04 September - Belonging,

continued from Gangotri

Last night we cooked on an open fire. Sunil, his dad and myself. It was cold, around 7 degrees. We all sat around the flame. Spicy noodles, vegetables and ginger chai. It was good. We talked, we laughed, we listened to each other, to the river, to the silence between words. I was tired, it was a long day and was time for bed.

Sunil looked at me with kindness and said, "I am really glad to have met you Vishalin ji. I feel like I have known you, like you are my own brother." I was humbled by his words. I felt the same way toward him. I smiled. I thanked Sunil and his dad for their hospitality and i made my way to my room. Tomorrow would be another long day, I would have to get up at 6:00am the next morning. My trek to Gomukh awaited.

03 - September, Gangotri,

continued

It turns out that Sunil and I really enjoyed each others company. He asked me to come and stay with him and his father in Gangotri. (His mom had passed away) I was happy at his invitation. Gangotri is a very beautiful place. It has a walkway that leads all the way to the main temple. Along the walkway are villagers selling all sorts of amenities. To the far right will be the Ganges flowing fast and loud. On the other side of her banks are many Ashrams where pilgrims take rest. In the old days, many pilgrims would make the journey to Gangotri via foot. Many of them from all over India, including the Southern most part. This would mean years on the road for some. This gives one an idea of how special this place is. It is believed to be charged with the energy of many an aspirant, many a seeker, many a holy man throughout the ages.

Ganga Ma Temple - More than 300 years old

If this is true, i can certainly understand why everything here feels so ethereal to me. I walked with Sunil and he took me straight to the temple where he did his prostrations. The temple is an amazing white stone structure said to be over 300 years old. I bent down to kneel outside the temple gate and i could feel my body shaking. It caught me off guard and i did not know why. I was also a little light headed and Sunil could see the look of bewilderment on my face. He smiled at me and said, come on lets go. It was an encounter for me. I had never had this reaction in any of the other places i had been so far. For Sunil, it was another day of coming home to Mother to say hello and then off to play.

We then walked to his house, a simple two-roomed building on a hill to the left of the Ganges if you stood on her banks and were facing the source. From his house you could see everything, all the other village houses, the main temple, the Ganges and the other Ashrams. If one veered off into the distance, one could see what looked like cave dwellings of holy men in the distance. Yes!!!! In fact there were Caves that were clearly visible in the mountains; and yes some of them looked like they were being inhabited. Excitement began to rise within me. My oh my what a day for an adventure.

Trip to Gangotri,

continued

I left the ashram with renewed strength that morning. A feeling of elation came over me as i walked downriver trying to find my way to the nearest ghat into town.

As i walked i saw a young man dipping his urn into the Ganges. He looked up at me and smiled. I smiled back and greeted him with Namaskar. I asked him where he was going in English and he seemed embarrassed to reply. He spoke in Hindi and from what i gathered he was going to the temple to do his morning oblation. I said "Me tumhare sat chalta hun." meaning I am coming with you. He nodded and we walked together. Something interested me about this particular individual and i wanted to find out why.

02 September - Waking,

continuedDreaming i could hear the conch. Waking i could see a figure of a man before me, facing the river, deep in prayer. Chandini lay above me accompanied by her entourage of stars. It still seemed night to me, although the familiar sounds around me and the feeling in the air told me that nature was in her early stages, preparing to meet the dawn. I was not sure about the figure before me. My eyes were still blurry and i could not make him out clearly. I looked at my time and it was 3:30am. I blinked my eyes a bit to see more clearly. The man before me wore saffron robes, had a beard and from the little i could make out in the light, looked elderly in composure. I knew that he was either a swami or a sadhu. He was about 6 meters away from me. I was sure he must have seen me.  What was he doing here?

02 September - My sleep by the Ganges

Walking down the alley way i saw children playing, cows scavenging for food, shopkeepers sitting patiently, waiting for the next customer to contribute to their livelihood. My companion had politely excused himself and i was once again alone. I could hear her getting louder

02 September - Uttarkashi

The smell of ginger Chai filled my nostrils as i jumped off the bus in Uttarkashi. The old man who i loved so dear had disappeared. I said my goodbyes to Uma and ventured off. I was now in a new town surrounded by traffic; motorbikes, jeeps, trucks, cows, bicycles and buses. This city, like every other city in India, has a rhythm of its own. The sound of a motorcycle horn quickly brought me back into the present moment as the biker had to maneuver around me. I was getting in the way again. :)



I got off the road and onto the pavement filled with different traders, food, fruit and vegetable vendors. It was six in the afternoon and the city was very much alive. A cool breeze blew past me in the middle of the heat and i knew where it came from. She was calling me. Asking me to come and be silent for a while. At that moment, a teenage boy came running up to me repeating the words: "Sir, room?" "Nahi," i replied, "Which is the way to the Ganga?" He pointed towards an alley with a strong look of curiosity all over his face. I walked in the direction of the alley and he followed me, smiling gently and gazing at me from time to time. I entertained his curiosity and started talking with him, we exchanged some hindi and english between the two of us, swopping and dancing around with it as we walked together. It was a pleasant exercise but i was determined to see the Ganges again and be alone with her for a while.

1st September - Pleasant Encounters

I knew i had to leave today. This feeling has been growing inside for a few days. Restlessness. A prompting. At yoga this morning it felt like a fire in my bones. I could not stay. I woke up mid class, ran down to my room, packed a satchel with my tooth brush, soap and an extra change of clothes and left. I did not know where i was going, or how i was going to get there. I just had a strong desire to be close to the Ganges and to follow her close to the source.

I took a Rikshaw to the Rishikesh bus stand. The bus leaves every morning at 7:00am and 10:30 am to Uttarkashi. I learned this at the bus stop. I paid Rs155 and hopped on the bus for a 7 hour ride. There was a swami ji already on the bus. He looked a little dark and unwilling to socialize so i let him be. I had to wait an hour for the bus to leave and was getting hungry so i bought some bananas. They sell for Rs 30 for 12 in Rishikesh. I bought 6. I hopped back on the bus and gave the swami ji one. He smiled and accepted it.

A very friendly character hopped on the bus soon after. All smiles and laughter. Some sunshine in a dark place. :) Uma. She walks in with some fruit and sits in my seat at the front of the bus. She did not know it was my seat at the time. The bus tickets come marked. I learned later that nobody really ever follows the seating arrangements. Its usually a free for all. The bus started to move and i asked her if i could sit next to her. "Sure" she smiled.

Aadays Tisai Aadays ~Guru Nanak Dev Ji's views on outward appearance ~Music by Snatam Kaur Mundaa santokh saram path jholee Dhi-ann kee karen bibhoot Kinta kaal kuaaree kaa-i-aa Jugat dandaa partheet Aa-ee pant'hee sagal jamantee Man jeetai jag jeet. Let contentment be your earrings, humility your begging-bowl and meditation the ashes you apply to your body. Let the thought of death be the patched coat you wear, chastity your way in the world and faith in the Lord your walking stick. See the brotherhood and sisterhood of all humankind as the highest order of Yogis; Conquer your mind, and you shall conquer the world Aadays Tisai Aadays Aad Aneel Anaad Anaahat Jug Jug Ayko Vays All honour to the One, Hail the Primal Being whose attributes cannot be described, Who is without beginning, the Unstruck Sound and whose form is One through every age. Aadays Tisai Aadays Aad Aneel Anaad Anaahat Jug Jug Ayko Vays

29 August - Life in Anand Prakash Ashram

Anand Prakash Ashram is situated in Tapovan which is North of Ram Jhoola and Laxman Jhoola. (Tapovan - from the two root words Tapasya - meaning specifically austerity, and more generally spiritual practice, and Vana, meaning forest, or wilderness. Tapovan then translates as forest of spiritual practice, wild place for practicing austerities, etc. ~ Wikipedia) The morning bell rings at 5:30 at the ashram. For those waking up with the bell that gives you half an hour to wash and get ready for yoga and meditation which starts at 6:00am and runs through to 8:00am. Aspirants are encouraged to wake up earlier than 5:30 and start their own practice before the group session. There are a few reasons why it is most suited to do ones practice in the early hours of the morning preferably during 4 to 7: (slight detour :)

1) This is the time when the Kapha Dosha is low in humans and Vata is high. It allows for more intense practice and meditation. According to Ayurveda, there are essentially three types of biological humors which in combination makes up ones inherent psycho-physiological nature or Prakriti. These are Vata, (space and air) Pitta, (fire and water) and Kapha. (water and earth) Along with these humors or Doshas come certain attributes. Human beings are said to be a combination of these Dosha's with any particular one in dominance. When Vata is high it is very conducive to meditation or more sentient and subtle efforts. 2) Thoughts do not really belong to us. They float around in a cloud of consciousness that belong to the human collective. In a specific geographical location, some people find it easy to "zone" into the thoughts of others. This is why in an intimate environment with someone familiar it is easy to think something and immediately find the other person expressing our thoughts in some form or the other. In a busy surround people find it quite noisy, not just outwardly but in the mind as well. A possible explanation is that there are many thoughts circulating the room and one is being bombarded psychically by these. During the early hours, most people are asleep and those who are awake are mostly concerned with spiritual practice which enhances the thought collective at that time and creates a higher resultant vibration for meditation and spiritual practice. We start our class at 6:00am by chanting the Aum. It is still dark outside and a few rays of sun start trickling in through the sky. The room is filled with about 20 to 25 people from different countries. The sound of Aum reverberates through the hall. Everyone is silent. Slowly we begin our practice and work it through to a comfortable sweat, all the while breathing in rhythm and chanting the ancient sanscrit mantras. This creates a strong feeling of oneness in the atmosphere. We usually end our practice with a shoulder stand, (sarvanga asana) fish posture (Matsya asana) and then finally in Shavasana while Gaurav Ji (our instructor) plays a soft meditational or chant CD in the background. He would then do a sequence of relaxation techniques with us, leading into yog nidra (the sleep of the yogis) and when people are ready they can leave. Some stay for a while after, going into deep sleep or conscious sleep. It is a relaxing and deeply meditative experience. After yoga we would make our way down to the dining hall for breakfast. All the food that is prepared at Anand Prakash ashram is prepared according to Ayurvedic principles and is highly Satvic. Tastes real good as well. :) Silence is observed from 9:00pm until 9:00am. Most of us eat in silence enjoying the company of the whole. Its during times like these that i begin to realize how over rated words are and how deeply connective silence can be.

"Brahmarpanam Brahma Havir Brahmagnau Brahmana Hutam Brahmaiva Tena Ghantavyam Brahmakarma Samadhinaha "

This is the prayer we would chant before eating each meal. It translates as:

"The act of offering is God, the oblation is God By God it is offered into the Fire of God. God is That which is to be attained by him who sees God in all"

After breakfast agnihotra ( http://www.agnihotraindia.com/whats.asp ) is performed by one of the swamijis at the ashram. Attendance is optional. Alternatively one is free to go into town or sit by the river or read any of the books in the large library at the ashram. Rishikesh is filled with so many things to do for so many people with a variety of likes, one cannot easily get bored here. The ashram itself is so full of unique people coming from so many different walks of life. It makes staying here so interesting.

Lunch is served at 12:30 and our next yoga class starts at 4:30pm and runs through to 6:00pm. Saturdays classes are usually held outside on the beach by the Ganga. My body was very sore at first and now craves the classes. The Agnihotra seems to be having a positive effect on my body and mind as well. All in all this is a good place to learn, grow and heal.

28th August - Moving Ashrams :)

Today i move out of the Swatantrananda Ashram in Ram Jhoola Rishikesh. I will be moving to Anand Prakash ashram in Laxman Jhoola Rishikesh. http://www.anandprakashashram.com/ Yoga twice a day at 6:00am and at 4:30pm. Agni Homa every morning. Satsang every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. :) Sounds exciting. Lets see.