Category: India

Monday is Shiva day and many are out to celebrate this. A few of us walk to the village temple where the Shiva LIngam is for puga. The sudhus there recognize me. I’ve been to this temple several times this week as it is close by.

I bow my head bring my hands to prayer position and say namaste to one of them. He gives me a high five and a big grin. Culture goes both ways.

They have just finished the fire ceremony when we arrive. We sit for an elaborate puga to Shiva. They let us participate in the ceremony today and we pass the fire and incense over the LIngam as prayers are said. After puga we receive individual blessing and he ties our arm with threads of the bright mela orange colors to wear and apply the tikuli or bright orange bindi to our foreheads.

Walking back to camp someone asks the question, “How do you know for sure if the meditation is working or if you are saying the mantra correctly?” The answer is simple. By the fruits of the Practice. Are we more happy, more kind, more loving, and compassionate than before? Do our families and friends feel loved and well cared for? If so, then the meditation is working. If not, you may want to look at changing your practice. Any practice without heart is simply not worth practicing.

Om shanti peace
May there be peace in your hearts and peace in the world
Jude

Visited an ashram deep inside the mela today. We walked for several hours to get there but it was worth every step. We were greeted with open arms and incredible hospitality when we arrived. There are multiple Europeans living in camp there including one from US. We are able to converse in English. The surroundings are extremely simple and we realize immediately that in our camp we have been living in luxury by most other standards.

I’ve never eaten at a happier table. I never have FELT the blessing instead of just hearing it. There is so much love in the food it is truly Prasad and a gift to partake of it with others. We eat with our fingers from bowls made of pressed leaves and we laugh and love much during our meal together.

The people in India never suffer from the American disease of loneliness. They live together, work together, walk together, eat together and sleep together. Maybe it’s a cultural thing. Maybe there just isn’t enough space per person to be alone anywhere here.

Togetherness is abundant in India and especially the mela where we are even more condensed. I think maybe that’s one of the reasons they are so happy.

My take away for the day, Less is More. Less stuff, less stress, less worry, less aloneness, less work, = More Happy. Isn’t that the secret elixir we are all looking for?
May you be happy, may you be healthy, and may you be at peace.

Namaste and Jai Ma to all.

And to my beloved Kripalu sisters Crystal and April , Jai Bhagwan

The frenzy continues to build at the Kumba mela. This is the main day for the entire three month festival! There are approximately 1.2 million of us here at this point in time. One can barely move through the crowd of people.

The noise is incredible and of course I only hear half of it. Not sure how the others cope. The only thing that makes it bearable is Shiva’s Drum. There is a constant low hum of mantra chanting and drumming that plays 24/7 as a background to all other sounds. I try to block out the rest and walk to the beat of the drum. I sleep to beat to the drum and awake to the beat of the drum.

What’s so incredible about it is there are thousands of drummers drumming all over the camps and somehow it all becomes one perfect rhythm. But then we are in India and it has it’s own rhythm, timeless and in harmony with all things.

A few of us make our way in Patanjalis temple outside the village to see the Shiva LIngam. The Infinite feels so accessable here. Everything has such a sense of sacredness. People come and go. Some make offerings some stay for puga with the temple priest, others simply pass through. The incense hangs in the air along with the sound of Om. We drink it all in and our cup runneth over.

The LIngam signifies that creation is effected by the union of ‘Prakriti’ and ‘Purusha,’ the male and the female powers of Nature.
They are two aspects of one Self never separate from each other, form and formlessness. It’s stands as a representation in outer form to help us remember our true nature of the inner formless spirit not two just one.

Om Nama Shivia
Jude

Many thanks to all who have participated in the blog. You add depth and meaning to my experience by sharing your thoughts.

Second week begins. It’s hard to believe. The passage of time seems so different here. It’s as if we had somehow landed right in the middle of the eternal Now. Aside from the bells that call us in for prayers and tea, there is no markage of time other than cycles of day and night, and one quickly loses count of them. Although I have to say that with each passing day the groups happiness grows exponentially. It is noticeable in every face every encounter we can barely contain our joy.

I’m aware of this particular day because it is an auspicious one. There is a Vedic wedding here today in the scared grove between one of the men and women in our group. We are all soooo excited to celebrate their union. It was a breathtakingly beautiful ceremony and a perfect day for an outdoor wedding. The bride and groom repeated their vows along with Vedic mantras In front of a sacred fire. The fire serves as their witness as they vow to honor the scared fire within each others heart. May they grow old together and be guided, nourished and protected by the infinite love of the Devine light within.

Om Shanti
Jude

Walked along the bank of the Ganges all morning up to the main Kumba Mela. It was a meditative journey, breathe in breathe out, repeat. We pass many sadhus along the way in their bright orange robes. Children play down by the river women wash clothes. I give my food for the day away early while my heart is still louder than my belly, least I be tempted to keep it for myself. I had breakfast, many I meet did not.

The Mela crowd is enormous. Someone in our group described it like a cross between a huge state fair, a Grateful Dead rock concert, a three ring circus, and a huge religious gathering. That’s a pretty good description. There are camps everywhere. Dogs, kids, elephants, sadhus, and all forms of human beings on the streets. It’s a controlled chaos of sorts but then maybe all of India is. Somehow things all work but then they have been doing this for thousands of years!

We travel on to where the Ganges meets the Yamuna, the confluence of the two rivers, to dip in its sacred waters . There is a serene like quality to this place that draws you into it. The energy is palpable. You can feel its essence flowing in you. It’s a ritual repeated millions of times over by all sorts of spiritual seekers who have come before me, as well, as those who will follow. The path is never ending. All are drawn to this great river of life and it’s sweet elixir of love. I am blessed beyond belief.

Namaste

Jude

To live along the banks of this great mother river this past week has been the greatest gift. She is the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see at night.

In India all rivets are considered female and the Ganga, the Maha or Great Mother river. She gives life to all things.
She calls me constantly to come see. I slip off by myself and run down to meet her like a secret lover. We touch and dissolve into one another. I am swept away into the intimate flow of life itself.

There is no vessel large enough
To contain this love
Not even the depths of
my soul can hold it.
It pours itself out spilling everywhere.
My mind tries to wipe it up, but
it spreads out into infinity.

Namaste Jude

First light in India. The fog is so thick you can’t see your hand in front of you. It reminds me of Moby Dick and the description of the “great white” fog. I guess India wants to reveal herself to us slowly.

We travel again on the bus and a two hour ride takes five since the fog is so heavy. We creep along sitting inside this veil of milky whiteness that surrounds us. I feel like I’m shrouded. Like I’ve entered the Void itself.  It has an ethereal quality to it like the Gods sent it to us for some deeper purpose.

Eventually it begins to lift and I catch glimpses of the promise of things to come. We wish for all things to be revealed at once for enlightenment to just appear. For the journey to be faster, easier, to arrive at the thing, without fully realizing we already are what we are looking for, just as we are. Fog or no fog, that’s crystal clear.

The road so far rough and rocky
Path unclear from the very start
Compass broken no direction
I stumble on inside my heart

Namaste,

Judy

As a woman in the mela camp I think I can speak not only for myself, but all of my sisters, about our men. We are so grateful for their presence. We out number them almost three to one which makes us even more appreciative. They are rare jewels.

When women are not allowed to leave our camp we are requested to have at least one of the men from our camp to accompany us. They graciously accompany us with good humor, respect, and compassionate understanding of our needs. They are patient and kind and we simply could not function without them.

In addition to our mela group men, I’m also grateful for the Indian men that travel with us as our guides. They translate, help us count our rupees and remind us it’s not worth bargaining over a few cents. They tolerate our shopping much better than most American men and are always looking out for us. Without them this trip would simply not be possible for us. Through their protection, we are afforded access to places many Indian women would not be able to go.

So if any of you sisters have one of those “few good men” in your life comment/brag back about him below. He is a rare jewel!

Namaste Jude