredible as we are very close to the equator and I didn't see any rain on this trip until two days ago here, and it was only a light sprinkle. There are several stray dogs here as in most of India and if you don't watch your clothes carefully they could be carried away by an overly excited morning riser. I witnessed a playful puppy carry away a woman's pants as she and her husband frolicked in the waves. I saved them and hid them until she returned and decided to tie my shoes and clothes together next time I went for a swim. There are three or more fresh water springs on the beach to wash away the salt water. They flow through plastic tubes embedded in the red rock cliff and pour cool water down, creating pools in the sand. The sunset on the beach is very nice, especially if you can time it just as you open your eyes after meditation like I did one evening.

The food is erratically great but consistently slow, once you finally get your order taken that is. Most people here seem to have no sense of time, unless you are using one of their computers - then it's another story. Our favorite saying here has been, "you never know." People are so amazingly nice and friendly, though everywhere in India, like they say, "India could test the patience of a saint." I am by no means a saint, but I am surely being tested.

In America we are so used to having everything fast. Instant gratification is the norm. But this causes much suffering because if we aren't gratified when we expect it, anger, hostility and disappointment rise to the surface like bubbles in a fish tank. So India is the perfect place to challenge yourself, to expose negative qualities so they can be released forever. This work takes place every moment and you don't have to come to India to do it! It is a challenge though, especially when you have high expectations of yourself. So then you just surrender, the only way to truly experience this culture. When you do you see that everything comes when it comes, you get there when you get there and each moment begins to unfold perfectly. Easier said then done, yes?

The restaurants at night have big display cases on the walkways proudly showing the catch of the day. Butter tuna is one fish I had never heard of but it was the largest I saw, about four feet long. Each evening there are two places to catch pirated movies shown while you eat. We saw four different films including King Kong, Narnia (my second viewing - loved it!) and Pride & Predjudice. Occasionally a line of text scrolls along the bottom of the screen saying "it is illegal to have public showings of this film." Hehehe. We have been frequenting a place called the Juice Shack where they make fresh juice drinks and use only mineral water so no worries about getting belly aches. It is owned by an English woman and her Indian husband. Mueslix has been a favorite snack on this journey which is simply yogurt (or curd as it is called here) topped with granola, fresh fruit and honey. Great breakfast too.

We are leaving today for Anandashram - our next stop. Check out the website: www.Anandashram.org. It looks beautiful. I'll try to find internet there but "you never know."
Love & light to you all!
Lynne